the fault in our stars book review essay

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Essay: Book review essay: “The fault in our stars”

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‘I fell in love the way you fall asleep, slowly, then all at once’ (Green). Hazel Grace is a sixteen-year-old girl, who has been suffering thyroid cancer since the age of thirteen. Since her lungs are so badly damage caused by the cancer, she is connected to an oxygen tank in order to be able to breath. She is obligated by her mother to go to a cancer support group where she meets a young, handsome boy named Augustus Waters. Augustus is a seventeen-year-old boy, survivor from osteosarcoma, which falls in love with Hazel at the moment he sees her. Both create a relationship together where they fight the struggles that are presented to them and share the obsession over a book named, An Imperial Affliction by the fictional author Peter Van Houten. The Fault in our Stars is not just a book that portrays the hard times that a teen or any person at any age goes through cancer physically, but also what actually true love is and the power it has. The courage that it takes for a person to take cancer as part of their lives and the fears they create.

John Green creates this story where the characters take cancer as a member of their lives by making it seem as something that they have known forever and explain what is really to live with it. It is portrayed by the way Hazel explains an idea of what are the real side effects of cancer, in this case depression. She describes it by saying, ‘depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying. (Cancer is also a side effect of dying. Almost everything is, really)’ (Green). She explaining that by having cancer, people know that they will not be able to live long enough and that their body can fail at any moment, but in some way they still fight. Green in some way creates this book in some kind of a philosophical work where he question whether is it really worth it to fight when in some cases people will not achieve it. He questions, what is what they are really achieving.

The author has a skill that helps him create his characters at a point where the audience knows how the characters feel, think and what they fear and eventually relate to them. As Beimers commented, Green ‘appears to be more capable at telling a story from a female point of view than most women writers are today’. Hazel is described as a girl that fears to hurt the people around her. She mentions, ‘”What am I at war with? My cancer. And what is my cancer? My cancer is me. The tumors are made of me. They’re made of me as surely as my brain and my heart are made of me. It is a civil war’with a predetermined winner.” (Green). She becomes the disease and she is scared of infecting the people around her. She is scared that when she is dead the people around her will not be able to move along with their lives. It may be that ‘Hazel is all of these negatives wrapped up in her end-of-her-world melodrama’ (Starkehaus), but Green wants to portray how people become depress and forget about hope. As for Augustus he fears oblivion. He fears that after his dead nobody will remember him and be just someone who fought for cancer. He is scared of not making something important for the world. Green portrays that ‘The real heroes anyway aren’t the people doing things; the real heroes are the people NOTICING things, paying attention’. (Green)

After the author shows how depressing and hurtful cancer can be, he also show what’s love and the power it has. Green does not talks about any kind of teenage couple relationship but about a real relationship where they are struggles, there’s kindness and caring between the couple. Augustus tries everything to accomplish the dream of Hazel which is find out what happens to the characters of the book she is obsessed on. The portrays how with love it can overcome the hard times and that during those hard times the couple can stick together no matter what will happen during the future. It shows how love will cause them not to hurt them or prevent it. When Hazel knows that she has fallen in love with Augustus she tells him, ‘I am a grenade and at some point I am going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties okay?” (Green). She cares for him that he doesn’t want to hurt him. When Augustus is confirmed that has cancer for a second time he promises Hazel that he will fight and during that fight Hazel never let’s go. The book shows what love is really capable of.

After all the book might be a sad, but the way Green’s words are ‘oftentimes breathtaking, and some portions of the novel are so perfectly structured that even the smallest details are turned into moments of real poignancy’ (Beimers). It shows how people need a lot of courage to live and overcome their biggest enemy. And how love can change everything. ‘But it’s not a cancer book’ because cancer books suck.” (Minzesheimer).

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Themes and Analysis

The fault in our stars, by john green.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is a novel that brings themes about love, family, relationships, pain, and death to life.

Article written by Joshua Ehiosun

C2 certified writer.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’  uses human-relatable themes to tell the story of its primary characters, Hazel and Augustus. Though the novel follows a tragic story, it shows the happy-sad relationship between the primary characters. The story’s focus on the weaknesses and struggles of its characters made it become a popular attraction for teenagers and young adults.

Love and Friendship

Love and friendship are the primary themes of  ‘The Fault in Our Stars.’  Throughout the novel, John Green showed how Hazel and Augustus sailed through their love for each other. The story focused on its primary character’s relationship and showed how it slowly progressed from mutual friendship to love.

On meeting Augustus, Hazel became attracted to him, and soon, she shared her most prized possession with him. On introducing him to  ‘An Imperial Affliction,’  their relationship blossoms, and after they go to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten, Hazel realizes she has fallen for Augustus. After professing their love for each other, Augustus reveals that his cancer is back. Hazel begins to navigate through the experience of seeing the person she loves fade from existence. 

The novel shows how powerful friendships get. Isaac and Augustus had a strong bond that lived beyond Augustus’s death; this showed the value of their relationship.

Pain and Suffering

Though the novel showed moments of happiness and love in its characters’ lives, it focused more on their reality, pain, and suffering. As a novel that narrates the struggle of living with cancer, the story of ‘The Fault in Our Stars’   perfectly portrays the suffering associated with cancer.

The novel’s attention to the reality of cancer made it an extremely relatable book . After Hazel met Augustus, she realized that she could not escape her life of suffering. On meeting Peter Van Houten, she got forced to confront her reality as Van Houten told her that her ailment was nothing but an effect of evolution; this made her realize that she could never escape the pain. She had to watch Augustus gradually become a shadow of himself; this ate away at her, and when he died, she felt trapped in a cage of her pain and suffering.

In  ‘The Fault in Our Stars,’  Hazel and Augustus tried to navigate a life of pain and suffering while simultaneously discovering their feelings for each other. Augustus was a person who believed that leaving a mark in life was crucial. However, Hazel argued otherwise, stating that the legacy left behind by great people will turn into nothing but scars. The novel showed how Hazel, Isaac, Augustus, and other teenagers struggled to find their identity in a world of cancer and pain.

