Rachael Lippincott’s novel Five Feet Apart is perfect for lovers of forbidden romance.
“For the first time, I fill the weight of every single inch, every single millimeter of the six feet between us. I pull my sweatshirt closer to my body… trying to ignore the fact that that open space? It will always be there,” Lippincott writes.
The book follows Stella Grant, a cystic fibrosis patient who has checked into the hospital for bronchitis. While there, she meets another CF patient—Will Newman, who is in an experimental drug trial to treat his b. Cepacia infection. As much as she resists, she can’t help falling in love with him.
There is a catch: CFers can’t come within six feet of each other because they have bacteria in their lungs that is harmless to others, but could kill them if they infect each other. However, Stella wants to take something back from CF. She wants to get one step closer, so they are just five feet apart.
This is something that now everybody, not just CFers, have experienced. Everybody has to remain six feet away from other people so that the coronavirus doesn’t spread. Also, everyone wears masks to keep their coughs contained. Will and Stella’s struggle now applies to everybody because of the pandemic.
Not only does Five Feet Apart relate to today, it is incredibly attention-getting. Lippincott writes in a perfect mix of easy-to-understand and detail. She helps the reader visualize all of the events in the book, and gives a full picture of the characters.
However, the book does not give a full representation of cystic fibrosis. The disease is portrayed as just a lung disease, but in reality, it affects many other organ systems. Also, in some cases, CF is not as severe as it is in Will and Stella. It is a fictional book, but it should still be a more accurate representation of the complexities of CF.
Five Feet Apart is an extremely well-written book. The book is interesting and includes well-developed characters. It is also easy to comprehend, and is a light read that’s perfect for any time.
Overall, this book will keep the reader up all night waiting to see what happens next, and will be a repeat read time and time again.

5/5 stars