The Fault in Our Stars: John Green
Lauren Hinton
Characters & Setting
Setting: Indianapolis
Characters:
Hazel Grace Lancaster- Main character (book is from her point of view), has stage 4 thyroid cancer with metastasis forming in her lungs.
Augustus Waters (Gus)- Also main character, has osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and had an amputated leg.
Isaac- Is a friend of Hazel and Gus, has retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and has one real eye and one glass eye.
Peter Van Houten- Hazel's favorite author, is somewhat of a jerk, dealing with his own struggles.
Mrs. Lancaster- Hazel's mother, is caring and worries about her daughter's well-being.
Mr. Lancaster- Hazel's father, also very caring and concerned for Hazel's health.
Summary
The Fault in Our Stars is about a girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster who is struggling with stage 4 thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. While in her support group she meets a boy that is her age who is battling osteosarcoma which is a bone cancer and he has to have his leg amputated. The two fall in love and go on a trip to Amsterdam together to meet Hazel's favorite author. The ending is romantic and sad, but is a great book to read especially for those who like love stories.
Personal Opinions
I personally liked the book a lot. I thought it was very interesting, but sad at the same time. Before I read the book I had already heard the stories about it, so I was not surprised by the ending. I think this book has many connections to anatomy because of all of the characters in it with medical conditions. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about love, adventure, and tragedy all in the same book.
How This Relates to Anatomy
- Hazel has thyroid cancer which spreads to her lungs. (Respiratory Unit)
- Gus has osteosarcoma which is a cancer in the bones. (Bones Unit)
- Isaac has retinoblastoma which is a cancer in the eye formed from the immature cells in the retina. (Cell Unit)
- Osteosarcoma is sometimes caused by rapid growth and can be prevented and controlled by using medicines and vitamins. (Injury Prevention Unit)
- Gus has to have his leg amputated in order to live. (Bone Unit)