Anne Arundel County Public Library discussion

Please join us as we start our new book The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. We will post a few more questions as soon as everyone has had a chance to begin reading, but for now:

This book has gotten great reviews; do you think it will live up to its reputation?

(no spoilers please)

I think it will, but I have great faith in John Green as an author, and to be fair I've already finished the novel. I'll be interested to hear everyone's thoughts! Great selection for us all to read before the movie comes out in early summer.

I am looking forward to the discussion. Like Carol, I have already read it and see this book as a great vehicle for starting several in-depth conversations. Awesome pick!

I ordered this from AACPL 2 weeks ago (I was #129 in the holds line then, now today I'm #97).

Now I'm #91. Meanwhile I've been reading some old Perry Mason mysteries that I borrowed from the Edgewater Sr Ctr free lending library (right next-door to this Edgewater Library).

I too am a big fan of John Green! I am looking forward to reading the book and then seeing the movie.

Let’s start our discussion:

Cancer has rendered Hazel perhaps more jaded and philosophical than her non-cancer ridden peers; she also attacks the convention of portraying kids with cancer as heroic victims, making no qualms about the fact that she sees these conventions as empty clichés. Yet…Hazel is a romantic.

What do you think about these two conflicting philosophies?

Are they conflicting?

Gail wrote: "Now I'm #91. Meanwhile I've been reading some old Perry Mason mysteries that I borrowed from the Edgewater Sr Ctr free lending library (right next-door to this Edgewater Library)."

It is a fast read, let's hope that the list keeps moving! We do have a lot of copies in the system, so fingers crossed!

I don't think they're conflicting... Hazel is a teenager - everything is naturally conflicting :-) And I think that's the thing this book does so well - shows Hazel and Augustus and all of the teenagers with cancer as teenagers who are experiencing regular issues of teenagers, regular issues of people in general that they deal with along side of their cancer as opposed to the cancer being their defining characteristic.

Hi Everyone! If you're still on the waiting list for The Fault in Our Stars, I wanted to let you know the library just reissued our Nook eReaders with branch new titles and TFIOS is one of them. There are 49 Nooks available for borrowing at AACPL right now .

Now I'm #76 in line...I don't know how to use an eReader---I'd rather just read a paperback/hardback. Also, my mom died of cancer 40 yrs ago, plus some younger relatives died of this disease. I knew a boy who died of leukemia when we were in high school in 1970.

Gail, if you go the library, I know the staff there could help you learn to use the reader. There's really not much to learn, but I'm sure they can help. If you don't want to wait for 76 people to read and return hard copies.

Thanks Victoria! Gail, she's right, library staff will be happy to show you how the eReader works. Furthermore, using one of the library's eReaders is a great way to try out this new technology, since the books are already loaded onto it. You don't have to check them out from a service like Overdrive and then transfer them to the device, which is usually the trickiest part.

That being said, we have the paper copies too, and many readers still prefer then. You are certainly welcome to wait for your preferred format!

Carol wrote: "I don't think they're conflicting... Hazel is a teenager - everything is naturally conflicting :-) And I think that's the thing this book does so well - shows Hazel and Augustus and all of the teen..."

I agree Carol, the craving for "normal" that the teenagers in this book demonstrate is touching. I don't think that anyone wants to be defined by just one aspect of their lives. I think that John Green does a good job of subtly addressing that issue.

Here is a link to the movie trailer, what do you think about the casting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH...

The jury is still out for me on the whole casting thing. The only one I'm really sold on is Laura Dern as Hazel's mom. I'll just have to see about the others when the movie comes out... C'mon summer!

AACPL wrote: "Let’s start our discussion:

Cancer has rendered Hazel perhaps more jaded and philosophical than her non-cancer ridden peers; she also attacks the convention of portraying kids with cancer as heroi..."

I think Hazel makes an effort to reject the stereotypes that directly deal with her cancer, and the situations surrounding it. She yearns for a "normal" life, and in that normalcy, she really wants romance, love, friendship. Cancer has taken these things away from her, and in some ways the "heroism" tropes that other people place on her remove her from the possibility of love, sexuality and romance.

I actually think that the cancer has increased her romanticism in some ways, rather than contradicting it.

AACPL wrote: "Here is a link to the movie trailer, what do you think about the casting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH..."

I think that I am going to have to see the movie before I will know if I like the casting. Since they have chosen actors that I am unfamiliar with, I am going to need a bit more than the trailer. I am especially worried about Augustus ...

I am hopeful that the popularity of Divergent might send some Shailene Woodley (Hazel) fans to see The Fault In Our Stars. I'm not really familiar with the actors either but I did enjoy the trailer and I like hearing John Green's words come to life :-)

AACPL wrote: "Here is a link to the movie trailer, what do you think about the casting?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH..."

I finished the book last night...sniffle sniffle...and viewed the trailer. I'm OK with the characters I saw on the trailer except Augustus...not what I pictured, AT ALL! That's my big problem with reading the books then seeing the movie. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to the movie.

AACPL wrote: "Let’s start our discussion:

Cancer has rendered Hazel perhaps more jaded and philosophical than her non-cancer ridden peers; she also attacks the convention of portraying kids with cancer as heroi..."

I don't think these are conflicting. I think children, especially teenagers, have to be strong and grow up so much faster when they become the victim of cancer. They can't keep up with and participate with their friends and peers the way they would if they were healthy. They see these other "teenagers" living the teenage life while they are struggling at home and in and out of the hospital. They know what they are going through but see what their peers are doing as they move through life, worrying not of surviving or dying but of boyfriends/girlfriends, sports, clothing and whatnot. These kids with cancer just want to be like everyone else, and they have a lot of time on their hands to think about what they are missing in life.

I think in terms of the trailer that their will be some things that are not portrayed perfectly in the movie that I thought were fairly important in the book. I expect that from movies though and the fact that the trailer can hit me as hard as the book itself in a *TRAILER* is really impressive and I hope that they do a good job!

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

What is your favorite quote from the book?

My favorite quote of the book was "Time's a slut, she screws with everyone" Probably not the most appropriate for this site, but it made me smile, and if you've read the book, you've already read the quote.

I like "That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt" ... so true.

AACPL wrote: "The Fault in Our Stars has some great quotes like “As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

What is your favorite quote from the book?"

I like that one a lot.

I love all of the quotes!

Here is my favorite “You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world...but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices.”

I'm at #5 now; meanwhile, I ordered the next selection Persepolis (both 1 & 2) & I picked them up today, so I'll probably be reading them before TFIOS.

I finally got the book on Overdrive. I like the way Hazel thinks - it's both creative and "teenagery." Despite her matter-of-fact acceptance of her condition, she manages to infuse drama into her life. I especially laughed - politely - at her use of the simile "like a grenade." How apt!!

ally wrote: "I finally got the book on Overdrive. I like the way Hazel thinks - it's both creative and "teenagery." Despite her matter-of-fact acceptance of her condition, she manages to infuse drama into her l..."

Glad to hear that you are enjoying the book, Overdrive is a great way to access reading material from the library :)