Books Featuring Characters with IBD
Here’s the list of novels with characters who have Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis. I have not read every one of these books, so some of the short descriptions are based on the caption for the book and things people have said about them on the internet. If you read any of them and discover that some of the information here is wrong please contact me and let me know to update it!
Also, I make no commissions or perks of any kind from the links on this website. I added links to the Goodreads page, the Bookshop.org page (if the book is available there), and the Amazon page for each book to make it more convenient to find and possibly purchase the books. Bookshop.org connects you to local booksellers to support small businesses. I am always a fan of visiting you local bookstore in person or supporting your local library as well!
Chapter Fiction:
The Art of Magic by Voskuil, Hannah – (2022)
Genre: Middle School Fantasy
One Main character has Crohn’s disease. He and a friend discover some magical art supplies inside the old, abandoned mansion in town. When they use them to draw mystical creatures, their creatures come to life!
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage – (2018)
Genre: Thriller
This thriller features a mother with Crohn’s disease facing off against her own ill-willed daughter.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Blue moon: a Gideon Lowry Mystery by John Leslie – (1998)
Genre: Mystery
Main character is a PI with Colitis who is hired by an ex-girlfriend to investigate her new fiancé. This is the 4th book in a series, so it is likely that the earlier books also talk about Colitis since the main character has it, but I can’t find any information about whether or not they mention his Colitis in previous books.
Goodreads – Amazon
A Brilliant Novel in the Works by Yuvi Zalkow – (2012)
Genre: Literary Fiction
Story about an author struggling to finish a book by the deadline while dealing with multiple problems in his personal life. His brother has Ulcerative Colitis.
Goodreads – Amazon
Close Enough To Touch by Colleen Oakley – (2017)
Genre: Romance
A librarian with a rare disease that makes her allergic to human touch decides to venture out after 10 years of solitude. Includes a minor character with Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Destiny Series (Especially book 3, Whisper Falls) by Toni Blake – (2010)
Genre: Romance
There is a character in the series who has Crohn’s disease. She is the main character in Whisper Falls. The book shows how she handles her symptoms while starting a steamy new romance.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Digging Deep by Jay Hogan – (2019)
Genre: Gay Romance
Drake Park, a gay male midwife, struggles to manage his Crohn’s disease while venturing into a relationship with a senior detective at the local police precinct.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Friends with Benefits by Marisa Kanter – (2025) (Just published!!)
Genre: Romance
This recently published romance novel includes a major character with Crohn’s disease who is accepted to the fellowship of her dreams. The catch is that it’s unpaid and doesn’t offer health insurance that she needs just to survive with her illness. Her friend is about to get evicted for being below the income threshold for his apartment, but if he is married the threshold is lower. They make a deal to get married – just for practical reasons. It won’t develop into more, right?
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar – (1992)
Genre: Fantasy/Mystical Realism
The lives of the 2 main characters get turned upside down when a pair of Scottish fairies invade their homes in New York city. One of the main characters has Crohn’s disease and has an ostomy bag. It was written in the early 90’s so she’s on long-term steroids (biologics didn’t exist yet).
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Gut Reaction by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt – (2024)
Genre:Middle School
Follows a young girl who aims to win a baking competition in honor of her recently deceased father. She begins to have severe abdominal pain and isn’t able to eat her creations anymore. As the pain gets worse she has to go to the doctor’s where she is diagnosed with (spoiler alert) Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Hill Country Reunion by Myra Johnson – (2018)
Genre: Romance
The main character kept his Crohn’s disease a secret years ago and broke his college girlfriend’s heart. When they end up working together he remembers their old flame and decides to try and rekindle it.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
How to Save a Unicorn by Meg Cannistra – (2023)
Genre: Middle School Fantasy
Fantasy about a young girl set to begin training as a magical veterinarian. Of, course she saves a unicorn (Not really a spoiler since it’s in the title). There is a second main character with Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace – (1996)
Genre: Literary Fiction
Includes a minor character who has Crohn’s disease. It’s also one of the longest books I’ve ever seen. Thicker than my college English textbooks. I’m not sure how much of a roll the minor character plays in the overall plot.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Inheritance of Scars by Crystal Seitz – (2024)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Main character has Crohn’s disease and happens to be descended of a long line of magical people (basically witches). Also, one of her ancestors (who plays a big roll in the book) also suffered from a mysterious “wasting sickness” that had the same symptoms as her Crohn’s.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Kindred by Tammar Stein – (2011)
Genre: YA Religious Fantasy
Main character develops Crohn’s symptoms right after dropping out of college. She has to learn to deal with many difficulties in her life (both Crohn’s realted and not), and she begins seeing visions of angels. To top it off, her twin brother begins seeing visions too, but his are less benevolent.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Love Flushed by Evie Mitchell – (2021)
Genre: Romance
Features a main character with Crohn’s who owns her own eco-toilet paper brand. When her paper supplier backs out, she reunites with her high school boyfriend and finds a new way to keep her business afloat. Lots of poop/bathroom puns in the description. Sounds like a fun romance novel with Crohn’s featured prominently.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Marco Effect (Department: book 5) by Jussi Adler-Olsen – (2012)
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Minor character with Crohn’s. Her father spends a lot of money on homeopathic treatments when traditional treatments fail to get her Crohn’s into remission.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth – (2017)
Genre: Adult Fiction
Emotional read about a mother and daughter dealing with life’s challenges after the mother is diagnosed with an illness that might be terminal. One of them has Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Mutual Friend by Carter Bays – (2022)
Genre: Romance
There’s a character who gets diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. (Spoiler Alert) Her husband leaves her after she gets diagnosed.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Nothing to Lose by EM Lindsey – (2023)
Genre: Gay Romance
One main character in this novel has Crohn’s and an ostomy bag. He used to own a bakery and is hoping to restart the business. Another main character was paralyzed after surgery to remove a tumor on his spine. He makes sex toys for people with disabilities. This is an enemies to lovers story.
