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Liabetes
She’s got a dream school, a nightmare budget, and she’s headed for a doozy of a rude awakening...
Olivia’s goal is within reach. She’s been accepted to her dream school, Vanderbilt University, alma mater of famed comic illustrator Paige O’Donnell. Despite gaining multiple scholarships and grants, Olivia’s just shy of tuition. Desperate, she applies for a $15,000 scholarship offered by the Wonderbrink Foundation, to be awarded to a high-achieving and athletic senior with diabetes. One little problem… Olivia doesn’t have diabetes.
In her quest to pull off a whopper of a lie, Olivia attends a diabetes support group meeting, where she meets and befriends Paul Roberts, a smug yet handsome member of the Sugar Shatterers. Her best friends Xavier and Amber aren’t thrilled about Olivia’s new mysterious, one-sided friendship with superstitious, entitled Paul. Xavier may secretly be a *little* jealous, and the scholarship application deadline rapidly approaches.
Olivia’s goal is within reach. She’s been accepted to her dream school, Vanderbilt University, alma mater of famed comic illustrator Paige O’Donnell. Despite gaining multiple scholarships and grants, Olivia’s just shy of tuition. Desperate, she applies for a $15,000 scholarship offered by the Wonderbrink Foundation, to be awarded to a high-achieving and athletic senior with diabetes. One little problem… Olivia doesn’t have diabetes.
In her quest to pull off a whopper of a lie, Olivia attends a diabetes support group meeting, where she meets and befriends Paul Roberts, a smug yet handsome member of the Sugar Shatterers. Her best friends Xavier and Amber aren’t thrilled about Olivia’s new mysterious, one-sided friendship with superstitious, entitled Paul. Xavier may secretly be a *little* jealous, and the scholarship application deadline rapidly approaches.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 27, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 16, 2025
3 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Contemporary YA
About this book:
“She’s got a dream school, a nightmare budget, and she’s headed for a doozy of a rude awakening...
Olivia’s goal is within reach. She’s been accepted to her dream school, Vanderbilt University, alma mater of famed comic illustrator Paige O’Donnell. Despite gaining multiple scholarships and grants, Olivia’s just shy of tuition. Desperate, she applies for a $15,000 scholarship offered by the Wonderbrink Foundation, to be awarded to a high-achieving and athletic senior with diabetes. One little problem… Olivia doesn’t have diabetes.
In her quest to pull off a whopper of a lie, Olivia attends a diabetes support group meeting, where she meets and befriends Paul Roberts, a smug yet handsome member of the Sugar Shatterers. Her best friends Xavier and Amber aren’t thrilled about Olivia’s new mysterious, one-sided friendship with superstitious, entitled Paul. Xavier may secretly be a *little* jealous, and the scholarship application deadline rapidly approaches.”
Series: As of now, no. A stand-alone novel.
Spiritual Content- A handful of Scriptures are quoted & read; A few Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & parts of sermons; A few talks about God; Some ’H’s are capital when referring to God and Jesus; A teacher reads a quote from ‘Counter Culture’ by Pastor Platt in class (which the teacher says he isn’t grading his students on agreeing with him or not and that he can’t think of a better reason to get fired when a student asks him about that); Mentions of God, Jesus, & grace; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of church, church going, youth group, pastors, service, & sermons; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of Christian-based entertainment (such as Veggie Tales and Berenstain Bears, but also a fictional one); A couple mentions of a missionary & mission trips; A mention of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting; A mention of being Blessed; A mention of thinking a person is an angel (because of her kind actions);
*Note: A Scripture is mentioned in a flippant way (a pastor comments on keeping a DVD in pristine condition “for such as time as this [when meeting the actors to sign it]”; A side character is very superstitious and shares many of his superstitions (which Olivia is at first taken back about, but later finds it sad; Olivia doesn’t believe in luck as it undermines her hard work; In class, superstitious people are discussed and the teacher says it’s about control or the person having certainty in their lives; *Spoiler* ); Olivia calls her friend group her “rock”; Olivia feels her cheeks heat from the “sin of omission”; Olivia’s brothers tease her that she treats a hoodie as if it is sacred (she says she does not); Many mentions of superstitions & luck; A mention of a child being a holy terror.
