The Fault in Our Stars- a Rant

[merrily]

Is it only just me, or am I the only one on Tumblr not gushing about the magical relationship between Gus and Hazel? One of my main issues I have with the novel AND film is the trivialization of cancer and the holocaust. I mean, they kissed in Anne Frank's house, and was applauded! For fuck's sake! :evil-eye:

It would be equivalent of kissing at the Holocaust Memorial or Auschwitz. And when I posted my irritation on FB, one person went out to say they were being rebellious teenagers whose cancer leads them to do irrational things. I read that part of the book. John Green writes as though Hazel is having this introspective moment at the museum, but it all went to hell in a handbasket (in my opinion) when Green uses Otto Frank's recollection of Anne as background prop to them kissing. :evil:

Also, this book markets itself as one of those 'sickness' novels, but Hazel and Gus never suffers the effects of cancer, at least, when it interferes with the plot. We're talking about his trip across the world to Amsterdam while terminally ill, drinking, his parents being ok with it, his doctors agreeing to let him ect.

I mean, why market it as a "cancer" novel at all? The main characters are only affected by their illnesses when Green needs them to be. :angry-banghead:

[karismanic]

You're not the only one. I haven't read the novel or seen the movie -- despite all the buzz about it from Facebook friends. My mom died from a very aggressive cancer just over a year ago. I don't think I can go watch a movie where everything about cancer is trivialized. Just from the previews, Hazel looks fine except for a nasal cannula. That's not an accurate portrayal of cancer in my experience. Cancer is ugly and unfair.

Also, I get pissed when people get all wrapped up and emotional about some fictional character's cancer battle and death. I just want to smack them and say, Try that being the real life of your loved one.

[crazyforkate]

I've read the novel. It rings false. The characters are way too perfect, the story's way too rushed and it's a totally unrealistic portrayal of cancer. I had a friend die of it when we were fifteen. It's raw, it's terribly exhausting, and it's still a painful wound to this day. I expected to be saddened when I read it, but the book was so full of cutesy quirky stuff that I couldn't relate to the characters. They're kind of Manic Pixie Dream People cardboard cutouts. Frankly, it's overhyped.

And yeah, the Anne Frank stuff was kind of gross. I don't get why people are defending it.

[louisa05]

You're not the only one. I haven't read the novel or seen the movie -- despite all the buzz about it from Facebook friends. My mom died from a very aggressive cancer just over a year ago. I don't think I can go watch a movie where everything about cancer is trivialized. Just from the previews, Hazel looks fine except for a nasal cannula. That's not an accurate portrayal of cancer in my experience. Cancer is ugly and unfair.

Also, I get pissed when people get all wrapped up and emotional about some fictional character's cancer battle and death. I just want to smack them and say, Try that being the real life of your loved one.

Took my stage iv father, in his 18th month of chemo, for a CT scan today. I couldn't stomach reading it or seeing the film either even though a 1000 people have told me I must. Those kids look lovely and healthy in the movie ads. Cancer is nothing like that. And I really can't deal with it as a plot device of any sort.

[GeoBQn]

So Hazel and Gus basically have "Ali McGraw's Disease?"

[PennySycamore]

{{{karismanic and louisa05}}} I am so sorry that you've gone through or are going through having a parent with cancer. :group-hug:

[Trynn]

After watching my grandpa die, I made the decision to start screening for it the minute I hit the at risk age.

Because that was painful and horrid for him and for us, and, yeah, it made him look ugly.

The Anne frank stuff does sound bad.

I haven't heard of this book or movie, and I don't think I'll be wastin my time.

[Hisey]

So Hazel and Gus basically have "Ali McGraw's Disease?"

Ha! Funny you should say that, because I watched Love Story last night for the first time in like 20 years.

I never noticed, when I was younger, how healthy Ali McGraw looks as she lay dying in her bed.

In fact, she looked pink and lovely throughout her entire unspecified-yet-fatal "illness."

And how interesting that she was not hooked up to any monitors or IVs or anything, except for in one arm.

My kids were watching with me, and of course, that aspect went over their head, too. They were mostly outraged that the docs lied to Jenny but told her husband the truth.

Still, a terribly romantic film.

[Rescinded and Mended]

My son went through chemotherapy for almost four years, and we are still dealing with the physical and emotional fallout of his leukemia diagnosis.

You can bet your ass that I have zero interest in reading or watching inspirational piffle that uses the horror of cancer as a romantic, meet-cute backdrop. What is more likely to happen if I read or see the book or movie is that I will start throwing shit and break into hysterics.

