Five Feet Apart, Week 3

Welcome to Week 3 of the Online Book Club discussion of Five Feet Apart. 

How did you feel about this section? I felt like it was more emotional than the first section. Did you feel that way? I felt like I was better able to understand how much people with CF sacrifice on a daily basis through Stella's character. 

This section started off with us learning about Abby's death. She had an accident while cliff diving, and Stella was supposed to be with her. I can't imagine the guilt that Stella carried—both for not being there when Abby died and for being the child who lived. I feel like I was able to understand why Stella was so strict about her medicine regimen and her care. She wants to make sure that she lives so her parents have at least one surviving child. 

What do you think about Will and Stella's relationship? I'm finding it hard to cheer for their relationship since I see so much at stake. I just don't want Stella to miss her chance at new lungs. What did you think of the date they had by the pool? I have to admit I was really glad that Poe texted them and interrupted them because I think they might have attempted to touch. I want them both to be happy and I want them to experience a positive relationship, but I just worry that Will is going to infect her. 

I was so glad that Stella made it through her surgery without any complications, weren't you? I was a little scared that something was going to go wrong with the surgery. Did you know much about G-tubes before reading this section? I had a vague idea of what they were, but I didn't know much. I thought this article from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was really helpful. Check it out if you want to understand more about G-tube feedings. 

Do you feel like Will showed growth in this section? I liked how he finally understood that his bacteria could harm Stella, and I was glad that he understood that his mom was being so pushy because she wanted to be able to spend more life with him. Did you feel like he became more mature in this section? I felt like he began to think about other people more than he thought about himself. 

This section ends really happily with Will's birthday party. I'm afraid that that will be one of the last really happy scenes in the book. Do you have any guesses about what will happen in the last section of the book? I'm afraid that all of the characters won't make it to the end. 

Is this story making you want to hear more real cystic fibrosis stories? I feel like I want to know more, especially since I want to know if Will and Stella are realistic characters. While researching about cystic fibrosis memoirs, I stumbled upon this article about a mother who published her daughter's diary after her daughter died following a double lung transplant. Check out the article to learn more about the story and make sure to check out the book, Salt in My Soul, if you want to read the diary. 

Before you go, make sure you watch the video below to find out why the director, Justin Balboni, wanted to tell this story on screen. 

Make sure to leave a comment to tell me what you thought of this section. I'm excited to hear your thoughts. I hope you're able to finish reading the book before joining us next week!