The story details Hazel's struggle with cancer. Three years prior, at age 13 Hazel's was diagnosed with stage 4 thyroid cancer that has now also spread to her lungs. She is trying to live a "normal" life for a teenage who is attached to an oxygen tank, going to school, and attending weekly support meetings with other teenagers who have cancer. This is where she ends up meeting August Waters, a boy who has been in remission for the last year and half. The story details how the two teenagers fall in love, and in the process deal with lives that revolve around their cancer. One of the things that Hazel wants more than anything is to talk to the author of her favorite novel before she dies. She wants to know why his book ended mid sentence. August helps her contact the author, who is still alive and living in Amsterdam, however, they realize they may not get the answers they want from the crotchety old man.
I absolutely love when students give me book recommendations. This was just one of those scenarios. As an English teacher, I didn't have much time to read books for "fun" outside what I was actually teaching in class, so the list of recommendations always piled up for my summer reading. I knew what this book was about going in, I even knew the ending, yet I was glued to this book from start to finish. My husband even has an infamous video of me sobbing, yes, SOBBING while reading this book. I know exactly the point in the book that put me over the edge: "The only person I really wanted to talk about August Waters’ death was August Waters" (p. 262). That moment where you want to call you best friend to talk, but you can't because your best friend is the one that is gone.
Challenge:
These two teens are very unique in that they are mature beyond their age. They use complex language and have extremely deep thoughts about humanity, additionally they are witty, sarcastic, and full of life amidst their battle with terminal cancer. There are various references to other pieces of literature throughout that makes this a challenging piece: Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot, and The Bible to name a few.
Curriculum Connection & Themes:
• The importance of a legacy
• Dealing with grief, death, loss, etc.
• Teenagers finding their independence and identity
• Dealing with questions that may have no answer
• Impact of personal beliefs and religion
Lexile: 850L
Reading Level:
Interest Level: Middle School +
Controversial Scenes & Content:
There is a physical relationship that exists between the two main character and they talk about sex. However, that is just a small detail in the story. The main character in the novel is dealing with cancer and trying to come to terms with dying. The emotional impact of this novel is the heart of this novel, but I wouldn't call it controversial.
Rating: 5/5
Awards: YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults