Category: Chronic illness

The Lifeline Signal (Chameleon Moon 2)

By RoAnna Sylver

Check out this book and more on our best of list for books with aromantic characters.

Publisher’s Description:

Parole is still burning, but three teenagers united by dreams might hold the secret to stop it all. But first, they must cross the Tartarus Zone—a deadly wasteland filled with toxic storms, ghostly horrors, and Eye in the Sky patrols—on Annie’s highly-modified motorcycle. Their goal? The FireRunner, an airship full of familiar and friendly faces, who can help them send a lifeline signal to Parole and uncover the mystery tying them all together.

Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Chance
Cis girls: Annie
Nonbinary: Shiloh (Shiloh uses xie/xyr pronouns)

Sexual and Romantic Orientation:
Annie is aromantic and asexual
Chance is bisexual and biromantic

Race/Ethnicity:
Annie is Vietnamese-American
Chance is Indian

Trigger Warnings:

Additional Notes: Second in a series, Annie is autistic with EDS and trichotillomania.  Shiloh has the Arnold-Chiari Malformation.

Ownvoices: Asexual, Aromantic, Autism, PTSD, Chronic Illness (EDS, trichotillomania, Physical Disability (Arnold-Chiari Malformation)

The Olive Conspiracy (Mangoverse #4)

By Shira Glassman

In book four of the Mangoverse series, Mizrahi Jewish lesbian queen Shulamit defends one of her citizens, a trans woman, who is being blackmailed. She also revisits a childhood crush and engages with international politics and eco terrorism. There are subplots including lesbian farmers and a straight cis woman who crossdresses as a man to be a warrior.

Publisher’s Description:

A love story between women, between queen and country, and between farmers and their crops.

When Ezra tries to blackmail Chef Yael about her being trans, she throws him out of her restaurant and immediately reports him to the queen. But when police find Ezra stabbed to death, Queen Shulamit realizes he may have also tried to extort someone more dangerous than a feisty old lady.

The royal investigation leads straight to an international terrorist plot to destroy her country’s economy—and worse, her first love, Crown Princess Carolina of Imbrio, may be involved. Since she’s got a dragon-shifting wizard at her disposal, contacts with friendly foreign witches, and the support of her partner Aviva, Shulamit has hope. What she doesn’t have is time.

 

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Shulamit, Rivka, Aviva, Hadar, Halleli, Carolina
Cis boys: Isaac
Trans girls: Yael

Sexuality:
Lesbian: Shulamit, Hadar, Halleli
Bisexual: Aviva, Yael
Demisexual: Rivka
Heterosexual: Isaac, Carolina

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Shulamit
Biromantic: Aviva, Yael
Heteroromantic: Rivka, Isaac, Carolina

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Rivka, Isaac, Carolina
Middle Eastern/North African: Shulamit, Aviva, Yael, Hadar, Halleli

Religion:
Judaism: Shulamit, Aviva, Isaac

Disability:
Food allergies. Shulamit has gluten intolerance and is allergic to fowl.

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for bisexuality and food allergies.

 

A Harvest of Ripe Figs (Mangoverse #3)

By Shira Glassman

Publisher’s Description:

Esther of the Singing Hands is Perach’s Sweetheart, a young and beautiful musician with a Girl Next Door image. When her violin is stolen after a concert in the capital city, she doesn’t expect the queen herself to show up, intent upon solving the mystery.

