Natasya Zefanya Esaura Bernardus

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2A-Antropologi Budaya

Review Story

The Fault in Our Stars

1. Title : The Fault in Our Stars

2. Author : John Green
3. Genre : Young adult novel, Realistic fiction
4. Published : January 10, 2012
5. Pages : 313

The Story

This novel tells about story of two young people who are dying of cancer, their love
and struggle to make each others’ lives better and brighter. Hazel Grace is seventeen. She is
dying of thyroid cancer. The disease is incurable and no one knows how much time is left for
the girl. She undergoes the treatment but a new drug she is treated with does not guarantee
the remission. Hazel suffers not only physically but emotionally as well feeling very lonely
and depressed. Hazel’ mother insists on her joining a support group. She hopes it will help
the girl to socialise. One day she meets a young boy, Augustus. He has one leg amputated,
the state of his health seems better than that of Hazel. He attends the sessions of the support
group to help his friend Isaac who has cancer. Hazel and Augustus fall for each other. They
have a lot in common; they discuss films and books and spend a lot of time together. Hazel
tells Augustus about her most favourite story – the story of a girl dying of cancer just like
Hazel. The only thing that disappoints Hazel is that the book is not finished. Augustus and
Hazel decide to find the author of the book Peter Van Houten to find out what will happen in
the story. Having made the efforts, they eventually find Van Houten in Amsterdam and
contact him to learn whether he will be willing to meet them. They travel to Amsterdam to
meet the writer, but soon they become disappointed – Van Houten appears to be very rude
and unwelcoming and refuses to answer any of young people’s questions. Meanwhile the
disease hits Augustus. Having returned home, Augustus undergoes chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, the disease is stronger and the state of Augustus’s health is getting worse.
Soon he dies. At the funeral Hazel is surprised to see Van Houten, who tells her the story of
his daughter Anna who died of cancer when she was only eight. Hazel learns that Augustus
left her a letter. The novel ends with the girl reading the letter of Augustus. The letter is a
eulogy for the girl he loved and had to leave. In his letter Augustus tells Hazel about his love
to her.

The Characters

The main characters of the novel, Hazel and Augustus, are young people but their life
taught them to be more adult than some adults are. They do not have the whole life ahead, so
they try to take as much as they can from those months, weeks or even days they are given.
They teach readers the lesson of love and friendship. They show that the life is worth living,
they teach to appreciate every moment of it. The story is well written, it is really convincing.
The readers sympathise with Hazel and Augustus who have to die so young. At the same
time, they are happy about the young people as they have loved and have been loved which
made their life complete.

The reason I choose this story

I just really love their love story, how they love each other, how they stick up for each
other, how they care for each other. This story kinda makes me believe that true love does
exist. I mean, not only for them, but how their parents love them. Also, I love how they are
not give up for each other or even themselves.