Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl who is on her way to a support group meeting for teenagers with cancer. Hazel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 13, which eventually spread to her lungs. However, her tumor growth was stopped by an experimental drug called Phalanxifor. Despite her improved condition, Hazel still carries an oxygen tank with her at all times and has an uncertain life expectancy. She dislikes attending the support group because she finds the discussions about hope, strength, and faith in the face of cancer to be sentimental and fake. During the meetings, she amuses herself by exchanging sarcastic looks with a boy named Isaac, who lost one of his eyes to cancer. Despite her dislike for the group, Hazel's mother insists that she attends.
On the day the novel begins, a new person joins the support group. His name is Augustus Waters, a 17-year-old boy who is a friend of Isaac. Augustus had his leg amputated below the knee due to osteosarcoma but is currently considered "NEC"(no evidence of cancer). Hazel is immediately drawn to Augustus, finding him attractive, smart, and charming. During the group discussion, Augustus shares his fear of being forgotten and falling into oblivion. This remark catches Hazel's attention, and after the session, they have a brief conversation. Hazel is taken aback when she sees Augustus take out a cigarette, but he explains that he keeps them unlit as a symbolic way of keeping Death close but not letting it harm him. Augustus invites Hazel to watch a movie at his house, and impulsively, she agrees to go.
Augustus, who is not a skilled driver with his prosthetic leg, takes
Hazel to his house. There, she meets his parents and notices that the house is filled with what they call "Encouragements." These are positive and inspiring messages printed or crocheted on various knickknacks and decorations in every room. Hazel and Augustus engage in a conversation about their lives and experiences with cancer. They then decide to watch the movie "V for Vendetta" together. During the movie, Augustus compliments Hazel, comparing her beauty to that of Natalie Portman, who stars in the film.
Hazel opens up to Augustus about her favorite book, "An Imperial Affliction" by Peter Van Houten. This novel holds great significance for Hazel, and sheis hesitant to recommend it to others because it feels like a betrayal to advertise her affection for such a special and rare book. However, she eventually tells Augustus about it, and he promises to read it. In a playful exchange, Augustus insists that Hazel must also read one of his favorite books, a video-game novelization called "The Price of Dawn." He writes his phone number inside the cover of the book and gives it to Hazel.
Hazel recounts her experience of reading the book "The Price of Dawn" in a single night. She reflects on the appeal of a fictional series where the protagonist faces extreme danger but always manages to survive. The following day, Hazel's mother wants to celebrate Hazel's "thirty-third half-birthday," as she tries to make the most of every occasion due to Hazel's illness. Hazel refers to this as "celebration maximization." To celebrate, she goes to the mall with her friend Kaitlyn, whom she knew from before her illness when she used to attend school. Hazel mentions that she has since obtained her GED and now takes classes at a community college.
Hazel and Kaitlyn meet at the food court and spend time shopping for shoes. While Kaitlyn talks about her boyfriends and people from school, Hazel feels a sense of disconnect. She realizes that it can never feel natural to have conversations with Kaitlyn or anyone else again because it becomes evident that people will always feel awkward and self-conscious around her. Feeling this way, Hazel excuses herself and finds a quiet corner in the mall to read alone.
As she enjoys her solitude and reads, a young girl approaches Hazel
and asks about the tubes in her nose. Hazel allows the girl to briefly try on the tubes, appreciating her directness and lack of fear regarding her medical condition. Hazel reflects on the desire for more people to be as open and unafraid when interacting with her.
Hazel provides further details about her favorite novel, "An Imperial Affliction." The story revolves around a girl named Anna who suffers from a rare form of blood cancer. Anna's goal is to make the world a better place by starting The Anna Foundation for People with Cancer Who Want to Cure Cholera. Living with her mother, who is a passionate gardener with a love for tulips, Anna becomes infatuated with amysterious and eccentric trader known as the Dutch Tulip Man. While Anna questions whether he might be a con man, her mother falls in love with him, and they are about to get married when the book abruptly ends mid-sentence. Despite her love for the novel, Hazel finds the unfinished ending frustrating. She longs to know what happens to the other characters in the story but has never received a response to the numerous letters she sent to the author, Peter Van Houten. Van Houten, after publishing "An Imperial Affliction," moved to the Netherlands and never wrote any more books.
