4.5, rounded up. This book, while frustrating at times, feels incredibly authentic--and not just because of Maya Van Wagenen's lived experiences with interstitial cystitis and autism. She also captures the vulnerability and, let's face it, lack of frontal lobe that teenagers go through. I also think Dolores' relationships with her family, Terpsichore, and unexpected acquaintances (like Luce, Johann, the priest, and Spider and Tear-drop) feel very sweet and unexpectedly deep. The side characters feel fleshed out and like they serve a purpose for the story and for Dolores' development.

Chronically Dolores is a book I wish I had as a chronically ill young adult! This story goes beyond the "teen overcomes adversity" trope and deals with an embarrassing (though mostly invisible) chronic illness with humor and empathy. Dolores is a hilarious main character (the inclusion of the witty bathroom reviews at the start of most chapters was a great way to share her voice), and I appreciate the inclusion of an authentically-written autistic perspective in Terpsichore.

While both Terpsichore and Dolores read a bit old for eighth-graders, the depiction of the bullying Dolores experiences felt right for that age group. I wish there would have been more about the burgeoning romance between Dolores's brother Mateo and print shop employee Johann (but maybe that's another book?). Reading the afterword and hearing about the author's own experiences with IC and being late-diagnosed autistic made me feel extra positive about recommending it as an #OwnVoices must-read. 4.5/5 stars

This was such a good book. I loved it and read it in one sitting! I would definitely recommend this book to all my family and friends.

This was a cute book with a decent message without being too preachy. While I can't speak to how accurately the author expressed the experience of having autism or IC, I'm assuming she knew what she was talking about from her own life. I couldn't quite decide if I liked how some of the family issues were glossed over or solved relatively painlessly - it felt like conflicts with the aunt, the dad's financial history, and Terpsichore's mother's anxieties could have been elaborated on more, but, on the other hand, this was from the point of view of a teenager dealing with other problems, so it is quite likely that perspective is going to be somewhat self-focused. The interactions between the siblings and the other teens were the best parts of this book, as well as Dolores' creativity. The most unnecessary parts were the sections in the confessional. Those just didn't ring true and felt like the style was pulled from some other book entirely. I would definitely read the further adventures of Dolores and Terpsichore in high school.

I received this ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This one took me a little longer to get through than I had hoped. Not due to the story itself, but due to my own experience with more than usual migraines during my time reading this book. Reading a book in which the main character has their own health affliction and experiencing your own while reading is a new and interesting experience. Reminiscent of having he flu while reading Stephen King's The Stand.
Our main character, Dolores, has been diagnosed with IC (interstitial cystitis) which affects her bladder and causes a lot of pain and discomfort. At 14, while trying to navigate life as a teenager/finding yourself/understanding school and relationships, adding in a diagnosis which will be with you for the rest of your life doesn't make things any easier. Struggling to find comfort, dealing with dysfunctional family dynamics and a family that doesn't understand you, embarrassment at school and an ending friendship, Dolores is faced with how to move forward. Enter Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones, who is autistic with dreams bigger than Dolores could ever imagine. The current work in progress is how to convince her over-protective and over-bearing mother to allow her to attend a regular high school. Can the girls team up and help each other to navigate this world of being different?
As an added bonus, Maya Van Wagenen isn't writing a book of imagination alone or even from interviews with those who have experienced the topics she is writing about. She has first hand experience of what it's like to identify as autistic and experience life with IC. She is able to write from a place of true understanding, making the characters real and even more relatable.
If you have felt different or had a difficult time in your youth of fitting in or navigating friendships, this read could a cathartic experience. With relatable characters who you truly root for.
Long live Jeremy!

I noticed last year that I hadn’t read nearly as many chronically ill books as I should have. And that bothered me. So I was on a mission looking for everyone that was released or going to be released. And I came across this one featuring an illness I hadn’t even heard before. So I immediately went and added it to my TBR. And mannnnnn I’m so glad I made this a priority.

Ok so the first thing I loved about this was the main character. She was hilarious. With her particular illness she had issues with her bladder, so she did things like making a list for restrooms that she’s used and giving them a rating. And the reviews were hilarious. This book made me laugh so much. In the synopsis when it says it is written like a telenovella, they weren’t lying. I will say I wasn’t really I was surprised she didn’t do her due diligence and research everything about the illness she had. She let that doctor say that to her and then she didn’t care to look into it herself. And like I get it, she felt defeated, but I thought she would still do it. Or maybe that’s just me lol Because with my anxiety I feel better prepared for things when I know literally everything about it. So I would have at the very least researched it.

