Jolene Perry

Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

The Summer I Found You

Vilde

Sarah Vaughan

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I thought the idea was great. Girl with diabetes is struggling after being diagnosed and going through a breakup when she meets a guy who lost a limb while fighting overseas. Guy turns out to be a genuinely nice guy but she doesn't tell him about the diabetes because they just met and she doesn't know when the timing is right. So far so good. 

And then....we do a 180 and are all of a sudden finding the girl in the hospital because she took her insulin before eating on one of their dates and the guy freaks out after taking her to the hospital and realizing she never told him about her diabetes, and for some reason, everyone apparently feels that they have the right to be pissed off at her for that. What??

I almost gave this book a two-star rating because as someone who has had type 1 diabetes for 15 years, I can honestly say it's not a very fair or realistic interpretation of life with this condition (I hate the word disease). I just want to make something clear. When you have diabetes, taking your medicine and eating right DO NOT guarantee good blood sugars. It appears that not only the author, but quite a few reviewers do not seem to understand this concept. I was INFURIATED that there are parts of this book in which the diabetic character is actually treated like she's being irresponsible because her blood sugars are not perfect or for not telling people. Are diabetics just supposed to go out into the world screaming "I HAVE DIABETES. I MIGHT DIE IF I EAT A COOKIE." Please. 

I am LIVID that people who have reviewed this book actually had the audacity to ask "if you have supportive parents and take your medicine, how hard can it be to live with diabetes?"

I'm so glad you asked. Here's a basic rundown.

• When I was a child, my friends would tell me that their parents didn't want them to invite me to their birthday parties because they didn't want to have to deal with what I could and could not eat. 

• In middle school, I was made fun of for having to go to the bathroom to take shots after lunch. 

• When I was in 8th grade, a diabetic 6th grader (A SIXTH GRADER) killed himself because his classmates made fun of him for having to pack his own lunch because what the school board mandated cafeteria served wasn't even close to healthy. 

• I have a very hard time finding clothing that conceals my insulin pump and does not make me feel self-conscious about it. 

• I have people ask me why I'm wearing a beeper on a weekly basis. 

• I have anxiety about passing out at the wheel even when my blood sugars are doing great. 

• If I had a dollar for every time someone found out about my diabetes told me they knew exactly what I was going through because their grandmother, uncle, cousin, cousin's first wife's husband's daughter's friend had it, I would be able to buy a mansion. 

• If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me if I could eat that, I could retire today. 

• If I am sad, upset, angry, lonely, or scared, my blood sugar will not be perfect. 

• I can eat lettuce all day, and that does not mean my blood sugar will be perfect. 

• Two things diabetics cannot eat: poison, and cookies with poison. Are you paying attention, because this one is really important. 

• I do not have diabetes because I sat around eating Oreos my entire life. 

• I am not skinny, but I am not overweight. My weight has nothing, I repeat NOTHING do to with the fact that I have diabetes. Please see below. 

• There is more than one type of diabetes. Please educate yourself on all of the above before making rude or ignorant comments. 

• I can eat sugar. 

• No, really. Fruit has sugar people. 

• If you have to ask me if I can eat something because I have diabetes, chances are no one should be eating it, because diabetics aren't the only people who should watch what they eat if they don't want to die of heart disease and high cholesterol. 

• DID I MENTION I SPEND HALF MY LIFE STABBING MYSELF WITH NEEDLES?

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I just can't help but notice what a stark contrast there was between these two characters. There's the wounded and broody veteran that we are obviously supposed to have compassion for. He doesn't like speaking about what happened (understandable) and he doesn't let people in easily. Then we have the teenage girl who was diagnosed with a disease and is having a hard time feeling "normal" again because of her medical condition. But god forbid she not tell anyone about what she's been going through. For some reason, the tone of this book seemed to be this: 

• Being pregnant is a very hard thing to deal with. Throwing up is much worse than giving yourself injections multiple times a day. And it's especially worse when your husband isn't happy about it. 

• A veteran who loses a limb while fighting for his country is a very sad thing, and living with one harm is unimaginably hard and difficult. (This one I agree with.) 

• Having diabetes is not a hard or sad thing. If you eat healthy and take medicine, you will never have problems ever. If you don't have perfect blood sugars, you are irresponsible. Furthermore, my body works on autopilot, and yours does not, and yet I seem to feel that you are making yourself a victim by having a hard time dealing with that, and I know exactly what you're going through because my grandma and my cousin's ex-girlfriend's sister had it. 

Excuse my language, but that is bullshit. Please do not read this book if you want to know what it's actually like to have diabetes. 

*sigh* Rant over.

b.andherbooks

**Review based on an ARC received for free from www.netgalley.com

Kate is a senior in HS and dealing with a recent diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes and a crummy breakup with her boyfriend. Aidan is a 19 year old veteran who lost an arm, and a good friend, to a roadside bomb. Brought together by Kate's best friend as a "make your ex jealous" date, an immediate connection is sparked. However, will secrets keep them from truly finding friendship and a real relationship?

Really cute story with two main characters that kept me interested and invested. The alternating POV worked; both Kate and Aidan had a distinct voices and it was nice to see their individual perspectives on the same events. The sex scene was tastefully done, so this could definitely work for older teens and New Adults.

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The first thing I noticed about this book was, admittedly, the cover. It grabbed my attention immediately when I saw it on NetGalley. When I read the blurb, I loved the idea of two less-than-perfect characters, neither of which are looking for something real, finding it together. Sadly, it just wound up being "ok" for me.

I think my biggest problem with this book was that the characters felt flat. Kate wasn't very likable. I did feel bad that her boyfriend had left her and that she was obviously struggling with her Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, but I just found her whiny and weak. She refused to take control of her illness and do the things that she needed to for her health. She lied and withheld information about it. It was irresponsible and immature and I had a difficult time with her because of it. I will say I enjoyed her sense of humor and general awkwardness. I can't say Aidan was unlikable, but that I just didn't connect with him that much. I liked him more than Kate. His struggle felt real and, unlike her, he was trying to do things to improve himself.

As flat as the characters felt separately, the relationship between the two was a little better. They were sweet together. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between them, but that may have been because I didn't really connect with either of them. Their relationship truly felt like more of a really good friendship to me, right up until the end of the book. Several of their interactions were quite cute and charming, but I just felt like the feels were lacking.

I appreciate what the author was trying to do here with two imperfect characters. The story had a lot of potential and a younger audience might appreciate it more than I did. It wasn't that it was bad, it was just that it didn't really grab me or hold my attention. This story had the potential to be unforgettable, but I fear it will be just the opposite for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Summer I Found You

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