After Augustus finishes reading the novel, he sends Hazel a text expressing his own frustration with the book's lack of resolution. He invites her to his house, where she finds Isaac in Augustus's room. Isaac, who has lost one eye to cancer and is about to undergo an operation to remove the other, is devastated by his recent breakup with his girlfriend, Monica. Monica ended the relationship upon learning about Isaac's impending blindness. Isaac's emotional turmoil is compounded by the knowledge that he will soon lose his sight. As Hazel ponders the challenges of relationships for individuals with cancer, Augustus encourages Isaac to express his pain and anger by smashing some of his old basketball trophies, quoting a line from "An Imperial Affliction" that states, "pain demands to be felt."
Hazel eagerly awaits Augustus's call after he reveals that he has
managed to contact Peter Van Houten through an email sent to his assistant in the Netherlands, Lidewij. Van Houten thanks Augustus for reaching out but states that he has no plans to write anything else. Excited by the opportunity, Hazel immediately writes an email to Van Houten, once again seeking answers about the fates of the characters in "An Imperial Affliction" beyond the novel's conclusion. As she waits for a response, Hazel visits Isaac in the hospital, where he has undergone the surgery to remove his remaining eye. They engage in cynical banter about nurses on cancer wards and speculate about whether Isaac's other senses will sharpen to compensate for his impending blindness.
Finally, Van Houten replies to Hazel's email, refusing to disclose the characters' destinies but offering to meet and discuss them in person if she ever visits Amsterdam. Filled with hope, Hazel calls her mom and asks if they can plan a trip to Amsterdam,but her mom explains that they cannot afford it. Hazel expresses her disappointment to Augustus, mentioning that she had already used her "wish" from the Genie Foundation(a fictional version of the Make-A-Wish Foundation) on a trip to Disney World when she was 13.
In a surprise gesture, Augustus takes Hazel on a picnic to the sculpture garden at a local museum. They admire a skeleton sculpture called Funky Bones and enjoy tulips, orange juice, and a Dutch cheese sandwich. Augustus reveals that he has used his saved-up wish from when he lost his leg to arrange a trip to Amsterdam with Hazel, intending to fulfill her desire to meet Peter Van Houten. Their moment becomes almost romantic, but Hazel pulls away, unsure of entering into a relationship.
Hazel receives approval from her oncologist to go on the trip to Amsterdam, with the condition that her mother accompanies her to monitor her health. She confides in her friend Kaitlyn about her hesitations in pursuing a romantic relationship with Augustus, despite her feelings for him. Out of curiosity, Hazel searches online for information about Augustus's former girlfriend, Caroline Mathers, who passed away from cancer a year ago. She reads the messages of grief posted by Caroline's friends and family on social media, as well as notes kept by Caroline's mother about her deteriorating condition. This
reaffirms Hazel's belief that it would be irresponsible for someone with her illness to fall in love or be in a relationship, as her eventual death would only cause pain to those who love her.
Feeling conflicted, Hazel sends a text to Augustus, expressing her concerns about being together and not wanting to hurt him in the future. Her parents reassure her that the joy she brings to their lives outweighs the sadness they feel about her illness. That night, Hazel wakes up in severe pain.
Hazel finds herself rushed to the hospital and wakes up in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU). She learns that her lungs had accumulated fluid once again, depriving her brain and body of oxygen. The doctors drained the fluid, and while the tumors on her lungs have not grown, Hazel now needs to use a breathing machine called a BiPAP when she sleeps. She spends six days in the hospital, during which she refuses to see Augustus. On thefinal day of her stay, Augustus manages to visit her. Hazel explains that she didn't want him to witness her disheveled and suffering state.
