Sugar Crash

Gr 7 Up–With a mix of character-driven and suspense-driven plot elements, this hi-lo book will appeal to fans of survival tales. Teenaged Zoe Harmon has lived with type 1 diabetes for as long as she can remember. She knows she would never survive on a desert island without her insulin pump and food supply to keep her sugar up. Zoe is being forced to go on a field trip to the mountains for an English-class project, but she misses the bus. Desperate, she hitches a ride with her friend-turned-enemy Vic. He takes them on a shortcut to get to the field trip site faster, but then a snowstorm hits and he gets in a car accident. Vic is bleeding, and Zoe has only five hours’ worth of insulin in the car; can the two find help before it’s too late? Despite being predictable, the plot is engaging and well written. Chapters are short with simple sentences, wide margins, and dyslexia-friendly type. Character dynamics are authentic and help readers sympathize with them. Most chapters end in cliffhangers that will keep readers wanting to know what happens next.