Negative Content- Three implications or cut-off moments implying curses such as an ‘an as—‘ and two ‘shi—’s; Minor cussing including: a ‘crud’, a ‘doggone’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘gah’, a ‘flipping’, a ‘Holy Moly’, a ‘oh em gee’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘what the heck’, two ‘crap’s, two forms of ‘dang it’, two ‘duh’s, two ‘gosh’s, two ‘sucker’s, two ‘wuss’s, three ‘dang’s, three ‘good grief’s, three forms of ‘idiot’, four ‘geez’s, six ‘heck’s, eight ‘stupid’s, and ten ‘oh my gosh’s; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Olivia finds out about a scholarship for athletes with Type 1 diabetes (which she is not one) and while she feels unsettled about it and has guilt for her actions, she is concerned with the price of college and looks into it (*Spoiler* ); While Olivia doesn’t lie, she does keep things to herself and omit certain details when telling her family or friends about anything related to the diabetes scholarship (knowing her deception); Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of parents divorce, their kid struggling with it, and the teen making a couple negative comments towards his stepmother; A few mentions of a car accident; A few mentions of injuries & pain; A few mentions of a father not being physically abusive, but having intense expectations for his son; A couple mentions of (good natured) betting (between siblings); A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of rumors & gossip; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of vomit/throwing up; A mention of hiding a body; A slang mention of going to the bathroom (“take a whiz”); A mention of farts.
*Note: Going to Comic-Con (twice); Olivia and one of her best friends have a conversation about being very superstitious often means having a lot of “serious anxiety issues” and some people with anxiety dealing with their anxiety in healthier ways; A side character has a diabetic emergency (hypoglycemic, up to semi-detailed); A line from a song by Stevie Wonder is shared at the beginning of a chapter; Many mentions of movies, fictional characters, & quotes (mainly from Shrek, but also Mamma Mia, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Mean Girls, Cutting Edge, Legally Blonde, Teen Wolf, 10 Things I Hate About You, Princess Bride, The Goonies, The Parent Trap, Top Gun: Maverick, Inside Out, Schindler’s List, Princess Diaries, Wonder Woman, Hobbits, Weasley twins, Goot, Avengers, Paw Patrol figures, X-Men characters, Mario and Luigi, Klingon, & the minions); Mentions of stores, brand names, & brand name items (Blockbuster, Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A, Target, Prisma colored pencils, MacBook, Chrombook, Omnicom, Jolly Rancher candy, Sour Patch Kids, Hershey, Nutella, Almond Joys, Swedish Fish, Tic-Tacs, Gatorade, Red Bull, Ale8s, PlayStation, Lululemon, Hanes, Vaseline, NyQuil, & Mod Podge); Mentions of celebrities (Nick Jones, Eddie Murphy, Beckham, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, & Mary Kate & Ashley); Mentions of social media platforms & websites (TikTok, Instagram, Google Classroom, & Merriam-Webster); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of colleges; A few mentions of artists (Michelangelo, Sam Cox, & Rembrandt); A few mentions of books and authors (‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell & a poem by Edgar Allen Poe); A few mentions of FaceTime; A mention of Olivia’s friend dressing up as Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she has to dress up as a superhero; A mention of TED Talk; A mention of the Discovery Channel; A mention of Bigfoot.
