{Review} Sick Kids In Love by Hannah Moskowitz

Page Count: 300

Published On: November 5, 2019

Published By: Page Street Kids

Genre(s): YA contemporary romance

Source: ARC provided by the publisher and NetGalley, audiobook available through Hoopla
Where To Find It: Amazon // Book Depository

My Rating: 4.75 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

Isabel has one rule: 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 rule: no dating.
It's complicated--
It's dangerous--
It's never felt better--
--to consider breaking that rule for him.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: ableism

Hey, guys!

When diving into this book, I was really nervous that the representation would be harmful or dishonest to the experiences of others; however, this wasn't the case. Sick Kids in Love is a #ownvoices YA novel that follows two teens who experience chronic "invisible" illnesses. Full disclosure, I am an able bodied human, but that doesn't stop me for appreciating the knowledge that this story has provided to me. I'm so thankful to the author for writing such a captivating and educational story. 

Isabel struggles with chronic pain from her arthritis. Her "invisible" illness then causes her to struggle on a day-to-day basis. Some days are worse than others, but she's learned to manage her pain -- alone. Isabel also struggles to verbalize her pain and struggles because of the negative issues she's had to face. Her friends and family don't understand her illness. They don't understand the issues and struggles that she faces every day. 

Sasha has Gaucher Disease. His illness isn't invisible, and has some really potentially deadly and painful symptoms that keep Sasha from going to school consistently, refraining from hospital visits, and maintaining the friendships that he so desperately would love to have. 

This book discusses the concept of "invisible" and "visible" illnesses so well. These characters are so young, but have constantly had to juggle their illnesses, their doctors, their families, etc. Isabel is constantly undermined and gaslit by doctors even though she is in terrible terrible pain that they can't see. Sasha is constantly held back from the experiences that he wants to experience, not just by himself, but by his family and doctors. He's constantly in the hospital from his bones breaking or from an organ that suddenly decides to shut down on him. He's in constant fear that his body will decide to shut down or turn on him. However, these kids don't let that fear keep them from being forced to act and pursue being "perfectly healthy." They're proud of the struggles they've had to experience and being a disabled person is a part of their identity. 

This book is just so freaking inspiring and eye-opening. Please read it.

Not only is there a fantastic message, the kids fall in love (hence the title). This romance story is so wonderfully executed. Isabel is a girl after my own heart. She refuses to change herself or change her story for a boy, but then she meets Sasha. Sasha is just a cinnamon roll of a person. I absolutely adore him. Sasha is a total dork who just falls for Isabel's bold and fearless outlook, her closed off wariness that surrounds attaining friendships, and her desire to learn. She's a risk taker and she's really rude sometimes, but he likes that about her because she doesn't bullshit him. She doesn't want to admit it (she's so stubborn), but she falls for Sasha too. They become besties. They bond over his dynamic and engaging family, their Jewish identities, and the beauty found only in New York City. 

Their relationship was just so relatable. Seeing them fall in love just reaffirmed my love for my own person. Our favorite thing to do is to just sit and do our own thing, but be together. I think that Isabel and Sasha even said something about how they just wanted to be homebodies and do nothing together because they just wanted to be near each other. I just loved that so much.

This story was just everything I could have hoped for. I need to buy myself a finished copy ASAP. 

Please read this book!

Happy reading:

Olivia

~ Liv the Book Nerd ~

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The Author's Playlist for This Book: 

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