Sick Kids in Love

by Hannah Moskowitz

Isabel has one no dating.
It’s easier—
It’s safer—
It’s better—
—for the other person.
She’s got issues. She’s got secrets. She’s got rheumatoid arthritis.
But then she meets another sick kid.
He’s got a chronic illness Isabel’s never heard of, something she can’t even pronounce. He understands what it means to be sick. He understands her more than her healthy friends. He understands her more than her own father who’s a doctor.
He’s gorgeous, fun, and foul-mouthed. And totally into her.
Isabel has one no dating.
It’s complicated—
It’s dangerous—
It’s never felt better—
—to consider breaking that rule for him.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Disability, Fiction, Audiobook, Realistic Fiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2019

About the author

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and in 2013, GONE, GONE, GONE received a Stonewall Honor. 2015's NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED was named the YA Bisexual Book of the Year. SICK KIDS IN LOVE was a Sydney Taylor Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and one of both Kirkus and Tablet Magazine's Best Books of the year. She lives in Maryland with several cats, none of whom are violent.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to rename this book and call it: “Amazing kids in love”!

I’m so pissed off because my early request was rejected by NetGalley and I had to wait for the actual release date and after book’s releasing, I had already too much books on my plate to consume.

So I wasted a lot of time to get my hands on this one and as soon as I started, I mesmerized and loved the story so much. I wished I could read it before.

It’s not heart wrecking, extreme emotional story which made me like it more. The book contains so many heavy stuffs like chronic illnesses, betrayal, abandonment, neglect, dysfunctional families. You feel so sorry for these lovely characters never treated with kid gloves, learning to deal so much pain at early stages of their lives.

SASHA, sweet, patient, smart, sarcastic, caring boyfriend and ISABEL; also smart, friendly, lonely, sad, insecure about her own feelings, always needs to hear people’s thoughts before giving a decision. They’re both sick, suffering, spending most of their youth time at the hospitals, having limited capacity to achieve something needs too much physical performance ( Isabel has rheumatoid arthritis, even standing at the subway car or flipping book pages could be hurtful for her joints and Sasha has Gaucher disease . His bones can break easily, taking his oxygen tube with him, suffering from bleeding nose.)

Isabel always questions everything with her life because when she was sick, she hasn’t been diagnosed and she had gaslighted by her own doctors who told her she was okay. Then her mother left her with her father who had a crazy work schedule (yes, ironically, her father is a doctor, too.) forced him spending so much time out of the house. Isabel lives alone most of the time, trying to adapt with her healthy friends’ lives. She has a rule not to date because she doesn’t know how to trust people or how to trust her own self because she never had good role models to guide her to make better life choices.

And then she meets Sasha… Isabel doesn’t like to take risks, calculating her every move, being afraid of making mistakes. But she likes this boy a lot. Sasha has entertainingly weird and messy crowded family. Isabel finds herself become a member of this family, too. Sasha seems taking her insecurities seriously and with his patience, he finally achieves to deal with her stubbornness so they start to date.

They made mistakes… shitty ones… did wrong things… said wrong things… but they learned from them and they improved…because they achieved to talk with each other openly and honestly. It’s inevitable, they fell in love and I have to admit THEY ARE FREAKINGLY ONE OF THE CUTEST LITERARY COUPLES I’ve lately read.
Other thing I loved the most about this book, the column questions and Sasha’s witty, smartass, entertaining answers which made me laugh so hard.

From supporting characters I loved Ashley (of course I’m joking, I hate the guts of controlling, self –obsessed, cruel bitch and I’m so sure she didn’t deserve friendship of Isabel).Maura was okay, at least as a friend she tried to understand Isabel’s condition and empathizes with her. I think Sasha’s dead Dmitri and sister Nadia are my favorite supporting characters.

I loved this meaningful, realistic, effective writing style and well-rounded characters and of course those amazing kids’ story would always stay in my heart.

I already started to check more Moskowitz’s books and added “Gone Gone Gone” to my tbr mountain. (I started to sell tickets for skiing and it gets more humongous at each second.) I’m so sure I’m gonna love it, too. But this book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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[jasmine •｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⤷Absolutely adored this one 😭 I loved the illness rep, but it still showed that anyone can still thrive and fall in love ❤️‍🩹 Really opened my minds as a healthy person but also related to all of my common anxiety as a teenager :') I loved their kind of meet cute at the hospital, and they just take care of each other so well. I see so much of Isabel in me, like her overthinking nature, but I came to really enjoy her POV 🫶🏼 Sasha is so gentle, genuinely funny, and carefree that I ADORE HIM 🥲 So many thoughtful actions and words of affirmation!! He's so good at breaking down how Isabel feels, and just tender with every situation... I could not stop laughing and smiling at all of their awkward but adorable interactions!! I love that they are so unapologetically themselves both in personality and expressing viewpoints, but also genuinely comfortable and supportive of each other (all while just simply being silly goofy 😌). They still have flaws and arguments, but the way they get resolved is so realistic and empathetic with each other every time. The only minor complaint is that her friends are kinda obnoxious as a teaching point... But this is probably my favorite YA contemporary romance tho!! <3

[And honestly, all these people in Times Square... are they aware of what they're in the presence of right now? This boy who's terrified of ordering food, who's getting a pretzel so I can sit down? Who's so self-conscious that he doesn't know what else to do besides brush everything off but who's trying something different for me?
Bow down, New York City. Look at my person.]

[Hannah]

I wrote this, and I'm so incredibly excited for people to read it.

NOBODY DIES.

