I will clarify that I do not know anyone with cystic fibrosis nor do I myself suffer from it, but I am a biology major who attempted as much as possible to inform myself on CF so that I could catch on to inaccuracies depicted in the book. As a first, the cystic fibrosis protocol is depicted inaccurately. One of the largest inaccuracies was the fact that no hospital would have allowed a patient like Stella, who was on a transplant list, be anywhere near Will due to the high risk factor and liability issues. However, the book does a good job of depicting the stress and mental toll that terminal illness can take, especially when it affects a young demographic and curtails like expectancy so starkly. I liked that Stella and Will both were depicted as having friends and lives that did border outside of their illness. Often time people that are disabled or sick are put into a pity box where only people that are consistently caring for them are allowed to be around them, which of course isn't true, but is a widespread misconception. 

This story also hit home when it came to depicting how someone who has something like CF deals with it in a situation where their parents are deported. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there with parents that are illegal immigrants who must live with the fear of having them deported at any moment in time, but to have it mean leaving behind a family member that needs consistent medical care must be a whole other level. This is especially the case because the level of care needed for diagnoses like this are isolating as is, much more so when your entire immediate family isn't there to support you. My parents are immigrants and thankfully, legal citizens, but the illegal immigration crisis is something that is a crisis for many Latinos in the United States right now. The scenario with Poe depicted in this book was an eye opener even for me, so I'm glad that this book served to shine a light on issues that most people don't think, really. It was especially enlightening when Poe died and it was very clear his family would never see him again. It was a devastating character death, one that wasn't predictable, one that incited great emotion for me as a reader, and one that left an impression that will always let me remember the kind of crisis many immigrants go through. Overall, a great story that despite having flaws in accuracy, is still deeply moving and can give some much needed exposure to cystic fibrosis.