That uncertainty was where Claire came from, a proxy who had a defined illness and was always the same age as Ibby when she died. Doctors said it was growing pains, even accused her of lying. The saddest part of Ibby’s story is how long it took her to get diagnosed. She can’t let other people see her with a cane, can’t let her dad see her with a cane, because she doesn’t want a big billboard letting people know she is sick. Her legs sometimes give out under her, and Sasha urges her to get a cane to help, but she can’t do that. She wants to just take a taxi sometimes, so she can just be dropped off at her building, but she never does. She counts out how far she has to walk to get from the subway to her apartment, how many stairs to climb, etc.

They invite her to go skiing, even though she can’t do a lot of physical activity without suffering for it later. Ibby’s normal friends don’t understand how difficult her RA can be. The two are in the same boat in that they are sick. Soon, though, they are “not dating” a lot. Of course, Ibby has to warn him that she doesn’t date. She brings him water, and they talk and make plans. Ibby counts out how long until their paths cross again when they come in for future treatments, but is surprised to meet Sasha while volunteering at the hospital. They have a very charming encounter, but don’t exchange contact information. It’s a not very fun genetic disorder that means fatigue, easily broken bones, and a possible future ruptured spleen, but is mostly not fatal. Sasha is receiving treatment for his Gaucher disease. One day at her treatment for RA, Ibby meets a boy. Otherwise, Ibby is normal, and has normal friends and a normal dad who works too much at his hospital.

It’s a little strange, but it makes sense later. One person she always gets an answer from is Claire, her imaginary best friend who died of cancer. She writes an advice column for her school newspaper where she asks her friends, family, and even strangers questions and compiles all the answers. It’s not fatal, but it is a lifelong illness. Isabel, AKA Ibby, is sixteen years old and has rheumatoid arthritis.

It sounded like a refreshing change of pace from weepy dramas about terminally ill teens from Five Feet Apart to vintage Lurlene McDaniel to The Fault in Our Stars (Although that book is amazing and I love it, and I will hear nothing bad about it or John Green). Sick Kids in Love boasts the tagline, “They don’t die in this one.” This snort-inducing line was a big selling point for me, along with how much I enjoyed Moscowitz’s Teeth.

Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz