Book Review: Full Disclosure by Camryn Garret

Title: Full Disclosure

Author: Camryn Garret

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Hard-hitting

Pages: 290

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"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 a 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 the word to get out that she's HIV-positive, because last time... well, last time things go 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 that haters head-on."

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely loved this book. The romance, the subject matter, and the characters all kept me reading at a fast pace. I loved the fact that this story had such dynamic characters that were easy to distinguish from one another even though there are so many characters. I loved the look at musicals through a high school lens, it really added to the story. The subject matter itself is extremely important to read about, whether to further understand the prejudices against HIV-Positive people or to feel seen in the world. I was glad to hear that the author had done so much research and included people with HIV to read the story and manuscript to make sure that the experiences represented were authentic. Camryn Garrett's storytelling was beautiful and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny