My Year of Epic Rock

I have a friend who was just diagnosed with life-threatening nut allergies at age 17. This is obviously pretty rare, but late-onset allergies do happen (like me!). She didn't grow up having to remember EpiPens, check ingredient labels, and communicate food needs with family, friends, and restaurants. The first week or so was tough. She ended up in tears because she couldn't eat anything. She was terrified of having a reaction - like the one that got her diagnosed. I didn't know what to do to help her; it was hard to watch. But then I remembered a book that I read a long time ago when I was first diagnosed: My Year of Epic Rock.

I will admit, this is at the reading level of a sixth grader. For a high schooler, it would probably only take a couple of hours to read. But, it gives so much insight into what it's like to fear food, to fear a reaction, to fear the social repercussions of a food allergy. Once she called me to tell me that the allergist confirmed her allergy, I reread this book. The description of an anaphylactic reaction was enough to get my heart rate up. So, I let her borrow it. She loved it so much that I have to share it.

A quick summary: the protagonist, Nina, is severely allergic to peanuts and eggs. Her mom writes allergy-free cookbooks for a living and is always coming up with new recipes. Her non-allergic friend abandons her so she has to sit at the peanut-free table. The allergic kids start a band called the EpiPens for the school talent show, helping all of them escape the stigma that comes along with food allergies.

And finally, a few quotes (aka the painful truth) from the book:

• “Oh, that must be such a hassle!” Shelley said. “I would die if I couldn’t eat what I want, when I want it.” Cringe. Pity is the worst. “Yeah, well, it’s not a huge deal,” I replied. Actually, it was, because I was the one who could actually die from anaphylactic shock, not die by exaggeration.
• It’s weird when the person next to you is eating your own personal poison.
• I’m lucky that I have food allergies, because “at least you know what your Kryptonite is.”
• Besides, like I was going to have the guts to stab myself with a giant needle in the leg if I ate something I was allergic to anyway. Wouldn’t I be too busy barfing or fainting or something else awful to be my own doctor?
• I pretend I’m not hungry, but I’m actually too embarrassed to ask anyone what’s in the food they offer me.

All opinions are my own. I was not reimbursed for this product review.