Fuck you, Hollywood. Seriously, you don't have a clue what it is to feel the pain of having cancer in your family - all you care about is the money.

[mockingbird]

I had cancer as a teen, and it's one of my favorite books... :? My mom hasn't read it, but she liked the movie.

I liked that the book was humorous and it was NOT trying to be all inspirational. They were basically normal teens. Pretentious at times, but a lot of teens are pretentious. They weren't perfect dying characters like in A Walk to Remember or other movies like that, they were unlikeable at times but that made them more realistic to me, and was something I appreciated. I didn't think it trivialized cancer, at least not any more than I do in my every day life. I have always used dark humor to cope, and I really loved seeing a movie that wasn't all "ohhhh cancer soooo sad", like I still had a life outside of it too. I follow Stupid Cancer on FB, which is a charity supporting young adults with cancer, and there's been an overwhemingly positive response there for similar reasons.

Also, my doctors have always encouraged me to do whatever I want, and rarely place restrictions on me. I have never had an argument with my doctors like Hazel does in the movie, usually it's the opposite where I or my parents would think I shouldn't do something and my doctors are just like "Do what you want!" (And that's usually what I have heard from others in the online groups I'm in for cancer/other illnesses.) I studied abroad about 2 months after having major surgery (and my surgeon gave me clearance about a month after), which isn't exactly the same thing, but I still don't see the trip as unrealistic. Maybe this will come off as too blunt, but if you are terminally ill, I see even less need for restrictions, since the goal is more to be comfortable and achieve a good quality of life. If they are stable (and a lot of times people can be terminally ill but in a stable health for a significant period of time), and especially since they are going to Europe (good medical care if needed and good access to communication/technology/flights out) and Hazel's mom was coming to watch out for them, I don't really see why they COULDN'T go on the trip.

The Anne Frank house thing does rub me the wrong way, even though apparently the Anne Frank House itself really loved the scene (it was the first movie to ever be allowed to film inside the house). And I think they did a poor job with the make-up in the movie and could've made the main characters look more sick, especially Hazel, since she should probably look paler. (All the kids in the support group were actually teen cancer patients, though.) I think the romance thing is take it or leave it. I honestly think most teen romances in movies/novels are unrealistic, but I also got that Green was trying to do another take on a "genre" (cancer romance) and I could totally understand having an instant connection with someone who has been through the same thing you have. That happened with me and one of my friends, and honestly something is different about that friendship because my other friends, while really well-meaning, will never truly understand what my life has been like. With my "sick" friend, we just automatically understood a lot about each other and that shared experience was THE initial reason we became friends. So I don't think the meeting someone special at support group thing was too unrealistic or contrived.

Anyway, just wanted to give a different perspective.

[Rebelwife]

I had cancer as a teen, and it's one of my favorite books... :? My mom hasn't read it, but she liked the movie.

I liked that the book was humorous and it was NOT trying to be all inspirational. They were basically normal teens. Pretentious at times, but a lot of teens are pretentious. They weren't perfect dying characters like in A Walk to Remember or other movies like that, they were unlikeable at times but that made them more realistic to me, and was something I appreciated. I didn't think it trivialized cancer, at least not any more than I do in my every day life. I have always used dark humor to cope, and I really loved seeing a movie that wasn't all "ohhhh cancer soooo sad", like I still had a life outside of it too. I follow Stupid Cancer on FB, which is a charity supporting young adults with cancer, and there's been an overwhemingly positive response there for similar reasons.

Also, my doctors have always encouraged me to do whatever I want, and rarely place restrictions on me. I have never had an argument with my doctors like Hazel does in the movie, usually it's the opposite where I or my parents would think I shouldn't do something and my doctors are just like "Do what you want!" (And that's usually what I have heard from others in the online groups I'm in for cancer/other illnesses.) I studied abroad about 2 months after having major surgery (and my surgeon gave me clearance about a month after), which isn't exactly the same thing, but I still don't see the trip as unrealistic. Maybe this will come off as too blunt, but if you are terminally ill, I see even less need for restrictions, since the goal is more to be comfortable and achieve a good quality of life. If they are stable (and a lot of times people can be terminally ill but in a stable health for a significant period of time), and especially since they are going to Europe (good medical care if needed and good access to communication/technology/flights out) and Hazel's mom was coming to watch out for them, I don't really see why they COULDN'T go on the trip.

