What if vampires are just diabetics who haven't treated their diabetes?
Sixteen-year-old Lucy considers herself undead, as a Type 1 Diabetic who believes the stories about vampires were based on people dying of Diabetes.
She dresses in all black, does over the top makeup and spends her free time in a chatroom about vampires. That is where she meets Draco, who proclaims that he knows real vampires. As her grades, home life and health start to fall out of her control she makes friends with Dylan, who leads her into the world of late night goth parties and to the home of the mysterious Wayne.
But Lucy doesn't consider herself goth and even as the world seems to be slipping further from her she finds comfort in an old friend.
After her computer is taken from her because of failing grades, and she starts sneaking out to parties, hoping to find a real vampire in the crowds. Lucy starts to accept drinks, eats more than she should and forgets to take her insulin. When her health hits the point of being dangerous, Lucy has to figure out what is most important to her, and find a way to gain back the trust of those who showed up to help her.
Pete Hautman is a Type 1 Diabetic, which I think played in big role in how well written certain parts of the book were. (He also has many other books too). There were a few scenes that really stood out to me in this story, any time where Lucy is either going low or her sugars are climbing I found the way the scenes were written was pretty close to how I feel. The disconnect from reality, the trying to figure out what is wrong and what I need to do. Now, this book was published in 2003, meaning some of the technology is a little bit older and the way things are handled is a bit different. Talk of insulin pumps, like I use, makes it sound very new. Lucy does daily injections and needs to test her glucose frequently, which as her life starts to fall apart she stops doing.
The skipping of testing, forgetting if she did shots, not eating and generally not taking care of herself all the time really hit home with me. As a teenager there is sort of a burden you start to feel when being Diabetic, and how Lucy explained it felt very similar to how I felt during the time of my life. You want to be normal, but feel so abnormal. Things that other people your age are doing are a mystery to you. How will drinking impact your sugars? How will you be able to tell if you are low or high? Do you have to sit out of meals with your friends because your sugars aren't in the right space? And lets not forgot any changes in stress, hormones, or just life in general make everything crazy. I think these scenes were Lucy is losing control are very well written, and even though its been a while since the book was published give a good indication for what it feels like, especially to someone who is not T1D.
When it comes to other aspects of the story I thought Wayne was a creepy character and I think that for the story being in 2003 the internet creepiness kind of makes sense. Whereas in books now there is a lot more 'stranger danger' when it comes to the internet. The ending was a little vague but was overall fine, though again I sort of wish we knew if Wayne leaves her alone. I also think Lucy's choice to 'be normal and get under control' happens a little quick, or almost too easy? I feel like its more of a struggle, but it was also the beginning of her trying, so maybe she would get there eventually.
Overall, a 4 out of 5 star read with some really well done Diabetes rep.
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