Author Bethany Mangle’s latest novel, “Conditions of a Heart,” is a funny and honest second-chance romance about a teen who must come to terms with her disability, her love life and her future.
Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be who she really is. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability [inspired by Mangle’s own experience of having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome] that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer.
But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being, Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one wanted: herself.
Bethany Mangle is the author of “Prepped,” “All the Right Reasons,” and “Conditions of a Heart.” When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spoiling her dogs, playing video games and spending time with her unbearably nerdy husband.
For this Author Spotlight, I wanted to focus on Bethany’s own experience of having Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a hereditary condition that affects connective tissue, and ask her about her journey writing a YA illness love story.
What made you decide to write about a world set after the COVID-19 pandemic rather than just create a world where it doesn’t exist?
As a disabled author, the COVID-19 pandemic makes me feel unsafe and unwelcome in many public spaces. I wanted to capture that idea in the book to highlight what it’s like to feel expendable once society decides they can move on without you.
Brynn’s character is based on your personal experiences as someone with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. When you were writing, was there anything you discovered about yourself through writing Brynn’s character?
Writing Brynn’s story made me realize that I’ve come a long way in viewing my disability as another facet of my identity instead of always thinking about it as an obstacle. My life is different than I once imagined, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Being disabled has changed my perspective on life and the world for the better.
Brynn’s body parts have actual conversations with her via short blurbs in the novel. What made you decide to include this? What do you think it establishes or gets across for your audience?
In my everyday life, I routinely scold my body parts for not cooperating. I decided to incorporate that habit into the book to add some humor. It also reinforces that Brynn frequently views her body as an opponent rather than a true part of who she is.
What is your view on the genre of YA illness, particularly how it’s being published in today’s world? How do you think it differs from your novel?
I love seeing YA love stories with chronic illness written by chronically ill authors. It shows that disabled and chronically ill teens may experience love in a slightly different way, but it’s not the way that’s commonly depicted by nondisabled authors. My book is slightly different since the romance between Brynn and Oliver is really secondary to her personal journey.
If you could describe your book as an aesthetic, what would it be and why?
Taking the word aesthetic way too literally, I would describe “Conditions of a Heart” as an Impressionist painting. In the beginning of the novel, Brynn feels thin and washed out and a little blurred around the edges. She can’t see herself as clearly as she once did.
By the end of the story, Brynn is more like a rough sketch. She’s still working out who she wants to be, but this time she’s the artist instead of being stuck in a style that never truly lets her shine through. I think even readers who don’t have a chronic illness can relate to the feeling of being unsure about the future and who they are as they approach a major life change like graduating from high school.
Thanks so much, Bethany, for answering my questions! I was intrigued by your novel and learning more about your connection to your writing via Brynn. Wishing you luck on the success of your third book I’d also like to thank Lindsey Ferris from Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing for extending me this interview opportunity and sending along a copy of “Conditions of a Heart.”