Rachel Syme in her NPR book review “'The Fault In Our Stars': Love In A Time Of Cancer”, argues that “Green writes books for young adults, but his voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization. He writes for youth, rather than to them, and the difference is palpable. He doesn't dumb anything down. His language is complex, his syntax adult. He freely references Kierkegaard and William Carlos Williams alongside bloody video games and action movies. Add to that a raw and real glimpse at childhood illness, and his latest, The Fault in Our Stars, may be his best book yet.” While Syme and others praise Green for his mixing of genres, what does this mean for readers?
In a book review for the Guardian, the following warning is posted, “WARNING: CONTAINS MODERATE BAD LANGUAGE AND SEX REFERENCES: NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS.” Who is the audience for this book? Is this text appropriate for all ages? Do you feel it should be considered as a young adult rather than adult novel? Why or why not?
For this assignment, you will write a 5-7 page essay in MLA format, in which you argue how this book "the fault in our stars", by John Green should be marketed. Who is the audience for this text? Is it appropriate for all ages? How is the reading experience different for adults and young adults? You will need to select specific passages from the text to support your claim. Avoid merely summarizing; instead, demonstrate how the passages support your stance.
You must use at least three sources for this essay in addition to your primary source (The Fault In Our Stars). Appropriate sources include, but are not limited to, newspaper or magazine articles, books, internet sources (user discretion is advised) and articles from journals. Be sure to consider sources which discuss the marketing process, age appropriate content, and cover design to aid you in shaping your argument.
Your essay should have the following qualities:
An engaging hook and thesis statement that expresses your position.
Brief summaries of your sources that make logical connections to your thesis statement.
Body paragraphs that contain topic sentences that make supporting points.
Consistent commentary which shows the relationship between your textual analysis and the marketing process.
A satisfying conclusion. This is not a mere summary of your points. Why does this matter? Who do these choices affect?
Course Name :
Instructor’s Name :
Date of Submission :
“The Fault in Our Stars”
The book “fault in our stars” is an amazing story of people that are found to relate out of fate. The book uses cancer as an analogous attempt to speak of how people can encourage one another when confronted with similar situation. It gives them an opportunity of taking precautions early in life to safeguard against unforeseeable impending dangers caused by cancer (Bogart, 65). The book is both beneficial to all people but it is mainly targeting young adult people. This is evident as a survey conducted one month after its publication indicated more than 150,000 copies, including e-books, of “The Fault in Our Stars,” were sold to the young adults. Twice that many are in print. These are big numbers in the beleaguered world of publishing, and this is the best part: many of the book’s fans; a sizeable majority, no doubt fall into the same demographic category as its central character. They are teens (Koelling and Carter, 12).
The same teens that were expected to ignore fiction as a result of the television channels, the video games, and the impact of iPods, iphone and ipad have fallen in love with the book. They have preferred to read rather than watch the movies. In fact, it is now evident that one of the most growing sections in publishing industry is for the “young adults”. The fault in our stars belongs to this section. Book stores are assigning more space for this kind of books. The serious novelists who had ignored this segment of the market are now giving a try to it. The publishing houses are in high desire for same kind of books as they are moving swiftly (Koelling and Carter, 14).
The “the fault in our stars” title of the book speaks exactly the segment of the people it targets. Our stars, the narrator or the author is presenting himself as a parent. He is writing to the young stars, “our stars”. The author chose a title of the book that speaks for its self. Green writes books for young adults, this is so evident from his voice in the fault of our stars; it is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization. More importantly to note is the main characters of the book. Sixteen year old Hazel has cancer which, as she puts it, is just a side effect of dying along with depression. As a result of the cancer and these side effects, the doctor prescribes weekly Support Group; as a result she meets Isaac who changes her live for good. The two characters many times have conversations that are deep for young adolescents (Green, 1). This is evidence that the book addresses young adults.
This book is for the youngsters as it is full of serious and prevalent issues involving the coming of age as a teenager with cancer. The themes of the book; teenage hood, cancer, love, loss, and living with cancer. The teenagers will be in a position to put one foot in the characters' shoes while also taking perspective into account. They will be able to draw connections with Hazel, Augustus, Isaac, and their families while still being able to empathize with those whose situations are different from theirs (Green, 1- ).
As the demand for youth attention increases the use of multiple media channels that can be used in marketing has also increased from one station to another. This has seen the rise of use of mobile phones and television to video games and the internet; the young adults are well informed through technology. Everyone agrees they love to consume media first before engaging in other things. Bogart supports the above argument and says authors who understand this trend have gained a competitive edge in the industry (Bogart, 67). This is also acknowledged by one of the Americas authors, Beverly Horowitz. He says “Everybody and their brothers want to enter the market” (Koelling and Carter, 23). The demand is there for the products. From the book it is obvious that one does not like to throw around phrases like “instant classic” lightly, but I can see The Fault in Our Stars taking its place alongside Are You There God? It is Me, Margaret in the young-adult canon. Green’s book is also a good example of why so many adult readers are turning to young-adult literature for the pleasures and consolations they used to get from conventional literary fiction.
It is also true; Mr. Green targets the young adults because the book “the fault of our stars” has been competing with the other young adult writings. The New York Times listed “The Fault in Our Stars,” as the bestselling children’s hardcover chapter b...