The Anne Frank house thing does rub me the wrong way, even though apparently the Anne Frank House itself really loved the scene (it was the first movie to ever be allowed to film inside the house). And I think they did a poor job with the make-up in the movie and could've made the main characters look more sick, especially Hazel, since she should probably look paler. (All the kids in the support group were actually teen cancer patients, though.) I think the romance thing is take it or leave it. I honestly think most teen romances in movies/novels are unrealistic, but I also got that Green was trying to do another take on a "genre" (cancer romance) and I could totally understand having an instant connection with someone who has been through the same thing you have. That happened with me and one of my friends, and honestly something is different about that friendship because my other friends, while really well-meaning, will never truly understand what my life has been like. With my "sick" friend, we just automatically understood a lot about each other and that shared experience was THE initial reason we became friends. So I don't think the meeting someone special at support group thing was too unrealistic or contrived.

Anyway, just wanted to give a different perspective.

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I read the book because my 14 year old loved it so much and it was fine. It didn't bother me at all but I can see where others might feel differently. My sister died of cancer a couple of years ago and we definitely were a family that dealt with it through black humor. Also, since she died of brain cancer she didn't look "sick" in the way that many cancer patients did, until the very end (like the last 2 weeks). The other thing that makes me not mind it is that he was inspired to write the book by a real girl, who has since died of cancer. Her parents have been OK with the book, from everything I've heard.

[louisa05]

Chemo-induced neuropathy has robbed my dad of any possibility of living by a "do what you want" directive. There is plenty he wants to do, but he can hardly walk, cannot drive (and neither can my mother), can barely hold a fork or spoon, cannot write his own name or anything else...

Black humor is all very good and whatever when you are not trying to manage the lives of a terminal parent while the other one is vision impaired from fricking 65 miles away with almost no help from anyone else (and summer is even better since road construction makes the drive take longer). Sorry, I don't have the energy for black humor or for cancer movies. Or any other movies. Hell, since handling this means I can't hold a full time job, I can't even afford the damn movies.

[mockingbird]

I'm sorry if I seemed to imply that I don't understand the suffering that comes with cancer, side effects, etc... That was not my intention.

My health issues didn't start and end with cancer and there have certainly been many very low lows, but I was simply trying to say that this book and movie spoke to how my family, friends and I have dealt with that. But everyone will have difference coping styles and comfort levels so I was not trying to dismiss those by sharing my experiences. Just because they are not yours, does not make them invalid or any less of a struggle so, I know you are hurting Louisa05, and I am so sorry your family is going through all of this at once, but please don't mock me because I'm not "sick enough" for you.

(And the author chose to portray the illness as experienced by his real life friend, as RebelWife pointed out, so while it's not as debilitating as others may have experienced, it's based in real life. In which this girl was dying, even though she was able to have some limited normal activity... doesn't really get much worse prognosis than that. I don't think his choice is trying to be dismissive of what others have experienced, but just one slice of a VERY large pie of what is really hundreds of different diseases and I am sure, thousands+++ outcomes. Is it a problem that books/Hollywood tend to focus on a milder [in a way since they are still terminal]? I believe so, I actually partially wrote my college thesis on that topic. But I personally saw good in this movie in other ways, and I don't believe it is unrealistic, so that's not mutually exclusive for me. I understand how it could be raw or just "skimming the surface" for others, however.)

I do think having cancer as a teen comes with some unique issues (dealing with growing up at the same time) and blissful ignorance (parents usually handling stuff like insurance) that aren't necessarily part of the adult experience. So I think this movie/book are focused more on that level. Of course not every teen with cancer or their parents will relate either!

RebelWife, you're right, the girl's disease course is mostly based on John Green's real life friend, Esther Earl. He also helped to publish a book of her writing this year.

[louisa05]

I'm sorry if I seemed to imply that I don't understand the suffering that comes with cancer, side effects, etc... That was not my intention.

My health issues didn't start and end with cancer and there have certainly been many very low lows, but I was simply trying to say that this book and movie spoke to how my family, friends and I have dealt with that. But everyone will have difference coping styles and comfort levels so I was not trying to dismiss those by sharing my experiences. Just because they are not yours, does not make them invalid or any less of a struggle so, I know you are hurting Louisa05, and I am so sorry your family is going through all of this at once, but please don't mock me because I'm not "sick enough" for you.

