The Fault in Our Stars

Back of Book Summary:

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

*Spoilers ahead as I am unable to avoid them as I will be discussing the relationship development between the two main characters and how their relational closeness changes throughout their time together. But, I am guessing these will not really be spoilers to anyone as you have most likely seen the movie or read the book. (If you haven’t where have you been) To look at their relationship closeness I will be looking at major turning points.*

1. Meet at a cancer support group

   1. For me, the first turning point in every relationship is when they first meet, they go from being strangers to a person in each other's lives

2. Hang out/ Watch a movie and talk about their experiences with cancer

   1. Vulnerability is a huge proponent of relationship closeness, so this is a positive turning point as they develop a sense of comfort with each other, they grow trust.

3. Read each other's favorite books

   1. Okay this turning point might just be something that I view as a turning point but this would be more of an informal one, having someone read your favorite book is huge, it says a lot about who they are as a person. I personally feel this brings them closer.

4. Picnic in which Gus tells her they are going to Amsterdam

   1. In this scene, Gus tells Hazel about going to Amsterdam to meet with her favorite author to get answers to his book. This moves slightly down from the reading of the book as it may seem out of nowhere and leads to many questions.

5. Hesitation to go to Amsterdam, she knows she a will end up hurting Gus

   1. The questions for the turning point above lead us to the first dip in their relational closeness. Although Hazel realizes her feelings she also realizes she is dying and will hunt Gus in the end, so she pulls away to prevent hurting him.

6. Hazel has a severe episode and was in the hospital, Gus never left while she was there

   1. This is our next positive turning point, Hazel has an episode where her lungs fill with fluid causing her to be hospitalized, the entire time she is there, Gus did not leave the hospital. This shows Hazel he is committed to her and understands the situation he is placing himself in.

7. Anne Frank’s house- Kiss

   1. This is the first peak of their relational closeness as a couple, they go to Anne Frank's house, and at the end of the tour, they kiss. If it is not obvious this is a very clear turning point as it is the first time their true feelings for each other are seen. Bringing them even closer.

8. Gus's cancer comes back

   1. Also in this scene we sadly learn that Gus’s cancer has come back, resulting in Hazel realizing he is the grenade not her, and takes a step back to process. This negative turning point is not very large but it does affect their closeness for a moment.

9. Gus condition worsens

   1. You would think Gus' conditions getting worse would cause their closeness to grow further apart but for Gus and Hazel, it brought them closer. In a study about the turning point of couples dealing with cancer one of the common themes is a higher sense of closeness ( Petren et al. 2021). Thus this in my opinion is the true peak of their relationship.

10. Fake funeral

    1. This is very similar to above, this is a moment of healing for both of them coming to terms with Gus’s upcoming death. This turning point is at about the same level as above as it is just them finding closer to their situation.

11. Gus dies

    1. This is a physical loss of closeness but still a turning point in their relationship since they can no longer be tougher physically.

12. Letter to Hazel

    1. The last turning point is when Hazel finds the letters Gus was writing to her favorite author and reads them. Although Gus is no longer with her, this is something that brings her closer to him.

Overall this book did have some ups and downs when it came to their relational closeness but most of the time it stemmed from their health problems, which is something that neither of them really had control over. In the end, these ups and downs made them closer and made each other their great love.

Reference:

Petren, R. E., Evans, M. M., Barnett, K., & Kowalchik, K. (2021). Relational Turning Points in Spousal Relationships During the Journey with Cancer. MEDSURG Nursing, 30(3), 187–196.