Yes ladies, gentlemen, and Rad Readers alike, this is it. This might have to be my last post because my heart was just shattered into a million pieces and I do not know how I can write posts let alone live with a fractured heart. However, I will be trying my best.
I have never read a book so beautiful (excluding the Harry Potter series... and some others... I may be acting a bit dramatic) book in all of my existence, which is saying a whole lot considering the fact that I have read all but one of John Green's works. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott is a C8's Rad Reads certified banger.
A little overview: Five Feet Apart is a contemporary love story about a girl and a boy both who are patients with Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that attacks someone's lungs and immune system in general. They have never been in control of their life because of the disease and the story centers around how they help one another regain control of their life. Before they meet Stella is very regimented, a rule follower to a fault, and a stickler. Will has always and is in this story been a rule breaker, refusing, or at least trying to refuse to let his disease take control of everything in his life. When they meet and get to know each other Stella realizes that she has been living for her treatments instead of living to experience life. Will helps her realize that, but the problem is that since they are both victims of the same disease, they are absolutely lethal to one another. They can never truly get close because if their bacteria infects one another's lungs then it is almost a guaranteed death or at least near death. Thus, the two of them must stay six feet apart at all times (not 5 despite the title...).
Short and sweet would be the perfect way to describe this book. Some of it was a bit far fetched and you kind of just need to ignore it for the sake of the sweetness of the story. For example, a large portion of the story focused on them helping each other out with their medication schedules and having control over their dosages etc.-- essentially being their own doctors. I don't know a ton about hospitals and I know nothing at all about this disease but I feel like a patient, especially if that patient were a child, wouldn't have that much say over such specific things that genuinely determine life and death. If they don't take these medications they are far more likely to die. That is the simple fact of the matter. The idea that this boy Will has gone the majority of his life ignoring his medical advise is extremely unlikely. However, I can't criticize it in the least because in order for the story to continue the beautiful way in which it did, it needed to have that kind of dynamic. Yes, you need to turn your brain off a bit for a few little details but it takes nothing away from the plot or story at all!
The portrayal of, frankly, terminal illness was not glorified in this novel which I was a little worried about when I went into it. From the research I have done patients of cystic fibrosis who have read this book found it is not only respectful of what they go through in real life, but also true to their own stories, their treatment, their experiences in and out of hospitals, and their struggles. Knowing that makes this book even more powerful.
What was so impactful to me was listening to the perspective of the two characters, because everything they said hinted a bit as to what their philosophy on life was about. Stella tried to have as much control as she could of her life by following her medical treatments, crossing all the t's and dotting all the i's as rigorously as she could. Will doesn't see things the same. He doesn't see the purpose of a repetitive, safe, locked-up-in-a-hospital, lifestyle. We learn that the both of them don't have many friends, both of their family situations are difficult. Stella's sister died and then her parents divorced, Will's dad left because he couldn't handle the pain of his son being so ill and his mom could only see him for his illness, not him as a person. It is truly heartbreaking to read about all the weight these characters have to deal with.
Now, you are probably thinking that I made a typo in my synopsis in saying that they must remain six feet apart even though the book is titled five feet apart. It is in fact not a typo at all. It is a sign of rebellion, an inside joke amongst Stella and Will. If you have not read the book, then STOP READING RIGHT NOW and find out the reason of the title yourself, because it is very much worth it and it will make you cry a lot so also bring tissues with you as you near the end-ish of this book. Read on! Prevail!
SPOILER TIME
Stella recognizes after her best friend Po dies, all of the things that CF has stolen from her, that she never got to get truly close to her best friend before he died. She realizes that she never even got to give him a hug. When she sees this, as she mourns the death of Po, she elects to steal something back from CF, to steal a foot back. So, when she and Will are together they will stay five feet apart, taking something back from CF.
There is much more at the end that also made me cry but I want you to read it so I'm not even going to spoil it for you! Just know that it hit me hard and will probably do the same to you.
Okay, so I think that just about covers it. This was a rather short book and mainly written for the ugly cry and "aww" value if you will. So with that, sorry for the short review as a result of the nature of the book. I wasn't looking at it from a critical or analytical standpoint, I was kind of just enjoying it. It isn't very fast paced but it is very beautiful, so I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone! Totally changes your perspective on life as well!
Enjoy crying to this novel my fellow readers,
- C8 ;)