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When I was first diagnosed with a chronic illness that came with a whole slew of symptoms many associate with aging in my early twenties, again and again I was met with the sentiment that I was “too young” to be experiencing the symptoms. The implication, sometimes, was that I wasn’t actually experiencing the symptoms or that they couldn’t be as bad as aging-related symptoms someone older than I had. But the reality is, there is no such thing as “too young” to experience chronic illness, pain, or disability. Fiction can be windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors to all kinds of identities, chronically ill and disabled included. These seven young adult books offer varied experiences and responses to life with a chronic illness or disability as a teen, offering familiar perspectives to those in similar situations and new perspectives to readers who may believe there’s a minimum age for chronic conditions.
Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz
Isabel’s life is complicated enough without romantic drama. Living with arthritis causes enough pain without the chance for heartache. So when Sasha shows up in her life and understands, more than anyone, what it is to live with a chronic condition, the cracks in her no-dating rule start to form. But is a relationship really realistic for two teens who already have the weight of the world on their shoulders? Also available as an ebook and as an eaudiobook.
The Fall of Whit Rivera by Crystal Maldonado
Whit and Zay couldn’t be more different despite having a (long-dead) shared romance. Still in each other’s orbits, the former couple are now faced with putting their personalities aside in pursuit of planning the perfect fall formal. All the while, Whit deals with her polycystic ovarian syndrome on her own, but it’s a lonely road. If only Whit could find it in herself to open up to Zay and everyone else.
Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein
Diagnosed with juvenile arthritis, Ricky is already over it. It’s not easy being in constant pain on top of all the usual woes of a fourteen-year-old. And her coping methods aren’t the best: the only things Ricky really finds comfort in are swearing and playing hooky. But she can’t keep up her tricks forever -- before long, she’s found out skipping school and now there’s the threat of repeating ninth grade. Also available as an ebook.
Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle
Brynn isn’t interested in wearing her heart on her sleeve if it means sharing about the realities of an illness that required her to have major surgery over the summer. But when an event at school forcibly removes her carefully-crafted false reality, she is left to examine herself and consider what truthful living may look like -- even if it’s different from how she’s imagined it. Also available as an ebook.
Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O’Neal
Diagnosed with lyme disease, Priya has good days, but not many of them. But she finds support, commiseration, and camaraderie in an online chat the group names “oof ouch my bones.” When one of her online friendships turns IRL after one member, Brigid, goes silent, Priya is committed to using her limited education in medicine to solve her friend’s medical mystery -- even if it’s starting to look like the illness is that Brigid is a werewolf and even if Priya is maybe using Brigid’s illness to distract from her own suffering. Also available as an ebook.
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
HIV-positive Simone isn’t about to let her diagnosis get in her way -- not again, that is. With a fresh start at a new school, she doesn’t plan on sharing her secret, especially when her viral load is low and her symptoms under control. But when a new romantic relationship starts blooming, Simone knows she’ll have to be up front about her HIV status before things get too intimate. And then, a mysterious note claiming the writer knows about Simone’s HIV appears in her locker. Now Simone wonders: Is it better to keep dodging the bias or stand tall and brave in the face of prejudice with her truth? Also available as an ebook and an eaudiobook.
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp
In thirteen short stories, teens live with chronic illnesses and disabilities including vision impairment, anxiety, chronic pain, cerebral palsy, and more. As these teens navigate their own lives, they also sometimes face the inaccessibility and bigotry in the world around them. Also available as an ebook.
About the Author
Abby is a New-Hampshire-grown Assistant Branch Manager at Southwest Neighborhood Library. In addition to writing book lists for DC Public Library, she's written for Book Riot, School Library Journal, Library Journal, Booklist, and other professional library and bookish publications. She reads broadly, but often enjoys literary young adult fiction, contemporary young adult fiction, and young adult fantasy. She lives in Virginia with her husband and her cat, Oopsilon.