This year seems to be the year of the book, with many books being turned into movies, including The Giver, Divergent and Gone Girl, but I am most excited about John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars becoming a movie.
I was a little late to the books of John Green and did not discover him until my sophomore year of college when I had to create a fictional unit plan for one of my education classes and selected Looking for Alaska. That project led me to read all of his books and fall in love with his latest novel, The Fault in Our Stars. I soon discovered a level of fandom for Green and his books that may surprise people in this age of technology. His fans call themselves, Nerdfighters claiming to be “made of awesome” rather than cells and are fiercely devoted to his work.
The Fault in Our Stars was published in January 2012. It tells the story of 16- year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster and her romance with 17-year-old Augustus “Gus” Walters. Though this may sound like typical teenage beach reading, one element of the story negates that initial assumption: both Hazel and Gus have cancer and meet at a children’s cancer support group. The premise sounds as if it would be a depressing read, hard to get through even a page, but that is not the case. Green manages to create well-rounded teenage characters that are sarcastic, smart and witty. Told from Hazel’s point of view, the tone manages to be angry, funny, sweet and endearing as she strives to have as normal a teenage experience as possible despite her illness.
Since its debut, the book has topped the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Indiebound bestseller lists. It will soon be published in 10 languages including Icelandic, Hebrew and Chinese. The New York Times named it a Book Review Editor’s Choice. Over a million copies have been sold so far and now a movie is being made.
On January 29, the official trailer was released and it seemed as if everyone on the Internet had something to say about it. We saw Shailene Woodley as Hazel toting her oxygen tank and Ansel Elgort as Gus glowing with optimism. It seemed as if every entertainment site ran an article on it and many broke down the trailer to show how each word spoken was a direct quote from the book. These articles carried headlines warning fans about the high potential for tears. It was emotional to see some of the memorable dialogue come to life. “I am pretty unextraordinary,” claims Hazel as Gus replies, “I reject that out of hand. Think of something you like. The first thing that comes to mind.” The trailer closes with Gus saying “OK?” and Hazel responding “OK.” This may seem strange to anyone who has not read the book but “OK” serves as a special word for the couple similar to how some couples say “forever” or “always.” If you were not crying by that point, you most likely have not read the book or you are made of stone.
Entertainment Weekly spoke with Green about the trailer, which he saw about a month ago. He said, “I couldn’t let myself feel anything other than anxiety until the last frame of the trailer where [Shailene] says ‘OK.’ Then I was like, yeaaaaah! I really loved it. It’s everything I wanted the trailer to be.”
Since the trailer was released, over nine million people have watched it and the book has shot up to number one on the iBook and USA Today book lists. Walk down the street or even around campus and you can see people carrying the sky blue book with its distinctive cover. It seems as if everyone is reading it before the movie hits theaters on June 6.
If you have not read this book, read it before going to see the movie. It may be “one sick love story” according to the tagline but it has is a moving, sarcastic and enjoyable journey. I hope the movie lives up to the book, and if the trailer is an accurate representation of the movie, then it will.