(And the author chose to portray the illness as experienced by his real life friend, as RebelWife pointed out, so while it's not as debilitating as others may have experienced, it's based in real life. In which this girl was dying, even though she was able to have some limited normal activity... doesn't really get much worse prognosis than that. I don't think his choice is trying to be dismissive of what others have experienced, but just one slice of a VERY large pie of what is really hundreds of different diseases and I am sure, thousands+++ outcomes. Is it a problem that books/Hollywood tend to focus on a milder [in a way since they are still terminal]? I believe so, I actually partially wrote my college thesis on that topic. But I personally saw good in this movie in other ways, and I don't believe it is unrealistic, so that's not mutually exclusive for me. I understand how it could be raw or just "skimming the surface" for others, however.)

I do think having cancer as a teen comes with some unique issues (dealing with growing up at the same time) and blissful ignorance (parents usually handling stuff like insurance) that aren't necessarily part of the adult experience. So I think this movie/book are focused more on that level. Of course not every teen with cancer or their parents will relate either!

RebelWife, you're right, the girl's disease course is mostly based on John Green's real life friend, Esther Earl. He also helped to publish a book of her writing this year.

When you are a teen with an illness, the people who manage your day to day life live in your house and have been pretty much managing it anyway. A child with an illness is an additional stress of horrifying magnitude, BUT you were the one making sure the bills were paid every month anyway.

For the last 14 mths since the neuropathy began, I have had to manage nearly every aspect of my parents' lives from 65 miles away. That is on top of trying to keep my own life functional. And the financial strain of the whole thing is beyond insane for us. Finances have not been an issue for my parents. But for us, it has meant that there is no possibility of having the second full time income we desperately need. At this point, because of lack of flexibility from potential jobs (can't just walk out of work at most places when your parent needs taken to the ER), I have not even been able to find any consistent part time work.

Then there are the never-ending arguments with my brother who feels no need to pitch in because I 'don't work" so I "have all the time in the world for this". Right. And that is why I don't work. If he could commit to something as simple as going there to do the groceries and such on the weekends, I might be able to work a bit. But he refuses. Or does one weekend then stops again.

Or there is my nephew, who is a young adult capable of driving my mother to the drug store, who instead chooses to go there, hang out and text me later about what he thinks I need to do better.

And I can't begin to tell you the unorganized mess everything is from paying their bills to managing when to get prescriptions refilled. We sometimes have to pay a bill in person so it won't be late because they procrastinate, can't find it or just won't give it to me to pay. And god forbid we set up any online payments. Throw in random extra stuff like dad wanting me to handwrite letters to elderly relatives even though mom could type them...I spend 16 hour days there.

And mom...no time or money to spend on aids for her vision. Partly my fault. Appointments for that will mean more trips there.

Oh, and there is the giant corner lot yard to deal with. And two vehicles that they can't drive to maintain.

Here's an exercise, take a look at your healthy parents and imagine that rather suddenly (In May, 2012, my father could still beat his grandson at one on one and walked five miles a day-- diagnosed on Halloween and by the end of November, he was sick as hell and by May 2013 could hardly walk down the hall of his house) they can't do anything they used to do. Then think about everything you have to do to take care of that. And remember that it will be 130 miles round trip to go do it. And don't even think about any social services or such kicking in. Because you'd be shocked at how much you cannot access in these particular circumstances. And the definition of how much we cannot access is that we can access NOTHING.

Hurting is only a small part of the problem. I am fricking exhausted. All. The. Time.

[mockingbird]

When you are a teen with an illness, the people who manage your day to day life live in your house and have been pretty much managing it anyway. A child with an illness is an additional stress of horrifying magnitude, BUT you were the one making sure the bills were paid every month anyway.

For the last 14 mths since the neuropathy began, I have had to manage nearly every aspect of my parents' lives from 65 miles away. That is on top of trying to keep my own life functional. And the financial strain of the whole thing is beyond insane for us. Finances have not been an issue for my parents. But for us, it has meant that there is no possibility of having the second full time income we desperately need. At this point, because of lack of flexibility from potential jobs (can't just walk out of work at most places when your parent needs taken to the ER), I have not even been able to find any consistent part time work.

Then there are the never-ending arguments with my brother who feels no need to pitch in because I 'don't work" so I "have all the time in the world for this". Right. And that is why I don't work. If he could commit to something as simple as going there to do the groceries and such on the weekends, I might be able to work a bit. But he refuses. Or does one weekend then stops again.

Or there is my nephew, who is a young adult capable of driving my mother to the drug store, who instead chooses to go there, hang out and text me later about what he thinks I need to do better.