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters/Goosebumps, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a couple snuggle, hold hands, & kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing hot and attractive guys (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed); Flirting; Winks & Blushes; Four ‘babe’s and four forms of ‘hot’, A guy also comments on his “smokin’, rock-hard body”; Olivia wishes that Xavier would give some indication that he feels the same way she does about him (more than platonic best friends); A friend teases Olivia and Xavier about “getting a room” when she hugs him; A boyfriend teases his girlfriend about having a foot fetish after she takes a picture of his foot with the nails she painted when he was asleep (which she tells him to stop making things weird); Olivia teases that she ate so much she has a “food baby” which makes Xavier blush; Mentions of touches & nearness; Mentions of a couple being a “giant mushfest”, snuggling, & holding hands; Mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of crushes; Mentions of winks & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a guy getting distracted by a group of girls showing their mid-drifts/bellybuttons; A couple mentions of one of Olivia’s brothers being a ladies’ man and her teasing him choosing his college based on the female-to-male ratio; A couple mentions of a guy’s charms and all the girls at school noticing them; A couple mentions of heartthrobs; A mention of appreciating a guy’s looks; A mention of a mating ritual on the Discovery Channel; Some love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Mentions of butts/bums/tushes (mostly in humor); A couple mentions of pregnancy hormones; A mention of panties getting in a wad; A mention of estrogen.
-Olivia James
1st person P.O.V. of Olivia
177 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Ratings are for Public or Private School girls; Remove a star for those not in those settings or preferring to avoid implications of curses}
Last year, my mom was diagnosed as Type 1.5 diabetic—not Type 2, but Type 1.5 which is closer to Type 1 and is proved by even more blood tests—and though I knew the general idea of diabetes, it was a crash course in learning all about it, giving insulin, managing prescriptions, meal prepping, and carb counting as I managed all of it for her (because of other side effects she was facing that came from having high blood sugar for so long without us knowing, my mom has been unable to handle it herself). Like Olivia experiences at the beginning of this book, I’ve also had the Frequency Illusion Principle (when you hear something new to you and all of the sudden you hear about it again and again) since that beginning diagnosis with the topic of diabetes seeming like it’s everywhere.
You could say it was exactly that when after reading “Salvaged” by this author a couple months ago, I learned about this new release about, you guessed it, diabetes. Or rather, a teen girl finding out about a scholarship for those with diabetes. The problem? She doesn’t actually have diabetes.
I was concerned about this book mainly because of the idea of the main character lying that she has diabetes to get the scholarship. She actually doesn’t technically lie, though, it’s assumptions others make and her not correcting them. Still not right by any means and she questions herself many times, but I appreciated the author was able to do this book without a heavy amount of lying. Olivia needed to do a ridiculous amount of research on diabetes, but didn’t, so that lead to some awkward moments for her. There’s a lot of guilt on her part where a reader can tell that Olivia knows what she is doing isn’t right.
As far as the romance element, I found Paul to be a superstitious weirdo and I didn’t see why Olivia was interested in him. Thankfully—for my sanity and Xavier’s—she’s not really interested in Paul that way, but gets put into his life to be a good influence. Olivia frustrated me a bit about her friendship with Xavier and he frustrated me at times too because of their lack of guts about confessing their feelings for each other. I was definitely Amber in their friend group, waiting for them to admit their feelings while holding popcorn.
I do have to note that I didn’t care for the two implications to one of Olivia’s classmates cursing. Later, Xavier also gets cut-off when fixing to call someone a rude (but appropriate for the character’s actions) name. They are all cut-off and missing a letter to complete the word, but it still got the words stuck in my head. Those in public school settings probably hear all of these and worse during the day, but it’s something I try to actively avoid to keep those words from falling out of my mouth. Hence the lower rating than “Salvaged” and a heads-up on that detail.
All of that said, I enjoyed different parts of this book and will be looking out for what this author writes next as a major Christian Contemporary YA fan.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
About this book:
“She’s got a dream school, a nightmare budget, and she’s headed for a doozy of a rude awakening...
Olivia’s goal is within reach. She’s been accepted to her dream school, Vanderbilt University, alma mater of famed comic illustrator Paige O’Donnell. Despite gaining multiple scholarships and grants, Olivia’s just shy of tuition. Desperate, she applies for a $15,000 scholarship offered by the Wonderbrink Foundation, to be awarded to a high-achieving and athletic senior with diabetes. One little problem… Olivia doesn’t have diabetes.
