Skip to content

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.

16 of 218 books

Sorted by Newest added

Page 1 of 2

Complicated Hearts

by Ashley Jade

Breslin — I was in love with Asher Holden the moment I saw him...and I knew nothing would ever be the same. Then he hurt me. He wrecked me. He ruined me. I spent three years putting myself together—fixing what he broke. I never thought I'd see him again after that day. I was counting on it. Little did I know—life had other plans...and things were going to become a lot more complicated. Asher — I finally know who I am. I own it, I embrace it...I'm no longer afraid. I live my life with no regrets now, because I've learned my lesson—the hard way. I thought I had it all figured out. But then my past collides with my present...and things become complicated. Turns out I don't really know myself after all. Landon — My life was all mapped out. I knew exactly what direction I was heading in—I didn't have time for any roadblocks or obstacles. Then I meet her. And him. Now, my heart is split right down the middle. She controls the rhythm. He controls the melody. Complicated doesn't even begin to cover it...and there's only one way this can end.

The Edge of the World

by Garrett Leigh

Shay Maloney is living his dream—on tour with his pirate/folk-rock band. But you can’t know where you’re going until you know where you’re from, and that’s where moody filmmaker and researcher Ollie Pietruska comes in. The band’s management persuades Shay to let a television company film a documentary about his roots beyond his adoptive Irish family, and Ollie comes into his life knowing more about Shay than Shay’s ever known about himself. But while Ollie holds the key to Shay’s past, he’s also hiding deep scars. Even as the hardships of the tour bring them closer, Ollie’s demons threaten the blossoming romance. They might both reach the breaking point before Ollie realises he’s been standing on the edge of the world for too long, and it’s Shay who holds the key to his future.

Will & Patrick Wake Up Married (Wake Up Married #1)

by Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths

After a drunken night of hot sex in Vegas, strangers Will Patterson and Dr. Patrick McCloud wake up married. A quickie divorce is the most obvious way out—unless you’re the heir of a staunchly Catholic mafia boss with a draconian position on the sanctity of marriage. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Will and Patrick don't like it, or each other, but they have to make the best of it until they can find another way out of their marriage. To ensure the trust fund Will's charitable foundation relies on isn't revoked by his mobster grandfather, he and Patrick travel to Will’s hometown of Healing, South Dakota, posing as a newlywed couple in the throes of true love at first sight. Complicating their scheme are Will’s unresolved feelings for his all-too-recent ex-boyfriend Ryan, and Patrick’s desire to get back to the only thing that really matters to him in life: neurosurgery. Will they fool everyone? Or will the mafia get wind that their marriage is a fake? Throw their simmering attraction into the mix and all bets are off!

The Fall of Whit Rivera

by Crystal Maldonado

Could you plan the Fall Formal with your (hot) nemesis? Whit Rivera is about to find out. Frenemies Whit and Zay have been at odds for years (ever since he broke up with her in, like, the most embarrassing way imaginable), so when they’re forced to organize the fall formal together, it's a literal disaster. Sparks fly as Whitney—type-A, passionate, a perfectionist, and a certified sweater-weather fanatic—butts heads with Zay, a dry, relaxed skater boy who takes everything in stride. But not all of those sparks are bad. . . . Has their feud been a big misunderstanding all along? Blisteringly funny and profoundly well-observed, The Fall of Whit Rivera is a snug and cozy autumn romcom that also tackles weightier topics like PCOS, chronic illness, sexuality, fatphobia, Latine identity, and class. Funny, honest, insightful, romantic, and poignant, it is classic Crystal Maldonado—and it will have her legion of fans absolutely swooning.

The Night Farm (Night Farm #1)

by A.L. Davidson

Rhys Anderson is looking for a fresh start after a health diagnosis forces him to sell his beloved tea shop. When a small farmstead goes up for sale in the mountains, he jumps at the opportunity to live a quieter life away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and find a new place to plant roots. After packing up his few belongings, Rhys settles in for the lengthy cross-country drive to his new home. The farm rests on the outskirts of a mysterious town called Wylder Wood, hidden deep in the forests out west and not found on any map. The idyllic little farmstead is perfect for his needs, and his new neighbors are quick to introduce themselves as soon as nightfall arrives. The locals are welcoming and friendly, but not at all what they initially seem, and Rhys soon realizes that the otherworldly residents want to sink their fangs into something more than his crops... The town of Wylder Wood comes to life when the sun goes down, and long nights on the farm are filled with friendship, romance, and good eats aplenty!

