The Fault in our Stars

So I finally read The Fault in our Stars.  So many of my students have read this book.  And it's not like I didn't want to read it.  I just didn't want to buy it at first and when I went to initially request it from the library I was like #225 on the waiting list for the e-book.  Whatever the journey, I am glad that I finally did read it.  I've been on a John Green kick over the past month and was starting to get annoyed (see previous posts) with the overuse of curse words.  Fortunately, this book did not have that same style.

As many know, The Fault in our Stars is about two teens, Hazel Grace and Augustus, who are both suffering from cancer.  They meet in a support group and fall in love.  And that's all the summary I am going to give you, as I don't want to ruin any of the joys that come from plot twists in a book while reading.

Today, I am going to choose to focus on a golden line from The Fault in our Stars that I feel really develops the theme.  If I had to choose one theme for this book, I would say his message about human life is that life is meant to be lived and people need to take advantage of the time and experiences they have.  Both of the main characters have cancer, yet they are both well-developed characters who live in the moment as best they can.  They still meet new people, have new experiences and don't wallow in their diagnosis.  The line that was so impactful to me as a reader was, "You are going to live a good and long life filled with great and terrible moments that you cannot even imagine yet."  I think this fits the theme; we need to fill our lives with moments.  Whether they are great or whether they are terrible, we are still taking risks and enjoying the moment instead of staying at home and wallowing in self pity.

I really liked this book.  But it was definitely sad.  It is being made into a movie and I know, without a doubt, it will be a tearjerker.  Here is the official trailer: