One of my most anticipated reads!
Title: Full Disclosure
Author: Camryn Garrett
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: October 29th
Ratings: ♥♥♥♥
Goodreads Summary:
In a community that isn’t always understanding, an HIV-positive teen must navigate fear, disclosure, and radical self-acceptance when she falls in love–and lust–for the first time. Powerful and uplifting, Full Disclosure will speak to fans of Angie Thomas and Nicola Yoon.
Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on…
What a great debut! A story focusing on someone living with HIV is something I haven’t come across in my reading adventures. I think it added such an unique and interesting layer to what could have been just a quintessential YA contemporary romance. It also wasn’t relying on the disease to move the plot forward. This was truly about a girl figuring out her sexuality, tackling issues with friends, and finding her first love.
I loved how sex positive this story was, especially in terms of young women. The girls go to a sex shop! The kinds of topics that were being discussed were done in such a supportive and inclusive manner. Speaking of inclusivity, this book was filled with a ton of different kinds of representation, regarding orientation and race. Our main character Simone, wasn’t afraid to ask the difficult and embarrassing questions, even in front of her two dads. She was so responsible when it came to her disease and wanted to be as informed as possible for when she did become sexually active. She can’t be reckless when it comes to something like HIV.
I really loved the relationship between Simone and Miles, I just wish we saw more of the times that they were hanging out together. They were discussed, even used as a point of contention between Simone and her friends, but as a reader, I didn’t think they spent enough time together to make it such a big deal within the plot. That was really the only thing that prevented me from giving a full five stars.
This was such a strong debut for Camryn Garrett and I’m really excited to see what she comes out with next.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Lindsay Glenne 