And I can't begin to tell you the unorganized mess everything is from paying their bills to managing when to get prescriptions refilled. We sometimes have to pay a bill in person so it won't be late because they procrastinate, can't find it or just won't give it to me to pay. And god forbid we set up any online payments. Throw in random extra stuff like dad wanting me to handwrite letters to elderly relatives even though mom could type them...I spend 16 hour days there.

And mom...no time or money to spend on aids for her vision. Partly my fault. Appointments for that will mean more trips there.

Oh, and there is the giant corner lot yard to deal with. And two vehicles that they can't drive to maintain.

Here's an exercise, take a look at your healthy parents and imagine that rather suddenly (In May, 2012, my father could still beat his grandson at one on one and walked five miles a day-- diagnosed on Halloween and by the end of November, he was sick as hell and by May 2013 could hardly walk down the hall of his house) they can't do anything they used to do. Then think about everything you have to do to take care of that. And remember that it will be 130 miles round trip to go do it. And don't even think about any social services or such kicking in. Because you'd be shocked at how much you cannot access in these particular circumstances. And the definition of how much we cannot access is that we can access NOTHING.

Hurting is only a small part of the problem. I am fricking exhausted. All. The. Time.

I'm sorry you've been saddled with so much. I've seen some of your other posts, and I am sure you are very overwhelmed.

I don't think it is fair to compare suffering, so hopefully we can just acknowledge that cancer sucks, period!

[Maggie Mae]

This isn't the suffering Olympics.

[ariel9]

I refuse to see this movie, it hits too close to home :(.

[lilah]

I thought the book was very well written. Haven't seen the movie yet.

[Rebelwife]

When you are a teen with an illness, the people who manage your day to day life live in your house and have been pretty much managing it anyway. A child with an illness is an additional stress of horrifying magnitude, BUT you were the one making sure the bills were paid every month anyway.

For the last 14 mths since the neuropathy began, I have had to manage nearly every aspect of my parents' lives from 65 miles away. That is on top of trying to keep my own life functional. And the financial strain of the whole thing is beyond insane for us. Finances have not been an issue for my parents. But for us, it has meant that there is no possibility of having the second full time income we desperately need. At this point, because of lack of flexibility from potential jobs (can't just walk out of work at most places when your parent needs taken to the ER), I have not even been able to find any consistent part time work.

Then there are the never-ending arguments with my brother who feels no need to pitch in because I 'don't work" so I "have all the time in the world for this". Right. And that is why I don't work. If he could commit to something as simple as going there to do the groceries and such on the weekends, I might be able to work a bit. But he refuses. Or does one weekend then stops again.

Or there is my nephew, who is a young adult capable of driving my mother to the drug store, who instead chooses to go there, hang out and text me later about what he thinks I need to do better.

And I can't begin to tell you the unorganized mess everything is from paying their bills to managing when to get prescriptions refilled. We sometimes have to pay a bill in person so it won't be late because they procrastinate, can't find it or just won't give it to me to pay. And god forbid we set up any online payments. Throw in random extra stuff like dad wanting me to handwrite letters to elderly relatives even though mom could type them...I spend 16 hour days there.

And mom...no time or money to spend on aids for her vision. Partly my fault. Appointments for that will mean more trips there.

Oh, and there is the giant corner lot yard to deal with. And two vehicles that they can't drive to maintain.

Here's an exercise, take a look at your healthy parents and imagine that rather suddenly (In May, 2012, my father could still beat his grandson at one on one and walked five miles a day-- diagnosed on Halloween and by the end of November, he was sick as hell and by May 2013 could hardly walk down the hall of his house) they can't do anything they used to do. Then think about everything you have to do to take care of that. And remember that it will be 130 miles round trip to go do it. And don't even think about any social services or such kicking in. Because you'd be shocked at how much you cannot access in these particular circumstances. And the definition of how much we cannot access is that we can access NOTHING.

Hurting is only a small part of the problem. I am fricking exhausted. All. The. Time.

I'm sorry that you and your whole family are going through such a heartbreaking and exhausting time. Although I helped care for my sister (and her school aged children) throughout her illness, there was lots of other family helping too and it wasn't long distance. Please be gentle with yourself and try to get some respite - we had to constantly remind my brother-in-law that he would be no good to anyone if he didn't take care of himself.

[Rescinded and Mended]

Truth be told, I won't read the book or see the movie. They would both just be too triggering for me.

