I'm currently reading John Green's new novel, The Fault In Our Stars, which tells the story of two teens battling terminal cancer diagnoses. As always, it's very well-written and more existential than your average teen novel; I can tell that it will be a tearjerker even though I'm only about 100 pages deep. What separates this work from the multitude of other teen novels that involve illness & dying is John Green's ability to analyze the human condition using teenage characters that mix teen slang and worldview with mature, philosophical outlooks that belie their years. I know this may bother some (particularly adult) readers who would argue that the characters are overly-intellectual for their ages, but therein lies the appeal - Green refuses to dumb-down his characters, but balances the philosophizing with youthful concerns and occasional crude jokes without overdoing it. I'm loving the way that he can take a teen fiction trope like terminal illness and use it to build a unique, profound story that can be read by teens and adults alike. Pair with Francisco X. Stork's wonderful novel The Last Summer of the Death Warriors for booktalks dealing with the unfairness of the universe, dying young, and the necessity of hope.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Book Recommendation: The Fault In Our Stars
I'm currently reading John Green's new novel, The Fault In Our Stars, which tells the story of two teens battling terminal cancer diagnoses. As always, it's very well-written and more existential than your average teen novel; I can tell that it will be a tearjerker even though I'm only about 100 pages deep. What separates this work from the multitude of other teen novels that involve illness & dying is John Green's ability to analyze the human condition using teenage characters that mix teen slang and worldview with mature, philosophical outlooks that belie their years. I know this may bother some (particularly adult) readers who would argue that the characters are overly-intellectual for their ages, but therein lies the appeal - Green refuses to dumb-down his characters, but balances the philosophizing with youthful concerns and occasional crude jokes without overdoing it. I'm loving the way that he can take a teen fiction trope like terminal illness and use it to build a unique, profound story that can be read by teens and adults alike. Pair with Francisco X. Stork's wonderful novel The Last Summer of the Death Warriors for booktalks dealing with the unfairness of the universe, dying young, and the necessity of hope.