Life and Death

Death is a primary theme in  ‘The Fault in Our Stars.’  Though Hazel tried to show her strength amid suffering, she admitted that her death would bring undiluted pain to her parents and those around her. Seeing herself as a time grenade, she desperately tried to protect her family from the future impact of her death. With her life getting shorter and shorter, Hazel tried to resist falling in love with Augustus because she feared that death would only hurt him more. After Augustus revealed that he was dying from cancer, Hazel began to wish that her life was a bit different. The pain of watching Augustus die tormented her.

Coming of Age

One thing the novel talks about is maturity. The loss of innocence became a crucial turning point in Hazel and Augustus’s lives as they matured into adulthood. They realized that their lives would circle cancer, pain, and death.

Analysis of Key Moments

• Hazel’s doctor and mother advise her to attend a support group.
• On joining the support group, Hazel meets Augustus, a seventeen-year-old boy who had his right leg removed due to Osteosarcoma.
• Hazel and Augustus become friends. They exchange their favorite novels. Hazel gives him  ‘An Imperial Affliction,’  and she collects ‘ The Prince of Dawn.’
• Augustus gets frustrated by  An Imperial Affliction’s  ending but learns from Hazel that Peter Van Houten, its author, has moved to Amsterdam.
• Isaac, Augustus’s friend, gets dumped by his girlfriend, Monica.
• Augustus reveals to Hazel that he has tracked Peter Van Houten’s assistant, Lidewiji Vliegenthart, and has begun an exchange of emails with Van Houten.
• Hazel and Augustus start exchanging emails with Van Houten, and finally, they get invited to Amsterdam.
• Augustus uses his genie wish to get tickets for Hazel, himself, and her mother to see Van Houten.
• Hazel meets Van Houten but discovers he is a mean alcoholic. He refuses to answer her question, and in a fit of rage, she storms out of his house.
• Van Houten’s assistant takes Hazel and Augustus to Anne Frank’s house.
• Hazel and Augustus kiss for the first time.
• Hazel and Augustus lose their virginity to each other.
• Augustus reveals that his cancer had returned and spread throughout his body.
• On returning home, Augustus’s health deteriorates, and he dies.
• Van Houten tries to apologize to Hazel at Augustus’s funeral, but she rejects his apology.
• Van Houten’s assistant tells Hazel of the letters Augustus had sent to Van Houten, and on reading one, she discovers he wrote an obituary for her.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

‘The Fault in Our Stars’  employs a sad but vibrant tone but the melancholy switches when Hazels falls in love with Augustus and becomes a happy tone. Hazel’s straightforwardness made the story progress rapidly as she served as the narrator from a first-person’s perspective.

The story uses similes, metaphors, personifications, and allusions to create a delicately interesting word structure. Metaphors like Augustus’s use of cigarettes created an ironic portrayal of the story’s narrative. 

Analysis of Symbols

An imperial affliction.

The book  ‘An Imperial Affliction’  has many metaphorical reflections on Hazel’s life. She admitted to the book being like a Bible for her because it was one of the few novels that understood what it felt like to be dying. Hazel stated that Peter Van Houten was a writer who understood death. After reading the book numerously, Hazel became addicted to the fate of the story’s characters; this makes her travel to Amsterdam in search of answers. However, on reaching Amsterdam, she got hit by reality as she discovered that Van Houten had no suitable answer to her questions.

In the novel, Augustus kept a cigarette pack. When asked about why he had a cigarette placed in his mouth, he stated that it was a representation of trying to prove that one had power over a force of evil. The cigarette symbolizes the belief that something can only harm a person when they let it hurt them.

Oxygen Tank

Throughout the novel, Hazel always uses an oxygen tank. The tank represents the blockade that stood between life and death for Hazel.

What are the primary themes of The Fault in Our Stars ?

‘The Fault in Our Stars’   implements many themes synonymous with teenagers; this includes themes of coming of age, love, and identity. The novel exploited the concept of pain in its characters’ lives.

What happens to Isaac in The Fault in Our Stars ?

Isaac is August’s friend who had eye cancer. When Isaac got scheduled to undergo surgery, he and Monica broke up. The surgery was successful, but he lost his eye and became blind.

Does Hazel die in the Fault in Our Stars ?

Though the novel did not show whether Hazel died or not, John Green revealed that she died one year after Augustus’s death.

What do Augustus’s cigarettes represent?

When Hazel got angry at Augustus for putting a cigarette in his mouth, he told her that the cigarette was a metaphor. He explained that having the cigarette in his mouth without smoking gave him power over death.

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About Joshua Ehiosun

Joshua is an undying lover of literary works. With a keen sense of humor and passion for coining vague ideas into state-of-the-art worded content, he ensures he puts everything he's got into making his work stand out. With his expertise in writing, Joshua works to scrutinize pieces of literature.

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The Fault in Our Stars

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on John Green's The Fault in Our Stars . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Fault in Our Stars: Introduction

The fault in our stars: plot summary, the fault in our stars: detailed summary & analysis, the fault in our stars: themes, the fault in our stars: quotes, the fault in our stars: characters, the fault in our stars: symbols, the fault in our stars: theme wheel, brief biography of john green.

Other Books Related to The Fault in Our Stars

• Full Title: The Fault in Our Stars
• When Written: 2002-2012
• Where Written: Indianapolis and Amsterdam
• When Published: 2012
• Literary Period: Postmodern
• Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Coming of Age
• Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana
• Climax: The meeting in Amsterdam with Van Houten
• Antagonist: Cancer
• Point of View: First Person narrative told from Hazel’s point of view

Extra Credit for The Fault in Our Stars

Dedication and Inspiration. Green’s novel is dedicated to Esther Earl. Esther was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12 and died in 2010, shortly after her 16th birthday. Green has said that Esther was a major inspiration for the novel. Esther’s parents have since published a collection of Esther’s writings called, “This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earle.”

The Silver Screen . The Fault in Our Stars is set to hit the big screen in the U.S. on June 6th, 2014. John Green spent time on set making video blogs that chronicle his artistic journey in making the film adaption of his novel. The film's trailer gained over 3 million views in less than 24 hours after it was released.

