4/5 Stars. Thank you to Entangled publishing and netgalley for sending me this arc. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I was very wary when requesting this because the title ‘Sick kids in Love’ which obviously you assume both parties would not have a happy ending. But I do not regret diving into this story at all.

I love these characters, they caught my eye instantly and were so loveable. They are funny and made me laugh and had me rooting for them because they were so enjoyable. 

Them navigating their lives amidst the pain and suffering they were going through made it so enjoyable, heartbreaking and captivating.

I was sent this arc by Entangled publishing and Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy! I decided to not keep reading this one, it was not for me. Thanks!

Honestly, I was wary on starting this book because the protagonists are, well, sick and I know that that would not end well for both parties. But diving into Isabel and Sasha's story was not a mistake. I can't even begin to express how emotionally attached I am to them both. Plus points because Moskowitz made sure that there weren't any stereotypes about chronic illness.

Let's talk about the characters. I adore them. I'm devoted to them. They made me laugh, giggle, tear up, and had me rooting for them because they are just that likable. We have Isabel, the protagonist, who is not a risk-taker because she's dying and cautious about life. She's achingly real with herself but there are times she doesn't admit something. Then there's Sasha who's inarguably the cutest contemporary mc I've read in a while. He's such a soft boy and I love soft boys they made me want to protect them. Their banters never fail to put a smile to my face.

The whole process of them navigating their lives amidst the pain and suffering they're enduring was captured really well. I loved every moment of it.

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Isabel’s got rheumatoid arthritis and because of that (and the fact her dad is a doctor) she spends time at the hospital for infusions and volunteer work. She’s a columnist in her school newspaper too and has a strict no-dating rule. Until she meets Sasha, another sick kid. Sasha, who is the friend she needed slowly breaks down those walls... but between their own illnesses and life experiences, what will happen?
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As someone who has chronic illnesses, I could really relate to some of the inner battles Isabel has. Do you live life, push yourself and pay for it later or do you say no and disappoint friends who don’t necessarily understand? There’s a lot of deep inner turmoil discussions and figuring out life stuff. And that deep stuff is really what brought the book to life for me because it makes you think and feel.
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Overall, this one is getting 4🌟. A lot of deep stuff, strong character work and real-life issues - I highly recommend this book if you’re into that!
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I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to @entangledteen and @netgalley for the opportunity!

I read a lot of emotional books and when I first saw this title, I'll be the first to admit I was afraid. That was the case until I saw the tagline "They don't die in this one.". I needed that, because even though I knew they were sick, my heart wasn't going to be ripped into pieces. I have to say even though that's the case, Sick Kids in Love was still a very emotional story.

Our two main characters both have chronic illnesses. Isabel has rheumatoid arthritis and Sasha has Gaucher Disease. What I loved is that the author really talked about those illnesses head on. Yes, they are still both able to do a lot of things, but it also showed us the harder side of these illnesses and the struggles. Sasha getting sick can land him in the hospital and isn't invisible. Isabel's illness is invisible. On the outside there's nothing to see and I can't imagine having to explain that to people.

Isabel is such a strong character though and I adored her as a main character. She looks healthy when she can be in excruciating pain. Her friends make this harder by asking her to do things that will leave her in pain days after. Part of Isabel wants to be "normal", but the other side needs to be able to say no. She just needs to hear that she's going through something and it's not nothing. All of this while being a teenager isn't easy. Isabel tries to do the best she can with the hand she's been dealt.

The romance in this story was really cute. I loved how they met and it slowly grew into more. It didn't feel like the instalove a lot of stories get, but more of a meet-cute that slowly develops. Also, hats off to the author for not having their relationship be perfect. Between their illnesses and just being teenagers, not everything goes smoothly and we got to see those moments. To me that made the moments of the communicating and trying even more special. I loved them together!

There were a lot of heartwarming moments in this story, but also moments I just wanted to hug both characters. Even though I'm grateful I can't relate to having this struggle, I think it's important books like this are published with disabilities and chronic illnesses. I'm happy I read Sick Kids and Love and really hope we see more and more books like this are published in the future!

It's hard to articulate exactly how much I loved this book. The characters are so vivid, and they have such a realistic and healthy (no pun intended) relationship. I mean, they are not healthy separately, but their relationship is the opposite of abusive - they are so supportive and loving of each other. They make mistakes, because they're 16, and this is their first relationship. But they always try to do better for each other. And the author gets it - what it's like to be chronically ill. Gosh, this was just such a good read and I can't recommend it enough.

