This #ownvoices YA book about living with an invisible disability and chronic pain was INCREDIBLE!! I've read a few books with hypermobile Ehlers Danlos rep but this is definitely a standout! Brynn Kwan is a scholarship student at a private school and a pep rally altercation sees her unfairly suspended for a week and kicked out of all her senior year activities.

Taking this as just one more sign that she should start living her life on her own terms while she can, Brynn decides to drop out of school altogether. Luckily her parents, sister and cousin help her realize there are some things worth fighting for and while her life might not be like everyone else's she can still make the best of it.

I especially loved the way Brynn has internal conversations with the parts of her body giving her pain - it was so realistic and painted a vivid picture of what it's like to live with EDS (and POTS) - two rare genetic conditions she inherited from her father.

The second chance romance with her ex boyfriend Oliver was another highlight for me as was the David and Goliath fight Brynn takes on with the school board that sided with the boy whose parents use money to excuse his bad behavior.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! I highly recommend this for fans of authors like Talia Hibbert, Melissa See and Jules Machias.

TW: ableism, discussions about life during COVID

I’ve noticed an increasing number of books featuring protagonists with chronic or mental illnesses, and it’s wonderful to see this diversification in the literary world. “Conditions of a Heart” is a touching and realistic portrayal of these important issues. I was deeply moved by Brynn’s story and felt a strong connection to Mangle, the author, who also faces chronic illnesses. The book provides valuable insight into the struggles of living with a chronic illness (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), highlighting not only its impact on the protagonist, but also on their family and friends. It was truly an enlightening read. I found myself rooting for Oliver and Brynn throughout the entire book, and my heart ached for Brynn, considering how young she is to face such challenges. This book is truly exceptional, and I commend Mangle for shedding light on this condition and bravely sharing her experiences through this art form.

Brynn has done an impressive job paving the way toward a perfect senior year. She's on track to be prom queen, she's head of the yearbook committee, and she aspires to become a doctor. Not a soul outside her family knows she lives with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and that's exactly how she wants it. And it's going great, until she gets suspended and removed from her senior activities after being blamed for starting a fight she was attempting to break up.

With her already fractured life falling to pieces, she finds herself once again crossing paths with her ex-boyfriend Oliver — whom she pushed away rather than letting him find out about a major surgery. With her secret becoming harder to keep, her family at odds from the inside, and her fears of being hated for her disability all converging, Brynn has to weigh her options. Should "Pretend Brynn" remain at the wheel, or should she be her true self in public?

Author Bethany Mangle mentions that she's written this from her own experience, but acknowledges that not everyone with EDS will have the same experiences. Nonetheless, it's a compelling look at living with a hidden disability, and the expectations we place on ourselves (and that the world places on us). It's also a post-COVID book with a very different angle, acknowledging that many of us have health concerns that aren't neatly boxed into a handful of years. Moreover, though, it's a message for those of us with disabilities: no matter who's hurt us in the past, people who truly care about us want to know the real us.

A teen who must come to terms with her disability while dealing with school drama, a complicated relationship with her family, and the one boy she let go... but the real struggle is deciding what her future holds for her. Brynn Kwan is disabled, she deals with chronic pain and a body that she can't really control, she has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Brynn wants so badly to pretend the version of herself that she puts forth is the real one, she's been hiding her disability from everyone, only her family knows. Brynn so desperately wants to uphold the perfect happy version of herself that she created, but when an incident at school has her suspended, it gives Brynn time to re-evaluate what exactly her disability means to her. She also has to work on a project with her ex-boyfriend Oliver, the one guy she dumped because she was afraid her illness would hold him back... yet spending time with him again has her thinking maybe she should tell him the truth. Brynn is dealing with so much, from fighting against her own body's limits to trying to learn to open herself up to those close to her and telling them about her disability. This book was so so heartwarming. Brynn felt like such a well fleshed out character and her story was beautiful. She struggles with being vulnerable while trying to not let her disability define her, yet trying to accept it is so difficult for her. She struggled with so much but was so resilient and her story was absolutely amazing. I loved Brynn so much, and her family was so supportive and sweet and I adored Oliver. This felt like such a realistic and authentic book, and I just think everyone should read it. It's a story that just emotionally resonates with you and I loved it.