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The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - review

The Fault In Our Stars is a fabulous book about a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and attends a cancer support group.

Hazel is 16 and is reluctant to go to the support group, but she soon realises that it was a good idea. Hazel meets a young boy named Augustus Waters. He is charming and witty. Augustus has had osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, but has recently had the all clear.

Hazel and Augustus embark on a roller coaster ride of emotions, including love, sadness and romance, while searching for the author of their favourite book. They travel to Amsterdam in search of Peter Van Houten the author of An Imperial Affliction. While on their trip Augustus breaks some heartbreaking news to Hazel and both of their worlds fall apart around them.

If you enjoy young adult books, full of witty humour and heartbreaking events, this book is perfect for you. Expect to laugh, cry and smile throughout this masterpiece by the amazing John Green . I highly recommend this book.

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Book Review

Posted February 16, 2015 by Jana in Book Review , Young Adult Fiction / 5 Comments

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green's most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

I can’t believe I read this. I can’t BELIEVE I read this. I had vowed to never, ever read The Fault in our Stars because I hate crying and being sad and cancer. And being the perfectionist, type-A student I am, I finally did. If the love of my life had asked me to read TFioS, I would have said no. But when my grade’s on the line I’ll pretty much do anything that isn’t illegal and/or against my moral code. Haha. So yay! Now I’m cool and I’ve read the book, and I only cried a little (but that’s because I read the spoilers because I’M SORRY, but in addition to being a perfectionist I’m also a planner. So sue me.). Anyway, so much has been said and re-said about TFioS so I’m not going to do a full review like I usually do. Here are my thoughts!

– I think The Fault in Our Stars ‘s biggest selling point (aside from the sweeping romance) is that suffering is a part of life sometimes, and people go through things that are not fair. It’s part of life. We all go through a lot of suffering, and while it might not be as huge as cancer, loves are lost and devastating things happen (big or small). I remember times where I felt convinced that my life was over for one reason or another. The Fault in our Stars really puts everything into perspective and gives readers a chance to think about their own lives. I thought a lot about what I would do if I knew I was terminal. I wondered how I would change or how I would re-prioritize my life.

– The story is unique because the romance feels so realistic and true . Hazel and Gus are dying, so they have risen above time just to be in the moment. I love their story, and I love how they fell deeply for one another. And, oh, Augustus. I love his personality.

– Hazel’s voice is so poignant and strong, even though she’s scared. Her maturity matches that of someone who has had to grow up faster than average in order to live her entire life in a too-short period of time.

– Hazel’s thoughts about love and life are so real, especially for someone that is dealing with something horrible. I identified with her in many ways because I have debilitating diseases that have altered my life. I’m not terminal, and I’m not in danger of becoming so, but I understood her reflections. It’s unbelievably scary and confusing to live in pain, and John Green writes like he has been through it. He writes Hazel and Gus like he knows what it’s like to be them. He conveys such perfect emotion. 

– The romance is so sweet. I had a perfect fairy-tale love story as a teen (obviously it was far from perfect and we went our separate ways), and I was told all the time that I couldn’t possibly know what love is like. I appreciate that John Green understands that teens can know. And they can have a deep love story. I love it when an author respects their audience like that, and does not put characters in their book that tell teens how wrong they are, and how their feelings aren’t true.

– The book gave me hope . The jokes and the sarcasm and the funny jabs are a reminder that you can always have hope, even in dire circumstances. I loved that message.

All in all, The Fault in Our Stars really spoke to me. Readers do not have to be suffering from cancer or even know someone who has/had cancer in order to relate. The book is about living and loving and enjoying the time you have. It’s about hope. I think everyone should read this book because the messages of the necessity for suffering, the realities of cancer, living in the moment, hope, and love are so strong and beautifully delivered.

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5 responses to “ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | Book Review ”

Glad you enjoyed it! I wasn’t expecting much from this book, so it blew me away. There was a perfect balance between bitter reality and optimistic hope, such a well done story. And Hazel! Her voice was excellent.

Lovely review :D Lea @ YA Book Queen recently posted… Mini-Review: VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab

I still haven’t read this. I tried. I made it about three pages in and returned it to the library. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it and took something away from reading it. Brianna recently posted… read: george washington books for kids

I think I was one of few that didn’t really fall in love with it. I love how you mentioned how this wasn’t just about the romance, but also about LIFE. I do love books don’t always have A HEA and really focus on things that we don’t like to talk about. :D

Glad you loved it! tonyalee recently posted… 2015 Book Blogger Love-A-Thon | Kick off Interview

The book is beautiful, yes the message is very clear, besides the romance i love the friendship, and the family support, the characters are beautiful and realistic, love the book

This is one of my favorite reads of all time! Love your comments!

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The fault in our stars, common sense media reviewers.

Heartrending love story told by teen dying of cancer.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Will build vocabulary and awareness of literature,

Hazel not only provides teens with insight about w

Hazel is a smart, funny narrator, and readers will

There is no out-and-out violence here, but sensiti

The two main characters, who are in love, do have

Some mature language that seems realistic given th

The main characters drink champagne, etc., on a tr

Parents need to know that The Fault in Our Stars is a story about teens fighting cancer, and sensitive readers might be uncomfortable with the subject matter and sometimes graphic descriptions of what it's like to die. Hazel has some near-death experiences and also copes with Gus as he vomits uncontrollably,…

Educational Value

Will build vocabulary and awareness of literature, as the book makes references to Shakespeare, etc. (including the title, which comes from his Julius Caesar ("The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,/ But in ourselves, that we are underlings."). Can inspire discussions about fate, the meaning of life, thoughts about dying.

Positive Messages

Hazel not only provides teens with insight about what it is like to know you are dying -- and to lose someone you love -- but her story is also about deciding to love and be loved, even when you know it will cause pain.

Positive Role Models

Hazel is a smart, funny narrator, and readers will appreciate the flawed but loving characters throughout. Most notably, readers will be amazed by her parents, who try to be truly supportive to their daughter always, even though their hearts are breaking and they don't always agree with her choices.

