Tyler’s Reviews > Mister Lullaby > Status Update

I'm leaning towards 'book doesn't know what it's talking about'. Since apparently Gideon can check Archie's blood sugar easily from having seen it done tons of times. But doesn't know what the glucometer is called.

So okay. Arxhie eats a Twix for low blood sugar. (Before checking his sugar. Which. Just noticed. They put blood on the test strip before putting 'on' the glucometer. Is that how some models work? All of mine, you slid the strip into the meter first. Then blood)
Then Archie takes insulin. When the book was just trying to tell us his sugar was low. (Even though it wasn't)

And when the meter does give a reading, after a dramatic technicolor bird attack and the appearance of serial killer, it's...80 something. Which is fine. Unless Archie's doctor wants him specifically to stay above that for some reason. Below 70 is what's generally considered low. Now he might feel low if his sugar isn't typically in the 80s-90s. And given his heavy drinking earlier that's very possible.

Nitpick from an actual diabetic. Archie just needed to eat a candy bar because his blood sugar might be low from nailing boards to the house. Okay. First, that glucometer (which they just call a machine. Does Gideon not know what it's called?) takes forever to give a reading. Like full minutes. Mine takes maybe 2 seconds. Is this an old model? But I've been diabetic 20 years and my glucometer's never taken so long.

Mostly enjoying this since messed up dream world stuff is my jam. But I wish we got to see more than glimpses of what's going on in Lalaland. Also. Warnings for uncritical ableism in regards to how the narrative treats Simon. And the Bury Your Gays trope.


The book takes place in a fairly rural area, but the book feels dated beyond that. Despite being published in 2023 and taking place in the modern day.