Blog Post 9/15/14

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a romantic novel about a girl named Hazel grace who is diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She starts going to a support group for cancer survivors. She meets a boy named Augustus Waters. Augustus had a type of cancer that causes him to loose his leg. They fall in love and are inseparable. Hazel gives Augustus a book that she loves called An Imperial Affliction. Hazel loves this book because she can relate to the character Anna who has a rare blood cancer. After Augustus reads the book, they bond over it because they both want to know the ending. The author ends the book before giving a conclusion on what happens to Anna's family and friends after she dies. Augustus uses one of his cancer wishes was to take him and Hazel to Amsterdam to talk to the author. The author does not give Hazel and Augustus any answers. Finally Augustus tells Hazel that the doctors say that the cancer has spread through his whole body. For the last weeks of his life, Hazel is always by his side and caring for him.

            Firstly, the title of the book is very interesting. Can you change your destiny? What if you are handed a life that is not so easy? “Its written in the stars” means it is meant to be or it’s your destiny. In the book, Hazel didn’t know that she would be diagnosed with cancer, but she was and it wasn’t her fault, and she can’t change it. Hazel wants to go to the author of her favorite book because she wants to know what happens to the parents after Anna dies. Hazel wants to know this because she is in the same situation and she doesn’t know her fate. Hazel wants to know if people will notice that she is gone. Because her future is not certain, she wants to know how her parents will react when she's gone.  

            Furthermore, Hazel doesn’t treat Augustus any differently after she knows he is going to die. It must be very hard to let go of someone you love. Hazel says, “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” I think this is super sweet and loving. It probably took Hazel a lot of courage to stay with Augustus before he was about to die.  She is very loyal to Augustus.

            In conclusion, this book shows young teens that you shouldn’t give up. This relates to my real life because I don’t know my fate. I don’t know what I will be doing 5 years from now, let alone 10 or 20. What the hidden metaphor in this book is, is that sometimes you don't have the ability to choose, life just happens whether you like it or not.