In her quest to pull off a whopper of a lie, Olivia attends a diabetes support group meeting, where she meets and befriends Paul Roberts, a smug yet handsome member of the Sugar Shatterers. Her best friends Xavier and Amber aren’t thrilled about Olivia’s new mysterious, one-sided friendship with superstitious, entitled Paul. Xavier may secretly be a *little* jealous, and the scholarship application deadline rapidly approaches.”
Series: As of now, no. A stand-alone novel.
Spiritual Content- A handful of Scriptures are quoted & read; A few Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & parts of sermons; A few talks about God; Some ’H’s are capital when referring to God and Jesus; A teacher reads a quote from ‘Counter Culture’ by Pastor Platt in class (which the teacher says he isn’t grading his students on agreeing with him or not and that he can’t think of a better reason to get fired when a student asks him about that); Mentions of God, Jesus, & grace; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of church, church going, youth group, pastors, service, & sermons; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of Christian-based entertainment (such as Veggie Tales and Berenstain Bears, but also a fictional one); A couple mentions of a missionary & mission trips; A mention of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting; A mention of being Blessed; A mention of thinking a person is an angel (because of her kind actions);
*Note: A Scripture is mentioned in a flippant way (a pastor comments on keeping a DVD in pristine condition “for such as time as this [when meeting the actors to sign it]”; A side character is very superstitious and shares many of his superstitions (which Olivia is at first taken back about, but later finds it sad; Olivia doesn’t believe in luck as it undermines her hard work; In class, superstitious people are discussed and the teacher says it’s about control or the person having certainty in their lives; *Spoiler* ); Olivia calls her friend group her “rock”; Olivia feels her cheeks heat from the “sin of omission”; Olivia’s brothers tease her that she treats a hoodie as if it is sacred (she says she does not); Many mentions of superstitions & luck; A mention of a child being a holy terror.
Negative Content- Three implications or cut-off moments implying curses such as an ‘an as—‘ and two ‘shi—’s; Minor cussing including: a ‘crud’, a ‘doggone’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘gah’, a ‘flipping’, a ‘Holy Moly’, a ‘oh em gee’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘what the heck’, two ‘crap’s, two forms of ‘dang it’, two ‘duh’s, two ‘gosh’s, two ‘sucker’s, two ‘wuss’s, three ‘dang’s, three ‘good grief’s, three forms of ‘idiot’, four ‘geez’s, six ‘heck’s, eight ‘stupid’s, and ten ‘oh my gosh’s; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Olivia finds out about a scholarship for athletes with Type 1 diabetes (which she is not one) and while she feels unsettled about it and has guilt for her actions, she is concerned with the price of college and looks into it (*Spoiler* ); While Olivia doesn’t lie, she does keep things to herself and omit certain details when telling her family or friends about anything related to the diabetes scholarship (knowing her deception); Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of parents divorce, their kid struggling with it, and the teen making a couple negative comments towards his stepmother; A few mentions of a car accident; A few mentions of injuries & pain; A few mentions of a father not being physically abusive, but having intense expectations for his son; A couple mentions of (good natured) betting (between siblings); A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of rumors & gossip; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of vomit/throwing up; A mention of hiding a body; A slang mention of going to the bathroom (“take a whiz”); A mention of farts.
