Joined at the Joints

by Marissa Eller

When baking-obsessed Ivy meets a super-hot boy who shares her rare diagnosis, sparks fly outside of the kitchen for the first time in her life!

Chronically ill seventeen-year-old Ivy has stayed in watching the Food Network all summer—pies are better than people, and they don’t trigger her social anxiety. So when her (also) chronically ill mom and sister cook up a plan to get Ivy out of the house and into a support group, Ivy doesn’t expect to say more than a few words.

And she certainly doesn’t expect Grant. Grant is CUTE: class-clown cute, perfectly-messy-hair cute, will-always-text-you-back cute. There’s an instant connection between them. He has the same diagnosis as her--juvenille rheumatoid arthritis--and he actually understands Ivy’s world.

But just because he understands Ivy’s pain doesn’t mean he can take it away. And she wishes he could—because it’s getting worse. Ivy has always tried her best to appear pain-free, but between treatment plans, symptom management, and struggling with medical self-advocacy, being sick feels more and more difficult. Will Ivy’s delicious new romance pan out? Can she keep up the façade, for him and for the world… or should she be brave and let it go?

Marissa Eller serves up a sweet, satisfying romcom that tackles the realities of chronic illness—and coming-of-age milestones from friend breakups to first kisses—with wry humor, tons of heart, and a huge helping of honesty. Nuanced, poignant, and deeply enjoyable, readers will fall for Eller’s voice in this compelling debut that offers all the right ingredients.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Disability, Contemporary, Mental Health, Young Adult Romance, Fiction

Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2024

Reviews

[Anna Sortino · Rating 5 out of 5]

JOINED AT THE JOINTS is full of heart, showcasing the importance of love and community. Marissa Eller serves up a sweet and affirming story that embraces the unpredictability of chronic illness.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally picked of Joined at the Joints after having it on my shelf for a few months. With great disability rep and family dynamics, this a good realistic fiction/contemporary book for teen readers.

What Worked: I've been very adamant about including more books in my repertoire that have disability representation especially those that are classified as kid lit. Joined at the Joints was the perfect selection. Eller, who like main character Ivy, is chronically ill perfectly captures the ups and downs of Ivy's friendships, doctors appointments, familial relationships, and eventually a romantic relationship. As someone who is not chronically ill, I appreciated the way in which Eller was able to capture the chronic illnesses of not only Ivy, but also her sister and mother. Although for some readers the idea of all three struggling with chronic illnesses doesn't seem plausible, there is a great reference to the genetic possibilities of something like this happening. Eller includes some great and realistic conversations within the framework of this novel. For example, Ivy also struggles with social anxiety so the idea of making friends outside of her family is not always plausible. This is reinforced with her hesitancy in joining the support group as well as maintaining a high school friendship. There was also a great conversation about bodily autonomy and the decision to take birth control. Ivy is recommended to start birth control due to her age and change in medication; however, Ivy struggles with the implications of that recommendations and begins to consider whether she is ready for sex. I appreciated Eller diving into a conversation related to bodily autonomy as it pertains to contraceptives. The relationship between Ivy and Grant was absolutely charming. Not only did they connect because they share the same chronic illness, but they genuinely have personalities that work well together. There were moments where their relationship wasn't perfect, but it added to the overall realness to their interactions. The care and love shared between them was adorable and very much so indicative of a first time relationship in high school that a lot of teen readers will connect with.

What Didn't Work:I thought that there were moments when Ivy read a little younger than 17. That is probably more so related to her character development and social anxiety than anything else. I also thought there were moments where the narrative was a little slower than I anticipated.

Overall, there is was a good read and I'm glad I picked it up. I'm looking forward to seeing what other books Eller writes in the future.

[Patty (IheartYA311) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, easy read. The writing and characters were pleasant enough. As someone who suffers from psoriatic arthritis and multiple other autoimmune diseases, I had hoped for a deeper, inspiring, and more emotional storyline. The author just scratched the surface of the plot's potential.

