Book Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Title: Five Feet Apart

Author: Rachael Lippincott

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

First Publication: 2018

Language: English

Major Characters: Stella Grant, Will Newman, Meredith Newman, Jeff and Erin Grant, Poe Ramirez, Dr. Hamid, Nurse Julie, Nurse Barbara

Theme: Life and death, First Love, rebellion

Book Summary: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.

The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.

Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them?
Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

Book Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott was such an endearing, engaging and a sweet Teens & YA novel featuring two teenage main characters, Stella and Will who are both patients in the hospital with Cystic Fibrosis that fall in love.

Stella Grant has been in and out of hospitals her whole life. Born with Cystic Fibrosis, her best option for a better life is a lung transplant. To that end, Stella is strict about her treatment and diligent about keeping the six feet apart rule with other Cystic Fibrosis patients (as cross-contamination could be lethal).

“If I’m going to die, I’d like to actually live first.”

Will Newman also has Cystic Fibrosis but recently contracted B Cepacia, an infection that has taken him off the transplant list. He is tired of hospitals and meds. He is what Stella needs to stay away from and yet she finds that she can not. Something about Will makes Stella embrace life fully for the first time.

Similar to John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott is about two terminally ill teens that fall in love. Stella Grant is back in the hospital after a fever that would not go away and Will is in for a drug trial, hoping to eliminate the B Cepacia. Where Stella is control, Will is freedom. Stella has every minute of her day planned, she has lists. Will can not wait to turn eighteen to finally see the world beyond the hospital walls. Stella’s greatest wish is for new lungs up until she meets Will. He is dangerous to Stella as contact with him can get her off the transplant list. There must be six feet of separation at all times.

“Everyone in this world is breathing borrowed air.”

That, however, does not deter them and their feelings flourish. While there are predictable elements in Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, as a whole it is tender, emotional and heartfelt. Its easy to root for these characters. The romance may be sudden but given the circumstances, it makes sense and their interactions felt genuine. With heart and humour, Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott is a good read.

Rachael Lippincott delivers an intriguing, emotional, well-plotted and well-written read here with relatable and likeable characters that I couldn’t help but to fall in love with. The story is told in alternating perspectives between Stella and Will and I thoroughly enjoyed both narratives equally. They complimented each other so well and I really felt for them. Both of their situations and feelings towards each other rang true and I loved how I learned so much more about Cystic Fibrosis.

The Book Five Feet Apart is adapted into a movie with Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse as lead characters.