*Note: Going to Comic-Con (twice); Olivia and one of her best friends have a conversation about being very superstitious often means having a lot of “serious anxiety issues” and some people with anxiety dealing with their anxiety in healthier ways; A side character has a diabetic emergency (hypoglycemic, up to semi-detailed); A line from a song by Stevie Wonder is shared at the beginning of a chapter; Many mentions of movies, fictional characters, & quotes (mainly from Shrek, but also Mamma Mia, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Mean Girls, Cutting Edge, Legally Blonde, Teen Wolf, 10 Things I Hate About You, Princess Bride, The Goonies, The Parent Trap, Top Gun: Maverick, Inside Out, Schindler’s List, Princess Diaries, Wonder Woman, Hobbits, Weasley twins, Goot, Avengers, Paw Patrol figures, X-Men characters, Mario and Luigi, Klingon, & the minions); Mentions of stores, brand names, & brand name items (Blockbuster, Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A, Target, Prisma colored pencils, MacBook, Chrombook, Omnicom, Jolly Rancher candy, Sour Patch Kids, Hershey, Nutella, Almond Joys, Swedish Fish, Tic-Tacs, Gatorade, Red Bull, Ale8s, PlayStation, Lululemon, Hanes, Vaseline, NyQuil, & Mod Podge); Mentions of celebrities (Nick Jones, Eddie Murphy, Beckham, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan, & Mary Kate & Ashley); Mentions of social media platforms & websites (TikTok, Instagram, Google Classroom, & Merriam-Webster); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of colleges; A few mentions of artists (Michelangelo, Sam Cox, & Rembrandt); A few mentions of books and authors (‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell & a poem by Edgar Allen Poe); A few mentions of FaceTime; A mention of Olivia’s friend dressing up as Ruth Bader Ginsburg when she has to dress up as a superhero; A mention of TED Talk; A mention of the Discovery Channel; A mention of Bigfoot.
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Flutters/Goosebumps, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a couple snuggle, hold hands, & kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing hot and attractive guys (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed); Flirting; Winks & Blushes; Four ‘babe’s and four forms of ‘hot’, A guy also comments on his “smokin’, rock-hard body”; Olivia wishes that Xavier would give some indication that he feels the same way she does about him (more than platonic best friends); A friend teases Olivia and Xavier about “getting a room” when she hugs him; A boyfriend teases his girlfriend about having a foot fetish after she takes a picture of his foot with the nails she painted when he was asleep (which she tells him to stop making things weird); Olivia teases that she ate so much she has a “food baby” which makes Xavier blush; Mentions of touches & nearness; Mentions of a couple being a “giant mushfest”, snuggling, & holding hands; Mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of crushes; Mentions of winks & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a guy getting distracted by a group of girls showing their mid-drifts/bellybuttons; A couple mentions of one of Olivia’s brothers being a ladies’ man and her teasing him choosing his college based on the female-to-male ratio; A couple mentions of a guy’s charms and all the girls at school noticing them; A couple mentions of heartthrobs; A mention of appreciating a guy’s looks; A mention of a mating ritual on the Discovery Channel; Some love, being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Mentions of butts/bums/tushes (mostly in humor); A couple mentions of pregnancy hormones; A mention of panties getting in a wad; A mention of estrogen.
-Olivia James
1st person P.O.V. of Olivia
177 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Ratings are for Public or Private School girls; Remove a star for those not in those settings or preferring to avoid implications of curses}
Last year, my mom was diagnosed as Type 1.5 diabetic—not Type 2, but Type 1.5 which is closer to Type 1 and is proved by even more blood tests—and though I knew the general idea of diabetes, it was a crash course in learning all about it, giving insulin, managing prescriptions, meal prepping, and carb counting as I managed all of it for her (because of other side effects she was facing that came from having high blood sugar for so long without us knowing, my mom has been unable to handle it herself). Like Olivia experiences at the beginning of this book, I’ve also had the Frequency Illusion Principle (when you hear something new to you and all of the sudden you hear about it again and again) since that beginning diagnosis with the topic of diabetes seeming like it’s everywhere.
You could say it was exactly that when after reading “Salvaged” by this author a couple months ago, I learned about this new release about, you guessed it, diabetes. Or rather, a teen girl finding out about a scholarship for those with diabetes. The problem? She doesn’t actually have diabetes.
I was concerned about this book mainly because of the idea of the main character lying that she has diabetes to get the scholarship. She actually doesn’t technically lie, though, it’s assumptions others make and her not correcting them. Still not right by any means and she questions herself many times, but I appreciated the author was able to do this book without a heavy amount of lying. Olivia needed to do a ridiculous amount of research on diabetes, but didn’t, so that lead to some awkward moments for her. There’s a lot of guilt on her part where a reader can tell that Olivia knows what she is doing isn’t right.
