This book is an extremely sad story. There is no way to argue for or against that fact because it is just that, a fact. However one thing that distinguishes the story of this novel from that of others is its raw approach. Green, unlike many other authors, explores the depth of the pain these characters feel not through internal action, but through external reaction to events in their lives. Most of the characters in the novel are cancer patients, and they obviously have sad stories, but Green fails to make them romantically sad beings, he does something truly unique. Green portrays these characters as 'normal' people, not feeble and sad beings. This perspective is truly captured by the passage later referred to as the "Night of the Broken Trophies." The events of this night happen because Isaac, one of the member of Hazel's teen cancer support group, has been broken up with by his girlfriend, in an effort by her to preempt any heartbreak she will cause him later. The scene is heart wrenching and not for the reasons one would think. A typical author would have made this scene exceptionally tragic by having Isaac talk about his feelings, about why he felt betrayed and what not, but Green crafts the scene in a way that makes the reader think for Isaac in a way, becuase they are forced to attempt to sympathize with his situation, something that eventually just makes the reader miserable because they realize their own pain cannot match that of these poor victims.
The closest we've seen is the violence in tragedy, like Medea or Macbeth. This freak-out has no such huge political ripple effects, of course. Maybe that makes the freakout all the more pitiable. He is heartbroken and soon-to-be-blind...and how many people really care? Cancer is a kind of friend-repellant, according to Hazel.
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