Meanwhile, during Hazel's hospitalization, Augustus receives a letter from Peter Van Houten. Van Houten has been informed about Hazel and Augustus's plans to visit him in Amsterdam, funded by the Genie Foundation. Van Houten's letter is cryptic and filled with literary and death-related references. He appears to support Hazel's decision not to pursue a romantic relationship with Augustus due to the inevitable heartbreak it would bring. Hazel is touched by the fact that her favorite author has taken an interest in her and Augustus. She pleads with her mother not to cancel the Amsterdam trip, fearing that Van Houten's response might jeopardize their plans.
Hazel attending a conference with her oncologists and other doctors. They discuss Phalanxifor, the experimental drug that has halted the growth of her tumors. However, it is also speculated that the drug may be causing the fluid buildup in her lungs. Discontinuing the drug is
deemed too risky due to the potential consequences. Hazel reflects on the worst moments of her illness, remembering how her parents watched helplessly as their only child lay dying in the hospital. She wishes she didn't cause them so much worry and pain, acknowledging that her existence is both a source of joy and suffering for her parents. The Amsterdam trip is put on hold pending approval from the doctors.
On her first day back home, Hazel sits in her backyard, contemplating her childhood swing set and reminiscing about her time with her parents before her cancer diagnosis. The memories evoke sadness, leading her to call Augustus in tears. He comes over and decides to sell the swing set on Craigslist, believing it contributes to Hazel's melancholy. Augustus expresses that he doesn't want to be shielded from the potential heartbreak of losing Hazel in the future. The following day, Hazel receives an email from Lidewij, Peter Van Houten's assistant, arranging the rescheduled Amsterdam trip. The doctors have given their approval, and it will be a surprise for Hazel. She excitedly shares the news with Augustus via text, and he responds, "Everything's coming up Waters."
Hazel attends the Support Group meeting the day before departing for Amsterdam. She unexpectedly lashes out at a girl whose cancer is in remission. When thegirl praises Hazel for her strength, Hazel retorts, "I'll give you my strength if I can have your remission." This response elicits pity from the group members, which Hazel despises more than being called "strong." Afterwards, Hazel goes to Isaac's house, and they play video games using voice recognition software designed for blind players. Hazel confides in Isaac that she has feelings for Augustus but worries about burdening him with the responsibility of taking care of her as her condition worsens.
Hazel and her mother prepare for their trip to Amsterdam. However, most of their luggage space is occupied by Hazel's oxygen tanks, breathing machine, and other medical equipment. When they arrive at Augustus's door to pick him up, they overhear a heated argument between Augustus and his parents. Augustus shouts that his life belongs
to him. They wait in the car until he is ready, and when he finally comes out, he appears to be smiling as if nothing had happened. At the airport, Hazel briefly experiences a sense of freedom when she removes her oxygen tank to walk through the metal detector. However, after a few steps, she is struck by the overwhelming pain of not being able to breathe. Hazel worries that Augustus is embarrassed to be seen with her when he disappears from the gate until boarding time.
On the plane, Augustus is amazed at seeing the world from a plane for the first time. They watch the movie "300," and during a battle scene where dead bodies pile up, Hazel contemplates the act of consuming and even enjoying death as entertainment and spectacle. Augustus shares with Hazel that he has calculated the number of dead people in relation to the living throughout human history. He wonders if everyone can be remembered. Then, Augustus asks Hazel to recite poetry, and she recites the opening lines of T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." In response, Augustus confesses his love for Hazel, stating that he doesn't deny himself the simple pleasure of saying true things. Overwhelmed, Hazel doesn't know how to respond to his declaration.
Hazel, her mother, and Augustus arrive in the Netherlands. They are captivated by the sight of the Old World, with its buildings dating back to the 17th century. Hazel muses on the strangeness and wonder of living in a place where everything has been constructed bythe deceased. After resting in the hotel room to recover from jet lag, it's time for dinner. Peter Van Houten's assistant has made reservations for Hazel and Augustus at Oranjee, an upscale restaurant. Hazel puts on a new dress, while Augustus dresses in a suit and tie. At the restaurant, they enjoy champagne and exquisite food. Hazel relishes the experience of being a teenage girl dressed up for a romantic dinner with a handsome guy. Other diners raise their glasses and toast to Hazel and Augustus in Dutch, and the translation reveals the toast as "the beautiful couple is beautiful."