[｡✷ 🎀 𝐿𝒾𝓏 🎀 ✷｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awwwww!! This book was so cute!! 🥰

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is no chronic illness or disability that makes you any less worthy of love"❤️‍🩹

JOINED AT THE JOINTS, es un libro sobre el primer amor, la familia y la resiliencia.
La escritora expresa su propia experiencia con una enfermedad crónica como la "Artritis reumatoide" RA.

Ivy es una adolescente de 17 años y padece de RA, eso hace que en ella misma inicie un proceso de encontrar su lugar seguro CON ELLA MISMA.
Todo cambia cuando su hermana, también con enfermedad crónica, la anima para ir a un grupo de apoyo de jóvenes que tienen EC como ellas.
En un mundo donde ella pensaba que jamás se sentiría entendida, termina conociendo a GRANT, que con 17 años también tiene RA.

AY, el libro es un abrazo al corazón.
Ivy y Grant, son de las cosas más tiernas del mundo. Su relación es basada en la confianza, el lugar seguro y la comunicación.
ERAN TAN ADORABLES, que estaba fangirl por ellos.
Los amé mucho.
A TODO EL GRUPO DE APOYO + LA FAMILIA DE IVY, LOS AMO TANTOOOOO.

Me encanta que el libro te muestra una mirada general de lo que es convivir con una enfermedad crónica y todo el entorno de la persona que lo tiene.
Además, me gustó que el libro fuera sobre Ivy.
Ella descubriendo el mundo, la amistad y el amor, más allá de las barreras que ella misma se ponía.

Me gustó leerlo y el romance es ultra bonito❤️‍🩹🤍❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹💐💐⭐️⭐️⚘️⚘️⚘️
P.D. Amo la obsesión de Ivy con la repostería y toda la cocina.


TODAS LAS CHICAS MERECEMOS UN GRANT

[USOM · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

One of my favorite elements of Joined at the Joints was Ivy's family. There is such a clear sense of love, of care, of support in these characters. From the way they pitch in when they can, to the little mannerisms that are so detailed and characteristic. At the same time, the way our siblings can make us feel so small and unshiny without even trying. Watching the family see Ivy's life and new experiences was a true joy. That being said, Ivy is one of my favorite recent characters.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joined at the Joints is the kind of book that pops up now and again to remind me how important YA (and even more specifically, diverse YA) books are. This was affirming, comforting, necessary and incredibly sweet.

Ivy goes on multiple journey's throughout this book and each one is handled with sensitivity and love. The way book has the power to make many of its readers feel seen in a way that so few pieces of fiction offer is a type of special that can't be underestimated. My only slight qualm with this book was the story line between Ivy and her friend Rory but even then, it is a story and experience that deserved to be told.

Overall, this was a warm, eye opening and heartfelt read and one I'd happily recommend.

[María · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.75 ⭐️) Disfrutable.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advanced reader's copy review

This is the year where I read books that make me feel seen and I love it. First Dear Wendy and now this book. While I may not have the same diagnosis as Ivy and my symptoms are thankfully not as severe, I totally relate to her joint pain and stiffness. I also relate to her social anxiety. And lastly I relate to her love of cooking, brunch, and cooking shows (especially Chopped). So I truly adore Ivy as a main character. I love that I can relate to her. I love her devotion to her family and the unique and wholesome relationship she has with each member. I love her development learning to open up about her illness more and let people in and advocate for herself better. I love her absolutely adorable romance with Grant. I think Grant might be the best young adult love interest I have ever read. He is such a good person, and so totally in love with Ivy. He is always there to support her and gets along with her family and is overall a ridiculously perfect boyfriend. Overall this is a ridiculously amazing book, and I cannot recommend it enough!

Thank you Holiday House and Edelweiss for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA #ownvoices debut romance has FANTASTIC chronic illness and social anxiety rep in both the main character, Ivy, her love interest, Grant and her sister (celiac's) and mother (lupus). Ivy is a foodie diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, Juvenile idiopathic arthritis and when her medications stop working her mother suggests they look into a more aggressive treatment.

