Five Feet Apart
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lipincott is a novel about a forbidden romance between two teenagers with terminal illnesses. Seventeen year old Stella Grant suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, and seventeen year old Will Newman has Cystic Fibrosis, along with Burkholderia Cepacia. Stella has only ever known the life of someone with a terminal illness, prioritizing her survival each day by formulating schedules and to-do lists. Will, however, finds joy in spontaneity, even though his risk of lung failure is much higher than the average cystic fibrosis patient. When Will and Stella fall in love, they must learn how to compromise staying alive with being in love. One romantic exchange between them, such as a kiss, or even a hug, can result in their deaths. The two must learn to navigate their romance at a safe distance of five feet apart.
Five Feet Apart is a #1 New York Times bestselling novel, and it is easy to see why. I really enjoyed the first person narratives the book presents from the perspectives of both Will and Stella. Readers are able to see both sides of their love story, which makes the book all the more charming, and heartbreaking. I liked how the book explores topics teenagers today would be able to relate to, such as fixing broken friendships, trying to start a relationship plus the awkwardness encountered, and relationships with family members, such as parents.
What I thought to be the predominant theme in Five Feet Apart, was rebellion. Will and Stella find themselves between constant battles with the desire to rebel against the guidelines and restrictions that keep them alive, while also wanting to avoid the risk of dying. Will and Stella are conflicted between living a life in which they make decisions for themselves and live meaningfully, versus continuing to abide by the placed restrictions ensued by their illnesses. Rebellion is an important theme in this book because it provides good examples for readers of when rebellion is justified, against rebellious recklessness, with added consequences manifested by dramatic and heartbreaking scenes in the book.
Five Feet Apart harbors the ability to make one feel single, laugh, and cry all within a single chapter. It is a wonderful novel that may be relatable to teenagers, and teaches readers important life lessons that make the heartbreaking moments within the book worthwhile. I would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in romance, comedy, or modern day nonfiction writing pertaining to teenagers.
-Zoya A.
I liked the way you explained how the although the characters are terminally ill which is a very sad thing, the book still incorporated the ordinary lives of teenagers, and how it makes the book more relatable. This book seems like it would be easy to get attached to. I have seen the movie but not yet read the book, and I will have to consider it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your book review and I liked the way you explained how they both have the disease but their different mindsets make them deal with their disease in different ways. I would like to read this book as it talks about cystic fibrosis, a disease which doesn't get talked about a lot.
ReplyDeleteIn the book Five Feet Apart I think that Cystic Fibrosis can represent anything holding you back from accomplishing a goal of yours, and this book shows two different mindsets: let it stop you and change your goal, or take a risk and do what you want to do. Teenagers often must resolve these two midsets, even if they don’t have Cystic Fibrosis. This book seems like it would exemplify circumstances where one mindset or choice is better than the other, or where one choice has both benefits and drawbacks. The setting of having a terminal disease means that your decisions really matter because the wrong choice could end your life, making the story more interesting and suspenseful.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated how you explained the plot of the book. The way you explained the differences and similarities between the two characters and how that makes them unique. Explaining the different point of views that the book was written with also gives me a better understanding of what it would be like to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog post. I remember when my sister read this not to long ago, so I can support your statement that it can indeed make someone cry. I like how you both summarized the book and explained the theme of rebellion in detail without spoiling the more important aspects of the book. Overall great work.
ReplyDeleteWow, your intro paragraph was amazing and hooked me instantly. The book looks to be really interesting and you made the book to look pretty emotional.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the movie version of this book, which I really liked, but the book sounds amazing. The way you described the way that you described them not being able to touch each other at all very powerful. Very good detail and description of the book without any spoiler. Overall, very good post!
ReplyDeleteThis novel seems very emotional and I think you did a great job emphasizing the themes in the novel. I also appreciate how you incorporate the relationships between the characters into your blog post. It really helped me to understand the plot better. I will have to read this book sometime.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting that a primary theme of this book was rebellion, which is such a stereotypical part of being a teenager. Even though the two characters are terminally ill and are in a hospital, they still deal with ordinary teenage problems, such as making friends, building a relationship, and talking to parents. Five Feet Apart sounds like an intriguing book and you provided a great analysis of it.
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