But Queen Shulamit–lesbian, intellectual, and mother of the six month old crown princess–loves to play detective. With the help of her legendary bodyguard Rivka and her dragon, and with the support of her partner Aviva the Chef, Shulamit turns her mind toward the solution–which she quickly begins to suspect involves the use of illegal magic that could threaten the safety of her citizens.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Shulamit, Rivka, Aviva, Esther
Cis boys: Isaac, Tzuriel
Trans boys: Micah

Sexuality:
Lesbian: Shulamit
Bisexual: Aviva
Demisexual: Rivka
Heterosexual: Isaac, Esther, Tzuriel

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Shulamit
Biromantic: Aviva
Heteroromantic: Rivka, Isaac, Esther, Tzuriel

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Rivka, Isaac
Multiracial: Tzuriel
Middle Eastern/North African: Shulamit, Aviva, Micah, Esther

Religion:
Judaism: Shulamit, Aviva, Isaac, Esther, Micah

Disability:
Food allergies: Shulamit has gluten intolerance and is allergic to fowl.
Physical disability: Isaac’s right hand can’t close.

Trigger Warnings:
Though the overall environment is accepting, Shulamit starts off ignorant about transgender people and makes some mistakes.

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for bisexuality and food allergies.

 

 

Climbing the Date Palm (Mangoverse #2)

By Shira Glassman

In the second book of the Mangoverse series, lesbian Jewish queen Shulamit and her bisexual girlfriend partner with bisexual prince Kaveh to rescue Kaveh’s boyfriend, an engineer who has been imprisoned for labor organizing.

Publisher’s Description:

Prince Kaveh, the youngest son of the king of the City of Red Clay, is bisexual, and completely besotted with Farzin, the engineer his father hired to oversee the improvements to the city’s roads and bridges. However, the king doesn’t share his positive feelings. After Farzin ends up at the head of the protest that ensues when the workers are only paid a third of their promised wages, he’s thrown in prison and is scheduled to be executed.

Queen Shulamit, who rules over the neighboring nation of Perach, is eager to assist the desperate prince. She, too, loves justice and has a same-sex partner. She’s also hoping Kaveh, with his royal blood, is willing to give her and her sweetheart a legitimate heir in exchange. But can she find a peaceful solution that will pacify the king next door, get his workers fairly paid, and free Farzin? Or will she and her dragon-riding bodyguard Rivka have to go to war?

 

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Shulamit, Rivka, Aviva
Cis boys: Isaac, Kaveh, Farzin

Sexuality:
Gay: Farzin
Lesbian: Shulamit
Bisexual: Aviva, Kaveh
Demisexual: Rivka
Heterosexual: Isaac

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Shulamit, Farzin
Biromantic: Aviva, Kaveh
Heteroromantic: Rivka, Isaac

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Rivka, Isaac
Middle Eastern/North African: Shulamit, Aviva, Kaveh, Farzin

Religion:
Judaism: Shulamit, Aviva, Isaac

Disability:
Food allergies. Shulamit has gluten intolerance and is allergic to fowl.
Mental illness: Kaveh has anxiety.

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia/homomisia, Biphobia/bimisia

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for bisexuality and anxiety.

 

 

The Second Mango (Mangoverse #1)

By Shira Glassman

A fun, fluffy fantasy romance featuring a Jewish lesbian queen with food allergies who rides a shape shifting dragon, accompanied by a demisexual woman disguised as a man as her guard. They set off on an adventure to find Queen Shulamit a girlfriend, and end up on a mission to rescue her ex.

Publisher’s Description:

Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she’s also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Not to mention, she’s the victim of severe digestive problems that everybody thinks she’s faking. When she meets Rivka, an athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.

Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that’s okay — Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior’s willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Shulamit, Rivka, Aviva
Cis boys: Isaac

Sexuality:
Lesbian: Shulamit
Bisexual: Aviva
Demisexual: Rivka
Heterosexual: Isaac

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Shulamit
Biromantic: Aviva
Heteroromantic: Rivka, Isaac

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Rivka, Isaac
Middle Eastern/North African: Shulamit, Aviva

Religion:
Judaism: Shulamit, Aviva, Isaac

Disability:
Food allergies. Shulamit has gluten intolerance and is allergic to fowl.

Ownvoices: Ownvoices for bisexuality and food allergies.

