This book left me speechless. This was a beautiful emotional journey that I won’t forget anytime soon, and will spark conversations about such an important topic. There aren’t many stories of teens who live with HIV positive status, and it’s important to explore the fear, anxiety, and other issues that come with this diagnosis. Not only did I get to know more about the virus, but I was able to understand a little more about what life might be like for young women affected by this. Simone’s journey toward self-acceptance is one that I will not soon forget, and I don’t think others who read it will either.
In Full Disclosure, Simone is a young woman who’s getting a fresh start at a new school. She’s making new friends, is a student director in the school’s production of Rent, and crushing on Miles, who makes her feel like the most important person in the room. The last thing that she’d want to get out is her HIV positive status. Unfortunately, that’s just what someone threatens when she starts dating Miles. With sex becoming a possibility, she must disclose her status to Miles, but her fear of his reaction is holding her back. As much as she’d like to keep her secret, Simone must take charge and own her own truth…even if it means facing her biggest fears.
Oh my gosh, the beginning of this book is so hilarious and awkward and everything that I didn’t know I wanted in Simone’s first visit to the gynaecologist. Simone is pretty down to earth and naturally curious, I loved her personality so much. Her friendship with besties, Lydia and Claudia, is also sweet and hilarious. I also don’t think I’ve ever bonded more with a book because of the musical mentions than in this one. Simone is the student director of a production of Rent in her school, and she talks about some of my favourite musicals through her interactions with Miles. Of course, there’s lots of fun things happening with Miles in this story, bonding over musicals just happens to be one of them.
The character development in this story is handled very well in my opinion. I feel like Simone has had to grow up very fast because of her HIV status and hasn’t truly gotten the chance to be a carefree teenager. The tension that she feels because she keeps secrets from her best friends, and even a potential love interest tell you so much about her. It’s also wonderful to read that Simone is not the only one growing in this story. This is one of the few stories that I was happy to see growth by more than just a select few. There’s just so much to learn that Simone DOESN’T HAVE to teach us. It’s a lesson that many (including myself) ought to know and remember.
I’ll be honest, I definitely learned quite a lot more about HIV from this story. Things like U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable), virus counts, and just simply the lengths that people with HIV have to go through to live mostly normal lives. This is tackled again and again in Full Disclosure, because Simone has to make decisions about who to tell about her status, and how it will impact her. The emotional toll this takes when she’s going through this is brutal, because it’s coming from a young woman who doesn’t necessarily like to be vulnerable.
There’s so many layers to this story that I’m excited for readers to unpack. It has this almost romantic-comedy sort of feeling, with a more serious message to readers about living their truths. We’ve got a story full of diversity, both in ethnicity and in sexuality. Camryn Garrett doesn’t shy away from talking about teens and sexuality…more importantly, Garrett establishes that it’s okay to talk about sex. One of my favourite scenes is in the story is related to sex, and involves *ahem*…condoms.
This story is definitely a 10/10 for me. It has an incredibly memorable character who I feel many will identify with. I hope that this story resonates with anyone that is in need of these words, and if you’re even the least bit curious about this title, I encourage you to add it to your TBR and read it when you have the chance; I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Full Disclosure is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Will you be picking up Full Disclosure? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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…
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