The playlist is long and not especially diverse:

If I Was Sick--Guy Forsyth
It's a Pleasure to Meet You--Motion City Soundtrack
Her Morning Elegance--Oren Lavie
Dancing Through Life--Wicked Cast Recording
Sister Winter--Sufjan Stevens
Falling Slowly--Once Soundtrack
Falling for the First Time--Barenaked Ladies
Strange--The Feeling
Delicate--Taylor Swift
Same Old Stuff--The Feeling
Best Worst Mistake--If/Then Cast Recording
One Night Town--Ingrid Michaelson and Mat Kearney
If I Fell--Across the Universe soundtrack
Just The Way You Are--Billy Joel
King of My Heart--Taylor Swift
New Year's Day--Taylor Swift
Dogs--Damien Rice
The Book of Love--The Magnetic Fields
Could I Be You--Matchbox 20
Out of the Woods--Taylor Swift
New Romantics--Taylor Swift
Talking in Code--Margot and the Nuclear So and So's
The Worst Part--Motion City Soundtrack
Hold Me Down--Motion City Soundtrack
Give up/Give in--Motion City Soundtrack
Breakway--Kelly Clarkson
You Were Right--Badly Drawn Boy
The Way I Am--Ingrid Michaelson
Love Story--Taylor Swift
Get Happy--Bowling for Soup
You Are in Love--Taylor Swift
Wires--Athlete
Tic--Loch Lomond
Chasing Cars--Snow Patrol
Here is a Heart--Jenny Owen Youngs
In My Life--The Beatles
Calendar Girl--Stars
Call it What You Want--Taylor Swift

[Larry H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly amazing and so not the tearjerker I was expecting!!

"I guess when I met him I felt some kind of camaraderie. Here was someone who was just going to deal with the everyday slog of being sick for the rest of his normal-length life until he died of something completely unrelated, just like me. That’s a weird and special and boring kind of existence that you don’t get to share with a lot of people."

Isabel and Sasha meet cute in the infusion room of a hospital. She’s being treated for her rheumatoid arthritis, he has a genetic illness few have heard of, Gaucher disease. She’s immediately attracted to his carefree, easy manner, but she’s definitely not interested in dating. Sasha thinks she’s adorable. They figure they’ll see each other again in a few months when their treatments overlap.

But they encounter each other much quicker, because he breaks his arm and is back in the hospital when she’s volunteering. (Her father helps run the hospital, so she's there a lot.) For Isabel, whose intensity is driven by fear and anger and insecurity, who can never make a decision without crowdsourcing and overthinking, Sasha is an oasis of humor, calm (even when he’s struggling), and of course, handsomeness. She has sworn off dating (not for any particular reason, but she said she wasn't going to do it), but when all signs point to a relationship with Sasha, she isn't sure what to do.

Their friendship intensifies, as for the first time both understand exactly how the other feels about doctors who don’t listen, impatient nurses, people who don’t take your illness seriously or expect you to do more than you can. Sasha falls in love with Isabel but she’s afraid to let down her guard.

I may be morbid, but one of my favorite books of the decade is The Fault in Our Stars, so I jumped into this book ready to have my heart torn to pieces. And it was, but not for the reasons I expected. These kids are ALIVE despite their illnesses and have differing ways of dealing with that and those around them. Their love story is both unique and familiar, and just so beautiful (although they are, at times, more sophisticated than your average teenager).

I read this Sick Kids in Love in a matter of just a few hours. After I finished I discovered that Hannah Moskowitz wrote a book called Gone Gone Gone about seven years ago, and I also loved that. So she’s definitely a writer you need to read, even if reading about ill teenagers isn't your thing.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

SERIOUS TOPIC BUT SURPRISINGLY - AND DELIGHTFULLY - LIGHT 😄

Based solely on the title of this book, I was expecting something along the lines of The Fault in Our Stars. So when I set out to read it, I was actually expecting to be disappointed. I never like books that feel too much like I have read it before. However, I quickly realised that this was definitely not like TFiOS! I loved TFiOS as well, but this has the opposite feeling to it, it is light, humorous and optimistic. An easy 4 stars!

"That was beautifully distasteful."
- Sasha

👍 THE THINGS I LIKED 👍

Surprise!: The title let me to believe that I would be shedding some serious tears at the end of this book, possibly also throughout. However, the feeling of this book was quite the opposite, which was very refreshing.

Humor: I loved how often this book made me laugh. Like, actually laugh. Out loud!

"[...] I'm really just not interested in being friends with a dead baby."
- Isabel

Sasha and Isabel: These two were wonderfully adorable! They had the greatest chemistry because even though they had the shared experience of their illnesses, they were so different in the way they each handled it.

Chronic illness: To my knowledge, very few YA books deal with the pain of having a chronic illness. I loved how it was portrayed in this book, especially to see the different ways in which Sasha and Isabel dealt with it. It was a great representation and an eyeopener.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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[preoccupiedbybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest, real and adorable story of two teenagers with chronic illnesses falling in love.

Oh and they don't die in this one....(Not a spoiler)

This book was so adorable! Even though it dealt with heavy topics like chronic illness, dysfunctional families, betrayal and ablest friends, it wasn't depressing! It was actually really cute and uplifting, and I loved it!

The characters were so well written and developed. They felt real, had flaws and will be so relatable to young people suffering from chronic illnesses. Isabel, a Jewish teenager with Rheumatoid Arthritis (joint pain, swelling, stiffness, fatigue) was such a great character! Smart, and realistic, I really felt for what she had been through, in terms of her family, and from having such an invisible illness. Doctors, friends and family didn't believe her illness was real because she looked 'normal' and blood tests were clear, but she was living with very real pain. Isabel couldn't do the things, other teenagers do, she was living with an illness, and it affected her quality of life. Things like walking from the station to school, sitting for long periods, going skiing, or to a dance, even the clothes she wore.
Sasha...what an incredible character! Also Jewish, Sasha suffered from a genetic illness called Gaucher disease (symptoms include anemia, fatigue, enlarged spleen and liver, bone pain and fractures and easy bruising and bleeding) which I had never heard of before. He was so funny, with a dark, sarcastic sense of humour which I loved. He was goofy, honest, open and calm. I adored his optimistic outlook on life! He had such a positive attitude!
Together they had great chemistry and some excellent banter! What starts out as a friendship, developed into a lovely relationship, because they got each other. They both knew what it was like to cancel plans, to have to rest, and they could relax and be themselves together!
"You know what will be fun?"
"What?"
"When we can stop pretending that we're interesting people who go out and do things and instead we can hang out and just do nothing."
It's incredible to hear those words out of someone's mouth besides mine. Not that I've ever said them, actually. Who would I say them to?
"That sounds amazing," I say.”
Ibby and Sasha balanced each other out, and were so perfect for each other!

I don't have a chronic illness, but I feel that this was a realistic portrayal by an own voices author. It will be inspirational to people suffering from long term illnesses, and is really eye opening for people like myself who have no idea of the immense pain these people live with day in, day out. I can imagine friends and family saying things that Isabel's able bodied friends said! They tried to include her in everything, but still said hurtful things. I loved one conversation,
“I think it was like..." She paints a stripe of nail polish. "We didn't want you to feel like you were less capable."
"And I appreciate that, but I don't actually need to feel more capable. I need to feel like it's okay to not be more capable.”