[DGayle]

My family has been touched by too much illness. Either this book and movie will be triggering, or they'll infuriate me. All I've seen on Facebook so far are friends who've been mad at the movie because it makes cancer look pretty.

[antwan]

My mom died from a very aggressive cancer just over a year ago. I don't think I can go watch a movie where everything about cancer is trivialized. Just from the previews, Hazel looks fine except for a nasal cannula. That's not an accurate portrayal of cancer in my experience. Cancer is ugly and unfair.

Also, I get pissed when people get all wrapped up and emotional about some fictional character's cancer battle and death. I just want to smack them and say, Try that being the real life of your loved one.

This really saddened me. I'm so very sorry for your loss. My dh's mother died of colon cancer at age 52, and you're right, it's not anywhere near as simple as a nasal cannula. Life brings enough brutal reality, so I choose not to focus on it in fiction. I don't really mind that others like a good fictional cry, but it's not for me. I totally could relate to what you shared.

[2xx1xy1JD]

Haven't seen the movie, but I read the book while on vacation this past weekend.

I can't really see how it trivializes cancer, when the main character nearly died and is dependent on oxygen, when her best friend and boyfriend dies and when their mutual friend loses his eyes.

I initially decided to get the book from my daughter and read it because of what I read here about the Anne Frank scene.

I'll start off by saying that while I'm Jewish and had relatives killed in the Holocaust, I am making these comments for myself and can't speak for anyone else.

I didn't have a problem with the Anne Frank house scene. It made sense in the context of the book, which was all about cutting through romanticizing death and dying. Hazel and Gus can't stand the religious and philosophical crap that they are constantly subjected to, praising their strength and courage and telling them to have faith. They don't want admiration or pity. They want to be normal teens, and to have normal emotions and reactions without constantly feeling the pressure to live up to the expectations of others.

The book spends a few pages talking about the Anne Frank house. Anne Frank never wanted to become a symbol or a museum. She wanted to be a normal teenager, and live beyond her 16th birthday. She wasn't this perfect little innocent and inspirational figure. She was a normal kid, who sometimes felt that she was in her older sister's shadow and who fought with her mother and who had normal teen hormones and kissed Peter. To me, the whole point of her diary is that she was absolutely normal, and that makes anyone who reads it relate to her and see themselves or someone they know in it, and then once you relate to someone, their death affects you.

I liked the fact that the book talks about all the other Dutch Jews. Thanks to Anne Frank, the image is of Jews being saved in hiding, but the reality explained in the book was that over 100,000 were killed and only 5,000 survived. It also talked about how under Anne Frank's name, there were 4 Aron Franks, and how nobody ever remembers them. That spoke to me. I'm not thrilled with Holocaust education that begins and ends with an idealized Anne Frank. The truth is that there were millions of victims of the genocide - young and old, rich and poor, men and women. Some really were great and heroic and wonderful. Some were terrified, some were suicidal, some weren't particularly nice people at all. They were killed for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with how they were as people. They all deserve to be remembered.

At page 174 (in a passage that immediately made me think of Lori Alexander), Gus is talking about his old dead girlfriend Caroline Mathers, and he mentions that she was pretty much a bitch by the end. That sort of gets scrubbed from the Facebook memories of her. When Gus passes, suddenly all of these people who never saw him when he was sick come out of the woodwork to post how they miss him and how great he was, and we see how fake that is.

As I was finishing the book and our flight landed and was slowly moving toward the gate, my husband checked his email and suddenly cried "Oh my God". With tears in his eyes, he told me that Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar and Eyal Yifrach were found murdered. So no, a fictional kiss by fictional teens at the home of a Jewish teen who was murdered by the Nazis in 1945 does not bother me. The present-day murdered of 3 Jewish teens - and a whole lot of world indifference to it - does.

[Feberin]

I read the book and liked it. My mother died from cancer and I do agree that it wasn't always the most realistic and in an interview I read John Green admits that he spoke to doctors and chose to either keep or ignore their information when it suited him. It's fiction. There is fiction written about all sorts of horrible topics (rape, murder, the Holocaust). I would never think just because I read Devil's Athematic that I know exactly what happened to victims during the Holocaust. But if we banned books on any topics that were sensitive or upsetting then literature would be pretty boring. If the book is not a topic that interests you or brings on too many triggers then don't read it. It's not like it's a big secret that the books about cancer.

[DGayle]

The big-screen adaptation prettifies cancer.