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Rene Guyon

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The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green (Goodreads Author)

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Rene Guyon said: " Overall Reaction:
While I thought that the concept of the book was heartfelt, I personally did not enjoy this read. I was annoyed by the way some of the text was written and how some of the characters behaved. The character Hazel particularly annoyed Overall Reaction:
While I thought that the concept of the book was heartfelt, I personally did not enjoy this read. I was annoyed by the way some of the text was written and how some of the characters behaved. The character Hazel particularly annoyed me and the way that her dialogue was written made her seem unrealistic and drove me to not empathize with her. It seemed like her words became too stereotypical just to appeal to young teens and their ideas of a perfect romance. I did think that the book was saved by Augustus Waters. His character development and inner conflict intrigued me and helped me keep reading.
Character Development:
Personally, the most significant character development I saw was Augustus Waters'. At the beginning of the novel, Gus is a charming and handsome young man who wins over Hazel with his charm. He is a character that the reader will automatically root for. In the middle of the novel, Gus still has his charismatic personality, but now opens up to Hazel and shows that he has a soft side. While she tries to get him to let down his guard, he fails to do so until the end. When Gus discovers that his body is infested with cancer, he reveals his true, vulnerable self. Gus breaks down and cries about how he has been diminished to a weak boy and is no longer the heartthrob he once was.
Central Conflict:
While cancer may be the main physical problem the characters have to deal with. the true conflict occurs in man vs. self. All the characters are challenged on how they deal with the little life they have left. Some, like Gus, thrive and try to make their impact on the world. Others, such as Hazel, complain and sit around waiting for others to pick up their pieces. Throughout the book, we see the characters true colors based on how they deal with the cancer and how they choose to act.
Theme:
I believe the main theme of the novel is identity. This theme was developed by exploring the way characters acted and which parts of themselves they decided to show the world. John Green made a very big point of exploring the fact that all the characters had an inner battle that they were fighting. No character truly revealed who they were because of their own personal struggles and identity crisis. This theme helped me discover who I truly was as a person. Instead of dealing with problems, I find an excuse to push people away and ignore the basis of the problem. I learned that in order to be who I truly am, I need to accept the struggles within me.
Symbols, motifs, other literary devices:
The main symbol in this book was the usage of cigarettes. Augustus claims that having an unsmoked cig. in his mouth gives him power because he holds the killing thing in his mouth but doesn't give it the power to kill. Doing this is showing that Augustus is trying to hold on to any power that he has left. His battle with cancer is one he cannot control and he is trying to tell cancer that he still has power despite being powerless. Another symbol is the eulogies that are given while Gus is still alive. It shows the impact that Augustus has made on the world. Gus is afraid of being forgotten and by listening to his own eulogy, he knows that he has made an impact on at least some people in his life and that he will not be forgotten.
Meaningful Quotes:
"My name is Hazel. Augustus Waters was the great star-crossed love of my life." - This quote is significant because it references to all the doomed star crossed lovers. Knowing that they will never last but still fighting to stay together is their biggest challenge. In the majority of Green's books, there is a couple who cannot be together because of a personal conflict. This book differs from that because the only thing stopping Gus and Hazel is the calling of death.
"But this was the truth, a pitiful boy who desperately wanted not to be pitiful, screaming and crying"
-This quote is significant because it shows how someone can lose so much of them selves so quickly. Gus starts out as a brave young man with no fear. By the end of the book, the audience take pity on him and instead of rooting for him, wants to end his misery. It is the perfect storyline to show how harmful the mental idea of cancer can be.
Critique of the Book:
I would recommend this book to young teens from the age of 10-14. The book is an easy read but is also a coming of age story and when I was a young girl, it was one of my favorites. I rooted for Hazel and Gus more than myself. However, reading it while I am older, I would not recommend it to anyone else. The book over milks the sympathy of readers to the point where it loses it's affect. It is a good story, but it isn't to be read unless you are looking for a cliche love story. ...more "

Dec 17, 2017 05:52PM · see review