Find your next great read for International Day of Persons with Disabilities by exploring my reviews of these thoughtful YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders.

The private emotional, physical, and psychological pain of chronic illness, learning disabilities, psychological disorders, physical impairments, and other special needs are often misunderstood by friends and family members. Chronic pain wears on a person over time. Physical impairments can take as much of an emotional toll as a physical one. Reading YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and other disorders can be helpful for someone struggling with dyslexia, OCD, blindness, cerebral palsy, cancer, or deafness who needs empathy and compassion. Storytelling can be the light that helps someone be seen and heard.

Here are my personal recommendations for some amazing YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders that portray characters whose stories provide complex, authentic, even humorous looks into their lives.

Unquiet Riot by Khristina Chess

Representation: Early-Onset Schizophrenia

“Henry used a type of camouflage—in his case, those corny jokes and the way he dressed—to hide the game. No one could be allowed to know his special ability to detect who was real and who was an agent. Not even me.“― Khristina Chess, quote from Unquiet Riot

Riley’s life is filled with mind-numbing boredom until Henry arrives at his school. Henry’s amazing! Henry believes Earth is populated by robots posing as humans. He believes the shadows in his room are monsters escaping from the electrical wires, and he sleeps with knives under his mattresses. For Riley, visiting Henry’s world is like being a tourist in a foreign land.

Except for Henry, that place is terrifying and real.

Exhilarating and mind-bending! What I love most about Unquiet Riot is the slow unfolding of the friendship between the boys and the way Henry’s mental illness becomes revealed a little at a time. I worried for him. Riley is a great unreliable narrator who is witty and scary. This is the kind of authentic novel that really shows how factors like bullying, mental illness, and lack of teacher, parental, and even friend involvement can allow an environment for a mass school violence event to occur.

If you’re looking for YA books about disabilities and complex neurodivergent characters, check out this psychological thriller that explores the consequences of silence about bullying and early-onset schizophrenia in teens.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Representation: Blindness

"Sometimes people did this, closed their eyes for a few seconds and imagined it gave them insights into what it was like to be her. Only, at the end, they could still open their eyes and see." ― April Henry, quote from Girl, Stolen

This slender YA novel is a fast and engaging read!

The story is about sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder, daughter of a famous Nike CEO, who is accidentally kidnapped by a boy named Griffen. He's about her age, maybe older, and he soon regrets his actions because his abusive father decides to hold her for ransom. Cheyenne is in danger. She has pneumonia; she's blind; bad men at Griffen's house are interested in assaulting her; and she expects to be killed once money has exchanged hands.

The prose is simple and effective. The viewpoint alternates between Cheyenne and Griffen, and we learn backstories of both protagonists through the story. I especially liked learning so much about what a blind person might experience in such a situation. Cheyenne was clever and resilient.

I haven't read a book straight through and stayed up to finish in a long time. Well done! If you’re looking for amazing YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders, you don’t want to miss this YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults and YALSA Quick Pick winner.

Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton

Representation: Early-Onset Schizophrenia

“Real is subjective. There are a lot of things that aren't actually real to everyone. Pain, for example. It's only real to the one experiencing it. Everyone else has to take your word for it.”― Julia Walton, quote from Words on Bathroom Walls

This story about a character with schizophrenia is told through journal entries or letters to a therapist, and so it took me a long time to connect to Adam. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because I really enjoyed how the book ended. I appreciated that there weren't easy answers for his illness and that the people in his life came through for him in unexpected ways.

With the diverse lists of YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders out there, don’t miss this small book that tackles the big issue of early-onset schizophrenia in teens in a loving, beautiful, and hopeful way.

One Big Mess by Melody Loomis

Representation: Hoarding Disorder

One Big Mess is one big surprise!

Gracie is a teen living with a single parent who is grieving the loss of a child and copes through hoarding. The mess is overwhelming. Gracie is such an optimistic and hopeful girl who devises a plan to help her mom by trying to get her onto a reality TV show for hoarders. She's convinced that the show has the resources to provide therapy and cleanup that her mom won't take from Gracie and her sister.

I loved Gracie's character and her relationships with her friends, sister, and parents. I was rooting for her and her mom to find some way to clean things up.

If you’re looking for an unexpected and thoughtful YA book about illnesses and disorders, you should definitely pick up this one.

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Representation: Disfigurement

“Flawed, we're truly interesting, truly memorable, and yes, truly beautiful.” ― Justina Chen, quote from North of Beautiful

Terra Cooper doesn’t have a body image problem; it’s her face. She’s blonde, beautiful, talented as an artist, and she’s fit. The problem is that she has a birthmark on her cheek that’s the size of Texas.

For me, this novel was a slow burn because of the complexity of the family relationships and the distance Terra had to travel to find her way. It’s not an easy road for her. Mid-way, a light begins to shine, and through a geography change to China and a series of maps and geocaching experiences, Terra begins a journey. There is a romantic interest. In the end she discovers acceptance, self-healing, and the real meaning of beauty.

This lovely YA book about disfigurement shows that sometimes a flaw isn’t a flaw after all.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Representation: Immunodeficiency

“Maybe growing up means disappointing the people we love.” ― Nicola Yoon, quote from Everything, Everything

This lovely YA book is an all-the-feels love story about a girl locked in a tower and the prince who rescues her.

Actually, they are two ordinary teenagers. Well, Maddie is not ordinary. She has a rare immunodeficiency disease that makes her allergic to the whole world, so she lives inside a bubble. It’s not a literal plastic bubble, but she can’t go outside. She has an airtight, clean, totally isolated life in an allergen-free environment.

Until a boy moves in next door.

They meet electronically, and their relationship develops with all that emotional falling-in-love-for-the-first-time wonderfulness. Nicola Yoon writes it beautifully. The story is unique, and the sweet love story gives all the feels.

But, there’s more. Much more. Because teenagers press boundaries. They must kiss, even if that could be deadly.

If you overlooked this thoughtful YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders, be sure to pick it up. In fact, Nicola Yoon is such a great author that she’s on my list of Best YA Authors to Binge on Kindle Unlimited because she’s all-around amazing!

Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Representation: Cancer

“We used to be pretty good friends, but fourteen-year-old girls are psychotic.” ― Jesse Andrews, quote from Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

I loved this book. It was so comical, which is an odd thing to say about a book about a girl dying from cancer. But it’s true. It’s sad humor in the face of tragedy.

Greg and Earl are weird, unlikely friends and amateur filmmakers who manage to fly below the radar at school and enjoy their private world. Then Greg’s mom makes him reach out to Rachel, a childhood friend who has been diagnosed with leukemia and needs a friend.

Earl turns out to be the more compassionate of the pair, and the two of them set out to make a movie about Rachel. Their brilliant idea fails in execution and is the Worst Film Ever Made.

This wonderful novel is full of crude humor, heart, honesty, and surprises as Greg learns things about his long-time friend Earl, as well as himself, though this journey with the dying girl, Rachel. If you’re looking for some YA books about illnesses that will make you laugh out loud, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl is definitely a title to add to your reading list.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Representation: Cancer

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” ― John Green, quote from The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is the ultimate YA book about cancer. Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace are two teens with cancer, and they fall in love during a sweet time of remission. They talk about literature and philosophy, and they go on a wonderful journey to meet the author of Hazel’s favorite novel. This person is not at all what she expected—a huge disappointment, as a matter of fact—but then, life happens that way.

When the inevitable plot turn comes and twists the knife in your heart, it doesn’t matter that you’re expecting it. Augustus and Hazel are supposed to be together, so every bittersweet moment of their parting is a gasp. Every breath counts. Every syllable.

If you’re looking for the sweetest and most heart-wrenching star-crossed love story, pick up this classic. If you read it a long time ago, it’s just as good the second time around. Trust me. It belongs at the top of your pile of thoughtful YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis

Representation: Cystic Fibrosis

“If I’m going to die, I’d like to actually live first.” ― Rachael Lippincott, quote from Five Feet Apart

Stella and Will are two kids with cystic fibrosis who literally have to stay away from one another to survive. Infections are bad, possibly deadly, and Will is like kryptonite to Stella, who doesn’t want to lose her place on the transplant list.

But the heart wants what the heart wants—even when the lungs are failing.

Stella and Will disobey all kinds of orders in their love pursuits and put their lives at risk. They have so much positive energy that you want them to beat the odds. Tragedy won’t touch them.

You will love Stella and Will’s story. The movie was pretty great, too!

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland

Representation: OCD

“Everyone's got something. Some people are just better actors than others.” ― Tamara Ireland Stone, quote from Every Last Word

I loved everything about this book. Sam is a flawed character with a story to share. Although on the surface she looks like a typical teenager with the normal set of diverse friends and interests, she is something else. She has a secret, OCD, which she hides from everyone.

Watching her new friendships and romantic relationship with AJ develop was compelling, and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the plot twists along the way. The poetry is awesome! Everything about Sam's world felt very vivid and rich--Poet's Corner, the swimming pool, Sue's office... The Odometer! There is so much depth to this novel. What a satisfying read all around.

Don’t miss this moving and beautiful YA book about mental illness. It’s another great title for your list of illnesses and disorder novels.

Other YA Books about Disabilities, Illnesses, and Disorders You Should Read

If you are looking for other thoughtful YA books about disabilities, illnesses, and disorders, Goodreads also offers some great book lists: YA Novels with Special Needs Characters, YA Illness, Blindness in YA, and Autism in YA. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of book reviews.

Do you have any recommendations? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.