The main protagonists are Stella and Will, who both suffer from cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a condition caused by thick mucus in your lungs that makes you feel pain each time you breathe and makes you cough a lot. Stella has been in Saint Grace’s Hospital for most of her life. She has a friend named Poe who she met when she first arrived at the hospital. They are very close friends but unfortunately, he has CF too and the rule with them is to keep a six-foot distance between them since infection can go to another person with the same sickness and could kill both of them.

When Stella’s sister Abby dies everything starts to fall apart. Her parent’s divorce and Stella wants to keep living in order to keep her parents afloat. Will, on the other hand, has been taken all over the world’s best hospitals to find a cure. None of them work for him. His last hope is Saint Grace Hospital. He wants to live his actual life and not be stuck in a hospital his whole life hearing the word  “incurable.”

The book starts off by introducing how Stella’s lifestyle is in the hospital but it switches perspectives meaning you are seeing Will’s and Stella’s perspectives. Many people don’t like books like this because they get confused. Personally, I think it’s a great way to write a romantic book because you can see what both people think about the other and really understand their actions and words they say. This novel really is somewhat close to Romeo and Juliet. They both are faced in a life or death situation and always have to be SIX feet apart. During this tale, there is rebellion too which if you read it you’ll understand why the novel’s title is FIVE feet apart and not six.

All the things mentioned at the beginning of the book re-tie themselves at the end of the book, which makes the ending pretty good and leaves you in tears. In comparison with “The Fault in our Stars,” overall this is a sad book because you are left with a feeling of “wow did I really just read this.” Also, it made me really sad for the entire day and I don’t usually like books that hurt my feelings that much. But I liked “Five Feet Apart” better since its focuses more on how they both fight for their love and relationship in order to be together for as much as their diseased lungs can allow. “Five Feet Apart” leaves you in both happy and sad tears.

I really recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and realistic problems in life. They made a film too which I haven’t seen, but I know it won’t be the same as the book because it’s always like that when they make books into movies. But really, the book is amazing because it really solves all the main problems in the book that are mentioned, not like other books that leave you with a bunch of questions at the end.

This book I think doesn’t relate to other romantic novels where both protagonists get together and live a happy-ever-after. This one is more like passing your limits on what you would do for a person you love so much. It shows “You can love someone so much to be able to leave them” and that’s something really powerful. It shows how strong their love is for each other. I don’t think any other romance novel shows that, not even the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer. In conclusion, this book will forever be in my favorite book list. I can assure you it’s a book to cry for.