I loved the narrator, Amy Melissa Bentley. Her NY accent for Ibby and Sasha's vices was the cutest! Also I really enjoyed the setting in NYC! ❤️

This was just the sweetest, loveliest book, with loveable characters, who I just want to hug, and it made me smile. A lot.

I definitely need to check out Hannah Moskowitz's other books! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

[EmBibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Let’s talk about coincidence! I had an assignment where I had to write about specific three different diseases. I knew two them, and one I’ve never heard of. However, being typically me, I decided to do it later and picked this book instead. And guess what? The boy in this book has the same disease I’ve never heard of and was supposed to write my paper about. I mean what are the odds?!!!
Moral of the story; you can’t run away from your responsibilities, they will eventually catch up with you somehow.

This is a book about two chronically ill characters who fell in love. And guess what? They don’t die in the end. This might be a serious relatable book, but it was so lighthearted and uplifting at the same time. It was so adorable. And I just loved reading it. I loved the characters so much. I loved that the story takes place in New York, it was so atmospheric. I loved all those questions at the beginning of each chapter for Isabel’s column. They were so enjoyable to read.

This is one of the cutest YA books I’ve ever read. It’s so adorable and fluffy. Just what I needed. I listened to the audio and I loved the narrator. She was so good. I finished it in one day. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a YA book that much. It was just so adorable, cute, and warm.

Song recommendation:
Chasing car by snow patrol
I’ve got you under my skin by Frank Sinatra
Lover by Taylor Swift
Delicate by Taylor Swift

[literarylesbian · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Sick Kid, I am in love with this book. God, that’s downright awful... now i have to keep it out of principle.

[Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen)]

MAIN CHARACTER WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS ! ! ! ! !

I need this plz

[Gamar ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know but once you get the idea of it , it all kind of starts to come together . Its not a list of rules to memorise , its just a mindset

I put off writing this review for a while because I had so much to say and no idea how to write it , hoping that one day the words would come to me . Just so you know , they didn't really but leaving this pending and gatekeeping the book did not sit well with me . Simply put , its absolutely refreshing and wrecking at the same time.

"Yes , you either have to be overcoming it or completely disconnected from it . God forbid it be an important part of your identity that you're just living with . Why is that ?"

"Its because they cant imagine it"

What I loved most about this book was most definitely the representation . We got to take a sneak peak into the lives of not one but TWO comfortably chronically ill main characters . It was really an eye and mind opening experience that i could take little lessons from as they shared their thoughts and feelings in an understandable and unapologetic manner . I could certainly appreciate the bluntness of their words since it came out sounding firm . It was really important for me to see and read this not only because we should all be aware and understanding but also because i have a chronically ill younger sister . I want to be there for her as she grows up with it , i want her to be able to relate and see herself in a book , to be understood and comfortable with herself . maybe this book will be one of those and hopefully this helps me be one of those people . I have Reading on wheels to thank for the rec ( Thank you so much , truly <3) . so be sure to check out her #ownvoices review i think she says it a lot better than i did .

Not only did we get disability/illness rep but it also incorporated jewish characters and faith , it made me realize i hadn't seen that a lot and encouraged me to search for more books with that inclusion .It was still relatable in the way that most minority groups are , I think we can all agree that fox news' depictions are BAD NEWS .

"Hang out with me instead . I'll be out of here . We can go somewhere . Well get hot chocolate !"
I roll the die in my hand , I think its my turn . " I don't date"
"Good" he says. "You don't wanna be the kind of person who blows your friends off for a date".
Im smiling , i cant help it ."Okay its not a date"

Ibby- She could be quite relatable with the way she over thinks , she had her flaws she wasn't always nice- bitchy/brattiness could pop up( blew things out of proportion or just itching for a fight) , it annoyed me sometimes but she was still a good character nonetheless and did make sense. Her creativity and the problems she struggled with including her sense of self made the story even deeper and more realistic . She was just REAL is all i can say . Unfiltered and imperfect and conflicted and that just hit DEEP .

"Im not being mean , you're the one who's trying to argue me into missing work , like your going to find some loophole and all of a sudden I agree with you that , you're right , i don't actually have to keep up my commitments , Im so stupid , if only i had a boy here the whole time to show me how i was actually ... what , hurting the medical process by being around to pick up the slack?"

"Yeah my dad doesn't actually come every time i get enzyme replacement"
"Thats too bad"
"I understand if that a deal breaker in our friendship , if thats something u look for in a guy"
"Shut up" , I say

Sasha- THE CUTEST .He's basically the comedian so of course we love him. Dorky and easygoing with his snarky comments from the very beginning . He was quite relatable too but boy did he surprised me with his hidden depths , u get em !

"This is how you learn things , yknow? by gathering opinions . I don't know how you learn anything"
"Books" , he says

Just giving u another reason to love Deckler :)HELL YA , BOOKS!

Their relationship- These two FOUGHT ok? it wasn't just smooth sailing throughout . They disagreed but they would WORK THROUGH IT .Thats right , it wasn't the annoying conflict or miscommunication thats kept to add some drama , this actually HELPED . It showed how they grew and put effort in their relationship . They had to understand and empathise , had to voice their opinions and learn each other because that person was important , because they were worth it .

"You don't have to get it" Im standing up now . I don't know when i stood up ." You just have to listen to me when i tell you something is important to me"

so then later.....

"Im sorry" , he says . "You were right and Im gonna do better . Ill listen more . Ill stop trying to make you blow things off . Ill stop you know . Acting like Im heartless . Im not heartless
"Sasha , I know you're not"

I didn't ask him to change . I didn't ask him to apologize. He just shows up and says hell be different . Its sweet and its thoughtful

prepare yourself: ...and i wouldn't do it for him
*sputters* WHAT?! yeah so obv it wasn't always gonna be like that . Ibby ( that bitchy part) wasn't willing to do the same for him . honestly it makes me wanna re-evaluate their whole relationship . maybe too much fighting ? idk . so here comes the unnecessary drama : she cant be with him bcz she's unsure of herself and since all the women in her family were like these terrible partners or something , so is she . This was pissing off . A relationship needs effort from BOTH sides and her side was not giving enough . Don't quote me on this tho , Im no expert on relationships . i guess she kinda rights i tho?