I did think there should have been more of a look at her family. She was interesting, but I just felt like there was a story there. And the freaking ending seemed to come out of nowhere. I mean I saw that things were hitting the fan, but I didn’t know it was THAT bad. It just felt like really out of left field. I think I needed a litttttttle bit more of their family squabbles. Or at least a few more glimpses into the fact that they weren’t actually happy.

The other characters were ok, but Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones? She was amazing. Her mother? Yeah she was not IT. But Terps was so amazing. I loved watching her grow into her own and evolve. She was so smart and I loved watching her. I wish we had some chapters from her POV, but I think it would have taken the surprise factor from it. Especially the search she did. I enjoyed seeing her taking back her life.

This book was nothing like I expected it to be. It sounds terrible, but I expected it to be about her doctor appointments and her trying to live with her illness. But I got this and then some. It really was like a telenovella. Like legit, this book was fun enough to read, but also to watch on the tv.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this fantastic, beautifully written and informative book.

The authorbdoes a fantastic job writing about some very difficult subjects in a sensitive way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters Dolores and Terpsichore were very believable. I think this book would be appropriate for young teens. YA, and adults of all ages.

As a senior adult (age 62) I enjoyed this book greatly.

Highly recommend.

3.5 stars!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for the arc!!

"all of these sensations, pleasant and unpleasant, coursed through my body and told me that I was alive. And because of that, all of them were beautiful."

This book was hopeful, inspiring, and funny at times. The story follows Dolores Mendoza, a 14-year-old girl, who has recently been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis. This chronic, painful condition has led to what she considers to be the most embarrassing situations ever. She lost her best friend because of it, and feels as if her life is ruined. But in the midst, she meets a girl named Terpischore whose goal is to change her fate. Terpsichore is glamorous, autistic, and a talented clothing designer. The duo reluctantly become friends, and Dolores comes up with a plan to reunite with her ex-best friend. Told from Dolores' often hyperbolic point of view, this story is one of hope, friendship, pain, betrayal, and humor.

"forever is such a very long time to think about when you've only lived fourteen years."

This book was really well-written and one of the most humorous books I've read. I will say, this is very much a younger YA book, which I think I've grown out of a little. It feels directed towards a younger audience like the main character is. However, I think there's lessons about friendship, disability, and self-identity that are important for people of all ages. I totally recommend this one for a lighthearted read that still tackles some big topics!!

This book fits nicely in a growing body of much needed and appreciated YA books that depict teens with chronic illnesses realistically and matter-of-factly. Delores’ interstitial cystitis is not the main focus of this story but it is an ever-present “sidekick” as she navigates a lost friend, a new friend and a challenging family dynamic. Themes of faith, self-worth and gaining autonomy are touched on with humor and gut-punching realness. Wrapping the book up is a brutally honest and moving author’s note.

Chronically Delores is an adorable story about a chronically ill teen who’s also on the autism spectrum. It touches on what it’s like to have a chronic illness amongst friends and family who don’t understand, it’s also explained from the lens of a YA. This will be a great read for someone who’s the same age and is feeling like they aren’t understood by their peers. Overall, it was a quick and fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Maya Van Wagenen does a great job in writing this book, it had a great story going on and enjoyed the overall feel of this book. It had a great overall feel to this and I enjoyed how realistic the characters were. Maya Van Wagenen writes a strong story and enjoyed the feel of this, I enjoyed the bit of telenovela and was a great coming of age story.

I loved this book! I was also really happy to see different types of chronic illness representation, and I felt for Delores so much! I also really loved the family dynamics in this book. It pulled at my heartstrings!

This is a tough book to read for several reasons. Dolores, our protagonist, lives in an apartment over the family's failing print shop with her mom, dad and 20-year-old brother. She has been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, a painful bladder condition that causes frequent urination and a lot of pain. When she has a very public accident in middle school, she suddenly becomes an outcast and everything she thought she had changes.

Enter Terpsichore, who is autistic and desperate for a best friend who might help her convince her overbearing mother she is not a delicate flower to be hidden away from the world. She and Dolores become friends, Dolores in order to regain her friendship with her now lost BFF and Terpsichore to go to high school in the fall. Except nothing turns out the way it is supposed to.

Terpsichore's mom made me want to throw the book across the room. At times so did Dolores. Middle school is hard enough without a chronic bladder condition but the selfishness exhibited by these characters broke my heart. Of course things appear to improve over the course of the story but the heavy subject matter continued to stay with me even after I had finished the book.