Violence & Scariness

There is no out-and-out violence here, but sensitive readers should know that there are graphic descriptions of what it is like to suffer through cancer. Hazel has some near-death experiences and also copes with Gus as he vomits uncontrollably. Characters lose eyes, legs, control of their personalities, and more. Also, characters play violent video games and read books and watch movies with high body counts.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The two main characters, who are in love, do have (safe) sex, though it is described only briefly.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some mature language that seems realistic given the age of the main characters: stuff like "bull----," "bastards," "nuts," etc.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The main characters drink champagne, etc., on a trip to Amsterdam, and Gus puts cigarettes in his mouth (but doesn't smoke them). Some discussion of fictional cancer drugs. An adult character is an alcoholic who begins drinking early in the morning.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Fault in Our Stars is a story about teens fighting cancer, and sensitive readers might be uncomfortable with the subject matter and sometimes graphic descriptions of what it's like to die. Hazel has some near-death experiences and also copes with Gus as he vomits uncontrollably, etc. Characters lose eyes, legs, control of their personalities, and more. Also, characters play violent video games and read books and watch movies with high body counts. There's some swearing and drinking, and the two main characters, who are in love, do have (safe) sex, though it's described only briefly. This is a mature and powerful story: Hazel not only provides teens with insight about what it is like to know you're dying -- and to lose someone you love -- but her story is also about deciding to love and be loved, even when you know it will cause pain.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (43)
• Kids say (495)

Based on 43 parent reviews

Crass at times

A romantic, emotional and sensitive story for young people must not involve them having sex in their young and immature relacionship just cause they've got a terminal illness, what's the story.

Hazel knows she is dying of cancer, and even when she makes an instant connection with survivor Augustus Waters at a youth support group, she is determined not to start a romance with him ("I'm a grenade and at some point I'm going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?"). Even so, when he uses his Wish to take her to Amsterdam to meet a reclusive author she loves, it is impossible to deny that he loves her -- and she loves him. And though she soon learns that Gus has a painful secret, Hazel learns that loving others is worth it, even when it leaves a "scar."

Is It Any Good?

Be prepared: This is a tearjerker dealing with dying -- and surviving the death of a loved one. Parents who read this book along with their teens will be particularly moved by Hazel's parents, who soothe her anxiety by telling her about their plans for after she has died ("Even when you die, I will still be your mom, Hazel ... how could I stop loving you?"). Green wrote this book after making a friendship with a teen with cancer, and his attention to detail is remarkable, from descriptions of equipment to what it feels like to be stared at by well-meaning strangers. Readers may be perplexed about an alcoholic author who begins making appearances in Hazel's life, and may be unsure if he is really there or just a symbol. This decision seems a bit out of step with what is otherwise a realistic and emotionally harrowing book about love and loss. But Hazel's honest narration and her strength to love despite the consequences will capture teens' attention most. In the end, this is a painful book, but well worth it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what it would be like to know you are dying. Would you do anything differently? Why does Hazel say she feels like a "grenade" and tell her parents she wants to "minimize the casualties" by staying away from people?

Also, the author's other books, such as Looking for Alaska , are often called edgy. What makes a book "Young Adult," and when does it crossover into being an adult story? Does it have to do mostly with the age of the narrator, or something else?

Book Details

• Author : John Green
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Topics : Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Dutton Books
• Publication date : January 10, 2012
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 14
• Number of pages : 336
• Last updated : November 4, 2019

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Books — The Fault in Our Stars

Essays on The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a powerful and emotional story that has touched the hearts of many readers. Writing an essay about this topic can help you explore the themes, characters, and overall impact of the book. It's a great way to dive deeper into the story and share your thoughts with others.

When choosing a topic for your essay on The Fault in Our Stars, it's important to consider what aspect of the book you want to focus on. Do you want to analyze the characters and their development throughout the story? Or maybe you want to explore the themes of love, loss, and hope? Whatever topic you choose, make sure it's something you're passionate about and interested in exploring further.

If you're considering writing an argumentative essay on The Fault in Our Stars, you can explore topics such as the portrayal of illness in the book, the impact of love on the characters' lives, or the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the characters. For a cause and effect essay, you could focus on the effects of illness on the characters' lives, the causes of their emotional struggles, or the impact of love and loss on their journey. An opinion essay could delve into your personal interpretation of the book, your favorite character, or the lessons you've learned from the story. Lastly, for an informative essay, you could write about the author's inspiration for the book, the history of the book's publication, or the impact of the story on readers.

For example, if you're writing an essay on The Fault in Our Stars, your thesis statement could focus on the characters' resilience in the face of illness, the portrayal of love and loss, or the impact of the story on readers. Your could provide a brief summary of the book, introduce the main themes you'll be discussing, and present your thesis statement. In the , you could summarize your main points, reiterate the significance of your thesis, and leave readers with a thought-provoking ending.

Writing an essay about The Fault in Our Stars can be a rewarding and insightful experience. Whether you choose to analyze the characters, explore the themes, or share your personal interpretation of the story, there are endless possibilities for engaging and thought-provoking essays on this topic. So, grab your pen and paper, and start exploring the world of The Fault in Our Stars through your own unique essay!

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"The Fault in Our Stars": Analysis of Characters and Themes

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An Analysis of "The Fault in Our Stars": a Book Review

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A Reflection on The Book The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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The Fault in Our Stars

By john green, the fault in our stars essay questions.

What is the role of love in The Fault in Our Stars ? In other words, why did Green make The Fault in Our Stars a love story?

Hazel is very smart; she has seen and felt a lot of things. However, Hazel does not fully understand love at the beginning of the novel, and begins to throughout the story, realizing that perhaps pain and joy are more intertwined than she had deigned to believe. That The Fault in Our Stars is a love story helps Hazel to understand life, death, and family, and allows The Fault in Our Stars to be a coming of age story in terms of the discovery of self emotionally and sexually rather than focusing all of the story's content on coping with cancer.

