I received with thanks an ARC copy of Five Feet Apart from Simon & Schuster UK Children’s and Netgalley.

This is my true and honest review of Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott. This was published on 10th January 2019.

This is the novelisation of the movie by the same name and this does read like a typical teenage romance movie. I read this book quickly and it was okay. I would have liked more and the insta-love was a little fast and felt rushed. All the characters are interesting, but once again I would have liked more. Also not a fan of the ending. But if you are looking for a quick contemporary read then give this ago.

ARC sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was unsurprisingly good. I would assume at first that this wouldn't be my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed this read. The characters were captivating and the narratives were really fun to read. The story follows Will and Stella, both patients in a hospital and suffering from CF. which means they are unable to see each other or be together due to the risk of CF complications. However, Stella and Will start to fall for each other, The only thing that kind of held me back was how insta-lovey Will and Stella's story was, but nonetheless it's an amazing read and it got me so excited for the movie.

An emotional roller coaster of a read, I knew going into this there wouldn’t be a HEA as for two teenage CF sufferers there isn’t a true HEA at this time. Characterisation is really good and you bond with the characters and there friendships, it is very emotional and tissues required. I really recommend this book but be prepared for sadness. There were a few issues with pace of the book, slow to develop but when I realised it was adapted from the screenplay it made more sense. It doesn’t quite flow as it should, but I’m sure the movie will be great.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I know it's early in the year but I think this book will definitely be contender for my book of the year!

Beautifully written.

Heartbreaking yet uplifting.

This is a story that will pull you in, give you all the feels and leave you with a sense of hope and a need to make the most of the life you've been given.

If I could give it more than five stars I absolutely would.

Get it on your TBR list now!

I usually don't read stories that are in essence love stories as they have never interested me, but that changes when the romance has original elements to it as it does here. Five Feet Apart, Rachael Lippincott's debut novel, is a young adult book with a difference. It uses the condition of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) as the major twist in the story and raises awareness of the issues real-life sufferers experience, where something as simple as a tender touch can become deadly. The wonderful merging of fact and fiction brings into view the dangers and fears of CF sufferers like never before and is, therefore, an incredibly emotional read from first page to last. Shining a light on little-known conditions, or more accurately, the sacrifices each patient much face whilst dealing with CF is illustrated perfectly here in a way both young and old will understand.

The only slight gripe I had was that at some points it felt as though the love between teen CF sufferers Stella and Will was all a little insta-lovey; if there was ever a time to make sure about the way you feel about someone it's when it could lead to your tragic demise. An eye-opening, thought-provoking book and one that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I hope this goes on to get some real attention as it certainly deserves to. I loved it! Oh, and the cover is one of the aptest, most poignant and stunning I've encountered in years. The movie industry's decision to adapt the book into a movie is underway.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Children's for an ARC.

My first YA book of the year and what a beautiful and thought provoking story to start with. I have really enjoyed Stella and Will's journey together and seeing their relationship blossom; just like the flowers in the lungs of Abby's drawing on Stella's hospital wall which the cover depicts so wonderfully!

I have learnt so much about Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and it really makes you realise just how lucky you are. Being a child growing up in and out of hospital must be so incredibly difficult. There is also a guideline that says that those with CF should always remain six feet apart from one another to avoid cross contamination, meaning there can be no physical touch, something we take for granted, especially when it comes to our loved ones. Centred in a hospital where the main characters have CF, this story really shows just how hard this can be.

We get to see just how brave, and also defiant Stella is when she decides that "...after all that CF has stolen from me - from us - I'm stealing something back." That something being taking an extra foot back - hence the title five feet apart. That extra foot, the same length as a snooker cue symbolises so much for Stella and Will and I just loved reading about their journey together and how this little extra something meant so much.

This book deals so sensitively with traumatic events and is a powerful reminder to make the most of every moment and the time we have! I hope everyone takes something special away from this incredible story.

Heartbreaking, tragic and truly wonderful. It was such an emotional read and I'm so glad to hear that there's a movie coming out for this book! The characters were wonderful and I love that cystic fibrosis is being discussed in a much more open manner.

This book was an emotional one. I laughed and cried a lot. Especially the last 30 pages i couldn't keep my tears. I can't wait to watch the movie adaptation. It's gonna be wonderfull.

