The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Many of us grew up knowing the phrase "Love means never having to say you're sorry" from the book Love Story.  Most of us knew this was not true, but John Green's novel clarifies a major truth of life: we all will have to say we are sorry over and over again especially to those we love.  Green's poignant story of first love, The Fault in Our Stars,  beautifully explains what we all know to be true.  We all will experience pain and suffering in this world.  How we choose to deal with the trials of our lives is what is most important. Green's main characters, Augustus and Hazel Grace, are two teenagers who are dealing with the fact that cancer is a side effect of dying.  Both have lived through the treatment of their cancer, but because of their experience they know that life is not a given.  They know that people do not live forever and that young people do not have any special privilege that allows them to live long happy lives.  When we meet Hazel she has come to terms with the fact that she is dying and she has chosen to limit the damage her death will cause by removing herself from most people.  She describes herself as a grenade that will blow everyone apart when she dies and she just sees no point in spreading the damage to too many people.  Unlike Hazel, Augustus is determined to meet and enjoy as many people as possible in his life because he wants his life to mean something.  He wants to leave a mark on the universe.  And so through these wonderfully written characters this star crossed lovers' story reveals to us truths about life and death.  We celebrate the charming and clever Gus.  We applaud the brave and strong Hazel.  We cheer for their ability to see the gift that they have been given and we cry when we realize that "time is a slut that screws everybody" and that "there is no honor is dying of". In the end Gus got it right.  He knew he was lucky to have loved Hazel.  And she was right when she tells us she was so grateful for "their little infinity of love."  John Green's novel was written as a young adult book, but his voice touched all of us.  This is a two thumbs up book that we all recommend.