"The Fault in Our Stars" is a young adult novel by John Green, published in 2012.
Here's a summary of the complete story:
The novel is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a witty and intelligent sixteen-year-old living with stage IV thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs.
Reluctantly, Hazel attends and there meets Augustus Waters, a charming and handsome seventeen-year-old who lost a leg to osteosarcoma but is now in remission.
Augustus reveals his greatest fear is oblivion, of being forgotten, while Hazel is more concerned about the pain her death will cause her parents.
Both teenagers are deeply affected by the book's abrupt ending, which leaves many questions unanswered. Augustus, using his "wish" from a cancer charity (which he previously used to visit Disneyland), arranges for him, Hazel, and Hazel's mother to travel to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten, hoping to get answers about Anna's fate.
The trip to Amsterdam is a bittersweet experience. While there, Hazel and Augustus finally confess their deep love for each other, sharing a magical and intimate evening. However, their meeting with Peter Van Houten is a crushing disappointment. He turns out to be a cruel, alcoholic, and bitter man who offers no real answers and mocks their hopes. His assistant, Lidewij Vliegenthart, is appalled by his behavior and later takes them to Anne Frank's house, a moving and significant experience for them both.
Upon their return to Indianapolis, Augustus reveals devastating news: his cancer has returned aggressively and spread throughout his body.
In one of their final moments, Augustus asks Hazel and their mutual friend, Isaac (who is blind due to eye cancer), to deliver eulogies for him at a "pre-funeral," a poignant and humorous way to confront his impending death.
At Augustus's actual funeral, Peter Van Houten unexpectedly appears. He tells Hazel that Anna in his novel was inspired by his own daughter, who died of cancer.
Hazel later discovers that Augustus had sent an unread letter to Peter Van Houten, asking him to help write a eulogy for Hazel after her inevitable death.
The novel ends with Hazel finding peace and acceptance, understanding that while love entails loss, it is ultimately worth the pain. She finds solace in Augustus's words and the enduring impact of their love story.
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