User:LogicalDeity/sandbox

Plot
The Fault in Our Stars is about a girl named Hazel, who has terminal cancer. At a cancer support group, she meets a boy named Augustus "Gus" Waters, and after getting to know each other, they fall in love. After visiting Augustus's house and watching a movie (V for Vendetta) with him, they lend books to each other. Hazel gives Augustus her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, and he gives her a book called The Prince of Dawn. After reading An Imperial Affliction, Gus invites Hazel to his house, where their friend, Isaac, is throwing a fit because his girlfriend broke up with him right before he's supposed to get his eye removed due to cancer. Isaac breaks several of Augustus's old sports trophies in his rage, but Gus doesn't mind. Augustus writes a letter to Peter Van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction, and actually receives a reply. After reading the message to Hazel, he gives her Van Houten's email address. She also writes a letter to him asking about the ending of his book, and receives a reply inviting her and Augustus to Amsterdam to hear the answers themselves. Augustus uses his wish from the Genie Foundation so they could visit Amsterdam. Despite some of Hazel's health complications, they are eventually able to go. They have a great time at a restaurant where their meal was paid for by Van Houten. However, the next day, they visit Peter Van Houten, only to find that he is a rather rude alcoholic. Augustus also informs Hazel that his cancer had a reoccurrence.

Major Themes
Some common themes of The Fault in Our Stars seems to be death, life, finiteness, and feelings (emotional and physical).

Background
John Green has revealed in an interview that The Fault in Our Stars was mainly inspired by Esther Earl, a 16 year-old cancer patient that died in 2010. According to him, he tried to write The Fault in Our Stars unsuccessfully for over a year until meeting Esther. The title of The Fault in Our Stars is based on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, when someone says, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings."

Reception
The Fault in Our Stars's reviews have been generally positive. It has been praised for being "poignant," as well as an "exploration of big-time challenges." It has also been called an "achingly beautiful story." The characters are described as being "realistic and believable." The "well-developed cast of characters" have relationships that are "well-drawn."