Human touch is a necessity. It’s a form of love, comfort, and reassurance. “Five Feet Apart,” written by the authors Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis, is the most unusual of the forbidden love tropes- one where two teenagers could potentially endanger the other with only proximity. Touch is prohibited. How do they cope?
This tear-jerker of a book is a solid 10/10. I read the whole thing in one day; I don’t think I would have even put the book down if I didn’t have other responsibilities. I was so absorbed with the book that, for the rest of the day, I had to keep reminding myself that I did not have their condition too. And take a look at the cover art! Lisa Perrin and Lizzy Bromley need a raise.
Within the first chapter of the book, you are shoved in a hospital setting and introduced to our two main characters, Stella and Will. They both are diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease affecting the function of one’s lungs. It is heavily recommended that patients with cystic fibrosis stay at least six feet from each other in order to avoid giving the other person their bacteria that could potentially be very harmful.
For as long as she could remember, Stella has been fighting for a few more years of life, waiting for a lung transplant when new lungs arrive. She stands strict to her regimen, never forgetting to take her treatments and to maintain her distance with other patients.
Will has been all over the world, but never allowed to leave hospital walls. He had some hope, being on the transplant list – until he contracted B. Cepacia, dooming his chances at new lungs and a longer life. As a result, he gave up his treatments, wanting only to run away from the hospital’s white walls and live his life before he dies.
At first, Stella hated Will’s irresponsible recklessness with his own life, and Will couldn’t understand her uptight need for control. Further into the book, however, they discover each other’s reasons.
I love romantic books – and I fell in love with this modern, forbidden romance. Two teenagers who long for nothing but to live, fall in a romance where a single hug could be a death sentence. Seeing them adapt to their unfortunate situation was both agonizing and beautiful.
One of the themes of this novel is hope. What would you do if you knew you had little time left? Would you hang on as long as you can, depending on the discovery of a cure? Or would you stop trying and focus on other aspects of your life before you die? I love how both of the characters change their perspective on this throughout the book.
If you want a book to read in one evening, fawn over, and then cry at the very end, Five Feet Apart is a perfect choice!
