Book Review :: Full Disclosure, by Camryn Garrett

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett
ISBN: 0241367069
on 2019-10-29
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Source: Penguin Books NZ
Find at Penguin Books NZ
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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...

Last updated on 10 April 2024

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My thoughts on Full Disclosure

This is a very important book for the world of Young Adult fiction. There aren’t many YA novels that address HIV and all that comes with it, so going into Full Disclosure I was prepared to not only enjoy what sounded like a good story, but also be more educated on HIV and how that affect people’s lives. That’s one of the great beauties of books, even fiction; it’s there for entertainment, yes, but you can also learn so much from the pages as authors pour their heart and soul into their stories.

Full Disclosure follows Simone Garcia-Hampton as she starts at a new school, makes great friends, gets involved in the school’s theatre production, meets a cute boy (Miles), and then gets blackmailed into leaving said cute boy alone or the whole school will know Simone has HIV. That was the reason she left the last school: someone outed her and it all blew up. That’s the last thing she wants. While she struggles with the threatening notes, telling her best friends about her HIV (which she was born with), trying to let her dads be good, supportive dads, she’s also navigating the complications around getting close to someone when she’s positive. As Simone gets closer with Miles, she eventually must have the hard conversation … and she’s not sure how he’s going to take it.

Full Disclosure was an enjoyable book, and I loved especially how Simone was so into the theatre. The surrounding characters were really sassy and fierce, and represented a vast range of ages, nationalities, and sexualities. The story clipped along at a nice pace, and I read it in one sitting. While the concept was excellent, the execution was less so, and while i did enjoy reading it, I’ve given it a three stars. I still recommend this book to readers who are after a good story and are interested in learning a bit more about HIV in the form of a YA novel.

Have you read Full Disclosure? What did you think? 

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Thank you to Penguin NZ who provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.