She also starts going to a chronic illness support group where she meets Grant, a teen boy with rheumatoid arthritis. I really loved how authentic the depiction of living with chronic joint pain and flares was and the extra challenge Ivy had trying to act as caregiver for her mother and sister too. This was great on audio narrated by Laura Knight Keating and perfect for fans of authors like Melissa See or Bethany Mangle. 10/10 recommend!

[౨ৎ bennett •𖤐🌷 · Rating 3 out of 5]

‧₊˚ 🍂 ᭪ started 21.05.25
˖ finished 21.05.25

❝i promise, ivy. you
are worth everything.❞

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

damnnnnn that was good. i ate that up.

i don’t know if this is a personal five star read, but the story certainly deserves that rating so five stars it is!

this was such a cute and lovely story. Ivy and Grant’s relationship was so cute and can we all give a round of applause to no miscommunication trope and no third act break up in a YA book 👏 👏👏 i wish dating was that easy in real life.

it was really interesting to read more about JIA and chronic illness. i feel like those are topics not often addressed in the ya genre, or even general media, but it’s so important to continually explore relevant and important issues outside of one’s own experience. this was the perfect story for that. i learned so much while THOROUGHLY enjoying myself.

this was a really sweet and easy read that had so much depth and character to it. and yes, i did read in less than 24 hours.

[Jamie Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story that highlights the struggles of chronic illness and all the things that come with it. The author showcases RA in a way that the reader can be empathetic while also cheering the characters on through their journey. Funny, sweet, and emotional.. this is a must read for everyone!!

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book it was so good I adored Ivy and Grant along with disability representation this book has I can’t wait to read more from this author in the near future it was a very sweet read indeed!

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, yes, yes! This chronic illness representation is fantastic. Marissa Eller did an amazing job putting her own experience with rheumatoid arthritis into these characters. Everything feels so authentic, and there is so much character growth! The support group is so diverse in its representation of different chronic illnesses and is both supportive and fun! It perfectly pictures that people with chronic illnesses have normal teenage experiences too, but also how different their lives are from healthy teens. The story is told with humor, and the romance is sweet. I can’t wait to read more books by Marissa Eller!

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 3 out of 5]

review coming soon

[hannah! · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute and i loved the food

[patricia 𖦹 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 so fucking SWEET

[Kaitlyn Whinery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never felt more seen or understood in my life. This book is so important for those in the chronically ill community to feel represented and for those not to help understand what their peers might be going through.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, rounded down

I know the title makes sense, but it just feels awkward.

Anyway, I liked the book quite a bit. While the synopsis does mention that Ivy has social anxiety, I was surprised by how intense it is. I have pretty bad social anxiety, but Ivy tends more towards avoidance while I tend more towards ruminating (hours and hours of "Oh god, why did I say that?", though it's gotten a lot better). Honestly, Ivy's is approaching the beginnings of agoraphobia. Some people might find it unrealistic that she's somehow less anxious around Grant, but that was 100% my experience when I met my now-husband. I couldn't even order pizza at the time (this was back when you did that by phone), but I could talk to him from day 1. Anxiety is weird.

The family dynamics were interesting. Ivy, her sister, and their mother all have chronic autoimmune diseases (JRA, celiac, and lupus, respectively), while her father and brother don't. Between this shared experience, personality, and probably some gender stuff, the three of them are closer to each other, and Ivy and her sister seem to view their little brother as more of an annoyance than anything. Even though it's Ivy's story, I do wish we'd gotten at least a smidge of insight into how the dad and brother are affected by everything. It would have to be really complicated to have a wife and two out of three kids be chronically ill, or a mother and two sisters. But they're kind of just there. The brother's main personality traits are loud, likes baseball, thinks Grant is cool. I'm not even sure what the dad's are.

Grant was really sweet. It was obvious he cared about Ivy and was willing to work with her anxiety and her complicated feelings around her illness (she's had JRA for almost 2 years, but while she clearly feels like she should be in expert-mode by now, she doesn't seem to have really processed her diagnosis).

