John Green: arguably the saviour of young adult literature, shifting the focus from sparkling vampires to intelligent, nuanced teenagers. Green's characters aren't battling totalitarian states or councils of disgruntled bloodsuckers - they're dealing with real-word issues, navigating sophisticated relationships and complex emotions. Since 2005 Green has written four novels and co-written one with David Leviathan; he has also contributed to a short story collection titled Let It Snow. Green's popularity truly exploded with the release of his most recent novel The Fault In Our Stars, a tale of two cancer-stricken teens who meet at a cancer support group and subsequently fall in love. The novel topped the New York Times Best Seller list and was even made into an incredibly successful film. Like many great writers, one of the appeals of Green's novels is the "world" they're set in - a place of eloquent teens and humorous interactions, of sarcastic parents and philosophical musing. Certain similar themes and traits surface as one reads Green's books, creating a sense of familiarity and helping to establish a community of passionate fans. Indeed, as fans await the the next big-screen adaptation of one of Green's novels (in this instance, Paper Towns) many are rereading his novels in preparation and experiencing some familiar conundrums....
