THE ESSENTIAL

READING GROUP GUIDE

“Great books help you understand,And they help you to

feel understood”

Addictive plots

Quirky humour

Beautifully drawn characters

Welcome to the essential John Green reading group guide!

This guide should help kick-start interesting and insightful discussions around some of John’s best loved books.

Whether you are a Nerdfighting superfan or a complete novice, when you read a John Green novel you can expect:

1. John Green has stated ‘I really like writing and publishing books for teenagers’. Why do you think The Fault in Our Stars has such broad crossover appeal and is popular with teenagers and adults alike?

2. Despite the novel being about two terminally ill teenagers, did you find it hopeful in the end?

3. What is the significance of Augustus’s first name? In the early stages of the novel, Hazel calls him Augustus, his parents call him Gus and as the novel goes on, Hazel calls him Gus too – which he picks her up on at the end. Why do you think this is?

4. . Speaking of names, what is the significance of Augustus’s surname in this book, particularly in relation to Hazel?

5. According to the author, ‘There’s more than one good way to read a book’ and ‘The deeper you look, the more you’ll be rewarded for looking.’ What does this mean to you and does it apply to your experience of reading The Fault in Our Stars?’

6. Hazel claims “I’m like. Like. I’m like a grenade, Mom.” What does she mean by this and how does it affect her relationship with her parents?

7. Hazel supposes that Caroline Mathers’s “brain cancer was of the variety that makes you not you before it makes you not alive.” What does this mean in relation to notions of what defines ‘you’ and makes you who you are?

8. ‘Above us, the wind blew and the branching shadows rearranged themselves on our skin. Gus squeezed my hand. “It is a good life, Hazel Grace.”’

The Fault in Our Stars is filled with beautiful and heartbreaking moments. Which particular moments or scenes stayed with you after the story ended and why?

THE ESSENTIAL READING GROUP GUIDE

1. According to John Green, ‘Colin isn’t a very easy person to like, especially at first.’ Do you agree and did your impression of him change during the book?

2. Katherines is written in the third person, whereas The Fault in Our Stars is written from Hazel’s perspective. How did the third person narrative affect your relationship with Colin?

3. How do you think the pressure of being branded a ‘prodigy’ impacted on Colin’s childhood and growing up?

4. The style and structure of this book is different from John Green’s other books, why do you think this is and did it affect your experience of reading the book?

5. ‘He knew that his mom wanted him to have an adventure. She’d always wished he could be a normal kid.’ How would you define being ‘normal’ and how does Colin differ from this?

6. ‘ . . . in short, he didn’t matter enough.’ In Katherines, Colin wants to matter, in The Fault in Our Stars Gus fears oblivion and in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Tiny Cooper just wants to be appreciated. Why do you think these characters are fixated on recognition and their own significance; is this a reflection of wider society today?

7. Lindsey says ‘’The thing about chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to where nothing is real.’’ What does this mean to you?

8. Colin’s greatest passion is anagramming. John Green says he has never tried to anagram the title An Abundance of Katherines. How many anagrams can you make from it? Go on, do Colin proud . . .

THE ESSENTIAL READING GROUP GUIDE

1. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a story of love in many guises; romantic love, friendship love, family love. Which relationship did you most identify with and why?

2. John Green and David Levithan said they didn’t write this book with ‘themes’ in mind, but with ‘ideas’. What do you think the principal ideas in this book are?

3. As the saying goes, ‘Opposites attract.’ In this book, ‘Tiny always has something brilliant to say back’, whereas, according to Will, ‘Shutting up works. Following the rules works.’ How do you think two such opposite personalities came to be best friends?

4. David Levithan used the technique of writing his character will grayson all in lower case because ‘that’s how he sees himself.’ What does this mean to you and how did it impact your reading of the character?

5. The relationship between will grayson and maura is very complicated. Do you think she meant to hurt him or did she genuinely not realise he would be so upset? And could/should will have handled his reaction differently?

6. Will Grayson says ‘You like someone who can’t like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot.’ What does he mean by this?

7. When will grayson finds out about isaac, he says ‘i get it now. i get it. the things you hope for most are the things that destroy you in the end.’ Do you agree with this and is this true for any other characters in the book?

8. As well as dealing with sensitive subjects like depression and family separation, Will Grayson, Will Grayson is funny with many light-hearted moments. Which elements of the story amused you most and why?

THE ESSENTIAL READING GROUP GUIDE