What is the importance of John Green having created the most central book(s) to the characters in the story? What is the impact of having an epigraph from a fictional work?

Creating the books within The Fault in Our Stars , An Imperial Affliction and The Price of Dawn , allows Green complete control over the plots, characters, and themes in them so that he can leverage these allusions to precisely parallel and add to the themes already in the larger work. For example, the fact that Anna, the main character of An Imperial Affliction , is a young girl with cancer who does not want to let this fact define her entire life parallels Hazel's situation and causes Hazel to find empathy and connection in the book. Furthermore, Green is able to create a fictional author who demonstrates that authors don't always write directly from reality and aren't always the way you think they'll be. Having a fictional epigraph is the same - it allows Green to write exactly what he wants as an epigraph, strategically placing it, as with all epigraphs, to foreground themes that will be developed throughout the book. The epigraph talks about water and time, two incredibly important things to Hazel because she feels that she has too much of one and too little of the other. This stresses the symbolic imagery of water throughout the book, which ties into lack of agency in relation to illness and time.

How do the characters in The Fault in Our Stars deal with the fear and pain of living with cancer, and losing loved ones to it? Does the book seem to suggest that there is one ideal way to deal with illness and death?

The characters in The Fault in Our Stars hold very different views on the meaning of life and how to deal with cancer and death. Two contrasting points of view brought to attention are those of Augustus, who believes that he must accomplish something tangible to have lived a good life and die a dignified death, and Hazel, who wants to live doing as little harm to others and the world as possible. Because Augustus is unable to live up to his high aspirations, lofty and nebulous as they are, Green seems to be criticizing this point of view. However, Hazel's point of view does not go unchallenged either, as she learns the value of allowing oneself to be hurt and hurt others in the pursuit of living while one can.

Is The Fault in Our Stars problematic in any way as a novel? How?

As one critic mentioned, Green's profiting from the stories of sick teens could be seen as offensive to some readers, specifically those sick teens on whose behalf he is trying to speak. However, Green did his research during his time as a chaplain at a children's hospital and through his relationship with Esther Earl and others. More pressing, however, is that the book does not accurately represent the struggles with money that many families have when a child, or any family member, is ill. The fact that the parents in the book seem to all be loving, upper-middle class, white, suburban, and Christian does not do justice to the struggle of many teens whose lack of agency due to age and illness is intensified by familial, economic, and other problems. This is a problem with the book that Green should have addressed in attempting to write for a broader audience of youths and instill them with a sense of the true impact of childhood cancer.

As usually occurs in young adult literature, the main character (Hazel) grows, learns, and changes over the course of the novel. In what ways does Hazel change, and in what ways does she stay the same?

Though she understands a lot about literature and even more about pain, Hazel does not understand a lot about the nature of love at the beginning of the novel. Hazel's relationships with Augustus and with her parents allow her to explore love relationships (both romantic and familial) and how they may make more complex the interplay of love and pain that make up life and death. Though the story begins and ends with Hazel thinking alone, attending Support Group, spending time with her parents, and celebrating wacky holidays, along the way she has learned even more to value relationships and their ability to bring joy even with the looming potential of causing some harm.

What is the importance of Peter Van Houten as a character in The Fault in Our Stars ? What does he represent and how does he affect Hazel?

Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction , the book within a book in The Fault in Our Stars , is nothing like Anna imagines him to be. Though he did base his book on real life to some extent, his reality is much sadder and having written the book does not allow him to truly cope with or escape from the death of his daughter. Van Houten, though disappointing to Hazel at first, does instill her with some important ideas, including the fact that you cannot go looking for answers about a book outside of what you're given (and, perhaps expanding further, you cannot go looking for meaning in life outside of what is given to you).

Choose one of the poems mentioned in the novel. Why did Green choose to include that poem in the novel? How does it contribute to themes, imagery, and meaning in the book as a whole?

Hazel recites part of the T.S. Eliot poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” to Augustus when they eat dinner at Oranjee in Amsterdam. The lines she recites are: “We have lingered in the chambers of the sea / By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown / Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (p.164). This poem speaks of awareness ("human voices wake us"), water and drowning, and time ("lingered"), which are all important themes in The Fault in Our Stars . Furthermore, Hazel's love for books and poetry in general represent a certain escapism, not wanting to harm or affect other people and so retreating into the world of authors, fiction, and poetry for comfort and kinship.

What might have been difficult about adapting The Fault in Our Stars into a movie? How should a director deal with adapting rich and sensitive works of literature for the big screen?

The Fault in Our Stars has done incredibly well both as a novel and a movie. This is because everyone who has worked on the two projects has been focused on translating the story with reality, humility, sensitivity, and a bit of comedy. Choosing actors to play Haze and Augustus is also very important because the trio's nuanced brand of comedy, wit, and bursts of emotion will have to be nailed, especially in the scenes of romantic tension which cannot be portrayed as the same as just any other young adult romantic comedy when the stakes are as high as they are.

The Fault in Our Stars Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Fault in Our Stars is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what is the answer for 6 conflicts in the novel?

The fault in our stars

Augustus uses his wish from The Genie Foundation, an organization that grants one wish to cancer kids , to get Hazel, him, and Hazel's mother a trip to Amsterdam.

can u tell me more about the book call the fault in our star

Check this out, I'ts a good introduction to the book:

https://www.gradesaver.com/the-fault-in-our-stars

Study Guide for The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars study guide contains a biography of John Green, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Fault in Our Stars
• The Fault in Our Stars Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

• Agape, Philia, and Eros: Greek Love in "The Fault In Our Stars"

Lesson Plan for The Fault in Our Stars

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Fault in Our Stars
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Fault in Our Stars Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Fault in Our Stars

• Introduction
• Publication history

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars By John Green

By: Author Laura

Posted on Published: 19th June 2020  - Last updated: 12th January 2024

Categories Book Reviews , Books

The Fault in Our Stars Summary

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

The Fault in Our Stars Review

Usually, after I’ve read a book, I immediately try to throw some thoughts down on a page so writing the book review is easier, but I couldn’t do that with this book. I was an emotional mess and too busy rolling around on my bed wailing.