 

 

Starring Kitty (Reel Friends #1)

By Keris Stainton

Fourteen year old Kitty’s mother has multiple sclerosis and Kitty is falling for Dylan. She distracts herself by entering a film competition with her friends. Her family is supportive, including her gay brother, as is a best friend who wears a hijab.

Publisher’s Description:

Sometimes the greatest love stories happen behind the scenes…

Kitty’s keeping secrets. Like how she’s struggling to cope with her mum’s illness. And how she’s falling for the girl with the purpley-red hair… A fun film competition with her friends Sunny and Hannah seems like the perfect distraction. But then Dylan wants to be more than Kitty’s secret. Is Kitty ready to let her two worlds meet or will she risk losing Dylan forever?

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Kitty, Dylan

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Kitty, Dylan

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Kitty, Dylan

Religion:
Muslim: Sunny (Kitty’s best friend)

 

Disability:
Kitty’s mom has MS.

An Unstill Life

By Kate Larkindale

Livvie’s best friends have abandoned her for boyfriends, she has a terrible relationship with her mother, and her sister has cancer. She retreats to the art room where she bonds with school ‘freak’ Bianca.

Publisher’s Description

When your whole world is falling apart, what are the chances you’ll find love in the most unexpected of places?

Livvie feels like she’s losing everything: her two best friends have abandoned her for their boyfriends, her mother continues to ignore her, while her sister, Jules, is sick again and getting worse by the day. Add in the request Jules has made of her and Livvie feels like she’s losing her mind, too.

Her only escape is in the art room, where she discovers not only a refuge from her life, but also a kindred soul in Bianca, the school “freak”. Livvie’s always felt invisible, at school and at home, but with Bianca, she finally feels like someone sees the real Livvie. As the relationship deepens and it comes time to take the romance public, will Livvie be able to take that step?

Livvie’s about to find out if she has what it takes to make the tough decisions and stand up for herself—for the first time in her life.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Livvie, Bianca

Sexual Orientation:
Lesbian/Queer: Livvie, Bianca

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Livvie, Bianca

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Livvie, Bianca

Disability:
Livvie’s sister has cancer

Trigger Warnings: family illness, family abuse

Fans of the Impossible life

By Kate Sclesa

Told from three perspectives, this is the story of Mira, her best friend Sebby who is gay, and Jeremy, the boy she meets at prep school who is attracted to both of them.

Publisher’s Description

Mira is starting over at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to pretend that she could act like a functioning human this time, not a girl who can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.

Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn, it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with mischief glinting in his eye.

Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and impromptu road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.

As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.

Genre: Contemporary

Representation:
Gender:
Cis boys: Sebby, Jeremy

Sexual  Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Sebby
Bisexual/pansexual: Jeremy

Romantic Orientation:
Homoromantic: Sebby
Biromantic/panromantic: Jeremy

Race/Ethnicity:
White:
Multiracial

Disability
Chronic fatigue, depression

Teeth

By Hannah Moskowitz

Rudy’s brother is dying, so he and his family move to a remote island, where there are magical fish that can heal the sick. Rudy meets Diana, a girl who can’t leave her house, and Teeth, who is half-fish, half-boy. he ultimately discovers that Teeth is hiding terrible secrets.

Publisher’s Description:

Be careful what you believe in.

​Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

​Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything. Rudy can’t remember the last time he felt so connected to someone, but being friends with Teeth is more than a little bit complicated.

​He soon learns that Teeth has terrible secrets. Violent secrets. Secrets that will force Rudy to choose between his own happiness and his brother’s life.

Genre: Fantasy

Representation:
Gender:
Cis girls: Diana
Cis boys: Rudy
Teeth is half boy/half fish

Sexual Orientation:
Gay/Queer: Rudy, Teeth
Heterosexual: Diana

Romantic Orientation:
Not explicitly addressed.

Disability:
Rudy’s brother has a chronic illness.

Race/Ethnicity:
White: Rudy, Diana

Trigger Warnings:
Rape.  Teeth is the product of a fish raping a human woman.

Additional Notes: