The First Move by Jenny Ireland

Juliet’s arthritis is getting in the way of being a normal teenager. She was diagnosed with arthritis when she was twelve, and It’s so painful, she can’t do things she wants to do. Parties? Clothes she feels pretty in? A love life? She feels out of place, and like this stuff just isn’t meant for her, no matter how much she wants it. Plus, she’s babied by her parents, and some of her friends are less than loyal.

She needs a distraction from all the medical appointments, the nasty comments from schoolmates, and all the other things her disability brings. She finds that distraction in online chess — well, the person she’s playing. As their relationship grows, Juliet’s outlook changes: she can do normal things, and she is loveable. 

“ . . . I deeply missed my old life, the one I had before my diagnosis. I grieved for the life I could have had, and the pain was still there, but it hurt less now I’d learned to live with it.” 

This is a book for #disabilityrep #selflove

Video review here