A short life of the author
John Green (b. 24 August 1977) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He studied English and comparative religion at Kenyon College. He worked as a chaplain at a children’s hospital before turning to writing.
Life and Career
Looking for Alaska (2005) — about a boy at an Alabama boarding school who falls for a charismatic, self-destructive girl — won the Printz Award. An Abundance of Katherines (2006), Paper Towns (2008), and The Fault in Our Stars (2012) followed.
The Fault in Our Stars — about Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old with terminal cancer, who falls in love with Augustus Waters at a cancer support group — was published to enormous critical and commercial success. The 2014 film adaptation starring Shailene Woodley grossed over $300 million worldwide.
Turtles All the Way Down (2017) — about a teenager with OCD — is his most personal novel. The Anthropocene Reviewed (2021) — a collection of non-fiction essays about the human world — became a bestseller.
Major Works and Themes
Green writes about love, death, meaning, and the intensity of adolescent feeling. His YA fiction is both commercially dominant and critically respected.
Key Works
- The Fault in Our Stars (2012)
- Looking for Alaska (2005) — Printz Award
Collecting Green
Looking for Alaska first edition (Dutton, 2005) brings $200–$500. The Fault in Our Stars first edition (Dutton, 2012) brings $50–$150. Green signs frequently at events.