Dictionary

sick lit en · NOUN

Etymology

sick + lit (“literature”), as a play on chick lit.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, often, uncountable) Literature focusing on an ill character or characters.
   • Often called "ten-hankie-novels" or "tearjerkers," teen sick-lit utilizes a characteristic formula that combines an illness plotline with a romance plotline. 2014, Julie Passanante Elman, Chronic Youth: Disability, Sexuality, and U.S. Media Cultures of Rehabilitation, page 94:
   • This compelling debut will undoubtedly be consigned to the 'sicklit' genre, but don't expect any heartrending descriptions of teens fading heroically from the lives of everyone who encounters them. 2015 September, Lynndy Bennett, “Kids to Young Adults”, in Gleebooks Gleaner, page 10:
   • Despite being another installation in what has been coined the "sick-lit" genre (think Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper) […] 2013 October, Ali Millington, “Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars”, in City OnTopic, page 20:

Forms