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Conditions of a Heart" by Bethany Mangle is a powerful and emotionally resonant young adult novel that addresses the challenges of living with chronic illness while exploring themes of identity, vulnerability, and self-acceptance. Brynn Kwan, the MC, grapples with her conditions, navigating the complexities of high school life while concealing her chronic pain from friends, including her ex-boyfriend Oliver.

Before getting into this review, I just wanted to point out how gorgeous the cover is, and I think it perfectly represents the book. Once the book is officially published, I will definitely be buying a physical edition to put on my bookshelf.

The representation of chronic illness in the book, I felt, was very authentic and relatable. Mangle was able to create a careful and compassionate portrayal of the conditions. I really like how we were able to get Brynn’s perspective as well as her father’s in relation to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The experiences of dealing with medical care issues (especially in a post-COVID-19 world), and the fear of disclosure are portrayed with love and care, leaving you with a raw and true understanding of Brynn's journey. I felt so connected to Brynn and supported her throughout the novel as she came to terms with who she is as a person and who she wants to be in the future while living with these chronic conditions.

The relationships in the novel receive were extremely well-developed and realistic, especially Brynn's connection to her father as they were able to share experiences and understand one another, which I found to be beautiful and heartwarming, especially when this relationship added a layer of humor and personality to the narrative. I love how the dad was a metal rocker and how he loves Pokémon; he felt like such a “dad” when he related Brynn to the Pokémon Gengar. The portrayal of Brynn's relationships with her mother and sister, two people in her close family who don’t have the same conditions, and their struggles in understanding and supporting her, also felt very realistic, especially her sister’s actions and thoughts as the younger sister feeling pressured into taking care of her older sister.

I also really enjoyed the humor throughout, which injected light into a serious subject matter. Brynn's inner monologue provided a balance between seriousness and humor, especially with her abundant sarcasm. The exploration of identity and vulnerability takes center stage, with the book focusing on Brynn's journey to be true to herself and allow others into her life.

As a cat person, I also really liked the inclusion of a cat cafe for a few scenes, especially the descriptions of the cats and their actions (like all of them puking when they were displeased). While romance is present, Mangle made sure to prioritize Brynn's self-identity journey.

I think this novel would do extremely well being incorporated in high school English classrooms as the book offers valuable representation for those with chronic illnesses and encourages all readers to reflect on issues of ableism. "Conditions of a Heart" is a beautifully written and emotionally charged YA novel that tackles important themes with grace and authenticity, and I definitely highly recommend this book.

Absolutely phenomenal. Stayed up all night to finish it in one sitting. A book I certainly needed as a chronically ill teen, and chronically ill teen readers certainly need now. I could definitely see this as a Schneider Award winner or honoree!

4.5 stars
rep: POTS, hEDS
This book hit so hard. Like, I am not one to cry during books I think there’s literally one book that has made me cry, but this one genuinely brought tears to my eyes. Number one if you have a chronic illness of any kind this is a must read.
The first thing I’m gonna talk about in this review is the chronic illness rep because as somebody that has the exact same conditions as the main character, this book felt so real. Genuinely some of the scenes I was reading felt like flashbacks to my life, I have never felt myself so much in a main character. The pain, the discussion of insurance struggles, issues with medical care, the fear of having to come out to classmates about being disabled, wow. Honestly left me speechless, Bethany Mangle wrote those scenes with so much love and care but also left them feeling raw and true.
Brynn’s relationship with her dad was honestly probably one of my favorite relationships throughout the book. I also feel like I have a super similar connection with my dad, because of the conditions we have. The experience, Brynn and her dad shared and understanding they have each other was truly beautiful. They were also super funny just the way they discussed things you could tell how easily they understood each other, and their humor and personality was so similar. It was honestly so fun.
In contrast, I think the relationship between Brynn, her mom and sister was also represented really well. It can be really difficult for people close to you that don’t have chronic illnesses to know what to do or how to help. I think this book did a really good job of showcasing honestly everything that comes with having a chronic illness.
Onto the actual story of the book I thought it was super cute. I feel like it was very fast-paced, storm the kingdom, found family kind’ve vibes and it features a cat cafe- I loved it. I also loved the small relationship aspected and how that played a role into everything. I definitely think it was more focused on Brynn’s self identity though honestly, even if you don’t have a chronic illness, I think anybody would find something to relate to in Brynn’s story
Overall this was an absolutely beautiful story that truly touched my heart, definitely a new favorite disability read and just a favorite YA overall. I highly recommend this book, honestly I think all ages would enjoy- though high schoolers would definitely be able to relate to this book in current time.

