I’ve really come to appreciate standalones in the last year or so, which I never thought I’d say. I’ve always been a series reader through and through, but times have really changed. As I don’t read fantasy standalone very often, I find I get through them much quicker (no worldbuilding), especially contemporary/romance ones. Saying that, all of the standalones mentioned today are contemporaries.
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott and Mikki Daughtry
I really love this book. I did not know much about cystic fibrosis before reading and actually found it be a very enlightening read. I did do some research to make sure that it is an accurate representation of the disease and will say that it is done well.
This is definitely a tug-on-your-heartstrings kind of read, however not necessarily in the way you would think for a book about disease. I found myself heartbroken over the relationship between Stella and Will, simply for the fact that they knew it could never work but they loved each other anyway.
The book did not make me cry, as I’m actually not much of a crier when it comes to books, but the film had me bawling like a baby.
I’m such a huge fan of Rachael Lippincott, I really can’t recommend her books enough. Also because she is absolutely lovely based on the few times I’ve interacted with her.
Synopsis: Can you love someone you can never touch?
Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.
The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.
Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.
What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
I had wanted to read A Monster Calls for a while before I picked it up in May last year. It has been over a year since I read it and I still think about it from time to time. I do not often find myself being as emotionally affected by a book as I did this one. It broke me. Going into the book I only knew what I had seen from the movie trailer. There’s a boy who meets a tree looking monster that only he can see. That is it. But there is so much more to the book than just the ancient elemental being.
I found that I could not put this book down which resulted in me reading it in just two short nights. It is equally heartbreaking as it is moving. I would more than recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a read that tugs on the heartstrings and will possibly leave you sobbing like a baby. It will do that, trust me.
I’ve recently found out that this idea wasn’t actually Patrick Ness’s and he actually took it from a woman who died. I don’t know the politics of the situation, but it seems a bit suspicious to me.
Synopsis: Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don’t quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there’s a visitor at his window. It’s ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
For the most part, this is a very fun and easy read, I loved that you could see the drawings that Eliza had been working on. It’s definitely a great book for those who either only read graphic novels and want to try something new. Or the other way around. It’s a great transitional book for trying graphic novels.
It does have some darker moments however these add an emotional edge that takes the book from average to something special. The story isn’t anything revolutionary but it’s an entertaining read that I read in one sitting.
Goodreads synopsis: Her story is a phenomenon. Her life is a disaster. In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, and friendless. Online, she’s LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of the wildly popular webcomic Monstrous Sea. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves the online one, and she has no desire to try. Then Wallace Warland, Monstrous Sea’s biggest fanfiction writer, transfers to her school. Wallace thinks Eliza is just another fan, and as he draws her out of her shell, she begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart.
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