BOOK REVIEW: The Truth According to Blue
Scott Benner
Juicebox Podcast Listener review #1
My son is 11 years old and entering 6th grade (also type one diabetic) had these comments. 10 out of 10 stars. Loved the mystery and he was very happy Blue got a CGM at the end. He loved reading about Otis the diabetic alert dog (and is pretty convinced we need one). He really enjoyed the mystery and he was jumping up and down at the end with suspense of what was going to happen.
As an adult reading with my child I thought the book was great, a fun adventure for sure! It put a spotlight on a character that has a chronic illness which you don’t see very often. I also liked how the main character had an everyday life similar to a lot of us. I think it hit all the marks about diabetes from feeling different to accepting your differences and being proud of them. I also liked that the main character, Blue knew how to dive, drive a boat and do all sorts of things that maybe kids with diabetes wouldn’t realize they could do. It had a great parallel with Jules in the book being a “normal” teen and without diabetes she also had challenges in her own life to overcome. I would say it also lent a great message about friendships and accepting people for who they are. I would recommend this book for any middle aged child and even parents too as I was really able to relate to Blue’s parents and how much they worry about her and the ground rules that they had especially around diabetes.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Tracey Vargas
Juicebox Podcast Listener review #2
Reviewers: Jaime (Mom, an elementary school teacher, and T1D) and Natalie (daughter)
Jaime: As an elementary school teacher I know how important it is to have authentic text that children see themselves in. While we have some exceptional multicultural books, I've struggled to find books that include physical disabilities and chronic illnesses. As an avid listener to the Juicebox podcast, I was thrilled to find The Truth According to Blue and for Scott to be asking for reviewers. We jumped and was thrilled to receive the book in the mail a few days later. I let my daughter read the book first. She's a strong reader and will often finish books in one sitting. I wanted to see if this book held her interest, as well as other books, do. To be fair, she isn't a T1D and is going into high school so I knew she would not connect as well to the main character, Blue as others would. However, she still finished the book over the course of a week and seemed to be genuinely interested in it and enjoy the storyline. I'll let her share her thoughts later.
I too enjoyed the book and storyline. The author does a good job of describing the coastal town and the family dynamics that play into how Blue manages her T1D. As a T1D that was diagnosed later in life, I have no connection to the struggles of having parents participating in your diabetic management. I'm also fairly positive that this would be a different experience for every child who has T1D. Regardless, it's still a relatable and realistic portrayal of what one might experience. As a parent, I enjoyed seeing a good relationship presented between Blue and her parents.
Blue's frustration with have type 1 and being seen as the "girl who has diabetes" is extremely relatable to anyone who has T1D. It was nice to read a book that not only included the management but the frustrations as well especially coming from a writer who is not diabetic themselves. The only problem I had with diabetic care in the book was how often Blue went swimming with her pump. I'm sure this is really only noticeable to those of us who know the swimming struggles of wearing a pump. Otherwise, it seemed to be a pretty accurate depiction of a T1D.
The characters became better developed as you got into the book, with Jules becoming more likable and relatable as Blue learned more about her. Both girls are struggling with labels they have been given how they want others to see them. The growth in both characters and the friendship that they develop was enjoyable and realistic to read.
Otis, the diabetic alert dog, is a fun addition and thankfully does not die! I was concerned when Blue was worried about him getting older that he would not survive the book, but he did! As with many stories, the dogs always endear themselves to us and Otis is no different.
With many young adult books, the line between fiction and fantasy is often blurred. The adventures that Blue, Jules, and Otis encounter while searching for treasure is at times unrealistic and dangerous. However, I think without those, it would not be very exciting to read about a T1D with her head in a clear bottom bucket looking for treasure! Even with the problems that the three of them face trying to find treasure, it felt that the T1D information/management could overshadow the story especially if you are not a T1D yourself and know the true effect on one's day to day activities.
Overall, I think many young adult readers would enjoy reading this book regardless if they are a T1D or not. The struggle to find yourself and becoming more independent is universal. Who wouldn't enjoy an adventure story about treasure, two friends, and a really cool dog with a sweet ending?
Natalie:
Everyone enjoys a book with characters who we can relate to and grows throughout the story and this book definitely delivered. Everyone at some point has struggled with who they are and it's great to see those characters in a book; it helps us to see them as more human and not these great characters who we struggle to connect with and see them as distant. As my mother was recently diagnosed I found it really cool to be able to recognize what blue was doing to manage her blood sugar because I’ve seen my mother do what she does. Now as an individual who is not T1D, I did not connect with Blue as much as some with type 1 might, but I still enjoyed seeing her determination and spirit. The way the town was described was lovely, I felt as if I could walk down the street to the Island Bowl and have a good time. I enjoyed following all the characters' relationships improve and even grew to like Jules despite having a bad first impression of her. I do believe that Otis, Blue’s medical alert dog, was my favorite character. I believe that it's always enjoyable when an adorable pup who helps people is one of the main characters. I also liked the fact that once Blue, Jules, and Otis hit a wall they didn’t stop, they kept trying and I enjoy reading about characters who persevere when it seems like they should just stop. By the end despite having had an amazing adventure Jules and Blue found a different kind of treasure, friendship.