*Thank you so much Bethany Mangle, NetGalley and team for sending me and e-ARC copy of this book. All opinions and thoughts above are 100% my own*

Throughout my reading of this book, I kept thinking to myself (and telling those around me): This is the book we need right now. Author Bethany Mangle uses her own real life experiences as a person with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome to shape her main character, Brynn, into a fully fleshed-out teenage girl dealing with her disability and the pressures of family, school, and romance in a world changed by Covid.

Both disabled and able-bodied readers will relate to Brynn's goals: find her place in the world, fit in at school, get her parents and sister to understand her, get over her first love. The fact that Brynn does all this while dealing with chronic pain and remembered insults from the height of the pandemic adds an extra layer of complexity and depth to Brynn and her story.

Full disclosure: I am a disabled reader. I share Mangle's and Brynn's illness, though to a much lesser extent. Of course I loved seeing myself and some of my struggles reflected in Brynn, and I would recommend this book to any readers with chronic illness, chronic pain, or disability. I would also recommend this book to able-bodied readers (and I have already encouraged some of my friends and family to pre-order it), for insight into the disability experience encased in a thoroughly enjoyable read.

4.5⭐️
Rep: EDS, POTS
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC!

I loved this one! I saw someone else on bookstagram reading this and I’m so grateful that the author ended up reaching out to me about an ARC. As someone with POTS and other chronic illnesses like Brynn, this book hit hard. I think the rep was done so well-I can’t speak on EDS, but anyone who’s chronically ill could relate to this, especially young people as Brynn is a senior.

Rep aside, this was a funny and cute contemporary romance! Brynn is such a real and funny character and I really loved her. Her experiences with being disabled/chronically ill were so real and I really related. Her dad uses a wheelchair and has EDS too-I loved their relationship!
So many great conversations about being disabled/chronically ill, using mobility aids, etc.
Overall, I loved this one! I’m so glad I got the opportunity to read this early and this is definitely a new disability fav.

Brynn Kwan is used to pretending. After all, she has crafted the perfect high school persona: head of the yearbook committee and a favorite for prom queen. That Brynn doesn’t have to deal with chronic pain, isn’t being worn down by a disease she can’t control. Her friends don’t know about her condition, and neither does her ex-boyfriend, who she dumped rather than tell him the truth about her surgery over the summer.

However, after a fight breaks out at a pep rally, Brynn is blamed. Now, she finds herself suspended for a week and isn’t allowed to participate in any senior year activities. During her suspension, she has to decide: does she have the courage to just be herself?

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle to review! I feel like we are slowly getting more chronic illness rep in YA, and this is a great addition to that. Especially since it is based on Mangle’s own experiences with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Despite the overall subject of the book being somewhat serious, Mangle does inject a lot of humor into her writing. So often, books about chronic illness are serious all the time, but Brynn’s inner monologue adds a little light to her situation. Brynn essentially doesn’t want people to see her as breakable, and her character is so well developed.

In addition to Brynn, we have a great cast of side characters as well. Brynn’s family and friends just want to be there for her, and the book is about her learning to be vulnerable with them. To tell them what she wants. And to allow herself grace because she is so tired of pretending all the time.

Though there are romance elements to this book, it’s definitely more focused on Brynn’s identity journey and learning how to let people in again. Despite the focus being on chronic illness, any teen reading this book could find something to relate to in Brynn’s story.

Definitely check it out when it comes out next February!

Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle is a fun, romantic book. It talks about mental health and disability. I resonated with Brynn and I also loved reading about Oliver. I'd love to interview Bethany on my podcast in March.