The Scientist, the Spaceman, and the Stars Between Them

by A.L. Davidson

They’ve incited deicide, and the old gods are angry… In a desperate attempt at saving humanity from its own destructive hubris, the Zeus Project set out to explore the untouched reaches of deep space. Now, countless light years later, the colonizing efforts are well under way, but the vast universe has been anything but kind. After surviving a near-fatal revival from their cryo-pod that permanently damaged their lungs, Dr. London Davies has spent the last two years trapped within the confines of a sterile, sanitized outpost far away from the rest of humanity and their loving husband, Temple. Acting as the chief embalmer for Zeus, London grows more and more concerned as cadavers filled with writhing worms and unusual forms of decay overrun their cold storage. With their husband off fighting for humanity’s survival under the brutal, watchful eye of Zeus, anxiety, and claustrophobia test the limits of the embalmer’s sanity. The once quiet morgue has transformed into a playground for something otherworldly, and London's only hope is that Temple can breach the stars between them before it's too late.

Not Here to Make Friends

by Casey Swain

Two swimmers under pressure. One trying not to get close to anyone, the other trying to save their beloved camp. And a growing connection between them that makes everything messier. Ruby Hopkins has had the worst year of her life. Dropped from her high school’s swim team, nearly kicked out of school, and now newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, she is waiting for an opportunity to show the world that she can still have a future in the water. When a comeback comes in the form of an intensive summer training camp, she takes it with no hesitation. She just has one rule: no friends, no attachments, no chances to get hurt again. Eliana Marsh, team captain and rising social media star, is used to the pressure to perform. But behind their bubbly personality, Eliana is wrestling with their gender identity and what it could mean for their career in swimming. When Eliana learns the camp could close if the team does not place at the upcoming championship, they know it’s now or never to help coach the team to a win. For Eliana’s plan to succeed, they know training one-on-one with Ruby will help both of their times improve. And despite Ruby’s irritability, she agrees, slowly opening herself up to vulnerability that she never expected. With the championship fast approaching and recruitment season starting, Ruby and Eliana must decide what they are willing to risk, both in and out of the pool.

The Sweetness Between Us

by Sarah Winifred Searle

After health problems wiped out their first few weeks of school, Perley and Amandine are both starting their Junior year behind their classmates, and both have major changes in their lives that they’re struggling to get used to. Perley was diagnosed with diabetes over the summer, and worries that all these new medical expenses will be a hardship on his family. And Amandine, part of a venerated family of vampires, has been turned much younger than she expected to be after a car accident nearly killed her. The two of them form a fast friendship – both feel a little out of step with their old lives, and as a bonus, it turns out that Amandine’s new vampire abilities can help Perley save money on blood glucose tests. But as the year goes on, they’re forced to admit that maybe their coping strategies – and their blood-sipping-turned-romance – aren’t working out so well after all. Will they be able to get their lives back to normal? Or will both have to figure out new ways for their “normal” to look?

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.

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.

Cardio Conditioning (Work Out #7)

by Andrew Grey

In the battle to regulate his blood sugar, Jerry March joins a new gym, but while working out his insecurity, he overdoes it on the treadmill. His insulin drops and so does Jerry. Fellow gym member Gianni Lappatura rushes to his rescue with a glass of juice and a helping hand. A few days later, Jerry gets to return the favor. After watching Gianni’s opera-singing strip act, Jerry finds him stuck in the rain with a dead battery and saves the day. As thanks and because he thinks Jerry is cute, Gianni asks him on a date. It’s too good to be true, and Jerry soon learns his Mr. Perfect needs a bit of help of own. But Gianni’s imperfections open Jerry’s eyes to the beauty of limitations.

Crafting for Sinners

by Jenny Kiefer

Ruth is trapped. She’s stuck in her small, religious hometown of Kill Devil, Kentucky, stuck in the closet, and stuck living paycheck to paycheck. After her manager finds out that she lives with her girlfriend, Ruth is fired from her job as a cashier at New Creations—a craft store owned by the church that dominates life in the town.  In an act of revenge, Ruth attempts to shoplift some yarn but is caught red-handed by a New Creations cashier. Instead of calling the police, the employees lock her in the store—and attack her. When Ruth is forced to stab out one of their eyes with a knitting needle, she realizes she’s facing far bigger trouble than a simple shoplifting charge. As Ruth fights for her life, she plunges deeper into the tangled web of the New Creationists, who are hiding a terrible secret that threatens not only her, but the entire town. This relentless horror novel will have you on the edge of your seat as it hurtles towards a breathtaking conclusion. Will Ruth escape? Or will the shocking secret at the heart of the cult die with her?

Page 1 of 2