4.5 STARS! I saw the trailer for the movie before reading this book, meaning that I was picturing Cole Sprouse as Will throughout the entire thing - which definitely helped make it such an addicting read!

This was such a heartwarming and devastating and eye-opening and addicting read all wrapped up into one. I couldn't put it down! Five Feet Apart follows perfectionist Stella and rebel Will, two teens diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), in the hospital at the same time. Both of them have a completely different approach to their condition and their treatment paths, as well as their general outlook on life. They also can't stand within 6 feet of each other because germs bouncing from one CFer to another can be deadly. Not a big deal, considering the two can't stand each other.

But, as the two teens get to know each other, their differences don't matter so much anymore. In fact, they could each learn something from the other. And as they really get to know each other, stepping inside that 6 feet boundary becomes tempting.

Seriously, I will ship Will & Stella forever. I've read other reviews for this book where people complain about the speed at which their relationship moves and some of the rash decisions that are made. But they're teenagers! And they're bored, stuck inside a hospital, separated from their friends and their lives and all the fun, crazy things teenagers should be doing. The fast-paced love and overly dramatic outbursts are part of what make the relationship so magical and so engaging.

I can't wait to watch the film!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC of Five Feet Apart.

The insta-love is strong in this one! Stella and Will have known each other for maybe ten minutes before she can't bear the thought of losing him and he's changing his entire way of life at her request. Thankfully, I have no idea what having CF does to a person, so maybe those are entirely reasonable reactions, but from out here, not so much. I felt like everything in the story was rushed and there wasn't much depth. It's not awful, I enjoyed it, but it could have been better.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This short YA novel follows the story of Stella and Will, two characters suffering from Cystic Fibrosis (or CF) who meet whilst undergoing treatment in hospital. The novel follows their burgeoning relationship and the struggles they both experience with their individual forms of CF.

It was interesting to read this novel and find out a little more about CF. I have known people who have lived with this disorder but wasn't fully aware of some of the ins and outs of the actual treatments. This novel treats these sympathetically if in a rather sanitised way.

This novel will feel real to a lot of young people with its references to modern technology and it was refreshing to have a YA female lead who was a coder developing an innovative new app. I felt this thread of the story was quickly abandoned once the romance element began however which was a shame.

The novel also explores issues of grief and loss and the conflict between choosing to live a free life or taking a gamble on continuing medical treatment.

My main issues were that the romance element of the story was rather underwhelming. I'm still not very sure why Stella and Will fell for one another as there didn't seem to be much chemistry between them. The plot was perhaps also a little too similar to other novels of this genre. I can't really discuss what my main issue with this novel was without spoiling it although it is discussed in numerous other reviews. It was disappointing to see a tired trope rear its head yet again so that the main character's story could move forward.
 
Overall it was an enjoyable enough novel somewhat spoiled by events towards the end. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I like how it links into the pictures Abby drew for Stella in the novel. The main and supporting characters were likeable and it was interesting to learn a little more about cystic fibrosis and its treatment. Here's hoping we see a cure for it in the future.

Full review posted at: https://kirstysbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/30/review-five-feet-apart-rachael-lippincott/

Stella Grant has spent the majority of her life in hospital due to Cystic Fibrosis. However, this time it’s different. This time, she meets Will Newman. As both characters get to know each other, the more they fall for each other and the more the safety of staying six feet apart feels like far too much.

I absolutely adored this book. For me there aren’t many faults I can pick out. The pacing was perfect, the characters lovable and it was uplifting seeing how positive the characters were despite their future being completely undetermined. One of the main things that bothered me was the character Abby. Not the character herself, but the way her story was handled. Abby was mentioned a few times at the beginning and then it may have just been me but after that I completely forgot about her. Around maybe halfway through the book, Abby appears again and the twist with her didn’t affect me as much as it probably should’ve which made me sad because I really didn’t see it coming at all! I just wasn’t completely invested in her to be shocked.

Going into my favourite characters, I absolutely adored Poe and I’m honestly so sad he wasn’t a bigger part of the story. He was funny and with the fact he was Stella’s best friend and they had been attending the same hospital constantly for years I just felt he deserved so much more time in the story. I also loved Will. Despite him being your generic YA love interest, he was just such a great character. I loved watching him slowly become more positive about his condition thanks to Stella. He went into hospital not really giving a hoohaa, avoiding his meds and just being a complete asshole about the whole situation but upon learning about Stella and the reason she continues to fight so hard he did his best to make that effort. He took his meds, he followed all routines and at one point even tried to avoid Stella in the hopes it would save her and give her a longer life.

