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Diabetes in Fiction

A compilation of diabetic representation in fiction. Every book listed includes at least one character with diabetes. Click “Read Full Details” to read a book’s plot summary and learn how diabetes is represented in the story.

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The Truth According to Blue

by Eve Yohalem

Thirteen-year-old Blue Broen is on the hunt for a legendary ship of gold, lost centuries ago when her ancestors sailed to New York. Blue knows her overprotective parents won’t approve of her mission to find their family’s long-lost fortune, so she keeps it a secret from everyone except her constant companion, Otis, an 80-pound diabetic alert dog. But it’s hard to keep things quiet with rival treasure hunters on the loose, and with Blue’s reputation as the local poster child for a type 1 diabetes fundraiser. Blue’s quest gets even harder when she’s forced to befriend Jules, the brainy but bratty daughter of a vacationing movie star who arrives on the scene and won’t leave Blue alone. While Blue initially resents getting stuck with this spoiled seventh grade stranger, Jules soon proves Blue’s not the only one who knows about secrets — and adventure. Will Blue unravel a three hundred year-old family mystery, learn to stand up for herself, and find the missing treasure? Or is she destined to be nothing more than “diabetes girl” forever?

The Freedom Broker (Thea Paris #1)

by K.J. Howe

Kidnap negotiator Thea Paris has spent her entire life with survivor’s guilt, following an unspeakable childhood tragedy. At eight years old, she watched, frozen in fear, as her twelve-year-old brother, Nikos, was abducted from their home in Kanzi, Africa. Although he was recovered nine months later, he was never the same after that; worse, Thea discovers that she was supposed to have been the target. This defining experience drives Thea to become one of the top operatives in the field of kidnap-and-ransom consultancy. Nicknamed “Liberata” because she once secured the release of a captive from the Sicilian mob without her client paying a cent, she travels the globe trying to bring hostages home–mostly through negotiation, but occasionally through more forceful means. She is very good at her job. Twenty years after her brother’s abduction, Thea’s worst nightmare is revisited when her father, oil magnate Christos Paris, is taken on his sixtieth birthday. He disappears from his yacht while it is moored at Santorini, the ship’s whole crew slaughtered mercilessly. Thea immediately calls in her team at Quantum Security International, premier K&R specialists. Following protocol, they break down Christos’ life, looking for leads, but the list of enemies and business competitors is endless. Not surprisingly, Christos Paris has imprinted his designer shoe on innumerable backs during his journey to the top of the oil business. And he was abducted only a few days before the biggest deal of his career. From there, the case only gets stranger. Unlike most abductions, there are no ransom demands, no political appeals, no prisoner release requests. Instead, the kidnapper sends foreboding quotes in Latin by text from burner phones. What does the kidnapper want? And most importantly for Thea, will she be able to prevent a second kidnapping from destroying her family for good?

The Scammer

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Out from under her overprotective parents, Jordyn is ready to kill it in prelaw at a prestigious, historically Black university in Washington DC. When her new roommate’s brother is released from prison, the last thing Jordyn expects is to come home and find the ex-convict on their dorm room sofa. But Devonte needs a place to stay while he gets back on his feet—and how could she say no to one of her new best friends? Devonte is older, as charming as he is intelligent, pushing every student he meets to make better choices about their young lives. But Jordyn senses something sinister beneath his friendly advice and growing group of followers. When one of Jordyn’s roommates goes missing, she must enlist the help of the university’s lone white student to uncover the mystery—or become trapped at the center of a web of lies more tangled than she can imagine.

Avocado Bliss (A Slice of Love)

by Candace Robinson and Gerardo Delgadillo

Dacre Vinson has spent the majority of his life in quite the predicament—even the surf and his books can’t erase his Type 1 diabetes. But when Dacre’s family moves to a new Mexican town, an eccentric girl obsessed with trees offers him a job on the spot, leading to what could be the perfect distraction from his problems. Salbatora Tames has one true love—her avocado farm. Her family constantly nudges her to be more social, but Sal much prefers the dirt, the sun, and the solitude. Besides, trees listen better than people do. For Sal and Dacre, their job won’t stay easy breezy for long, not when an avocado delivery to Palenque, Mexico pops up on their radar. Together, they embark on a road trip across the jungle, where they form a tighter bond. However, as obstacles arise, their new-found troubles may lead to more woes than bliss.

Every Moment After

by Joseph Moldover

Best friends Matt and Cole grapple with their changing relationships during the summer after high school in this impactful, evocative story about growing up and moving on from a traumatic past. Surviving was just the beginning. Eleven years after a shooting rocked the small town of East Ridge, New Jersey and left eighteen first graders in their classroom dead, survivors and recent high school graduates Matt Simpson and Cole Hewitt are still navigating their guilt and trying to move beyond the shadow of their town’s grief. Will Cole and Matt ever be able to truly leave the ghosts of East Ridge behind? Do they even want to? As they grapple with changing relationships, falling in love, and growing apart, these two friends must face the question of how to move on—and truly begin living.

