The stars align once in great while…and summer reading finally begins! One book on our summer list is The Fault in Our Stars. After reading and reflecting on the novel (and film), here is the “book report.” 🙂 ~SV

Although their paths did not cross for long, the stars aligned briefly for Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters as they experienced the love of a lifetime in John Green’s 2012 novel, The Fault in Our Stars. You may have heard about it from a previous blog post…or perhaps the hype at the theaters as the movie was just released a couple of weeks ago. (We’re guessing you know about it from our blog and not all the media, but anyway…) The book and film are based on these two young, living and dying teenagers, Hazel Grace and Augustus. It is brilliantly written with hopes and fears and smiles and tears. It is more highly recommended…along with a box of tissues.

The book is full of memorable dialog and thoughts. Although difficult to select and focus on specific quotes, there are a number of quotes included here because they provoked the reader to think or feel or simply sigh.

“Patience grasshopper,” I counseled. “You don’t want to seem overeager.” (p. 36)

“That’s the thing about pain,” Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. “It demands to be felt.” (p.63)

“Okay,” he said after forever. “Maybe okay will be our always.” “Okay,” I said. (p. 73)

As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once. (p.125)

Everything’s coming up Waters. (p.128)

“That what I believe. I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it—or my observation of it—is temporary?” (p. 223)

(After some banter back and forth)… “Okay, enough,” Gus’s dad said, and then out of nowhere, his dad put an arm around me and kissed the side of my head and whispered, “I thank God for you every day, kid.” (p.252)

My thoughts are stars I can’t fathom into constellations. (p.311)

But then I wanted more time so we could fall in love. I got my wish, I suppose. I left my scar. (p.313)

You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers.   (p.313)

Although we would like to say that we know what the author intended for each one of these quotes, we won’t because we don’t. We do know what it means to us though, and that is all that is really needed. We cannot go on to say more in this “book report” as we hope that you read the book and watch the film; we hope that it touches you as well as you see the fault in their stars… and realize all of ours.

Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.