As far as the romance element, I found Paul to be a superstitious weirdo and I didn’t see why Olivia was interested in him. Thankfully—for my sanity and Xavier’s—she’s not really interested in Paul that way, but gets put into his life to be a good influence. Olivia frustrated me a bit about her friendship with Xavier and he frustrated me at times too because of their lack of guts about confessing their feelings for each other. I was definitely Amber in their friend group, waiting for them to admit their feelings while holding popcorn.
I do have to note that I didn’t care for the two implications to one of Olivia’s classmates cursing. Later, Xavier also gets cut-off when fixing to call someone a rude (but appropriate for the character’s actions) name. They are all cut-off and missing a letter to complete the word, but it still got the words stuck in my head. Those in public school settings probably hear all of these and worse during the day, but it’s something I try to actively avoid to keep those words from falling out of my mouth. Hence the lower rating than “Salvaged” and a heads-up on that detail.
All of that said, I enjoyed different parts of this book and will be looking out for what this author writes next as a major Christian Contemporary YA fan.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
April 22, 2025
Liabetes is a great, quick YA read with a story line that many people have experienced - do what it takes to afford that dream school.
The characters are well developed and easy to relate to. The main character Olivia really grows throughout the book and realizes that all dreams may not lead to reality.
Warning - if you are non-religious this book may not be for you.
I received an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and agreed to give an honest review.
The characters are well developed and easy to relate to. The main character Olivia really grows throughout the book and realizes that all dreams may not lead to reality.
Warning - if you are non-religious this book may not be for you.
I received an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens and agreed to give an honest review.
April 13, 2025
This is a phenomenal book for any teen!! Such fun, witty characters and so many real-life situations. The overall message of the book is one you don’t want to miss. Buy it for your children, grandchildren, friends, school, etc! Great book!
April 9, 2025
Olivia is a quick witted young lady that really understands the love and grace that her Heavenly Father offers. I enjoyed reading how she worked through her mistake with the support of her family, friends, and church family. Even though this a fiction book, God’s forgiveness is real and displayed brilliantly through this novel. I highly recommend it!
March 20, 2025
Olivia has always dreamed of attending her hero’s alma mater, but after receiving her acceptance letter, she panics at the price-tag. Instead of talking it over with her parents, or trusting God with her future, she applies for a diabetes scholarship, which she’s ineligible for. Immediately, she regrets the decision and keeps it a secret from everyone, even from her best friend Xavier whom she’s secretly in love with. A fun read with a good message. Highly recommend, especially to teenagers.
March 13, 2025
A Humorous and Heartfelt YA Read You Won’t Want to Miss!
Olivia has a problem—a caviar school choice on a fish stick budget. But it's her dream school. Desperate not to miss out, she makes a split-second decision that she regrets almost immediately. Because really, what could go wrong when you apply for a college scholarship meant for students with diabetes… when you don’t actually have diabetes? Oops.
Shanna Heath’s writing is an absolute delight. She nails the first-person POV, drawing readers into Olivia’s world with humor, heart, and just the right amount of teenage chaos. The story is warm, funny, and surprisingly poignant, weaving in an important life lesson without ever feeling heavy-handed. And let’s not forget the romance—because yes, there’s a sweet dose of that too. Swoon.
This genre might not be for everyone, but if you love YA with a splash of romance and a lot of heart, Liabetes is a must-read. I adored it. Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Olivia has a problem—a caviar school choice on a fish stick budget. But it's her dream school. Desperate not to miss out, she makes a split-second decision that she regrets almost immediately. Because really, what could go wrong when you apply for a college scholarship meant for students with diabetes… when you don’t actually have diabetes? Oops.
Shanna Heath’s writing is an absolute delight. She nails the first-person POV, drawing readers into Olivia’s world with humor, heart, and just the right amount of teenage chaos. The story is warm, funny, and surprisingly poignant, weaving in an important life lesson without ever feeling heavy-handed. And let’s not forget the romance—because yes, there’s a sweet dose of that too. Swoon.