When I enjoy a book as much as I enjoyed this one, I struggle to find the words to express just how much I liked it. I find that I stumble over my words because I want to convey just how much I want everyone to run out for a copy. While this was not a light hearted rom-com (because it does deal with serious topics of divorce, chronic health and mental health), it did give me warm fuzzy feelings at the end. I am thrilled to say that the author did not include these topics just for the sake of including them. They were handled with the care and respect that they deserved. The author clearly did the research so while I was deeply connecting to the characters, I was learning more about the illnesses. That felt refreshing.

I devoured this book in one sitting so in a way, it checked all of the boxes when it came to a YA contemporary read that swept me off of my feet. The characters had wonderful arcs that proved they could grow by the end of the story. Not to mention there was messy family drama that made this feel like a more believable and relatable story. It gave me all of the feels.

I am making this short and sweet because I really want everyone to get their hands on a copy of this book. Either borrow it from the library, from a friend, or buy a copy. Whatever needs to be done, everyone needs to give this one a chance.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

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!

I'm always a bit afraid of reading a book like this because they're often Too emotional for me. But the synopsis just looked so good and I couldn't pass up on the opportunity of reading it. I'm so glad I took that chance because this was such a fantastic and beautiful read that I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on. 

I absolutely loved how the characters were written down; they felt so real and relatable and made this story so beautiful. The author did a truly marvelous job with them. The writing was enthralling and had me truly engaged and connected from the start. 

I do think that some plottwists were just a bit too much and not necessary, but in general this was a really good read for me!

I really enjoyed this book and found myself not wanting to put it down. I thought the characters were cute and well portrayed as well as the events they experienced. With that said, I cannot believe they story stopped where it did. Will there be a sequel? I fill like so many questions were left unanswered. If it hadn’t been for the part of the audiobook that said “this concludes Sick Kids in Love” I would have though that Hoopla jipped me.

Please tell me I’m not the only one left feeling this way?

I had my daughte read this, and she enjoyed it.  She was hoping it was similiar to 5 feet apart.  She read though it quickly and would recommend it to her friends.

This was an incredibly simple, feel good novel. I particularly liked the tagline on the front cover: 'They don't die in this one', alongside the white text and blue background.

We have a novel here about chronically ill kids who first meet in a hospital. Isabel is the daughter of one of the doctors there, and she also volunteers at the hospital each Wednesday. We find out very quickly that she's got a bit of a complex about not being 'as sick' as other kids who have it worse. Regardless of this, she has rheumatoid arthritis, is commonly incredibly sore, unable to do a lot of things able bodied people take for granted, and is friends with only healthy kids at her school.

Sasha is a kid who has Gaucher Disease. The only friend he reports is someone else who is ill. His illness is also visible, while Isabel's is not. Nonetheless, Sasha in his laid back way manages to teach Isabel a lot about accepting herself and her capabilities, especially when they are less than what she or others around her thinks she could be.

There is a lot of change and growth for both characters in this novel, and it's basically a slow, cozy read that allows the reader to take the time to get to know the characters and the struggles in their every day lives. It's about the relationships people have with their families, and how you can love someone even though their attitude towards you can be a little problematic. It shows both people who are willing to learn to be less ableist, and those who aren't.

The story skipped around a bit timewise, not really landing in any particular time for too long, and I sometimes felt that emotional things were left a bit up in the air because of it, but that would probably be my only complaint for this very easy read.

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

As someone with chronic pain due to cancer, I felt like I could really connect with the characters in this book. I loved the dynamic between the two and the story was just all around very well written. I would absolutely read more by this author!

This was a beautiful and refreshing love story, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone and anyone.

I found this book slow in paces and it could've been more detailed. The characters were likeable but not really relatable and I felt that there needed to be more information on their illnesses to really understand what they were going through. The story was interesting and it was a pleasant read but not a book I would reread again.

I received an arc of Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz from Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. 