Sahsa also tell her when she's in the wrong ( such as with her mom) and eventually she does listen again . OMG i loved when Sasha called her out on her BS but damn if i didn't feel it too

"Honey Im sorry , but you don't...you don't make shit!"
"what?"
"You dont decide anything without asking everyone you can find .I still don't know if wed even be together right now if most of the people you asked hadn't said yes . I never know how you actually feel about anything because you're too busy over-thinking everything to death. how do you feel? what do u actually want?ppl commit"

*cricket chirps*
*gulps*👀
don't look at me y'all . I could cry from the relatability

The friendships:

"I thought he might like being flirted with . I thought maybe it didn't happen to him very often . sue me for trying to do something nice

Jessica- abort ,abort. OMG CAN WE ? CAN WE SUE HER ?! coz i would love that .literal trash . she needs to de dumped both as a friend and in a freaking dumpster where she belongs!

Maura- <<<<<33333
This was the most wholesome friendship . I mean sometimes it felt as if they weren't close enough but once their friendship was put to the test they rose over the hurdles and obstacles in a way that gave best relationship vibes . An understanding relationship that pushed the both of them.

"Being sick is not a bad thing" , I say. "And you guys don't get that . You will never get that" ( tone that list bit down babe)
"Okay " , She says "Maybe we'll never get that. But also...have you really given us a chance to?"
"I've had RA for nine years"
"Yeah , you have and you've wanted to talk about it for what , the last 2 months? Its a pretty quick adjustment . If id asked you a year ago , Im pretty sure you'd say being sick was a bad thing . You used to say you didn't want to talk about it. we've been nest friends for years . You cant just not even give me a shot to get on board with this whole new thing you're doing . I want to be on board . You're the one who changed , and Im happy about it for you , but you're the one who changed , not me . you cant just drop me for not changing when you didn't tell me i was supposed to . I deserve better than that Ibby ."
"Okay", i say . "You're right. Im sorry"
"Okay , lets talk it out"

Idk if y'all are seeing a pattern but clearly talking things out , admitting to mistakes , being understanding and growing is something i really value, its important and something Im working on . wow we decided to just share this time. It was nice to see and relatable.

The writing was a contemporary style so it was relatively easy to get into . the articles were such a fun touch to the story , with really interesting and thoughtful answers as well as amusing ones . The persons character was so distinct from their tone and way of speech. If you're wondering wether there was a sad ending , not to spoil but there isn't . I liked that it wasn't some over the top happy ending , more of a realistic 'Im comfortably happy but still working on myself/it' kind of ending . the hopeful type where theres more to come and makes u smile :)satisfactory

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And if you don't think you're the kind of person that happens for, then you're my best friend and I need you to know I need you to know this about yourself, because you are bigger than you and me, and you are loved, Isabel. You will always be loved. And it will be so good."

Oh wow, I loved this.

When I first heard of Sick Kids in Love, I naturally assumed it was yet another TFIOS-esque story, because who wouldn't? Which, for the record, I wasn't a huge fan of. I mean, it was okay, but always felt too emotionally manipulative (I never cried during TFIOS, for whatever reason, even though I cry in most books and movies nowadays. I mean, I cry during Moana, every single time. But after reading a few five star reviews, I *tentatively* added this to my TBR. About a week later, I saw this at Barnes and Noble, and I just HAD to get it. I can't remember what I went there to get - it was something else, but I completely forgot. I am so, so happy that I gave this book a try, even though at first glance I thought it wouldn't be my cup of tea, because it totally is.

It's frustrating attempting to write a review for this because there's no way I can convey in words how freaking GOOD it is. It's funny and lighthearted at times; heartbreaking and important at others. It manages to tackle so many relevant issues - divorce, living with a chronic illness, etc etc. in a way that feels so fresh. I don't have with a chronic illness, but I have loved ones that do, so being able to read Own Voices representation was just incredible. The author portrays the subject with empathy and sensitivity, and I truly think EVERYONE should read this. Sasha and Isabel are such dynamic characters that I truly fell for. They're both flawed but well intentioned, and it made their relationship so believable and deeply felt. Isabel is self-conscious about her invisible illness - she has rheumatoid arthritis - in comparison to Sasha's. She doesn't take risks and is still struggling to feel loved due to her parent's relationship. She loves her friends, but feels like (with the exception of Sasha, obviously) they don't understand her. And wow, I just felt for her. I highlighted so many quotes to the point where I almost forgot she was a fictional character. I loved the diversity, too!! Isabel, our MC, is Jewish & has rheumatoid arthritis; Sasha (the love interest) is Jewish & has Gaucher's disease.

It's just so rare that I find a story that ticks all my boxes, like the perfect YA contemporary, but this one really does. I constantly hear people saying they aren't fans of the genre, but I truly believe it's because books like these aren't as popular, but they should be. It's got everything - diversity, messy family dynamics, struggling characters that are trying their hardest - and it made me feel everything. I laughed and I cried and I highlighted everything, I swear. Immediately after finishing this book, I wished I could go back and read it again, and I've already gone back through my favorite scenes again. Because yeah, at it's light and funny at times, but it's also super important to read. So many times, well intentioned characters would dismiss Isabel, and its frustrating but also a reality. She's assumed to be healthy simply because she "looks fine," and everyone - including her lifelong best friends and her dad, who's a DOCTOR for crying out loud, constantly tell her that she and Sasha "aren't the same." There's just so many relevant conversations in this book that I really, really loved, and the author does a brilliant job at getting readers to understand.

Please, everyone, go and so yourself a favor and read this - you won't regret it!! It's such a lovely story that I think everyone - absolutely everyone - should go ahead and try. A new favorite of mine, for sure!

[Katie Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing, thought-provoking book, and I'm still unpacking all my feelings about it.

(Spoiler alert: they're 99.9% GOOD feelings.)

So basically . . . it's the story of a sick boy and a sick girl who meet at the hospital. Sasha has Gaucher disease and Isabel (Ibby) has rheumatoid arthritis. They form a bond. Become best friends. Fall in love. Also--they don't die at the end.