Following dinner, Hazel and Augustus take a stroll through the city and find a park bench to sit and talk. Hazel is surprised to learn that Augustus believes in an afterlife, expressing his fear of oblivion and his desire for his life to have a greater purpose. They discuss Augustus's late
girlfriend, Caroline Mathers, whose brain tumor caused her moodiness, vindictiveness, and anger toward the world. Augustus shares how seeing Caroline inspired him during his own chemotherapy to feel hopeful, not just about survival but about being able to marvel at life. This outing becomes a moment of joy and excitement for both Hazel and Augustus. They transcend their identities as "cancer kids" and simply enjoy being young, in love, and hopeful about the future, confident that their questions will be answered tomorrow.
Hazel wakes up early and eagerly anticipates her meeting with Peter Van Houten. She dresses in an outfit inspired by the main character of An Imperial Affliction, Anna, wearing jeans, Chuck Taylors, and a shirt featuring Ren? Magritte's famous pipe painting. They arrive at Van Houten's house, where he opens the door wearing pajamas and drinking Scotch, displaying rude manners. When Hazel asks him about the novel, he sidesteps her questions and launches into a philosophical discourse about the varying sizes of infinities. Frustrated, she continues to press him about what happens to the characters after the book ends. In response, Van Houten callously states that the characters only exist within the marks on the page and dismisses her questions as tiresome. He refuses to indulge her "childish whims" and accuses her of depending on pity for her very existence. Hazel becomes angry, not at his heartless remarks about sick children, but because he assumes she hasn't contemplated the same thoughts herself. In herrage, she curses at Van Houten and knocks his drink out of his hand. Augustus intervenes, pulling her out of the house and offering to write the sequel to the novel himself as a way to comfort her.
Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, is horrified by his behavior and decides to quit on the spot. She follows Hazel and Augustus outside and offers to show them something in Amsterdam. They visit the Anne Frank House, where Hazel, despite her lung condition, struggles to climb numerous steep stairs since there are no elevators inside. At the museum, they watch films of Otto Frank, Anne's father, who was the sole survivor of the family during the war. This experience prompts Hazel to reflect on the anguish experienced by parents who lose their children. Augustus expresses a wish for him and Hazel to become a vigilante duo, fighting
Nazis and villains worldwide. In the midst of the museum, Hazel kisses him. When they return to the hotel, Hazel's mother is still out exploring the city. Witnessing Augustus in intense pain while on the elevator, Hazel accompanies him to his room. There, they have sex for the first time.
The following morning, Hazel and Augustus recount their meeting with Peter Van Houten to Hazel's mom, presenting it as a humorous encounter with an old drunk fool. After this, Hazel's mother leaves, implying that the two of them need to have a serious conversation. Augustus sits down with a worried expression and reveals that just before Hazel went into the ICU during her previous hospitalization, he experienced hip pain. Concerned about a possible recurrence of his bone cancer, he underwent a PET scan, which showed that the cancer has now spread to his chest, hips, and liver. He is dangerously ill, even more so than Hazel. Augustus had initially started palliative chemotherapy but discontinued it in order to go on the Amsterdam trip with Hazel. This revelation explains the argument Hazel and her mother overheard when they arrived to pick him up for the airport.
Hazel realizes that she was mistaken in trying to prevent Augustus from falling in love with her. She now understands the futility of shielding others from the impending pain she carries within herself. She cannot unlove Augustus Waters, and she doesn't want to. Augustus bitterly reflects on the irony that, although he aspires to fight for a noble cause, his real battlewill be against cancer - the tumors that are a part of his own body, just as his brain and heart are. He acknowledges that they are "made of me as surely as my brain and my heart are made of me." Hazel tries to offer comfort and optimismto Augustus, but her attempts fall flat. Eventually, they resort to gallows humor and then find solace in making out with each other.
