Diet Soda Club, Chaz Hayden
Diet Soda Club, Chaz Hayden
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
Club: $10.00

Diet Soda Club

Author: Chaz Hayden

Narrator: Michael Crouch

Unabridged: 7 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2024


Synopsis

When their mom leaves, Reed must care for his sister who has a life-threatening condition—even if that means breaking the law. A tender and sparkling story about family, trust, and the lengths we will go to for the ones we love.

Have you ever made all the wrong choices for all the right reasons?

Reed Beckett’s little sister, Beatrice, has never been awakened by the smell of breakfast or a school-day alarm clock. Instead, she wakes to hospital beeps and poking doctors. Seventeen-year-old Reed has been there for Bea all along, especially since their dad died. But when their burned-out mom goes on an extended vacation with her new boyfriend, the siblings are left with only an empty pantry and each other. With no job prospects on the horizon, Reed begins making and selling fake IDs so he and Bea can survive. But the problems keep piling up, from an angry landlord demanding rent to looming medical bills. As Reed expands his business, taking increasingly bigger risks, the potential consequences for Reed’s future, Bea’s health, and Reed’s budding friendship with his classmate Helena become graver. But what choice does he have? The joy and complexity of both caregiving and sibling relationships are at the heart of this authentic and moving novel.

About The Author

Chaz Hayden is the author of the YA novel The First Thing About You. Through his writing and his YouTube channel, he speaks with abundant positivity and encourages people to “Be different. Leave a trail.” He grew up in New Jersey and now lives in Pennsylvania, where he highlights accessibility in his community and spends too much time thinking about his next tattoo and what concerts to attend. Chaz Hayden is also a director at Ballers & Bookworms, a nonprofit that supports underserved student-athletes. Follow him on social media @TheChazHayden.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Shannon on October 31, 2024

An extremely moving #ownvoices YA story about a brother and sister left to survive on their own when their mother abandons them for over a month. Eldest, Reid is forced to figure out how to get money to pay for food, rent and his disabled sister's medical bills. Living with a younger sibling who has......more

Goodreads review by Kelsie on December 13, 2024

Ok I loved this one!! Originally picked this one because I love Diet Coke, but it ended up being amazing. I loved the teenage perspective and it made me think about how people’s actions that may seem negative often have an underlying reason we don’t see form the surface. Such a good, heartbreaking b......more

Goodreads review by Tracy on June 14, 2025

I really enjoyed this book! The author does a remarkable job making the story feel light and positive even though it contains sensitive topics. The main characters are so well developed that you immediately fall in love with them. Reed’s love for his sister, Beatrice, is so sweet. His resilience an......more

Goodreads review by Sharon on March 02, 2026

YA literature often has some huge plot holes or assumptions that just aren’t so realistic and this book is typical of that. Once you get past that and go along for the ride, you can appreciate the sweet story of a teen trying to maintain his younger, disabled sister while his mom abandons them for a......more

Goodreads review by Nina on December 29, 2025

LOVED this book. Fully, wholeheartedly loved it. This book is funny, tender, and profound. It’s a coming-of-age story that feels intimate and unfiltered, the kind that makes you laugh out loud one minute and sit with a lump in your throat the next. Hayden writes with so much heart and clarity about f......more