This genre might not be for everyone, but if you love YA with a splash of romance and a lot of heart, Liabetes is a must-read. I adored it. Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 13, 2025
Liabetes is a heartfelt story depicting the risks of chasing dreams for the wrong reasons, the pitfalls of unspoken assumptions, and how easily we can justify small deceptions—especially to ourselves.
Olivia James, a high school senior, is talented, bright, and driven. She juggles school, a part-time job, soccer, and a close-knit group of friends. But when it comes to her dream college, Olivia makes a risky choice: she hides the deposit requirement from her parents and decides to handle things on her own. What follows is a compelling look at the internal pressure young people face—and how good intentions can lead to questionable decisions.
The story also shines a light on Paul, whose character wrestles with the heavy burden of living up to his father's ulcer-inducing-high expectations. Through both Olivia and Paul, the novel explores themes of identity, pressure, and the longing to be seen and accepted for who we truly are.
Throw in sweet, innocent romance and you’ve got a well-rounded, emotionally resonant story that’s perfect for current high schoolers—or anyone who remembers the rollercoaster highs and lows of teenage life.
Want to really set the tone? Play on your favorite throwback tune or queue up an old teen TV classic, then dive into Liabetes. You’ll be glad you did.
Olivia James, a high school senior, is talented, bright, and driven. She juggles school, a part-time job, soccer, and a close-knit group of friends. But when it comes to her dream college, Olivia makes a risky choice: she hides the deposit requirement from her parents and decides to handle things on her own. What follows is a compelling look at the internal pressure young people face—and how good intentions can lead to questionable decisions.
The story also shines a light on Paul, whose character wrestles with the heavy burden of living up to his father's ulcer-inducing-high expectations. Through both Olivia and Paul, the novel explores themes of identity, pressure, and the longing to be seen and accepted for who we truly are.
Throw in sweet, innocent romance and you’ve got a well-rounded, emotionally resonant story that’s perfect for current high schoolers—or anyone who remembers the rollercoaster highs and lows of teenage life.
Want to really set the tone? Play on your favorite throwback tune or queue up an old teen TV classic, then dive into Liabetes. You’ll be glad you did.
April 15, 2025
This is a cute story that also teaches some valuable lessons (beyond why lying is a bad idea). Olivia is a witty character, Paul is enigmatic and strangely self-focused, and Olivia's closest friends are fun additional characters. This is a work of Christian fiction so you will find some Bible references, church scenes, prayer, etc. but it's all naturally incorporated into the story. There is no sex, profanity, or violence. I've never met anybody as superstitious as Paul but it sounds like a stressful life.
As far as issues, they were minor. I loved the wit but at times it made Olivia seem juvenile. Also, the way things wrapped up with Paul was kind of rushed. People rarely change quickly. (I did, however, love the epilogue.)
I received an ARC and am offering my opinion freely.
As far as issues, they were minor. I loved the wit but at times it made Olivia seem juvenile. Also, the way things wrapped up with Paul was kind of rushed. People rarely change quickly. (I did, however, love the epilogue.)
I received an ARC and am offering my opinion freely.
December 30, 2025
Liabetes is a heart-warming story with strong themes of forgiveness, trust, and grace and mercy and a stellar cast of characters. From the first page, Olivia pulls you into her world, one familiar to college students across the US. Liv’s highs and lows as she tackles her senior year of high school while trying to prepare for college are relatable, along with her fears and the struggles she faces.
The story unfolds naturally, driven by Liv’s choices, and through it all, an incredible—though not perfect—group of friends surrounds her, enhancing the story and making it more of a delight. Tied together with strong faith threads, this story is one high schoolers and adults alike will enjoy diving into.
*I gave it four stars for some choppy writing, confusing formatting things, and misuse of multiple different words throughout the story.
I received an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
The story unfolds naturally, driven by Liv’s choices, and through it all, an incredible—though not perfect—group of friends surrounds her, enhancing the story and making it more of a delight. Tied together with strong faith threads, this story is one high schoolers and adults alike will enjoy diving into.
*I gave it four stars for some choppy writing, confusing formatting things, and misuse of multiple different words throughout the story.
I received an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
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