Over the summer, I read the book The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Hazel, one of the main characters, starts out as a shy girl who may have depression. Early on in the book Hazel claims that depression is not a side effect of cancer, but of dying; "But, in fact, depression is not a side effect of cancer. Depression is a side effect of dying." (Green, 1). She rarely leaves the house, only to go to the cancer support group that she attends, where one week, she meets Augustus Waters. Acting shy around others was how Hazel acted, but when she was invited to go to Augustus's house that same day, she couldn't say no. Hazel starts coming out of her shy and depressed shell and becomes more and more out going throughout the book. This is because of her interactions with Augustus. Later on in the book, when Hazel and Augustus get the chance to go to Amsterdam, Hazel claims that she would have never done this before, but she ended up going with her mom and Augustus. She becomes more outgoing when interacting with other characters, as well. When she goes to the mall and a little girl asks her what is in her nose, Hazel even asks the girl if she wanted to try them on. "'Would they help me breath, too?' 'I dunno. Let's try.' I took it off and let Jackie stick the cannula in her nose and breathe. 'Tickles,' she said." (Green, 51) Becoming even more outgoing through interactions with other characters is how Hazel becomes a more complex character as the story continues on. One of the main themes in The Fault in Our Stars is love, and Hazel contributes to that theme because she ends up falling in love with Augustus. "I fell in love the way you sleep, slowly, then all at once." (Green, 122). The Fault in Our Stars article This article does give away spoilers, so I suggest that if you want to know just what the book is about, you should read the first 2 paragraphs. This article explains everything that happens in the book, without all of the details that John Green includes in his book. John Green- Author of The Fault in Our Stars interview
