It has been over a decade since Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters ruined us all. I still remember sitting in a coffee shop in 2012, finishing the last fifty pages of The Fault in Our Stars and trying to hide the fact that I was actively sobbing into a scone. John Green didn't just write a book; he basically created a whole aesthetic of intellectualized teenage grief.
People are still looking for that same hit. That specific mix of "I’m sixteen but I talk like a philosophy professor" and "my heart is literally breaking."
But honestly? Most "if you liked TFIOS" lists are kind of lazy. They just throw any book with a hospital bed at you. That’s not what we’re after. We want the wit. We want the "okay? okay." We want the feeling that life is huge and unfair and beautiful all at once.
The "Sick-Lit" Trap and Why These Books Actually Work
There’s a common misconception that The Fault in Our Stars is just a "cancer book." It’s not. If it were, it wouldn't still be a cultural touchstone in 2026. It works because it treats teenagers like people with brains, not just patients with symptoms.
When you're looking for books similar to The Fault in Our Stars, you're usually looking for one of three things: the terminal romance, the "Green-esque" witty dialogue, or the absolute emotional devastation of a "doomed" ending.
Let's break down the ones that actually deliver.
1. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
If you want the medical stakes to feel real, this is it. Stella and Will both have cystic fibrosis. The "six-foot rule" is a literal matter of life and death for them—if they get too close, they could cross-infect each other with bacteria that would end their chances for a lung transplant.
It’s high-stakes. It’s claustrophobic.
What makes it feel like John Green's work is the way the characters rebel against their limitations. They "steal" back one foot of space, using a five-foot pool cue to stay connected while technically staying apart. It’s that same "grand gesture in a small room" energy.
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2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
This one is heavy. Seriously.
Violet and Finch meet on the ledge of the school bell tower. It’s never quite clear who is saving whom. While The Fault in Our Stars deals with physical illness, Niven dives deep into the "unseen" illness of bipolar disorder and grief.
The dialogue is snappy. The "Wanderings" they go on across Indiana feel very much like Gus and Hazel’s trip to Amsterdam—a desperate attempt to find something meaningful before the clock runs out. But be warned: the ending is a total gut-punch.
3. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Maybe you’re tired of the "beautiful" side of tragedy. Maybe you want something that feels a bit more... awkward?
Greg Gaines is a high school filmmaker who is forced by his mom to hang out with Rachel, a girl who has just been diagnosed with leukemia. He’s not a hero. He’s kind of a jerk, actually. He’s terrified of intimacy and uses humor as a literal shield.
It’s the anti-romance version of a cancer story. It’s funny, incredibly profane, and it refuses to give you the "sentimental" death scene you might expect. It’s honest in a way that’s almost uncomfortable.
The John Green "Vibe" Without the Hospital Gowns
Sometimes it’s not the illness we’re looking for—it’s the voice. That specific, hyper-articulate way of speaking.
If that’s what you’re craving, you should probably just read everything else John Green has written. Looking for Alaska is the obvious choice. It’s got the "Great Perhaps," the mysterious girl, and the inevitable tragedy. It’s basically the blueprint for TFIOS.
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The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
This takes place over just 24 hours in New York City. Natasha is a girl of science and facts who is about to be deported. Daniel is a poet and a dreamer.
The connection here is the "star-crossed" element. Fate, the universe, and the "meant-to-be" versus "never-going-to-happen" tension. It’s intellectually dense, just like Green’s work, but with a faster pace.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
The title tells you exactly what happens. No spoilers needed.
In this world, people get a phone call on the day they’re going to die. Mateo and Rufus get the call and decide to spend their "End Day" together. It’s a literal ticking clock.
Silvera captures that specific teenage urgency: the realization that you have a whole lifetime of love to give but only twelve hours to give it. It’s the "Infinity" speech from TFIOS turned into an entire plot.
What We Get Wrong About These Stories
A lot of people think these books are "sad for the sake of being sad."
I don't think that's true.
The real appeal of books similar to The Fault in Our Stars is the validation. When you're young, everything feels like the end of the world. Your first love is a cosmic event. Your first loss is an existential crisis. These books just take those feelings and give them a stage big enough to hold them.
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They remind us that "a short life can also be a good life." Or, as Gus would say, that we don't need a "monumental" life to have a meaningful one.
Quick Comparison of the "Big Three"
| Book Title | Primary Theme | Heartbreak Level | Vibe Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five Feet Apart | Chronic Illness / Physical Touch | 8/10 | Intense, medical, romantic |
| All the Bright Places | Mental Health / Grief | 11/10 | Poetic, dark, devastating |
| Me and Earl... | Friendship / Honesty | 6/10 | Sarcastic, meta, awkward |
Why "A Walk to Remember" Isn't Quite the Same
People always recommend Nicholas Sparks. Look, Nicholas Sparks is great at what he does, but Jamie Sullivan isn't Hazel Grace.
The Sparks style is much more traditional. It’s sweet, it’s Southern, and it’s very sincere. John Green’s world is more cynical. It’s full of teenagers who read The Price of Dawn and obsess over the "void."
If you want the TFIOS feel, you need that bit of edge. You need the characters to acknowledge that their situation sucks and that the "silver lining" is often just a polite lie.
Actionable Next Steps for Your TBR Pile
If you’re staring at an empty bookshelf and a box of tissues, here is how I’d approach your next read:
- Start with "Looking for Alaska" if you haven't already. It is the spiritual ancestor of TFIOS and, arguably, John Green’s best work.
- Pick up "The Sun Is Also a Star" if you want the intellectual romance without the heavy medical trauma.
- Go for "All the Bright Places" only if you are in a headspace where you can handle a very deep dive into depression and loss.
- Try "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness if you want something that uses magical realism to explain the "messiness" of grief. It’s short, illustrated, and will absolutely wreck you.
Don't just read the popular ones. Check out Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts—it's an Australian novel about two teens in a cancer ward that feels much more grounded and less "Hollywood" than some of the others.
The goal isn't just to cry. It's to find a story that makes the world feel a little bit more understandable, even when it’s being cruel. Happy reading. Keep the tissues close.
Expert Insight: When reading "sick-lit" or terminal romance, pay attention to the metaphors. In TFIOS, it’s the unlit cigarette. In Five Feet Apart, it’s the five-foot pole. These small objects usually carry the entire emotional weight of the book’s philosophy. Find the object, find the heart.