Epic Reading Challenge: July

Welcome back to the Epic Reads Challenge 2024, where each month some of the TBG members choose a book that fits a specific prompt. Provided by Epic Reads, these prompts inspire new and unique book choices among readers. We encourage the community to join in this challenge with us and participate each month!

The prompt for July was… a book known for making people cry.

Most readers pick up a novel because reading brings them happiness, or maybe the reader wishes to escape reality by diving into the world of a character. But sometimes, books can bring upon an entirely different emotion: sadness. Whether you pick up a book knowing it will make you cry, or whether it catches you by surprise, there are hundreds of tear-jerker novels out there. Here are a few YA examples that members of the guild have read this month:

Grace: They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera

In an alternate universe, where people who are about to die are sent a message that same day, Mateo and Rufus receive messages just after midnight. Told in multi-POV, this queer, coming-of age novel follows both of these teens on their last day to live and the adventures that they have together.

I really enjoyed this book, despite it having mixed reviews. I especially appreciated the multiple POV format of the novel, because it kept the novel from dragging on, since the events only took place over one day. And even though the events of the ending are known from the first page, the specific circumstances remain unknown, contributing to the tearshed at the conclusion of the story. This is a novel that will certainly make you cry.

Holly: The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris

The Cost of Knowing follows the point of view of Alex Rufus, the future-seeing, older brother of Isaiah Rufus. Upon seeing the vision of Isaiah’s grave, Alex tries to give Isaiah the best days of his life before his passing. This book definitely qualifies as a tearjerker. The suspense leading up the end involves many twists and turns. I would recommend reading this book with a box of tissues. Overall, I really liked this book. The concept is very interesting and unlike anything I have read before.

Brooke: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea is about the life of refugees in 1945 escaping from war. The story is exciting with many plot twists but also brought tears to my eyes at certain parts.

Phoebe: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughty and Tobias Iaconis

Another notable tear-jerker novel is Five Feet Apart co-written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis, entailing a romance between two teenagers suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Forced to be distanced 6 feet apart for their safety, they were cursed never to touch. A light-hearted romance story that brings up health struggles in teens as they navigate through their lives. There is also an element of the opposites attract troupe, mixed with enemies to lovers. Despite being fairly fast-paced, this book was still able to invoke strong emotions. Be warned, it may seem light-hearted at first but it will make you ball your eyes out!

Helena: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green features a lung and thyroid cancer patient, Hazel, and Augustus, who had osteosarcoma, and as a result, his leg was amputated. They first meet at a cancer support group meeting, where Augustus was with their mutual friend, Isaac. Augustus asks Hazel to hang out, and she agrees. Their relationship blossoms throughout the book, even through the ups and downs of their difficult lives. 

I believe that this book is an essential read. It explores relationships, reliability, and coping with doom. Because of the message, it is one of my favorite books I've ever read. It’s also beautiful and completely heart-wrenching. It’s grim, meaningful, and relatively realistic throughout the novel, which is not always in the YA world. The end is very, very sad, but a fitting finale for the story.

BOOK VS. FILM! Five Feet Apart

by Phoebe N.

The Award-winning YA novel Five Feet Apart, co-written by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis, centers around Stella Grant and Will Newman, both victims of cystic fibrosis (CF). Spending her whole life in a hospital, Stella has always been organized and well-mannered when it comes to her CF treatments; she is determined to finally be selected for a lung transplant. Will Newman, on the other hand, has been all over the world… confined in different hospitals and constantly on different treatment trial. As CFers, they were bound to be far apart– six feet to be exact– as even the slightest contact would contaminate and lower their chances of survival. The two inevitably catch feelings, but how can you love someone without being able to even touch them? Stella and Will must choose whether their spark and connection are worth more than their own lives.

The Movie

Released on March 15th, 2019, and directed by Justin Baldoni, the movie features Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse. It carries a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb and 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Overall, the film is an accurate representation of the book, and I found that the emotions portrayed by the actors/actresses were fully in-depth. Every scene was detailed and evoked the empathic emotions of the viewers. 
I think the movie is fairly well-produced and made, definitely a tear-jerker. I wouldn’t change anything about this film as it very well captivates the viewers’ feelings and to some extent resonates with the audience as well.

The Book

The novel was definitely an easy read and just like the movie, it evokes strong emotions. The connections between the characters were extremely well developed and brought out a sense of relatability to the readers’ relationships in real life. The story is quite quick-paced which made it hard for me to put it down, and I found myself flipping pages after pages. The romance between the two main characters is heart-fluttering and adorable, an accurate depiction of teen romance.

The Verdict

I highly recommend reading the book AND watching the movie. Despite the clear similarities between both works, they always left me in a stream of tears due to its heartfelt plot. However, to someone who first comes across this story, I do recommend reading the book first as it enhances the story much more deeply compared with the movie adaptation. Either way, certainly prepare your tissues, maybe even a couple of boxes.