The relationships between all the characters is just so lovely to see. The nurses in the hospital have known Stella for years and it definitely shows in the way they care for her but also in the way they joke and laugh with her. Stella herself is a great character. She’s in no way selfish and always worries about everyone else before herself. After the other book I’ve just finished reading, this was so well needed and extremely refreshing. I need more Stella in my life.

‘Five Feet Apart’ is such a beautiful, heart-warming story about friendship, love and pushing boundaries. If you’re a fan of John Green’s “The Fault In Our Stars” and Nicola Yoon’s “Everything, Everything” then I really do highly recommend this book to you. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an eBook copy for review.

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a book. Get the tissues out ready.
It is a story based round Stella and Will who are both Cystic Fibrosis suffers. As with all CF suffers they are unable to see each other or be together due to risk of CF complications. However Stella and Will are starting to fall for each other,
There is so much more to this story. A must read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my eARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

This is an interesting story and what I like most about it is the potential to encourage a better understanding of Cystic Fibrosis, and living with Cystic Fibrosis. What I didn’t like so much was the predictability, and the relatively short content - not a great deal happens, although enough happens to hit home that we are just not there yet with CF research.

I could see right from the beginning of this book how well it adapts to screen - the characters are well created, likeable and have their own story arcs which is great. Stella is a really great protagonist with CF who uses control of her medication and a to-do list to help keep her worries at bay. Will, with a different strain of CF, is much more aloof - rarely engaging with his clinical trial and meds. But somehow the opposites completely attract, putting both of their lives at risk.

This is ostensibly a romance, but the message at heart runs much deeper. Stella and Will may be romantic leads, but true friendships, family, the impact of CF and a push for better research are also at play.

A unique (at least for me) book with a great cast of characters. I can’t wait to see the movie.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher & author for sending me an ARC! Thank you!

Story: I really enjoyed reading about Stella, who is is constantly challenged by Cystic Fibrosis, which basically makes her feel as if
she's drowning in the mucus that her body is unable to cough up itself. She knows her time here is limited but seems to live
her life mostly for her parents and almost seems to forget about her own wishes. Of course there are plausible reasons for that,
I could most definitely see where she was coming from.

Then, out of nowhere of course, there is this guy who thinks "YOLO"... (pun intended, I know it's a bad one...) Will, despite
having to live with the same condition plus an extra infection which made sure he won't be able to undergo a lung transplant,
seems to have lost any will to live any longer than even the basic medication can support him with. This mostly seems to be
caused by the feeling that he is being used as an experimental guinea pig and his mom spending an awful lot amount of money ,
but no time actually with him personally.

As she reconsiders her "options" and takes a risk. (An enormous one, mind you, in her situation. Would not recommend.) He learns to
be a bit more relaxed and thinking before jumping into situation you might not come out of alive...


Characters: When living with a chronic illness from a young age people seem to be more mature than sometimes is good for them.
In other ways the teenage stubbornness can be quite tough, which is very realistic for all I recognise, and therefore did not
annoy me in any way.

Writing style: I think the author did very good simplifying very, extremely complicated situations. I liked how I flew through
the book.

Reread? Yes I will, also very interested in seeing the movie.

When I started reading this book, I believed the rights had been purchased in order for it to me made into a film. It is only on finishing the book I’ve realised that it was actually written as a screenplay and then adapted into a book by Rachael Lippincott.

I point this out as, now that I know this, I have a better understanding of why this book is so problematic.

When I first became aware of the book I was itching to get my hands on it. I am not afraid to say I am a huge fan of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I was pleased to see CF (Cystic Fibrosis) getting some coverage. Books like this go a long way to raising awareness of CF.

Sadly this book just didn’t do it for me. Initially, I was just frustrated with the prose, but this quickly progressed to the plot. I just couldn’t give myself over to it – there were too many things that were unbelievable and unrealistic. I couldn’t believe that two 17-year-olds could be thrown together in a chance encounter and fall helplessly in love to the point they were willing to risk their lives. The book tries to sell the idea that it was love – true love, love at first sight (and all those other overdone tropes) – but unfortunately, I wasn’t buying what they were selling.