Goodreads – Amazon
A Smile in a Whisper by Jacquelyn Middleton – (2023)
Genre: Romance
Main character with Crohn’s is convinced no man will date her with her disease. But, when her high school boyfriend returns to the small Scottish island where she lives, he just might change her mind.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Third Degree by Julie Cross – (2014)
Genre: Romance
Main character fails a test to get into med school and re-enrolls as a college freshman. She falls for her hot RA. (Spoiler alert!) It isn’t revealed until later, but she has Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Amazon
Three Things About Emmy Crawford by Allison Bitz – (2024)
Genre: YA
The main character, daughter of the next US president, is a high school senior hoping to win the national debate against her rival and crush. She is determined not to let her Crohn’s disease stop her from achieving her goals.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Undoing of Thistle Tate by Katelyn Detweiler – (2019)
Genre: YA Romance
Story about a girl who has written multiple bestsellers, but she’s keeping a secret: that she’s not the real author of her books. This book includes a minor character with Crohn’s disease.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore – (2016)
Genre: YA Romance
Main character collapses from severe stomach pain and gets diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. She meets her love interest and his dog in the hospital where he volunteers.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Will on the Inside by Andrew Eliopulos – (2023)
Genre: Middle School
Main character is a middle school boy who is on the soccer team. When his stomach hurts more and more he ends up getting diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. He meets a new friend that just might become something more, but the friend is a boy. With the help of his new friend, his family, and his Christian faith, Will has to find ways to adjust to his new life and discover who he is, on the inside.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
With You Forever by Chloe Liese – (2021)
Genre: Romance
One main character with Ulcerative Colitis, another with Autism. They begin their relationship in a marriage of convenience until they actually fall for each other.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet by Jake Maia Arlow – (2023)
Genre: Middle School
Main character is a middle school Jewish girl who gets diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Her mother and her best friend’s mom begin hanging out more, and she develops her own bond with a friend in her new IBD support group.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Novel in Verse:
Two Girls Staring at a Ceiling by Lucy Frank – (2014)
Genre: Literary Novel in Poetic Verse
Novel in verse about two teenage girls who share a hospital room. Both of the girls have Crohn’s disease and have to come to terms with their changing lives while forming a friendship.
Goodreads – Amazon
Novel in Stories:
Take Daily As Needed by Kathryn Trueblood – (2019)
Genre: Novel in Stories
A single mother of 2, recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease struggles to stay afloat while raising children with their own medical and mental health problems.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Short Story Collections:
Defying Doomsday edited by Tsana Dolchva – (2016)
Genre: Dystopian story collection about characters with disabilities.
A story collection of stories featuring characters with disabilities and chronic illnesses in apocalyptic settings. One story, “No Shit” by K Evangelista features a character with Crohn’s disease struggling to survive in a post-apocalypse world.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Rebuilding Tomorrow edited by Tsana Dolchva – (2020)
Genre: Dystopian story collection about characters with disabilities.
A sequel to Defying Doomsday with more stories about characters with disabilities and chronic illnesses in apocalyptic settings. There is a another story “Merry Shitmas” by K Evangelista that features a character with Crohn’s and friends determined to have a “normal” Christmas in the aftermath of the apocalypse.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
Stories in the Worst Way by Gary Lutz – (1996)
Genre: Dystopian stories about characters with chronic illnesses.
This collection includes a story, “Slops” about a college professor who has Ulcerative Colitis.
Goodreads – Amazon
Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp – (2018)
Genre: Short Story Collection of stories about disabled characters written by people with disabilities.
One story, “Dear Nora James, You Know Nothing About Love” by Dhonielle Clayton, is about a character with IBD. The character writes a love column but has never been in a relationship, partly due to her illness.
Goodreads – Bookshop – Amazon
This list is almost certainly not complete. It can be very difficult to tell if there is a character with IBD in a book. Many publishers don’t put it in the blurb about the book. Most books don’t show up when you search for them under “IBD,” “Crohn’s,” or “Colitis.” If you know of any novels that aren’t on this list and feature characters with Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis, please send me a message to let me know. Please include the book title and the author’s name. I will do my best to add it to the list. I am prioritizing books with characters who have Crohn’s or Colitis for now, though I would like to branch out to other chronic illnesses eventually. I am also working on compiling a list of movies and TV shows that include characters with IBD, but that may also take a little while. If you know of any movies or TV shows with characters who have IBD please let me know about those too!
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