I’ve seen so much hype about The Fault in Our Stars in the blogosphere and, well, in life. But, to be honest, if it hadn’t come through my letterbox, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. It sounded a bit too heavy for me to handle and the thought of reading about sick teenagers did not appeal.

“The marks humans leave are too often scars.” The Fault in Our Stars Book

The Fault in Our Stars follows the story of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a lung cancer patient. She probably wouldn’t be very happy if she heard me defining her by her disease like that though as that’s what everybody around her seems to do.

After she is diagnosed with depression, she is forced to attend a support group where she meets Augustus Walters, a gorgeous and muscly boy who for some unknown reason (to her) is interested in her. They develop a close friendship, both challenging and supporting each other.

The Fault in Our Stars is written from the perspective of Hazel and her narrative is really witty and funny. I love that both Hazel and Augustus are so accepting of the disease that is such a huge part of their lives. Neither of them is self-pitying but nor are they unrealistically ok with what must obviously a highly traumatic thing to go through.

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Both of them are determined to live their lives as normal teenagers and it’s really saddening to watch them struggle. They’re both incredibly mature having been forced to confront the idea of death very early on in life so moments together when they can just be like any other teenagers are so special. These characters are so inspirational and I wish more people had their strength and outlook on life.

I don’t think I’d be giving much away by saying that a romance develops between Augustus and Hazel. And honestly? It was one of the most beautiful relationships I’ve ever seen develop in a novel.

This wasn’t insta-love and there aren’t many PDAs or anything like that but you can see a real connection between the pair of them based on shared pain and experiences that made them who they are. I also can’t imagine any other couple making ‘okay’ a flirty word.

“As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.” The Fault in Our Stars Book

These two teenagers really care about each other and, for lack of a better phrase, they have such banter together. There aren’t that many huge romantic gestures or anything silly like that in this book and, to them, hanging out and playing video games is just as good a pastime as any. This story reveals the complexities of each character and shares their personality beyond their illnesses that people usually define them by.

I’ve read other people’s reviews of  The Fault in Our Stars and they said that they could see the end coming, but I really couldn’t. I think perhaps I was in a state of self-denial and was convinced that things would all turn out the way I wanted them to in my head, but they most certainly did not. The ending of this story was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read, ever .

When I read the synopsis of this book, I expected a sad story but not one that would make me want to rip my heart out of my chest. I can’t tell you how many times I cried whilst reading this book.

There is a certain point in this book where I just couldn’t contain myself anymore and full-on sobbing ensued. This must be one of the most painful stories to read if you’ve had any experience with sick relatives and I honestly can’t imagine what state I would’ve been in if I had.

I’ve never read any John Green books before but the general consensus seems to be that  The Fault in Our Stars is his best novel yet. This is such an emotional rollercoaster and it is undoubtedly one of the best young adult books I’ve ever read. This book is just so real and raw and the writing itself is just so darn brilliant.

I tried to write some sort of coherent review and reign the fan-girl in but I think she’s about to pop out so that’s all from me! Read. This. Book.

“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” The Fault in Our Stars Book

Buy The Fault in Our Stars now: Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells

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If you liked this post, check out these: The Fault in Our Stars Quotes The Fault in Our Stars in Amsterdam Let It Snow by John Green Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Midnight Sun Film Review

Editor of What’s Hot?

[This post was first published in 2013 and updated in 2020]

Drithi Shetty

Sunday 12th of September 2021

I have read The Fault in our Stars by taking from library and I really love it I love Teen romance and this was Iike a mood changer like sadness, happiness and all If you don't mind can you pls review To all the boys I've loved before by Jenny han

Friday 21st of March 2014

I loved that book ! it was amazing!

Wednesday 2nd of October 2013

The Fault in Our Stars was my first John Green book as well and I cried like a baby! I loved it so much! The book is really unique and honest, and I loved how strong Hazel and Gus were!

Friday 7th of June 2013

I don't cry when I read books, but this one made me cry buckets. Great book and I'm a fan for life now. Reading Paper towns now.

Monday 14th of April 2014

Ahh I really want to read his other books! I currently own Will Grayson, Will Grayson, An Abundance of Katherines and Let It Snow but I've only read the latter and it was awesome! Hope you enjoyed Paper Towns :)

Monday 18th of March 2013

OMG. This book made me cry so hard! I had cried over only one book ever before this, and that was top-notch drama! I guess, this one was, too, 'cause I cried non-stop towards the end.

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The Fault In Our Stars. Book Review Example

What is book review?

A book review is a short description of a book which includes the main points of the plot, the description of the main characters, and writer’s remarks and recommendations of the book. A book review paper example should be written taking into consideration certain points. It is important that you consider the tenses that should be used for each paragraph of a review. The description of the plot should be written in present tense. The paragraphs should consist of more than one sentence. When forming the conclusion of a review, you should include your recommendations or viewpoint. The arguments and reasons should be used to support and justify the comments or beliefs. As for the style of a review, it can be both formal and informal, depending on the publication. A good book review example college level is The Fault in Our Stars book review which you will find below.

The Fault in Our Stars. Main plot

The Fault in Our Stars is a piece of young adult fiction which combines the elements of a love story and a drama. The novel is written by John Green, one of the most known authors of fiction for youth. The book was published in 2012 and was on the New York Times list of the best-selling books.

