The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has provided one of the most satisfying reads so far this summer. Teen Hazel Grace, diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer, confronts issues of life, death and love. Hazel meets cancer survivor Augustus Waters at a group therapy session which her mother forces her to attend. Attraction is mutual and immediate. Hazel's narration of their developing relationship is loaded with witty dialog and dark humor as well as explorations of what it means to die unremarked or forgotten. The plot turns around Hazel's need to contact the reclusive author of her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, which is about a young girl who dies of cancer. The books ends abruptly, leaving exasperating questions about what happened to Anna's mother, her friends and her hamster. Hazel, with Gus's help, is determined to discover the answers, even though the author now lives in Amsterdam and has never acknowledged her many letters. Although Green emphasizes that the book is fiction, it nonetheless thoughtfully explores what life for a teenager dealing with cancer can be like. It is both serious and light-hearted: "Hazel GRACE!" he[Gus] shouted. "You did not use your one dying Wish to go to Disney World with your parents. . . . I can't believe I have a crush on a girl with such cliche wishes."

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman is a complex tale of political intrigue, struggle with identity, and of tests of love and loyalty. It is set in a world, the kingdom of Goredd, which is populated by both dragons and humans who are divided by suspicion, bigotry and a history of armed conflict. Seraphina Dombegh is the musically gifted daughter of an esteemed lawyer, tutored by a saarantras, a dragon in human form. When barely into adolescence, she begins to experience changes in her body and mind that reveal a terrible secret--her mother, whom she never knew, was a dragon and Seraphina is a half-breed. For her this means leading a life of deception and self-loathing, for there are people in Goredd who would gladly destroy such "misshapen, miscengenated abominations." Although her father commands her to stay silent and hidden, Seraphina loves music and accepts a position with the royal court as assistant to the music director. She becomes increasingly involved with the affairs at court following the assassination of popular Prince Rufus and the impending visit of the dragon Ardmagar to renew the tenuous peace between dragons and humans. She uses her special insights into dragon history and behavior to help compelling, attractive Prince Lucian, Captain of the Guard, solve the mystery of Prince Rufus's death and to help protect the Ardmagar. This is an entertaining tale of adventure seasoned with Seraphina's personal challenges of self-acceptance.