Diagnosed by Brenda Snow

I was drawn to this book relating to the chronic illness focus as a fellow spoonie, with life long conditions to learn to cope with them and the effects on altering your life. I do also have to add the tagline is very much true in a journey with chronic illnesses many swears are said in pain more often than not or when something goes wrong! I really enjoyed hearing how despite diagnosis it didnt define Brenda's life and she has been able to when she can enjoy it to the full despite dealing with MS/multiple sclerosis and all that entails which a friend's mum has and I have some experience on how life altering it has been for her too altering life beyond recognition before diagnosis. I also completely got the diagram of the journey a chronic illness diagnosis takes you on too which I remember going through myself as you grieve your old life before diagnosis and question how life could've been without diagnosis for the future without being dealt the hard card of chronic illness. A hard hitting but real, honest, account of dealing with and adapting to life after diagnosis I feel like I can relate too and others will do too.

See How They Lie by Sue Wallman

Mae and Drew are best friends turning sixteen, both have parents who work within the Hummingbird creek mental health facility where they may have use of facilities, but are still treated as patients abiding by strict rules. Drew's dad may be a caterer there but Mae's dad is a doctor and owner of the facility, controlling meds, care and everyone pretty much there away from the outside world.

However more deadly secrets exist as Mae finds out. Her parents lied about their pasts, including family within which her Grandma just died.

As her dad fires staff and gets rid of drew her best friend as a 'bad influence' a new patient arrives in the form of Noah a British patient who falls for her and her alike him. The two together work on figuring out the mystery behind the hidden family photos Mae has found as well as why everyone has to take a specific drug 'HB' unnecessarily deemed as vitamins which it isn't as more patients become unwell, develop aches and pains the race to escape the facility becomes real as the man supposedly her dad becomes a real monster with a lot to hide.

A gripping mystery with a medical edge for teens who like a crime novel with love, drama and a nice dose of betrayal thrown in the mix too. It kept me hooked and I really enjoyed it!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Maddie is allergic to the world, confined to her house with her mum and nurse, Carla. Until the boy next door moves in and catches her eye and he becomes a huge focus of her attention.

As they talk on IM and see each other through their room windows, eventually she sways Carla to allow him into the house so long as they stay on separate sides of the room, the day room filled with fake trees and makes their lives seem more normalized than they are.

It's there that they touch, kiss and practice handstands together happily.

Yet nothing good lasts forever, heartbroken by her mum finding out and sacking Carla, Maddie finds herself lost a lot more as she watches Oli's life carry on from her window as his father's alcohol abuse gets a lot, lot worse.

As she copes with losing Oli and having a horrible new nurse she makes a drastic plan which leads to her being admitted to hospital where she finds out the truth about herself...

Wow, the hype is totally worth it for this one, I was hooked and read it in one go unable to put it down. The condition Maddie suffers from made me want to read on as she and I believed her in grave danger, just don't take the situations at face value...

Out Of Heart by Irfan Master

This book intrigued me from the start, for Adam's granddad has passed away leaving his heart as an organ donor.
Adam struggles with his feelings over his grandfather's passing but is strong for his mum, sister and extended family.
Then William lands on their doorstep, close to death and accepting of that fact, he feels connected to Adam and his family, which he is in a rather big way.
He has Adam's granddad's heart.
Him arriving causes friction before acceptance as well as Adam finally approaching his long term crush.

I really liked the fact that Adam relies on his drawing and graffiti as well as his sister also leaning on her sign language as she doesn't have anything right to say. William fits into the family and it shows how much we need each other.

The book tackles diversity, health and first love really well. It openly discusses feelings from all of these angles and how actions of the past can alter the future in such a huge way.
Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!