The book tells the story of two young people who are dying of cancer, their love and struggle to make each others’ lives better and brighter. Hazel Grace is seventeen. She is dying of thyroid cancer. The disease is incurable and no one knows how much time is left for the girl. She undergoes the treatment but a new drug she is treated with does not guarantee the remission. Hazel suffers not only physically but emotionally as well feeling very lonely and depressed. Hazel’ mother insists on her joining a support group. She hopes it will help the girl to socialise. One day she meets a young boy, Augustus. He has one leg amputated, the state of his health seems better than that of Hazel. He attends the sessions of the support group to help his friend Isaac who has cancer. Hazel and Augustus fall for each other. They have a lot in common; they discuss films and books and spend a lot of time together. Hazel tells Augustus about her most favourite story – the story of a girl dying of cancer just like Hazel. The only thing that disappoints Hazel is that the book is not finished. Augustus and Hazel decide to find the author of the book Peter Van Houten to find out what will happen in the story. Having made the efforts, they eventually find Van Houten in Amsterdam and contact him to learn whether he will be willing to meet them. They travel to Amsterdam to meet the writer, but soon they become disappointed – Van Houten appears to be very rude and unwelcoming and refuses to answer any of young people’s questions. Meanwhile the disease hits Augustus. Having returned home, Augustus undergoes chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the disease is stronger and the state of Augustus’s health is getting worse. Soon he dies. At the funeral Hazel is surprised to see Van Houten, who tells her the story of his daughter Anna who died of cancer when she was only eight. Hazel learns that Augustus left her a letter. The novel ends with the girl reading the letter of Augustus. The letter is a eulogy for the girl he loved and had to leave. In his letter Augustus tells Hazel about his love to her.

The main characters of the novel, Hazel and Augustus, are young people but their life taught them to be more adult than some adults are. They do not have the whole life ahead, so they try to take as much as they can from those months, weeks or even days they are given. They teach readers the lesson of love and friendship. They show that the life is worth living, they teach to appreciate every moment of it. The story is well written, it is really convincing. The readers sympathise with Hazel and Augustus who have to die so young. At the same time, they are happy about the young people as they have loved and have been loved which made their life complete.

The Fault in Our Stars. The movie

In 2014 The Fault in Our Stars was made into a film starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort . The film received positive reviews both from critics and viewers.

The novel The Fault in Our Stars is a brilliant story to be recommended to everyone regardless their age and gender. The problems touched upon in the story will appeal to those who are searching the answers to the questions about love and friendship, life and death.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green book review is an example of a book review written according to the rules and strategies fixed for this type of writing. The book review of The Fault in Our Stars contains all the elements of a good review – the plot description, the description of the characters and recommendations.

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The Fault In Our Stars Essay

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel by John Green. The novel is about two teenage cancer patients who meet and fall in love. The novel has been made into a movie, which was released in 2014.

John Green’s The Fault in our Stars is an excellent novel and one of his best. It follows Hazel, a teenage girl with cancer, as she tries to live a normal life. This isn’t easy for her because she has to lug around an oxygen tank everywhere she goes.

The novel focuses on how Hazel deals with the fact that she is terminally ill, as well as how other people around her, such as Augustus, deal with it. Even though the novel has a very somber tone and subject matter, John Green manages to make it an enjoyable read by adding his trademark humor. The Fault in our Stars is an amazing novel that explores the complex topics of love, life, and death.

At a cancer support group for teens, Hazel meets Augustus Waters, who is Similar yet different to her in many ways. This novel tells a heartbreaking and heartwarming story about love, pain, courage, and inspiration. It also teaches valuable lessons about how to overcome obstacles in life. Augustus has osteosarcoma (bone cancer), and Hazel has stage IV thyroid cancer.

The book starts with Hazel’s viewpoint as she tells us about her life and how “cancer is the emperor of all maladies”. She talks about how her parents try to protect her by not letting her out much, but she eventually convinces them to let her go to a support group. It is there that she meets Augustus.

Augustus is funny and handsome, and he seems to be interested in Hazel from the start. They bond over their shared love of books and eventually start dating. As their relationship grows, so does the reader’s understanding of their individual cancers and what they mean for each person’s life. The novel deals with some heavy themes, but ultimately it is a story about love and hope.

John Green does an excellent job of creating relatable and likable characters. The novel is funny and heart-wrenching all at the same time. It will make you laugh and cry, and it will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. If you’re looking for a novel that will touch your heart, then I highly recommend The Fault in Our Stars.

Augustus Waters is unlikely to be a good match for Hazel. He lives life with uncertainty because his cancer is not 100% cured. Hazel hangs onto every day because she knows her time is limited. She doesn’t want to hurt Augustus because she knows he had been hurt before in a similar situation.

Augustus falls in love with Hazel and convinces her to go on a date with him. doctor tells Augustus that his cancer is not cured and that it will come back, but he doesn’t tell Hazel. Augustus and Hazel get close and eventually share their first kiss. Augustus then tells Hazel that his cancer is not cured and she reacts badly because she feels like he was hiding it from her. She doesn’t want to be with someone who is sick.

Augustus then goes on a trip to Amsterdam with his friend Isaac to see Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction, which is Hazel’s favorite book. When they meet him, he is nothing like they expected. He is rude and doesn’t want to talk to them. They eventually leave and Augustus is heartbroken.

While they are in Amsterdam, Augustus learns that his cancer has returned and that it is terminal. He doesn’t tell Hazel because he doesn’t want her to worry. When they get back home, Augustus tells Hazel that he is going to die soon. Hazel then decides that she wants to spend as much time with him as possible. They go on a road trip to visit Gus’s pre-cancer girlfriend, Caroline Mathers. Caroline is now married and has a baby. She is not the same person she was before cancer and this upsets Augustus.

The novel ends with Augustus dying and Hazel attending his funeral. She is left with a lot of unanswered questions, but she is at peace knowing that she loved and was loved by Augustus Waters.

Every day, Hazel sits in her house reading the same book repeatedly. For some strange reason, she decides to share it with Augustus. He has his own secretive motive for loving the book just as much as she does.

The novel is special to them both, and it helps them understand each other in a way that nobody else can.

novel follows two teenagers who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. Hazel Grace Lancaster is a seventeen-year-old with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Augustus “Gus” Waters is a sixteen-year-old former basketball player who lost his leg to osteosarcoma.

Hazel feels that her cancer has robbed her of enough already, and she doesn’t want Gus to have to experience the pain of losing somebody he loves so she tries to push him away. But Gus is determined to show Hazel that life is still worth living, and he won’t give up on her easily.