From the very first moment, I knew that I needed Sick Kids in Love. It sounded like everything that I needed. Sick Kids in Love follows Isabel as she tries to navigate life, being a teenager while also managing her chronic illness. to do this Isabel has a rule – no dating. All is going well until she meets another sick kid. And he might just change her mind – because he understands. Sasha understands what it’s like to be sick, what it’s like to feel alone. For once Isabel might consider breaking her rules.
Isabel was an interesting protagonist throughout Sick Kids in Love. I didn’t really fall in love with her, but I still was able to enjoy her as a protagonist. Isabel was really easy to connect with throughout the book that made me fall in love with the novel even more. I loved her resilience not just regarding her health but with life as well. She had a lot of things going on and was being pulled in so many different directions. And sometimes she did feel overwhelmed, but that was fantastic to see. You see it a lot in YA, especially in contemporary. Characters being able to deal with everything that is thrown at them without a care. But Moskowitz was able to really show the realistic side of any human in Isabel and that made the book that much better. 

Like Isabel, Sasha was a fantastic protagonist. It was easy to connect with him and I loved seeing him grow throughout the novel. Sasha had fantastic characterisation and character arc. I really enjoyed seeing the way that he shared his emotions and the way that he looked at life. It’s not often that you see an honest male character. And I don’t mean honesty. Sasha felt very real. His emotions, his character and everything in between. I loved that he cared for his family, it added another dimension to his character and made me love him even more.  
I adored the romance in Sick Kids in Love. Like the characters, the romance felt so natural and real. I loved seeing Isabel and Sasha’s relationship grow throughout the novel. It’s a very slow burn kind of romance and it was really nice to see. At times Isabel did pull away and because of this pause in the romance, it made it feel jarring. But it’s also what made it feel very real. Isabel and Sasha were totally adorable together and that just made me fall in love with them even more. 

Now to the nit and gritty part. Reading books that focus on disabilities is always a hit and miss for me. Sometimes I adored and the representation and other times, it makes my blood boil. But Hannah Moskowitz did an absolutely fantastic job. Now I can’t talk about the preciseness of the medical conditions. However, in relation to chronic pain and illness, it was done so well. I have chronic illness and pain so I was really able to connect with the characters on this part throughout Sick Kids in Love.

Another reason why I loved this book, was the disabilities weren’t everything. Sometimes in novels, I find that disabilities take over and it isn’t about the characters anymore. But Hannah Moskowitz was about to find the perfect balance between representing disabilities and life with chronic illness and pain, while also letting Isabel and Sasha be characters, and people who just aren’t their medical condition. 

Coming of age is a massive theme throughout Sick Kids in Love and Hannah Moskowitz was able to excel at representing it in an honest and real way. Isabel and Sasha are both at that stage in their lives where there is a lot to think about and decisions to be made. And the exploration fo this was really enjoyable. Along with coming of age, relationships of all sorts are explored through Sick Kids in Love. One of the highlights for me was the contrast of Isabel’s friendship with her ‘healthy’ friends and with Sasha. I really liked how Moskowitz explored it and I was really able to connect with the troubles.  

Overall I really enjoyed Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz. It’s the perfect example of exploring disability and illness in a book without it being all about it. Sick Kids in Love explores coming of age, first love, and finding yourself. Isabel and Sasha are put through a lot throughout the book. And their honesty and resilience really shine through. Throughout the novel, Hannah Moskowitz is able to explore and represent chronic illness and pain through Isabel and Sasha in a way that worked so well. If you are looking for a book that would make you smile and cry, then this book is perfect.

It may seem a messy story. Isabel is a character that could appear as « unlikeable » for a non-disabled audience, but her path to acceptance and owning her illnesses is long and difficult. Being ill, being disabled, it is messy. It messes up with our affects, our ways of seeing the worlds, our values. Isabel is stubborn and hard, it is a fact, but I loved her more for it, because as time goes on, she learns to be soft despite the misconceptions that she needs to be strong to handle her pain and that she cannot trust herself. The character development in this book is genuine, deep and it is everything. She is a passionate character, kind and funny who writes a column where her alter-ego « Sick Girl » asks for advice on a precise subject. This element especially, reflects really well the psyche of Isabel as a character who finds it difficult to make decisions and to rely on her own judgment.