Rory (which is my nickname!) is an interesting character. She has kind of…implied complexity. We're seeing things through Ivy's narrow, very anxious worldview, but we get glimpses of Rory's own anxiety and self-doubt, and hints of her figuring out who she is as a person (the obvious example being that she had previously always worn pink, but was starting to branch out). I'd have liked to see more of her.

Caroline, Ivy's sister, is almost a really great secondary character, but I feel like there's something missing that I can't quite put my finger on. She's a good mix of supportive and annoying, which I think is how siblings are supposed to work (I'm an only child, what do I know?). I'm only just now realizing how narrow and self-centered Ivy's worldview is—not in a bad way, exactly, but as a natural consequence of being a teenager and having anxiety and dealing with chronic illness. It doesn't feel like anyone was written in a subpar way, more like Ivy just isn't seeing them as complexly as she could be.

Ivy's fondness for cooking and her connection to her late grandmother are also a nice touch, and they feel very real. It's a form of escape, connection, meaning, and distraction, all at once, as well as something she does to help take care of others. You can kind of gauge how she's doing by the cooking scenes and their level of franticness versus musing.

I did feel like the ending was a bit soft and abrupt (I know, those sound contradictory). "Soft" was the first word that came to mind within seconds of finishing it—it's a classic "fade to black" movie sort of ending. There weren't any lose ends, exactly, but I felt like I wanted a little more from it.

Not everything needs a sequel, and not every author wants to write them, but I feel like this lends itself well to a possible follow-up without being reliant on one. I'd happily read a book from another character's perspective (probably Caroline's, maybe Rory's or Grant's), or about Ivy starting college and grappling with that transition, the massive impact it'd have on her social anxiety, and having to deal with RA in a new setting with greater independence, and how to address it with a roommate. I'm not expecting any such thing, but I'd be very excited if it happened.

[Sarah Merchant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A+ accurate chronic illness representation. It put into words things I didn’t even know I was feeling. I look forward to reading anything this author writes. ❤️

[gao yu ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ˋ°•*⁀➷ finished 08/22/2024

spoilers below!
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
first and foremost, representation MATTERS. i myself, have not faced a chronic illness or an autoimmune disease, but most of my roommates have and coincidentally, one of my roommates has celiac disease. in my opinion, joined at the joints does represent those populations well and acknowledges the not so easy parts of growing up. i found the book to be incredibly sweet and supportive, and although it discussed the difficulties of living with a chronic illness, there was always a sense of pride and respect for all of the characters.

ivy and grant were very, very endearing. i found their relationship to be cute with a natural connection and spark between them. grant himself, is the classic golden retriever type that is constantly supportive of ivy and her entire family, but i think he may have been TOO perfect. that natural spark between the two could really only take them so far, as i believe that their connection needed to be expanded upon more. although it was explained that they grew closer through texting, it felt rushed to get the early stages of their acquaintanceship out of the way so their more romantic relationship could be the focus. in the end, they were happy and excited for the future, but in my head, i found that initial spark was missing through the majority of the book and the argument towards the end between them felt unnecessary. i would have liked to see many more instances of their actual friendship and relationship growing stronger.

this book had so, so, so much potential. i found the snippets where the characters discussed how they live their daily lives with different chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases to be so intriguing and truly the standout moments. you can tell that the purpose is not to capitalize, but rather inform readers of how those with chronic illness struggle in so many different ways past their diagnosis. i also really enjoyed delving deeper into the social aspect of invisible illnesses, including mental health. i appreciated how present and crucial the social aspect was to the entire story.

overall, i just don’t know if the storyline was fully expanded upon to its fullest potential. i think it’s fun that there’s no big project, dance, or anything that is being built up to from the very beginning like other YA novels. i think it makes this book special as the reader is able to see that chronic illnesses don’t just stop and make way for life. they don’t stop because you have school, or an event, or anything else. however, at the same time, i felt like the needed to be more direction with the plotline as i often felt like i was losing the point while i read. while i find my review may be more critical as it might’ve not been my cup of tea, i don’t think that should dissuade anyone to not at least give this book a try!

