Page 29 - CORNICE GRADE 9
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REVIEW
5-FEET-APART
Five feet apart is a romantic young adult fiction
written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and
Tobias Iaconis. This book was inspired and is
dedicated to Claire Wineland who suffered from a
disease called cystic fibrosis.
This is a book about two teenagers dealing This story is about love,
with a disease, cystic fibrosis, Stella Grant and Will friendship, and the cruelty of life
Newman, who spent most of their lives in hospitals. threatening disease such that of Will’s.
It is mandatory for them to keep a distance of at The author’s purpose is to also create
least 6 feet between each other for medical safety awareness about the inherited disease
purposes. As Stella waits for new lungs, she follows called cystic fibrosis that damages not only
all the medications prescribed to remain alive. In the lungs but also the digestive system and
the meantime, Will waits for the day when he turns other organs. In this book, death and life
18. Stella and Will have completely different are the primary themes. The lives of the
personalities and characteristics. Because Stella is characters are constantly in danger
always worried about Will, she makes him take throughout this book. Having cystic
medications together through video chat. As Stella fibrosis, Stella and Will are likely to die if
and Will meet to complete their treatments they become infected by the bacteria they
together over video chat, the bond between them both carry. Throughout the novel, Stella
becomes stronger. Over time, both Stella and Will views the deaths of a number of her friends
begin to love one another. Due to the disease they and family members, including her older
have, they cannot even touch the person they love, sister (Abby) and her good friend Poe, who
which makes it quite difficult for them to love each was also a cystic fibrosis patient. Will's
other. The two make a rule of staying five feet apart illness is so severe that even a lung
from each other. Meanwhile, Stella gets a new set transplant won't be enough to keep him
alive, and he believes he will die. With
of lungs for herself but sadly, Will’s medications limited time remaining, Will is focused on
and treatments don’t work for him.
The main characters Will and Stella each have living his life to the fullest instead of
focusing on his treatments. Whether he
different ways of dealing with their illnesses. Stella ends up dying or not, is something to find
is organized and ambitious so she does everything out. This book is a perfect combination of
just right so as to be able to enjoy her new set of
lungs but, since Will knows that he is going to die, love, friendship, struggles, and a lesson on
he tries to enjoy the time left. Will is a little reckless how to live life to the fullest. When reading
this book we can feel every emotion and
and counts his days until he turns 18 and can finally every feeling as if it’s our own. The
get out of the hospital and travel the world. authors have delivered a worthy,
The characters’ journey emotional, intriguing, and well-written
is filled with complications, story with lots of likable characters. With
excitement, happiness, sadness, anger, fear, the key theme about struggles in life, I
friendship, and a lot would recommend this book to readers
of other beautiful emotions. who enjoy suspense and teenage
romance.
-Sarwani Udas
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