Which, until I read this book, I didn't realize what a huge, gaping hole there is in sick-kid representation in YA and even general fiction (obviously, that's a blind spot of mine cuz I'm not chronically ill, and I realize & accept that). It seems like it's ALWAYS gotta be "#edgy #boy or #saintly #pale #girl with a fatal sickness, who will fade into oblivion by the end but leave the protagonist Forever Changed," or what have you. Most of which books are written by HEALTHY people who are, y'know, lowkey fetishizing the whole "only the good die young" thing. Sooooooooooooooooooo--yeah. Sick Kids in Love being an own-voices book about sick folks who deal with challenges that *don't* kill them--that's actually revolutionary and I am Here For It.

Sasha and Isabel's perspectives really opened my eyes to the prejudices chronically ill people are forced to deal with. Like Ibby's dad won't even allow her to say she's SICK in his presence, which, given she's dealing with never-ending pain and fatigue and occasional full-on collapses, seems utterly OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY????? And he's all "don't define yourself by your illness," which, again, as Sasha says--"what does that even mean?" And then Isabel's friends are constantlyyyyyyyyyy trying to guilt her into doing stuff that will make her pain worse ("come skiing with us! come skating with us! you're our friend so you have to enjoy the same things we enjoy!") They never even seem to consider--not for one second!--that maybe being friends with a chronically ill person is more about being THERE for them and participating in the non-physically-demanding stuff that THEY find pleasurable, instead of insisting they participate in all your "healthy person" activities to fulfill some arbitrary vision of "living life to the fullest." Which, again, and I'm pretty sure good ol' Sasha says this at one point: What does living life to the fullest even MEAN?

This book comes down solidly on the side of "living life to the fullest means being with the people you love," even in quiet or 'boring' circumstances, even on days that don't feel much fun. There's this brilliant, brilliant scene where Isabel goes to Sasha's house for the first time, and she's like, I hate to spoil our date but my joints really hurt right now--and Sasha doesn't even skip a beat! He encourages her to go take a hot bath to soothe her arthritis while he sleeps off his chronic fatigue . . . and then, when they're both finished, they just laze around and watch horror films on Netflix together. It's simple. It's peaceful. It's purely what THEY want, not what somebody else tells them is 'fun.' Best. first. date. ever.

[That was the moment I decided I shipped these kiddos to the moon and back. <333]

My heart ached for Isabel, for her pain being constantly stifled & ignored by the people around her, even her so-called friends. Everybody EXCEPT Sasha. It was such a huge relief when she started hanging out with Sasha more and more--not like he's perfect (he ain't, he's human), but at least he u n d e r s t a n d s.

At the end of the book, Ibby does cut off her worst, most insensitive "friend," and she does call out her other friends at least to a degree . . . although I wanted her to say MORE and be louder about it . . . but hey, at least she said something. (I was super annoyed at Maura, in particular, "We're sorry we treated you badly but we didn't KNOW you didn't like being treated that way, how were we SUPPOSED to know"--um, girl, USE YOUR FREAKIN' IMAGINATION. *huffs @Maura*)

Okay, so I've said a ton about the sickness/disability rep but I haven't really given you an idea of what these characters are like, personality-wise. Which must be remedied!! Because their personalities are vivid & great!!!

- Isabel: highkey ME, cautious, anxious, overthinking, afraid of the future, studies hard, wants to curl up with a good book, will fight you over a good book.
- Sasha: soft, pure, but also annoying, but also pure, talks too much, kNITS, lENDS YOU HIS COAT, wHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW

[also can I randomly say here, I loved the casual LGBT representation; as in, quite a few of the side characters were gay, and they never gave an 'explanation' for themselves, like "why are you allowed to be gay, this isn't a Gay Book," they were just THERE, which pleases me muchly.]

I really, really loved the chronic illness storyline and the way it challenged me to explore my own prejudices, but I loved just as much the solid relationship development between Isabel and Sasha. They are suuuuuuuuuuuuuch a good example of how two damaged people (and aren't we all? in some way?) can still build a strong romance, if they're willing to work at it. They are so sweet and supportive of each other, and so respectful, even when they argue.

Here's one thing I found incredibly convicting, in a good way: Sasha was willing to change his bad side for Ibby, but Ibby took much longer to change her bad side for Sasha, because she was afraid of changing her identity for a boy, yet--here's the key--she didn't realize that her idea of "her identity" was wrapped up with some Actual Toxic Crap. Like pervasive self-hatred and self-doubt and crippling fatalism, stuff which [she eventually figured out] would sabotage not only her relationship with this guy, but HER ENTIRE LIFE, if she kept holding onto it.

It's subtle, but it's totally awesome. She goes from "you can pry my anxiety and chronic indecision out of my cold, dead fingers!!!" to "wow, actually, I'm tired of my anxiety and my chronic indecision and I think it's time I chucked 'em overboard." She goes from somebody deathly afraid of change, to somebody who actually embraces change. And sure, Sasha is the catalyst for all that--but Ibby's not doing it for Sasha. She's doing it for herself.

There's one beautiful, beautiful line in here I'll remember for the rest of my life:

"I think I need me to be someone that I'm not."

Because it's not about who other people need you to be. It's about who YOU need you to be--only sometimes, that isn't the person you thought you were. Sometimes, it's somebody bigger. Brighter. Braver.

Happier.

So, I think you've gathered by now, this book is heckin' awesome, and I recommend it to every single person on my friends' list, as long as they're okay with the content I hereby list below:

[semi-frequent swearing, including some use of the f-word (most of it in Ibby's internal monologue), some fairly mild kissing, one shirtless scene, and one implied but invisible sex scene. as in, they have sex but you only hear about it afterwards.]

[Shannon Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also in love? Me. With this book.

[Kacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this a while ago, and I’m still struggling with what I want to say. I could get really personal with this review, because of the amount of relatable circumstances I found in this book. I can’t find a definitive answer anywhere, but I assume the author has a chronic illness because of how painfully accurate this portrayal is.

I haven’t been on goodreads too much recently, because my illnesses are currently flaring, so now seems like a great time to talk about chronic illness, and the lack of representation in the book world.

Typically when you read about a sick person, they’re always dying. It’s rarely ever about the types of illnesses that never go away, that never get better - because people want a happy ending right? And what’s happy about someone never being healthy?

This is why representation matters.

People don’t understand chronic illness unless you live it. It’s an impossible concept to fully grasp until it’s you. And that lack of understanding and compassion is what makes representation so fucking important.