[Lauren Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew I needed an RA romance book before I had it. This book made me feel so validated and seen and heard in my struggles with RA. The characters were so easy to fall in love with and everything was so real and so well written. I love love loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from Marissa 🫶🏻

[annie (kaz and henry li's version)]

this was a cute, lighthearted read. i think their relationship was sweet and actually pretty realistic, i just wished it maybe showed a bit more of the development instead of just telling us “we texted a lot and are now very close” or smt. but i enjoyed seeing their relationship a lot, and i loved the main character. she is very relatable, even to readers who can’t relate to her chronic illness. i feel like she’s one of the realest teenagers i’ve read in a YA book. i love her sister and mom, and the way her family actually has love for each other. so often writers feel like they can develop their characters by just making them hate their family and/or be hated by their family. obviously it’s important to have representation of difficult families, but let’s also show people it’s okay to actually have a good relationship with your family. the disability rep is really good and i love the whole support group. people with chronic illnesses are almost never shown as capable people with the same issues as everyone else, just a couple more.

also, as a fellow north carolinian, i LOVEDDD reading a book written by someone from nc and that takes place here. is this what people from new york feel like literally all the time?

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) almost a year and a half ago in my late 30s. This book about 17-year-old Ivy, who was diagnosed with RA in her teens, was incredibly cathartic for me. Right from the very first page, I felt seen and understood. It was such a joy to follow Ivy as she learned to listen to her body and also become more vulnerable with those around her. If you or someone you love has a chronic illness (especially RA or juvenile idiopathic arthritis - JIA), I highly recommend reading this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

An achingly perfect debut from Eller. The realness of these characters plus disability rep and a sweet romance made JOINTS a book I'll recommend to everyone. Get ready to fall in love with Ivy and Grant!

[Kristy]

I made it 140 pages and nothing is really happening. I expected more from the support group and perspective of a teen with a chronic autoimmune condition, but this is more of a superficial teen drama than I wanted.

[Lisa Pineo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book with this much disability rep in it before. The two main characters, Ivy and Grant, both have rheumatoid arthritis, Ivy's sister and mom both have chronic illnesses, and the people at their teen illness support group all have chronic diseases as well. We don't get to know a lot about everyone's illnesses except the main characters but we see Ivy's family have flare ups and how Ivy and Grant both have RA but have had different experiences with it. I don't have RA or any other debilitating disease but I found it to be a very authentic and realistic portrayal of people living with these diseases. I liked the look at how someone would be very anxious at changing medications even if one wasn't working well anymore, having to deal with healthy friends not understanding what they were going through, the chronic illness group and how supportive they always were, Grant and Ivy's slow relationship while she dealt with her social anxiety, and her family dynamics. I wish the author had said more about how Ivy was feeling after her medication change to contrast the rest of the story. I was also a little disgusted with Ivy's sister and family in general when you see how much Ivy does for the family. She does all the cooking, seems to do all the dishes and takes care of everyone. Her sister and brother don't even help with cleaning up the kitchen. Aside from those annoyances I really liked the story and think any teenager going through a chronic illness or ones who want to know what it's like will enjoy it too.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Ivy & Grant’s story- 2 teens with rheumatoid arthritis meet at a support group…I could not stop reading this book!!! Ivy and her family & friends are all honest, authentic characters in a must read book about living with a chronic illness. Author Marissa Eller has RA & her writing shines a light on many issues such as anxiety, pain, & loneliness with humor and sincerity. A fantastic debut, I can’t wait to read more from Melissa Eller!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much great representation in this for chronic illness. So many very relatable moments that I absolutely loved. I highlighted the heck out of this. I also REALLY appreciated the healthy and supportive family and relationship dynamics portrayed here. The story is mostly about Ivy coming of age and coming to terms with her changing life/health condition vs there being a strong external conflict. I loved that...but the pacing of this felt a little slow and meandering for my personal tastes. It's more slice of life instead of there being a strong, focused plot. Otherwise...I love pretty much everything else about this and would recommend.