Purple Hearts

by Tess Wakefield

When a soldier with a troubled past and a struggling songwriter agree to a marriage of convenience for the military benefits, neither expects much after saying “I do.” Then tragedy strikes, and the line between what’s real and what’s pretend begins to blur in this smart and surprising romance perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Jojo Moyes. Cassie Salazar and Luke Morrow couldn’t be more different. Sharp-witted Cassie works nights at a bar in Austin, Texas to make ends meet while pursuing her dream of becoming a singer/songwriter. Luke is an Army trainee, about to ship out for duty, who finds comfort in the unswerving discipline of service. But a chance encounter at Cassie’s bar changes the course of both their lives Cassie is drowning in medical bills after being diagnosed with diabetes. When she runs into her old friend Frankie, now enlisted in the Army, she proposes a deal: she’ll marry him in exchange for better medical insurance and they can split the increased paycheck that comes with having a “family.” When Frankie declines, his attractive but frustratingly intense friend Luke volunteers to marry Cassie instead. What she doesn’t know is that he has desperate reasons of his own to get married. In this unforgettable love story, Cassie and Luke must set aside their differences to make it look like a real marriage…unless, somewhere along the way, it becomes one…

Twist of Fate (Southern Storms #2)

by Lexie Nicholas

It took a sudden heart attack and a long-coming diagnosis of type 2 diabetes for Dr. Cody Walker to admit he had to turn his life around and practice what he had preached all these years as a physician. With a second chance at life, he moves from Atlanta to the small town of Magnolia Hill to take over old Doc Porter’s practice. But saving his patients—and himself—from the grim outlook of preventable chronic diseases is easier said than done when Jenna’s cupcake bakery across the street from his practice is testing his—and his patients’—willpower to resist her sweet temptations. Jenna Wilson’s dream of owning a successful cupcake bakery had finally come true. However, that dream shatters when the grumpy new doctor in town accuses her of poisoning his diabetic patients with her sugary treats and threatens to shut down her shop. But when a natural disaster strikes close to home, they are forced to challenge their beliefs. Is there any hope Cody and Jenna can work out their differences and maybe even find love in this grumpy/sunshine enemies to lovers sweet romance?

Wrecked

by Leia Stone

Getting married at eighteen wasn’t the smartest idea but … I’d been in love. Bryce, with his perfect words, his money, and all-American good looks. He had pulled me in, and when he spit me out, I’d barely been left alive. Now at twenty two and divorced, I just wanted to build a life for myself on my own terms. Free of fear. First job. First crappy apartment. First taste of freedom. Enter Ethan King. The guy from high school I never had a chance with. As the leader of the local motorcycle gang, he’s not exactly an outstanding citizen, but he’s the one bright spot in my life. He’s exactly what I need right now. Until Bryce, who never could accept losing, decides he’s not ready to let me go. And if there is one thing I know about that monster, it’s that he has no problem destroying everything in my world. Only this time I have Ethan King. And no one messes with a King.

Defender (Dark Ops #1)

by Catherine Mann

When a USO boat goes down in flames, test pilot Jimmy Gage pulls a scantily clad Chloe Nelson out of the shark-filled Mediterranean . Although she is grateful, and he’s as hot as the fire that took the boat down, the last thing Chloe needs is a jet-jock to be her bodyguard—until she inadvertently finds herself closer to Gage than she ever expected, and side by side in a dangerous mission… Gage is desperate to find a fellow airman, missing and reportedly held captive. A pub in Istanbul , controlled by a notorious and sadistic female adversary, may hold the key. Now, moving in toward untold dangers, Gage can’t afford to let his growing attraction to Chloe distract him for a second—or it may cost the lives of his crew, the prisoner they must rescue, and the woman he’s unable to resist.

Your Better Half

by Emily Charlotte

A YA reimagining of Jane Austen’s Emma: a teenage matchmaker, recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, creates a Bachelor-style fundraiser where the winner gets to date her school’s most stubbornly-single guy—only to fall in love with the leading man herself. COMING SUMMER 2027

The Borrow a Boyfriend Club

by Page Powars

A feel-good, coming-of-age rom-com from debut author Page Powars that follows a trans teen who joins a boyfriend borrowing service masquerading as an Italian Club to prove that he’s one of the guys, especially to its frustratingly handsome leader. Noah Byrd is the perfect boy. At least, that’s what he needs to convince his new classmates of to prove his gender. His plan? Join the school’s illustrious (and secret) Borrow a Boyfriend Club, whose members rent themselves out for dates. Once he’s accepted among the bros, the “slip-ups” end. But Noah’s interview is a flop. Desperate, he strikes a deal with the club’s prickly but attractive president, Asher. Noah will help them win an annual talent show—and in return, he’ll get a second shot to demonstrate his boyfriend skills in a series of tests that include romancing Asher himself. If Noah can’t bring home the win, his best chance to prove that he’s man enough is gone. Yet even if he succeeds, he still loses . . . because the most important rule of the Borrow a Boyfriend Club is simple: no real boyfriends (or girlfriends) allowed. And as long as the club remains standing as high as Asher’s man bun, Noah and Asher can never explore their growing feelings for one another.

The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club #1)

by Richard Osman

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders. But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

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