One of my favorite thing about this book, just after the fact that this is one of the only YA books that offer a proper disabled and ill representation, is the fact that it deals with sick kids in love, as indicated by the title, and not only sick kids falling in love. Romance often focuses its attention on the when (when will they kiss? when will they confess their feelings to each other? when and who will make the first move?) and not enough on the how. It is really rare to find books that explore relationships after the big « get-together » moment. Sick Kids in love dives deep into the adjustments and struggles of teen relationships. Isabel has abandonment issues since her mom left her and her father on their own. She is against romantic relationships and sure of not being fit for it, as attested by her family tree. Through her relationship with Sasha, we see her learning to own her narrative and her labels as a chronically-ill teenager but we also discover how a teenager can grasp the concept of couple, of romance and of relying on another person for affective intimacy and for caring when until then, she managed to only rely on herself. It is not, in itself, an epic love story, full of dramatic declarations and grand gestures, however for people who are second-guessing their worth and their ability to love and be loved in return, it is everything. It is the most epic that a mundane romance featuring two sick kids can get.
I thought I was accepting of my condition and of the limitation imposed by my body. The truth is…I was not. And I am still not. This book is unapologetically representing the disabled experience of the one who « does not want to give the impression of faking it ». In one scene, Isabel decides to walk instead of taking a cab to get home, even though she is in pain, because it’s well known, if you can do it, you have to. Pushing yourself to your limits because you are able to do something is a common experience and more often than not, a disabled person shuts down what their body is telling them, in order to gain validation, in regards to abled-people. Seeing it forehand, printed black on white, in an actual book, is a wonder. It was really interesting to see two perspectives on disability. On one hand, Isabel, at the beginning of the novel, is completely disconnected from her invisible illness while Sasha, on the other hand, has a strong support system and is much more accepting of his own illness, Gaucher disease, a much more visible illness. This pair of characters and their visions in terms of disability could never have been conveyed by an author who would not have chronically-ill. She manages to make co-exist these realities of disabled lives without down-playing one or the other. There is a number of details that only an #OwnVoice author can provide. Hannah Moskowitz has been there. You can feel it in the way she takes care of her characters, nuanced and never pushing judgments on them, and of her readers, letting them the space to process at the same pace as Isabel does.
The strong point of Sick Kids in Love is obviously its characters. The panel of secondary characters is really compelling and realistic, which includes a cast of queer characters and characters of color. Their relationships are deeply organic and I loved how complex the portrayal of friendships was. Once again, dealing with ableism when it is from a stranger on the bus, you will never meet again, is one thing. Acknowledging your friends and your family have integrated ableist notions, is way more complicated to deal with. Her group of friends composed of Siobhan, Maura and Luna, does not get it, no matter how hard they try, her father who is working in the medical field, does not get it. Managing honest relationships without overstepping your boundaries, or hurting your abled-friends’ feelings is hard. The more the book progress the more Isabel frees herself from the pressure and succeeds to have truthful conversations with her friends on her needs and her wants. I love how the book challenged and called out inappropriate behaviors. This book reinforces some strong messages addressed to the disabled youth.

This was just so wonderful to read. I cannot believe that I waited so long to pick it up. I guess I was just worried that the illnesses that the main characters had would be romanticized or dramatized in ways that were harmful to those who were represented. However, I felt like this novel really stayed true to real life. Not only were the illnesses and the status of being chronically ill done exceptionally well (hell yeah, #ownvoices), the romance that developed was so beautiful, natural, and clever. I adored Isabel and Sasha's characters. They were wonderful protagonists to follow. Reading their love story reminded me how much fun it was to fall in love. I saw a lot of my own relationship and the ways that we fell in love in how they fell for each other. I really resonated with Isabel's tendency to overthink. Her thought processes were so relatable. I love her so much. SASHA! What a sweet, soft boy. I cannot fully describe how much I adore him.

Entangled: Teen and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Sick Kids in Love. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

As a teenager with a chronic illness, Isabel has not let her limitations get in the way of what she truly wants to do. Until she meets Sasha in the treatment room, however, Isabel does not realize that she has been excusing the behavior of others in deference to herself. The high school newspaper column she writes allows Isabel to stay at a safe distance, but can Sasha help to expand her horizons?

The author does a good job of bringing her characters to life and it is clear that she knows the mindset of someone with a chronic illness. I liked the story itself, but thought that too much time was spent on the questions and answers from Isabel's newspaper column. It felt more like filler to me, that the novel would not have been long enough without it. Without spoiling the book for others, I can only say that one particular side plot regarding Isabel's mother is so implausible and unrealistic that it need not have been included. I also found it unlikely that Isabel's father would have been that detached from his daughter's illness, especially considering that he is a doctor. Overall, Sick Kids in Love is a good YA realistic romance that may appeal to the target audience.