Author John Green
First published 2012
Publisher Dutton Books
Hazel and Augustus have different types of cancer but the same taste in authors. Their lives are transformed when they meet.
Story
Hazel Grace Lancaster has been battling cancer for three years. Her desperate mother sends her to a support group where she meets Augustus Waters, a 17 year old boy in remission. The pair bond over their favourite author and Hazel’s life is completely changed.
Why we chose it
A young adult romance which skilfully blends humour and heartbreak. John Green writes honestly and without sentimentality about life, death and teenage cancer.
Where it came from
John Green was inspired to write the story after working as a student chaplain at a children’s hospital. The character of Hazel is based on a friend of his, Esther Earl. They met at a Harry Potter convention in 2009 and remained close ever since. Esther Earl died in 2010 at only 16 years old. She never got to see the book published.
Where it went next
An international success, the book has won 19 international literary awards including the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction in 2012.
It has been adapted into a film that won a further 12 awards including Teen Choice and People’s Choice.
Associated stories
Other bestsellers by the author include, Looking For Alaska (2005), An Abundance of Katherines (2006), Paper Town (2008), Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) and Turtles All the Way Down (2017).
Author John Green
First published 2012
Publisher Dutton Books