In terms of character development, that was an opportunity missed. Most of the characters have a complicated background and their own motivations behind their behaviour, but there were just too many of them to get any depth. I would’ve liked to have seen some of them scaled back and others developed further so I could get more emotionally invested in the story.

When this was swiftly followed by a dodgy ending clearly intended to leave it open for a sequel I was grossly disappointed. I don’t want to spoil the ending but again, it’s not to be believed.

I am curious to know how close this book is to the screenplay. I hate writing negative reviews, and find it especially troublesome and problematic in a case like this where the novel has been adapted from the screenplay. It it because they wanted to stay true to the screenplay, or because they had to? Is it just down to taking on something quite complex as a debut novel? I’m not sure what the answer is.

If Lippincott wrote another book I think I’d read it, but Five Feet Apart isn’t the advocate for CF I thought it’d be.

The story of Stella and Will. Both with CF, they need to keep apart at all times - but then they start to fall for each other. An emotional read

Sadly, I am really disappointed by this book - and the worst thing is that I know I would have loved it back when I first started reading YA books. However, as time has passed, I've become a more critical reader and that leaves me with no choice but to say that this novel is very problematic.
Five Feet Apart follows Stella and Will - Stella lives with CF, with her lung capacity at 35%, waiting for a lung transplant. She's incredibly meticulous about her treatments, and has developed an app for people with chronic illnesses so they don't forget to take their medication. Will (also living with a chronic illness) is a rebel, refusing treatment and dying (hah) to be eighteen so he can finally do his own thing - i.e. get out of the hospital and live a short life on his own terms. Sounds like the perfect premise for an epic love story, right?
No. I knew that this was insta-lovey, and I could have dealt with that if these two at least had some personality - spoiler alert, they don't. Will likes to draw and Stella makes Youtube videos. That's it. They felt so one-dimensional and static, and I wished for some sort of character development, but the only one we get is that they both want to be a better person because they fall madly in love with each other (so madly that they actually risk dying by being too close).
Stella is basically a Type A, goody two shoes who sacrifices her own feelings for the good of her parents being happy - or happyish, at least. Will is the rebel that's actually just a rude, ignorant and ungrateful guy which, yes, I would've dug back when every other YA novel had those bad boys - you know, before guys actually got some depth and character development beyond blue eyes, black hair and a killer jawline in YA.
Obviously I cannot speak for the chronic illness representation, but it was very - let's say conveniently placed. They cough at random moments to remind the reader that they're actually sick, but then evidently stop so they can flirt with each other. I learned a bit about CF, but it's still a mystery to me after reading this book.
Further, let me just say that I am completely sick of LGBTQ+ characters being included in YA novels only to serve a purpose (that purpose does not end well for young Poe) and to make the protagonists have an epiphany of what they need to fix in their own lives. At this point in time, this just isn't acceptable anymore. If you only put LGBTQ+ individuals in your book so you can claim the rep, then just don't.
The writing wasn't really my style. I could tell that this was a screenplay first (and I bet it will work great as an adaptation) and it felt immature and all over the place at times. Also corny. So corny. And melodramatic.
Anyways, despite all my ranting, I still believe that the movie will turn out to be a great hit - it encapsulates everything that made YA appealing to me in the beginning stages - an unlikely romance, forbidden love, and a storyline that tugs on your heartstrings (if you ignore all the inconsistencies and just, you know, not cringe at the fact that they're madly in love after speaking to each other twice and that they also have the subtlety of a bomb.)

Stella has cystic fibrosis and whilst in hospital for yet more treatment she meets Will. Will also has cystic fibrosis with the added complication of
B. cepacia which means they can not touch or even be within 6 feet of each other.
“Lighten up, Stella,” I say, sauntering to the door. “It’s just life. It’ll be over before we know it.”

finished this in just a few hours - the characters are all lovable and the story explained in a way which had me gripped from the start. I’m not going to lie I had a lump in my chest a couple of times and I’m not a “cryer”
Some aspects were a little cringy but I honestly didn’t care!
Loved it 💕

Stella and Will are two Cystic Fibrosis patients and are forbidden from doing a lot of things. For example, according to the rules,they have to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet between them .However,Stella refuses to let her disease take control over every aspect of her life so she takes back a feet: meaning she keeps a distance of five feet from Will even though they both want no distance between them.

It's a tale of forbidden love and not letting your disease control you, especially a deadly disease such as CF.

I enjoyed reading it and look forward to seeing the movie.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!