On the plane ride back home, Augustus ponders why Peter Van Houten seemed personally angry with them. That night, Hazel has a lengthy conversation with her father over dinner, which is a rare occurrence in the novel. He reveals that he and Hazel's mother were aware of
Augustus's cancer recurrence before the trip but respected his desire to inform Hazel himself. During their conversation, Hazel's dad expresses his view on An Imperial Affliction, finding it disingenuous and defeatist. As a biochemist, he believes that the universe has a bias towards consciousness and rewards intelligence because it appreciates being observed and acknowledged.
The following day, Hazel visits Augustus's house, where he is already undergoing intense and painful chemotherapy through a dedicated IV line. Isaac joins them, and they discuss Isaac's ex-girlfriend, Monica, who hasn't contacted him since he lost his eye. Outraged by her heartlessness, Augustus instructs Hazel to get the car for a mission. They go to a store to buy eggs and then drive to Monica's house. With assistance from his sighted friends, Isaac hurls the eggs at Monica's car. When Monica's mother appears, Augustus boldly tells her that her daughter deserves to have her car egged by a blind man. The mother retreats back inside, and they quickly leave the scene after running out of eggs.
Both families having dinner together. Hazel and Augustus share inside jokes about their Amsterdam dinner, and the parents all agree with Augustus's father's statement that their children are peculiar. A week later, Augustus is admitted to the emergency room due to chest pain. Hazel is not allowed to visit him in the hospital, so she looks through her photos and reflects on the feeling of having known him for a long time. After his release, Hazel drives Augustus to the sculpture garden where he previously took her for a picnic. As they observe the Funky Bones sculpture, Augustus compares himself to the skeleton, indicating his deterioratinghealth.
Hazel begins the chapter by describing a typical day with Augustus in his late stage of illness. He can no longer keep food down, so he relies on a feeding tube. Confined to a wheelchair, he is no longer the muscular and handsome boy from their Support Group meetings, but his half-smile and bright blue eyes still radiate life. Augustus feels nostalgic for various
things, including Hazel's old swing set. They spend their time playing video games in bed, and Hazel admires his determination to save people and make sacrifices, even within the game world. She briefly considers pretending to choke so that he can demonstrate a life-saving Heimlich maneuver, but she hesitates, knowing it may undermine his dignity if he is unable to perform it. When she returns home that night, they continue their routine the following day.
A month after their Amsterdam trip, Augustus's condition has worsened to such an extent that Hazel visits his house and finds him mumbling incoherently and having wet the bed. She feels embarrassed for him and hopes he won't remember her seeing him in that state, but he does. They engage in a conversation about obituaries, and Augustus expresses disappointment that he always believed his death would be noteworthy and that newspapers would carry notice of it because he had hoped to do something extraordinary with his life. Frustrated, Hazel lashes out, expressing her desire to be enough for him, but knowing deep down that it can never be. She acknowledges that he has her, his family, and the world, despite its imperfections. She apologizes for her outburst, but Augustus brushes it off, and they continue playing video games together.
Hazel receives a distressing call from Augustus at 2:30 in the morning. He informs her that he is stranded at a gas station and needs her help. His feeding tube is malfunctioning and appears infected, causing him to cry and plead with Hazel not to call 9-1-1. Leaving a note for her parents, Hazel rushes to the gas station and finds Augustus in his car, covered in vomit with his dislodged feeding tube. He had gone to the gas station in the middle of the night because he had lost his pack of cigarettes and wanted to do something on his own, despite his parents' promise to replace them. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, he expresses his disgustwith himself and his desire to die. Hazel calls for an ambulance. While in the ambulance, Augustus asks Hazel to recite a poem, and she chooses to recite "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams,
altering the poem by adding her own lines to continue it after its original ending.