Certainly a provocative story. I also thought there was quite a bit of inappropriate language tolerated by Dolores' family that might not be suitable for younger readers.

This is a well written take on multiple different struggles of adolescence. It is a book I would read again. My favorite parts were the banter between Dolores and her brother. You could feel the family love there.

My thanks to Dutton Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this ARC.

- CHRONICALLY DOLORES is easily a new favorite YA novel for me. It’s all the best parts of YA - exploring topics kids are embarrassed to talk about, complicated feelings, big feelings, but still being funny and fun.
- I adored Dolores and her new friend Terpsichore, and seeing them figure out how to befriend each other as they try to navigate the world as teens who are chronically ill and autistic, respectively.
- I really liked how this book very pointedly discussed the difference between having an incurable disease and being neurodivergent. Both shape who you are and the way you live, but they are not the same.
- I don’t even have space to get into everything else this book covers. Religion, ableism, class, familial tensions...all this and it’s still a book that had me laughing out loud. I hope you’ll seek it out!

Dolores life wasn't always easy and now it’s even more off kilter. She’s been diagnose with a chronic bladder condition that has her feeling hopeless. She meets Terpsichore a girl who is home schooled because she’s autistic and her mother is over protective. Terpsichore wants to help Dolores survive high school and show her the best parts to life.

Both the main characters are two girls going through different challenges that bring them together. They decide to help each other by faking a friendship that flourishes as they learn more about each other.

The story follows chronic illnesses while telling a light hearted friendship story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Groups, Dutton Books, and Maya Van Wagenen for allowing me to read the ARC of Chronically Dolores.

Delores Mendoza, a teen with a bladder illness, had an accident at school, causing Shae, her best friend, to quit hanging out with her. What looks like the saddest, most boring summer ever, changes when Delores meets Terpsichore Berkenbosch-Jones, a mildly autistic girl, who is home-schooled and kept at home except to go out with her mother. The girls make big plans for Delores to convince “Terps” mother to allow her to go to public school, and “Terps” will help heal her friendship with Shae. Things get out-of-control when the girls go to a party without permission, “Terps” mother shows up, and drags her home. Has Delores lost her only friend? Will her family survive financial issues? Will “Terps” find a way to be out of her house and go to public school? This is an interesting, thought-provoking book.

This book was really good! I really enjoyed watching the main character make a new friend and take risks, and I enjoyed seeing how their friendship grew even after the main character made some mistakes.

4.5 stars

I loved this book! And as someone with chronic illness, and also someone who used to teach students with autism, I was thrilled to see the lead characters and how accurately they're portrayed. I wish this coming-of-age book had been around when I was teaching, as I would've recommended it to my students, as well as the library.

Dolores has a chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis, and she becomes friends with Terpsichore, a homeschooled girl with autism and an overprotective mother. Together, they learn how to, and help each other, navigate life's challenges.

I loved Dolores's bathroom ratings, and it's definitely something that many people would love to see published! Overall, this book is a wonderful reminder that no one should be defined, or held back, just because they have a disability. It's possible to still find joy in life. This is a wonderful message for anyone, but particularly the target audience. Dolores and Terpsichore are well-developed, complex characters. The author demonstrates the ups and downs of friendship and adolescence. While the target audience is young adult (YA), this could likely work for the upper middle grade (MG) audience, as well. It's clear that the author is writing from experience, and she doesn't try to force a "cure" on chronic pain and illness. Instead, they're handled in a sensitive and enlightening manner. The right amount of humor is combined with teenage reflection on life, chronic illness, family, relationships, etc. to create an engaging and highly enjoyable read.

Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen was a great YA novel about Dolores who is diagnosed with chronic bladder condition called interstitial cystitis.
This will be a wonderful story for teens. I throughly enjoyed reading her story.
Maya has written a beautiful coming of age story. That was so interesting to read and captivated me from the very beginning.
A thought-provoking and relatable novel.

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton Books for Young Readers for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I really enjoyed this story about Dolores who has been diagnosed with a bladder condition called interstitial cystitis the previous school year. It follows her summer after an embarrassing act of accidentally peeing herself and trying to get her best friend back who isn't currently talking to her and making a new friend a girl who is homeschooled and sheltered and has autism. I really enjoyed the story to include how Dolores rates each bathroom she uses with vivid detail. This was a great story about growing up and making new friends and taking control of what you can. Highly recommend