Maybe the characters in The Fault in Our Stars don't have to face down space aliens or drug cartel leaders, but living through cancer takes a daily dose of major courage. These kids (and families) have to deal with hospitals, doctors, and impending death every single day. Yeah, they're tough as nails where it really counts.
Hazel, Augustus, and Isaac use humor as a form of courage.
Dying takes a certain kind of courage in itself, and Augustus manages to display this even if he doesn't have a Disney-fied response to everything.