I wish 13 year old me could have read this. It would have saved me a lot of self hatred. Thirteen year old me didn’t know why she felt like crap all the time and why none of her doctors took her seriously. I’m not sure I’ve ever related to a character as much as I related to Isabel. I felt her pain, anger, and sadness as if it was my own. Because I got it. I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis like Isabel, but I do have a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers Danlos. It makes my joints ache 90% of the time, and despite having a diagnosis, I, like Isabel, am still fighting my doctors constantly to take me seriously. Most doctors want to heal you, but there’s rarely anything to “heal” when handling chronic illness, it’s just trying to maintain a semblance of a normal life. Doctors don’t know how to handle that.


A list of all the incredibly important chronic illness aspects the author addressed:
- The lack of respect you get from doctors
- The meds you take even when they barely help
- The pain you hide
- The pressure you feel to be normal, to act normal
- The fact that when you’re test results come back stable, you’re supposed to be okay
- The pain and heartbreak of a messed up childhood, and parents filled with flaws
- The fear that this is truly all in your head, that maybe you are just crazy
- The weird limbo you stay in because you’re neither healthy nor dying, you’re just stuck somewhere in the middle
- The struggle of feeling like you aren’t sick enough to “deserve” something that will make you feel better

I also found it refreshing that Isabel and Sasha’s families were both dysfunctional. I also grew up in a dysfunctional home, and that can make these issues even harder.

I don’t read YA contemporary much anymore, and at times it did feel a bit childish, but I had to recognize that I’m now in my mid 20s and this is a book about 16 year olds.

As someone with a chronic illness, do me a favor and go read this. Even if you can’t personally relate, you’ll come out of this book understanding illness and people so much better. Do it for all of us that feel misunderstood and under-represented.

[rachel, x · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm not going to shut up about this book for a long, long time.

➸ Trigger warnings for ableism, parental abandonment, cheating mentioned, panic attacks mentioned, alcohol consumption, chronic illness & pain specifically rehumatoid arthritis & Gaucher disease (theme), needles (on-page), hospitalisation, medical treatment & procedures including blood tests & a splenectomy, and mentions of a train accident.

Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph

[♛ may · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is such a wholesome, sweet, beautiful story between two kids with invisible (and sometimes not so invisible) illnesses and the dialogue and conversations and no-nonsense way about it was an absolute delight

