Busting Cancer Kid Stereotypes--Before the Movie

You have by now seen a coming attraction or an ad for the move, “The Fault in Our Stars.” It will be a top summer movie and likely in the category of chick-flick, or teen heartthrob blockbuster. But I urge you—before the movie arrives—to do the old-fashioned and very smart thing and read the novel first.

“The Fault in Our Stars” was written by John Green and technically (arbitrarily by publishers) it is categorized as a “YA” or Young Adult novel. Most likely it got that designation because the three lead characters are under 18. But I assure you this is a very adult story because it deals with the most important adult issues: Illness, healthcare, language, love and death.

I have a feeling that the movie version will be very good, and that the filmmakers have done their best to be true to this story but it’s a novel and a novel about language and ideas and feelings so there is a lot in the book that will not make it onto the screen. So for that reason, please read the book now, before everyone starts talking about how much the movie made him or her cry.

If you read the book you too will cry, I think, but you will, I am sure, also think—and think a lot.

No spoiler here: it’s a story about cancer. Here we are in Cancer Land after all. But this is a story about how we think about cancer and how we think about death and how we think about (and talk about) people who have cancer. They had me at “there is no battle”. And extra points for  discovering what the book title means.

Check it out today. Your local independent bookstore has it and so does your public library, and this is also a great book on CD if you like your literature in the car.

Here is more on the amazing John Green:
http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/