Why I Chose The Fault in Our Stars

I started reading The Fault in Our Stars recently, and I am about one- fifth of the way through.

I have heard a lot about this book from friends, so I decided to find a summary and get a preview. The book is about a 16 year old girl named Hazel Grace Lancaster who was diagnosed with cancer. She attends a support group, where she meets a boy name Augustus Waters. That's about as far as I have gotten, but I will definitely be finishing this book.

Cancer is a very... touchy topic for many people- including myself. Last year, someone I knew passed away from cancer. Although I was not particularly close with her, I had been with her many times. And looking back on it now, one of my biggest regrets is not getting to know her, or her family better. I saw her a week or two before she was diagnosed, and I never saw her again.

I guess part of me wanted to read this book because I believed there would be a happy ending where everyone survives and celebrates (I mean, it's a book. Lots of happy endings in those, right?). A happy ending to make up for the sad ending in my story, and the sad ending that too many people in the world have gone through already. Unfortunately, the summary I read had some spoilers. Some MAJOR spoilers...

But anyways, this book is fantastic. It offers a heartfelt, realistic viewpoint from a girl who has dealt with more than any teenage girl should have to face. And the more I read, the more addicting it gets. Most of the characters are just a heartbeat away from death at any given time, yet they still manage to have humor, curiosity, and love.

I realize now, after going through my thoughts and typing this post, that I don't care whether or not the ending is happy or sad. I realize that the beginning and the middle are just as important as the ending, because the ending is really only a small part in the journey of life. And what makes the story genuinely happy, is what happens during that journey.

What have I learned? New ideas, concepts, or facts I gained

I decided to take a break form the Divergent series and read a current event news article. That was one of my goals (reading more nonfiction) that I really needed to work on. I found an article on CNN titled "CVS stores to stop selling tobacco".

By October 1st this year, all CVS stores will stop selling tobacco products, including cigarettes. The CEO and president of CVS stated that,"Put simply, the sale of tobacco products is inconsistent with our purpose."(Landau). The company agreed that the health of their customers came before making money off tobacco products (CVS will lose $2 billion per year from this). The US department of Health and Human Services and the American Medical Association applaud CVS for its effort to create a tobacco free generation, and hope others will follow their lead.

 The article was very insightful, and I learned a lot about the character of the president of CVS as well as the harmful effects of tobacco products. Personally, I think CVS made a great decision. As one of the largest pharmacies in America, CVS sets an example for other stores. By making the decision to ditch tobacco products, they are influencing the lives of not just people in our generation, but also people in the generations to come. This was a big step in the right direction, and I hope other stores do the same.

For the full article: 
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/health/cvs-cigarettes/index.html?hpt=us_c2