🥺🥺🥺🥺


3.5 stars

[Darcey · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT 20/10/22: upping this to 5 stars because i’m rereading sections now and DAMN i’m attached to this book and these hilarious, gorgeous, human characters.

~~~

buddy read with the cute lil discord group for disability month!

this was ADORABLE. it was so touching, and had the most brilliant chronic illness rep. it opened my eyes up to so many things that healthy people (like me) can do that is, frankly, insulting to sick people, even if we don't mean to be rude. and it also just had the sweetest romance, with two of the funniest, most precious characters i've read about in a while. plus, it just had so many serious and important themes about family and self-esteem and relationships woven into the story, it was brilliant.
also so much fun, and a super entertaining read - i finished this in two days while supposed to be doing a million other things! highly recommended.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Disclaimer: Both main characters in this book were sick, but they were not *that* kind of sick. They were chronically, but not terminally ill. So, to make a long story short, NOBODY DIES.

"Should Sick Girl date Sick Boy?" My answer was a resounding YES, and I was so happy Isabel took a chance on Sasha, because I adored watching them fall in love.

This book enchanted me. It cast a spell on me, and didn't let go, until the very end. So, how did I love thee? Let me list the ways:

• Sasha and Isabel were the type of characters I never fail to adore. They had an ample supply of wit, which fueled some fantastic exchanges and had me in full-on grin mode. I loved their quirks and their humor, and I adored them together.

• I was excited that Moskowitz addressed what it's like to be chronically, but invisibly ill. The book was filled with scenarios, as well as with Sasha's and Isabel's thoughts and commentary on being invisibly ill, and I felt this idea was skillfully and thoughtfully explored.

• Family was omnipresent in this story, and I am always a fan of that. Sasha's family were so full of life and love, and it was beautiful the way they embraced Isabel. Her dad was not a bad guy, but he worked a lot, and her mother was estranged. Therefore, I was happy she easily slipped into Sasha's world.

• The romance between this two was so smile-inducing. Seriously, I am smiling so much right now, that my face hurts. Sasha's big monologue was enough to make my heart explode, but there were many other moments just like that throughout the book. Moskowitz did such a beautiful job capturing first love here. There were all these tooth-achingly sweet moments, and though Sasha and Isabel hit a few rough patches, this was a relationship built on friendship, love, trust, and honesty.

• Isabel's question columns were so amazing. I really enjoyed those bits between the chapters, and also liked the way Moskowitz integrated them into the story.

Overall: This was such a beautiful book about love, empathy, and self acceptance, which caused my Grinchy heart to expand, and left me with a bad case of the warm-fuzzies.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[CW ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh heck, this book is so good and sweet and so satisfying.
Take note: Disabled and chronically ill characters do not have to die for a book to be meaningful. Because in Sick Kids in Love, the characters are indeed sick and disabled, they do not die, and this book still packs an emotional punch.

- Follows Isabel, a Jewish teen with rheumatoid arthritis, who meets Sashia, a Jewish teen who Gaucher disease, and the two become friends and, later, fall in love.
- This was such a lovely and easy read. The storytelling remains pretty light and funny without downplaying the reality of chronic illness - rather, it is candid and honest about the reality of being disabled and chronically ill.
- The character development in this was fantastic. Isabel was such a fleshed out character that had all these flaws that made so much sense in the context of her familial history and her feelings about being chronically ill.
- I just loved how this book was so cohesive. It was so refreshing - seeing how all the parts and threads of the story tied together to create this really meaningful story about what it means to be chronically ill, grapple with your relationships, and falling in love.

Trigger/content warning: hospitalisation, chronic illness, internalised ableism, ableism (challenged), underage alcohol consumption, blood mention, parental abandonment, sex (not described)

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is one of the best YA contemporaries.

[caitlin ✶ · Rating 4 out of 5]

AH, THIS BOOK IS SO UNDERRATED!!

list of things i liked about it

-the cuteness! we're basically just following two kids falling in love & figuring out how to be together 🥺
-the illness representation is so, so, so GOOD (there were probably so many nuances to it that i couldn't understand as a healthy person)
-casual diversity!! so much diversity! isabel and sasha are both jewish. isabel has rheumatoid arthritis and sasha has gaucher's disease. sasha is bisexual. there are lesbian and PoC side characters (i probably missed a lot of stuff because i listened to this on audio)
-even though this book is about two sick kids falling in love, it is never, ever just about their illnesses. though their illnesses are a prominent portion of the book, it never becomes their one defining character trait.
-we're not just following two people falling in love. we're also following their relationship after they decide to be together 🥺
-the two main characters!! they're both so lovable, but at the same time, they're real people who make mistakes
-a wonderful friend group!
-probably a lot of other things i'm missing right now

why i took off a star

-after sasha and isabel got together, the book got a little repetitive. a wrench would get thrown into their relationship, and then they'd make up, a wrench would get thrown into their relationship, etc.
-i don't give 5 stars to cute contemporary books. sorry they're just not my thing

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book bracing myself for cliches or for it to be something similar to what I’ve read before. But I was thrilled to be mistaken. I loved this book. LOVED. IT. I’ve never had a character articulate what I had felt before as I had in this book. I cried several times while reading because this author GOT IT. I was diagnosed with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis when I was 14 years old after being misdiagnosed several times. I’ve had those friends who have unintentionally made insensitive comments. I’ve had undergone treatments in both of my knees so I can walk. I have had to stay in my apartment all day because i physically could not get out of bed. I hid my illness for four years until an unplanned hospitalization made me “come out” as chronically ill and it was honestly the best thing to happen. My basketball team hosted a Lupus Awareness Night and sold t-shirts. All of the proceeds went to the Lupus Foundation. My community got an education on what an invisible illness looks like. This is a book that I wish my 14 year old self could have read. But I’m so appreciative that there are teenagers today that will read this. It will help those that are chronically ill AND help educate their loved ones. Thank you Hannah Moskowitz, this is one of the greatest gifts I never thought to ask for.

[kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

as a sick kid this book literally means the world to me. like actually. i read this when i was 14 and still coming to terms with being disabled (i got sick when i was 12) and this book healed a part of me that years of therapy didnt touch. its so so underrated and i recommend to anyone.

although i dont have either of the illnesses portrayed in this book, the feelings were there. the experience of growing up sick was there. the author is chronically ill, so that totally checks out!!
there were so many things that spoke directly to my heart and could have been torn straight out my own journal.

i would like 100 more books about sick teenagers falling in love, where nobody dies and sure theyre still sick but theyre making the best of it. theyre living their lives anyways. it sounds cliche but at the end of the day..
sick kids deserve their happy endings too 🥹🥹🥹

[Reading on Wheels · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 / 5 stars

This is probably one of the most important books I’ve read. I have never felt so connected to a character. Ever. This is probably the most accurate Disability and chronic illness representation I have read without it being inspiration porn or having them both die. I don’t have Gaucher or Rheumatoid Arthritis, but I do have a couple of things similar to RA. The depiction of them struggling with chronic illness, external ableism in medicine and friendship, invisibility, and being spoonies was so incredibly validating.

This is a love letter to disabled and chronically ill kids. This puts a lot of what I feel into words, and honestly, I can not thank it - or Hannah Moskowitz - enough for that.

Being able to see two kids like me just live life and find themselves and each other really made me realize how little I’ve actually felt accurately represented by any form of media. I’m not going to get into the intricacies of society and ableism, but I will say that we need to promote more Own Voice narratives like this for everybody to feel the way I do right now.

The book itself was also absolutely amazing, and it had almost everything that I look for in books, especially contemporaries. It was character driven through both Isabel, Sasha, and a lot of the side characters. It definitely had a plot, but it read more of the stories of the main character’s experiences as they live and grow together. Getting to discover some of the quirks of Sasha and Ibby’s personalities was really enjoyable, especially seeing their interactions with other characters - who were also really well developed which we don’t see very often.

Because of the structure of the book and her writing style, every storyline that comes into play is interwoven together because the characters are all adding these experiences to their repertoire. Every development that happens snowballs into the next, and it lets the characters blossom and accept themselves.

The casual diversity in this, other than the disability representation, was also refreshing to read. It was a story of kids being kids even outside of the romance, and the friendships and familial relationships were also complex and enjoyable to read.