Augustus returns home from the hospital a few days later, but his condition has worsened. He is mostly bedridden, heavily medicated, and his ambitions have been irreversibly taken away. His sisters have come back home with their families to be with him during this final stage of his life. They fuss over him, and everyone caters to his every need. Hazel senses that he finds this treatment degrading and exhausting. Amidst the commotion of his little nephews running around, one of his sisters tells Augustus that she hopes her children will grow up to be as thoughtful and intelligent as he is, causing Hazel to restrain herself from expressing her distaste audibly. Despite his condition, Hazel and Augustus share jokes about how his good looks are more significant than his thoughtfulness and intelligence. Augustus playfully refers to his beautiful face and attractive body. Augustus's father privately tells Hazel that he is grateful for her presence in Augustus's life because she still manages to bring out his sense of humor.
Hazel reflects on a common convention in cancer stories known as the "Last Good Day" concept. It refers to a moment in the cancer patient's life where the decline seems to momentarily halt, providing them with unexpected hours of respite. Augustus calls Hazel and requests her presence at the Literal Heart of Jesus, the basement where their Support Group meetings are held, at eight o'clock in the evening. He asks her to bring a eulogy with her. However, Hazel gets into an argument with her parents when her mother comments on her excessive time spent with Augustus, expressing concern that they never see her anymore. Frustrated, Hazel angrily tells them that soon they won't have to worry about her absence anymore and storms out of the house.
Later that evening, Hazel attends a "prefuneral" held for Augustus. Both Hazel and Isaac deliver eulogies. During her speech, Hazel expresses her gratitude for the time she had with Augustus, acknowledging that it may have been short, but it was meaningful to
her.
Eight days after the "prefuneral," Hazelreceives a phone call from Augustus's mother in the early hours of the morning. She learns that Augustus has passed away in the intensive care unit after being unconscious for several hours. Hazel contacts Isaac and stays with her parents until morning, but she can't bring herself to call the person she most wants to talk to - Augustus. She reflects on the pain scale used in hospitals and how she always refused to rate her pain as a 10, reserving it for this moment of intense grief. Hazel reads the condolence messages on Augustus's Facebook wall from people who barely knew him and imagines his reactions to them. Filled with impotent anger towards the universe, she leaves a message expressing her frustration at the universe's power to create and destroy. Eventually, Hazel seeks solace in her mother's arms, immobilized by her grief.
Augustus's funeral takes place at the Literal Heart of Jesus Church. Hazel engages in small talk with his family while mourners pay their respects. When she notices the unattended coffin, Hazel removes her oxygen tank and approaches it. She kisses Augustus's cheek and whispers their shared phrase, "always," to him. Hazel sneaks a pack of cigarettes into the coffin, symbolizing his freedom from his illness. During the sermon, which Hazel finds contrived and conventional, she expresses her disapproval with a sigh. To her surprise, Peter Van Houten, the author they traveled to Amsterdam to meet, whispers a disdainful comment about the sermon from behind her. Isaac delivers a more serious eulogy than the one he gave at the prefuneral. Then it is Hazel's turn to speak, and her eulogy is markedly different from her previous one. She quotes a comforting phrase from Gus's house and continues to deliver what she considers to be empty encouragements, observing that funerals are for the living.
After the service, Hazel reluctantly attends the burial. Peter Van Houten approaches her and asks for a ride home from the graveyard. She accepts a drink from his flask of whiskey. Van Houten reveals that he
corresponded with Augustus before his death and was asked to attend the funeral and finally reveal what happens to Anna's mother in his book. However, Hazel refuses to listen to the explanation she once sought, dismissing Van Houten as a pathetic alcoholic seeking attention, and kicks him out of the car. Back home, she confesses to her father thatshe is furious about Augustus's cancer but feels privileged to have loved him. Her father reassures her, expressing that he feels the same way about her.
