Five Feet Apart - A Review

Five feet apart tells the unusual love story of teenagers Stella and Will, who both happen to suffer from Cystic Fibrosis. Stella needs to control everything possible, making lists of what she has to achieve everyday, all whilst her out of control lungs try to stop her. Will on the other hand just wants to get out of the hospital, he rarely sticks to his treatment regime or the rules of living with CF. Whilst both are stuck in the hospital their attraction makes keeping to the number one rule of CF almost impossible. CF sufferers need to stay at least six feet apart at all times or they risk passing potentially fatal infections between them and it could put any chance of receiving a lung transplant at risk. Whilst navigating their feelings Stella encourages Will to take more responsibility for looking after himself, evening getting him to take his medications whilst Will makes Stella realise that losing control sometimes can actually be good for you. For Stella and Will the six feet apart rule feels like punishment and they decide that taking back a little space, just one foot, would prevent their hearts from breaking just like their lungs. This book gives a real insight into living with CF. And whilst some people dispute the accuracy of how CF is depicted it gets across how lonely having CF can be when the only people who truly understand what your going through can’t come close to you. As well as the loneliness of having to spend long periods in hospital whilst life goes on without you. The ill-fated romance of the two characters pulls you in as does the friendship between Stella and Poe another CF patient who helps Stella give in to her connection with Will. The book is not too long which I think it benefits from and the story is well written and the characters come to life. But the best thing this book gives is the increase awareness of a disease that takes people far too young. If you enjoy a love story with a twist then this is a book you need to read.

Rating – 4 snapping turtles