My only mild issue with the book is that the issue of Ibby starting to use mobility aids was glossed over after its main few scenes. As a person that has recently started using them, it was a little disheartening to see someone with such similar experiences and feelings on the matter as me brush over it. However, I also like that it wasn’t addressed fully. The story is a small part of their lives, important but small, and the fact that Sasha and Ibby have topics discussed in and out of the book to get through together makes the lack of a technical Happily Ever After completely worth it. They still have room to grow, and they’re going to do it together because we know they will be together.

[cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5* gah i loved this so much! the romance was so cute and the main characters were both so realistic and interesting to read. i definitely took a lot from this book and learned some new point of views. love love love!!! the middle did lull a little bit after the first half was so gripping and quick paced, but it picked back up towards the end

[Melanie Brinkman]

What's the worst that could happen?

Life is so much easier for everyone if Isabel follows one simple rule: No dating. Or at least that's what she thinks. She's got issues. She's got problems. She's got rheumatoid arthritis.

But then she meets another sick kid. He's got an illness with a name she can't even pronounce. He gets her better than anyone else. He knows what it's like to be sick.

Together, they might just find out what it's like to be in love.

A story of questions and answers. A tale of all the beautifully flawed and small things.

Trigger warning for injury, hospitalization, chronic illnesses, steamy scenes, underage drinking, parental abandonment, neglect, blood, ableism (challenged), internalized ableism, adultery, and worry.

Smart, serious Ibby was not a risk taker. If she could, she would crowd source every decision of her life. Rheumatoid arthritis kept an invisible hold on her, making her quality of life not quite like other teens'. Friendly, inquisitive, and a total worrier, she charmed my heart.

Darkly sarcastic and completely goofy, Sasha took life as it was, framed with a more positive outlook. Attentive, honest and incredibly tender towards those he loved. He brought challenge and much needed reassuredness to Ibby's life. He was immediately welcomed onto the book boyfriend list.

But what do you want? If you want two Jewish teens who balance each other out, see stars in their eyes when they look at each other, yet acknowledge each other's flaws and pain, then you've stumbled on the perfect couple. Isabel and Sasha were precious, lovable souls that I would be so lucky to date if I was a book character (but that would most likely mean breaking the two of them up, so I will admire their couple adorableness from afar). Very few literary couples are this perfect in my eyes.

From her hard-working father, to her artsy best friends, Sasha and his large, loud family, a lot of people cared about Ibby, but few truly understood what she was going through. Effortlessly diverse, the fleshed out supporting cast both made me smile and made me angry in the best of ways. Aside from Sasha, her dad probably made her feel the most human. Her friends were supportive, but sometimes it was obvious they just didn't get it. Sasha's family was such a welcoming bunch.

They don't die in this one! (Don't worry that's not a spoiler, it's the tag line.) Not only was this a honest, sweet own voices romance that brought a much-needed light to the realities of living with a chronic illness, it was a journey of change and changing for the right reasons. Enlightening, entertaining, and endearing, Hannah Moskowitz's often witty prose elicited my empathy, my tears, and even a few laughs. Wrapped in the arms of New York City, Sick Kids in Love also tackled the frustrations of living with an invisible illness, dysfunctional families, betrayal, abandonment, and neglect, on an incredibly human level. Well paced, this heart touching contemporary is one of the best things I've read so far this year.

I loved Sick Kids in Love.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty good book about two sick kids (who don't look sick) and they fall in love. The plot seems very simplistic but there are quite a lot of layers in the plot which what makes this YA romance novel stand out. It tackles the life of these characters who have to live their whole lives with their illness that may not be terminal but is still making their lives a lot of times difficult to live and that support of family, friends, and loved ones are very important for them.

It's written pretty lightly and quite realistically and it paints a nice picture of New York. What's best about it is that nobody dies in the end as boldly written on the cover of the book.

[kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH.

I will be writing somewhat of a review for it when I get my thoughts more in order but for now just know that I ADORED THIS SO VERY MUCH AND YOU NEED TO READ IT NOW THANK YOU.

[Yna from Books and Boybands · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And if you don't think you're the kind of person that happens for, then you're my best friend and I need you to know I need you to know this about yourself, because you are bigger than you and me, and you are loved, Isabel. You will always be loved. And it will be so good."

📚 Series? No.
📚 Genre? YA Romance.
📚 Cliffhanger? No.

⚠ Content Warnings:  Chronic illness. Graphic descriptions of chronic diseases, symptoms esp. pain, and treatments. Hospitals. Internalized Ableism. Ableism. Underage drinking.
⚠ Book Tags :  Disability. Chronic disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Bisexuality rep. Jewish rep. LGBT & POC side characters.
⚠ This Book In Emojis: 💑👨🏻‍🦼👩🏻‍🦽💖🌈🏥💋💯

The book is about:

Sick Kids in Love tells the story of Isabel, a teen who has rheumatoid arthritis, and Sasha, another teen who has Gaucher's disease. The title says it all.. it is about their romance, it's beginnings, and what happens after.

What drew me in:

First off, I confess that I am always a sucker for pretty covers and I definitely adored this one. I was also one of those people who rode on TFIOS craze because I loved all the hurt that came with it.

But, I loved that Sick Kids In Love gave a promise on the cover -- that they will not die in this one! Technically, it is not much of a spoiler and I love that I'd not have to deal with death in this one.

I was also attracted to this book because last year I read a book called Cursed written by Karol Ruth Silverstein and it talked about juvenile arthritis.

Characters & connections:

Isabel is a lovely character. Though the readers are privy to her frustration, pain, and problems, she is fighting against her struggles and living her life the best that she can. She is very real in a way that she shows that she cannot be nice all the time, that she is in pain, and she knows what she deserves.

Sasha, on the other hand, is a cute cinnamon roll. He is absolutely adorable and he looks at things positively, even when he struggles with his disease. He is sweet and smart and very caring, too.

I felt very connected to these characters and I was so heavily rooting for their success -- even when the decisions that they were making were not really the best ones.

Everything I liked:

One of the best things about this book is the way that it discusses illnesses, especially invisible ones. People lean towards prejudice in almost everything we do and we (yes, including myself) sometimes forget how it actually is for people who are dealing with chronic illnesses that we do not actually see.

Isabel's struggles with the pain that she feels and the way the medical system addresses her concerns is quite painful. As Sasha's illness is outwardly manifested and Isabel's is not, the readers were able to see how frustrating and sad the reality is.

I have a close friend who suffers from lupus and it is onr disease that is not really visible. She was provided with a PWD (Persons with Disabilities) ID card by the government, which means that she has discounts and other privileges. Unfortunately, she always says that most establishments and workers look at her differently and sometimes thinks that her ID is fake and she is just abusing benefits made for someone else. It's sad that in our country, and probably others, society is still greatly unaware of invisible illnesses.

On a lighter note, I love the romance aspect in this book. The dynamic between Sasha and Isabel is very cute, but very real as well. Aside from their fun banter, they also have deep conversations, including sexuality.

Overall thoughts:

I adored this book in its entirety and I love how it was not so heavy even when the topics that it discusses are. It allowed sick kids to be kids, still.. to experience love and life and learning from their mistakes.

This book was very real and I love how it talks about being allowed to feel bad and sad and that life is not always full of rainbows and happiness and unicorns. It shows that in life, sometimes you won't find all the answers and that's okay.

All in all, Sick Kids In Love is one of the best books I've read this year. I recommend it to everyone!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.67/5 ☁

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[Krysti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ADORED this! SICK KIDS IN LOVE has such amazing chronic illness representation, and I am so grateful for it! I have a collection of chronic illnesses myself, and this book made me look at them in such different and healthier ways. The idea that sickness isn't bad and shouldn't be treated as such blew my mind in the best way. This book made me realize that I can accept myself and my body in a way that I haven't done previously, and I'm so grateful! I've never thought about how problematic the idea that sick people shouldn't let their illnesses define them actually is. Sickness isn't something that has to be overcome. In many cases it isn't even something that CAN be overcome. If you are sick, it's okay to embrace that. It's okay to build your life around that in a way that is healthy for you. And it's okay for you to teach your friends and family members how they can support you in living your best life. And I LOVED the way this book tackled those topics and made me think about them in new and healthier ways. ALL THE STARS!