Five Feet Apart, by Rachael Lippincott, is a realistic fiction young adult romance novel about a two
teenagers with life threatening illnesses.
Stella Grant is the type of person who needs to be in control. However, she was diagnosed with
cystic fibrosis and her traitorous lungs keep her in hospitals constantly. Stella's objective, as of now,
is to stay away from things that may increase the risk of an infection and, as a result, ruin her
chances of a lung transplant. Therefore, she follows the "six feet apart" rule to prevent further risks
to her health. On the other hand, Will Newman, wants to get out the hospital. He can't wait until he
turns eighteen and he can finally leave his "prison" and see the rest of the world. Will and Stella
should stay away from each other but, once they meet, the regulated distance of six feet doesn't
seem like something Stella wants to abide by anymore.
Five Feet Apart is a charming book about teenage romance in a place where it's least expected. It
and will appeal to readers who enjoyed books such as The Fault in Our Starts. However, the writing
of Five Feet Apart is unsatisfactory and the main characters seem to be nothing more than their
diagnoses and filled with adoration for each other. The book is not as unique as it should be; the plot
is very similar to others of the same genre. On the other hand, I did appreciate that the book was not
a difficult read and was fairly easy to get through.