October Discussion Post: Sick Kids in Love
It’s time for the group discussion for our very first read: Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz! Our first live discussion will take place via IG group chat tomorrow. Drop a comment here or send me a DM on Instagram if you would like to join!
For those of you that aren’t finished yet, a second live group discussion will take place Oct 30 - Nov 1.
Don’t forget that participating in the book club will automatically enter you into a giveaway for a “Disability Justice is Love” tote (pictured below) and five custom postcards!
[ID: Sick Kids in Love, a blue book with an illustration two teens hugging replacing the letter “I” in the title, sitting on a bed next to a tote that says, “Disability justice is love” and a vase of pink roses. A white bookcase is in the background and lace under the book.]
“I guess when I met him I felt some kind of camaraderie. Here was someone who was just going to deal with the everyday slog of being sick for the rest of his normal-length life until he died of something completely unrelated, just like me. That’s a weird and special and boring kind of existence that you don’t get to share with a lot of people.”
@libraryofdreaming’s thoughts: This was my second time reading Sick Kids in Love and I absolutely adored it. The description of chronic illness felt so relatable. I wanted to highlight every other page. While I feel like I’m much more confident about standing up for myself and my needs (after many years of practice!), I thought Isabel’s journey to self-acceptance was poignant and moving. It made me want to hug everyone with chronic illness who is struggling to find their voice (including my teenage self). You deserve access, you deserve care, you deserve friendship, and you deserve love!
Sick Kids in Love covers some profound subjects but it never loses its sweet softness. Isabel and Sasha are absolute gems as characters. You root for them, cry with them, and smile with them along their journey. Their relationship was incredibly sweet and romantic. At the end of the day, I absolutely treasure this book and its refreshingly real depiction of chronic illness. 5/5 stars!
Discussion Questions:
(Please note the following discussion questions contain spoilers! Don’t read any further unless you’ve finished the book!)
What star rating would you give this book? Did you like it?
What was your favorite part of the book?
What was your least favorite part?
Did you find anything particularly relatable in this book? Or did you learn something new?
On pg. 39 in chapter five, Sasha and Isabel discuss their belief in how the world sees illness/disability as a binary between overcoming or disconnecting. Do you agree with this point of view?
What did you think of the format of the book that included clippings from Isabel’s columns? Do you think they added to the narrative?
I highlighted SO much of this book. What was your favorite quote?
In chapter sixteen around pg. 168, Sasha suggests Isabel get a cane. What did you think of her reaction?
What did you think of Isabel’s relationship with her family and friends?
What did you think of Isabel’s development over the book? Was it satisfying to you or do you wish something had been different?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
Thank you for joining and happy reading!
P.S. Keep an eye out for next month’s read: Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma.