1.
One conflict in the book is the conflict between the main character Hazel and the author Van Houten. Van Houten is Hazel´s absolute favorite author, she have red allot of books in her 17 years but it is something special whit his book. Van Houten has only written one book, Hazel thinks that the head character in the book reminds her of herself. The book is about a girl who suffering from cancer, just like Hazel. But the book ends very quickly in the middle of a sentence. Actually both Hazel and her boyfriend August who also is a big character in the book suffers from cancer and after reading the book they are desperate to know what happens after that last sentence. What happens to the girl’s mother? What happens to her hamster?
It is difficult to reach Van Houten, Hazel has written many long e-mails that never been answered.
So Hazel’s boyfriend Augustus uses his last will for them to go to Amsterdam and meet the author. Everything is decided, August and Hazel have had contact with the author's assistant by e-mail and they've decided the time and place for a meeting.
Although Hazel is very sick by the time they go to Amsterdam to meet him. On the day of the meeting they are very excited and happy. They go to Van Houten´s house and they ring the bell.
Nothing runs like Hazel and August imagined. Van Houten is an alcoholic and rude man, not at all the person they thought. He does not answer any of their questions that they ask about the book. He is really mean and says that people with cancer are not worth anything, they only cost money. It ends with Hazel gets really angry and yells at Van Houten.
A couple of months later August die and at his funeral Hazel sits on the bench in the church. Behind her she hears a familiar voice. She turns around and there sits Van Houten. After the ceremony she walks to him and asks what he is doing there.
He is there to apologize; he tells her that he behaves the way he does because his daughter died from cancer when she was little. And that the book was about her. So after the book was published he had broken down completely. And that he was ready to maybe write a continuation after all.
2.
“The marks humans leave are too often scars.”
In the beginning of the book both Hazel and Augustus thinks that it is important to be remembered, not just die and disappear. They want to do something big. But the farther you get in the story the more they realize that its ‘not so important to be remembered like a celebrity will. It’s more important to leave great memories to those you leave behind.
“I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend.”
Augustus says this to his friend. He means that right now life is great! It happens very positive things that make everything feel bright. Yet we know that a roller coaster cannot go up forever. And that someday it will go right down.
“The only person I really wanted to talk to about Augustus Water's death with was Augustus Waters”
This quote tells us how much Hazel loved Augustus. They could talk about anything with each other. It’s really beautiful.
“Don't worry. Worry is useless. I worried anyway”
This quote describes very well how most people feel. One should not worry about little things. But you do it anyway.
“That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.”
August says this to his friend when he is very sick and about to die. I think he means that the pain is real. It demands to be felt. You can’t hide from it.
3.
The message in this book I think is that life is very valuable. And when everything goes to hell you have to keep on fighting, even though it’s hard sometimes. Nothing can be perfect. Hazel suffering from lung cancer but still manages to find happiness and love. She puts up with permanent pain but can still have a smile on her face which is very inspiring. Concentrate on the good things in life and put your energy on the things you like and appreciate, then you will feel better than you would ‘we done if you dwelled everything negative.
