What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedFive Feet Apart
Film · 2019
If you loved Five Feet Apart, start with The Fault in Our Stars (John Green, 2012) — a book on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Five Feet Apart across media.
If you loved Five Feet Apart, you are drawn to the bittersweet tension of finding deep intimacy despite impossible, life-altering barriers.
Books on the same thread
The Fault in Our Stars
John Green · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with Five Feet Apart: Coming-of-Age.
Much like the medical reality of Five Feet Apart, this story explores the profound intensity of young love when mortality acts as an ever-present, silent third party.
A Walk to Remember
Nicholas Sparks · Book · 2000
Shares a thread with Five Feet Apart: Young Adult Romance.
This classic romance mirrors the emotional stakes of Five Feet Apart by focusing on how terminal illness can transform a relationship into a defining, life-altering experience for both partners.
Love Story
Erich Segal · Book · 1970
Shares 2 threads with Five Feet Apart: Forbidden Love, Coming-of-Age.
If the tragic, star-crossed nature of Five Feet Apart moved you, you will appreciate this foundational story of how external circumstances and illness test the endurance of young love.
If I Stay
Gayle Forman · Book · 2014
Shares a thread with Five Feet Apart: Coming-of-Age.
Like the central dilemma in Five Feet Apart, this narrative forces its protagonist to make agonizing decisions about her future and her heart while facing a life-threatening crisis.
Series on the same thread
Descendants of the Sun
Baek Sang-Hoon · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with Five Feet Apart: Forbidden Love, Medical Drama.
You will recognize the same forbidden chemistry found in Five Feet Apart, where professional boundaries and opposing life paths create a persistent, yearning obstacle for the central couple.
The Pitt
R. Scott Gemmill · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with Five Feet Apart: Medical Drama.
If the hospital setting of Five Feet Apart provided the backdrop for your favorite moments, this drama offers a deeper, grittier look at the high-stakes environment where those connections form.
Boys Over Flowers
Yoon Ji-ryun · Series · 2009
Shares 2 threads with Five Feet Apart: Forbidden Love, Coming-of-Age.
The power dynamics and social barriers that keep the couple apart in Five Feet Apart find a parallel here, where class differences act as the primary, frustrating wedge.
Fellow Travelers
Ron Nyswaner · Series · 2023
Shares a thread with Five Feet Apart: Forbidden Love.
This series captures the same ache of forbidden love seen in Five Feet Apart, showing how societal forces and personal risk shape a long, complex, and emotionally charged relationship.
Podcasts on the same thread
This Podcast Will Kill You
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: pathogen history, public health awareness, scientific curiosity.
If the medical focus of Five Feet Apart sparked your curiosity about the realities of chronic illness, this podcast provides an engaging, informative look at the science behind diseases.
Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew
Shawn Johnson + Andrew East · Podcast · 2026
Explores: vulnerability, modern partnership, public persona.
Those who appreciated the raw, vulnerable connection between the leads in Five Feet Apart will enjoy this intimate look at how real-world couples navigate the complexities of their partnership.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Five Feet Apart based on a true story?
The provided information does not state whether Five Feet Apart is based on a true story. It describes the fictional story of seventeen-year-old Stella, a cystic fibrosis patient who meets a teen named Will while navigating the strict boundaries and routines required by their shared illness.
What is the main conflict in Five Feet Apart?
The main conflict in Five Feet Apart centers on Stella and Will, two patients with cystic fibrosis. Despite their instant connection, medical restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance from each other, which tests Stella's life of routines, boundaries, and self-control.
Does Stella have the same illness as Will in Five Feet Apart?
Yes, Stella and Will both have cystic fibrosis in Five Feet Apart. Their shared diagnosis is what brings them together in the hospital, though their medical condition requires them to stay a safe distance apart, complicating the flirtation and connection that develops between them.
Why must the characters maintain distance in Five Feet Apart?
In Five Feet Apart, the characters must maintain a safe distance because they both have cystic fibrosis. The film follows their struggle as they navigate the strict medical restrictions and boundaries necessitated by their illness while trying to maintain a connection with one another.