Hazel visits Isaac at his house, and they spend time playing video games with a speech-based modification for blind people. However, their gaming session turns into a humorous exchange of absurd instructions to the computer. They discuss Augustus, and Isaac asks if Augustus ever gave Hazel "that thing he was writing." It turns out that Augustus was working on a sequel to An Imperial Affliction specifically for Hazel. Hearing this, Hazel immediately leaves to search for it at Augustus's house. As she starts her car, she is startled to find Peter Van Houten sitting in the back seat. Van Houten expresses his desire to apologize and mentions that Hazel reminds him of Anna. Hazel, furious, yells at him to leave. However, Van Houten breaks down in tears, and Hazel realizes that he has experienced the loss of a loved one. His daughter died of leukemia, similar to Anna, when she was eight years old, and he wrote the novel to give her a prolonged life. Hazel feels pity for him for the first time and advises him to get sober and write a new novel. Van Houten agrees but leaves the car while still drinking from his whiskey bottle.
Arriving at Augustus's house, Hazel discovers that his parents are not ready to go down to his basement room yet, but they allow her to search there. Despite her efforts, she can't find any files on his computer or notes on his desk. As a last attempt, she climbs into his bed to experience his scent but leaves without finding the manuscript he wrote for her.
A few days later, Augustus's father calls Hazel to inform her that a few
pages are missing from a Moleskine notebook that Augustus had with him at the hospital, but their whereabouts are unknown. Hazel decides to go to the Support Group early, thinking that Augustus might have hidden the pages somewhere at the prefuneral for her to find. However, she doesn't discover them anywhere in the Literal Heart of Jesus Church. Unusually honest with the group, she admits to Patrick, the leader, that she wants to die. When he questions why she doesn't do it, she realizes she doesn't have a good answer but thinks that sheowes it to those who didn't have the chance to live a full life.
At home, Hazel is depressed and withdraws from eating or engaging with her parents. When they insist that she must take care of herself, she loses control and exclaims that she can't stay healthy because she's dying and there's nothing she can do about it. She confesses that she constantly worries about her parents and how they will cope with her death. Hazel expresses her concern that they will have a stagnant life, sitting around without her to care for and feeling hopeless. In a surprising revelation, Hazel's mom discloses that she has been working towards her master's degree in social work to counsel families of cancer patients and those dealing with illness, keeping it a secret so that Hazel wouldn't feel abandoned. This news delights Hazel, as it means her mother will have a purpose beyond taking care of her. Her parents assure her that they won't divorce or let her death ruin their lives. Filled with genuine happiness, Hazel sheds tears envisioning a future for her parents after she is gone.
Kaitlyn calls Hazel to check in on her and asks what it's like to be in love. For the first time, Hazel feels more experienced and sophisticated than her friend. When Kaitlyn inquires about love letters from Augustus, Hazel gets an idea. After their call ends, she immediately emails Lidewij, asking if Augustus had mailed the missing notebook pages to Peter Van Houten. Lidewij assures her that she will go to Van Houten's house and check, bringing her boyfriend along to handle any potential confrontation. Hazel contemplates Lidewij's life and longs to experience the independence and romantic relationships that come with being in her twenties.
Hazel's mom informs her that it's Bastille Day, and they plan to
celebrate with a picnic. They visit a park where children play among artificial ruins, and Hazel wonders if some form of eternity truly exists. They also make a visit to Augustus's grave, where Hazel plants a French flag from her mother's Bastille Day decorations as a tribute.
Upon their return, Hazel receives a message from Lidewij stating that they have found Augustus's letter. The scanned pages from his notebook are attached to the email. Augustus had sent the pages to Van Houten, asking for his assistance in crafting a eulogy for Hazel by transforming his notes into acoherent whole. In the letter, Augustus expresses that the best and most genuine aspect of Hazel is her ability to walk lightly upon the earth, causing no harm to anyone or anything. He believes this is the true essence of heroism. Augustus acknowledges that his death will cause pain to Hazel and reflects on the fact that while one cannot choose whether to be hurt in this world, they can choose who hurts them. He hopes that Hazel appreciates the choices she has made. The novel concludes with Hazel affirming, "I do, Augustus."