Augustus uses his money from the Wish foundation for cancer patients to bring Hazel and her mother to Amsterdam so that they can meet the author of the book they both like. They are disappointed to learn that the writer they were expecting to meet is a repulsive jerk, and they depart as soon as they have arrived. Many of the circumstances in which Hazel and Augustus find themselves are quite true-to-life.

Augustus tells Hazel that the novel is “a love story, like Romeo and Juliet, except without the dying part.” Unfortunately, their own love story is not as simple. Augustus has to confront his own mortality when he learns that his cancer has returned. The novel deals with some very heavy topics, but it is ultimately a very hopeful and life-affirming story. It is a novel about two teens who are incredibly brave and selfless in the face of their own mortality. Augustus and Hazel’s love for each other is incredibly inspiring and will stay with readers long after they finish the book.

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Forget what you think you know about John Green and watch Turtles All the Way Down

In director Hannah Marks’ hands, Green’s most personal novel turns into a wonderful movie

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At the height of John Green’s popularity, most people knew the YA author for a very specific genre: sad teen books, usually about shy-yet-pretentious boys in love with spirited yet emotionally available girls. That was always a derogatory oversimplification of Green’s novels, which often deconstruct common YA tropes more than they give into them. But years of warped online perspectives on Green’s work, heightened by aesthetic Tumblr posts and Pinterest mood boards , meant that when the 2014 movie adaptation of Green’s tragic teen romance The Fault in Our Stars came out, the were calcified, preconceived notions of what a John Green Book™ was. (Never mind that The Fault in Our Stars flipped the gender roles, with a reserved girl and a vivacious boy.)

As with many figures who get very popular — especially those whose niche fandom blows up into mainstream success — John Green and his assumed conventions became very uncool to like. And when the movie adaptation of Green’s book Paper Towns released in 2015, detractors began harassing and bullying him online to such a degree that Green left social media . The vitriol against Green has since died down, though his work and the many adaptations based on his novels still inspire shallow readings based on a specific internet era.

But Turtles All the Way Down , a Max adaptation of Green’s 2017 novel, steps away from those previous conventions — which is interesting, considering Green has stated this is his most personal book . It goes to show that what he’s become known for doesn’t actually speak to the power of his work. The coming-of-age drama follows a 16-year-old named Aza Holmes (played by Isabela Merced in the movie) grappling with OCD, and Green poured a lot of his own personal experience with the disorder into the novel.

[ Ed. note: This post contains setup spoilers for Turtles All the Way Down .]

Like many John Green stories, this one starts with a funky hook. Aza’s best friend Daisy (Cree from Big Sky ) finds out that the son of a fugitive billionaire is actually Aza’s childhood crush, and urges them to reconnect, hoping she and Aza can find the missing billionaire and earn the FBI’s $100 million reward. It’s a hooky set up, much like that in Green’s other works like Paper Towns (a popular girl going missing before graduation) or An Abundance of Katherines (a former childhood prodigy trying to create an algorithm to predict romantic success).

But the key difference is that Turtles ’ quirky hook fades into the background once Aza reunites with her crush Davis (Felix Mallard). Sparks fly, and she’s confronted with the possibility of a romantic relationship for the first time in her life. She starts thinking about her future and grappling with her disorder, and how it plays into every aspect of her life. The missing-father mystery fades into the background. (Davis isn’t particularly concerned about his father, who he describes as a “shitbag.”) The novel is deeply internal — it focuses so much on Aza’s thoughts and anxieties that Green himself doubted it could be translated to film .

And yet director Hannah Marks ( Don’t Make Me Go ) pulls it off. She and screenwriters Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker do a fantastic job of conveying Aza’s thought spirals : When Aza’s anxieties overwhelm her, her inner monologue slowly overtakes the dialogue, and the present scene starts getting interrupted with flashing images of Aza’s worries, usually involving bacteria and microbes. Translating this kind of internality from page to screen isn’t easy, but instead of forgoing it completely, Marks uses sound and visuals to enhance Aza’s inner dialogue. The result is achingly raw.

Unlike past John Green movies, particularly The Fault in Our Stars , Turtles All the Way Down limits the romance plot to a scant thread. It’s probably the weakest point of the movie, partially because Mallard is a little too suave to play the dorky yet endearing Davis. We get a sense that Felix and Aza shared a connection when they met years ago at a camp for bereaved kids, but their instant attraction to each other as teenagers is a little hard to buy. That’s OK because Turtles All the Way Down isn’t really a romance story.

What really drives the book and movie is how Aza struggles with OCD, the thread most personal to Green. Marks’ team adds a little more external plot to give the film shape, including a brief side quest to Northwestern University to meet a professor Aza idolizes. But the heart of the movie all comes back to Aza’s internal life. Merced portrays her fantastically: her anxieties, her awkwardness, her desperation to be normal and to be taken seriously. Cree also does a phenomenal job as Daisy, the fanfic-writing best friend who tries her best to root for Aza, but can’t always handle Aza’s more difficult moments. (I’ll almost forgive Daisy’s fanfic site for having a large image of her face on it, because she’s such a great character; but c’mon, who puts their real name and face on fic?)

It’s actually another common John Green-ism to have a quirky best friend who gets a little sidelined in the story to make way for the main romance, but Aza and Daisy’s friendship is the biggest driving force here. They have realistic banter and a solid friendship, but the movie shines when that friendship is tested. One of the most chilling scenes is a fight they have while driving, which escalates into the movie’s climax. Their friendship must literally be broken apart in order to be repaired.

In a way, Max’s Turtles All the Way Down is an anti-John Green adaptation — at least, it’s anti preconceived notions of John Green. He’s been trying from his very first novel to deconstruct the tropes he accidentally became known for. But sometimes it takes an outside hand to free a story from judgment and give it a new form, so it can shine without an author’s (however ill-attributed) reputation on it. Marks crafts a fulfilling coming-of-age story from Green’s book. Turtles has familiar John Green touchpoints — a gimmicky story setup, a teen romance, a quirky best friend — but it turns the story inward and pulls off a fantastic character exploration, one that feels like a gut-punch in its best moments.

Turtles All the Way Down is now streaming on Max.

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