From the second I opened this book, I knew that it was going to be an important book for all ages to read. Growing up in the 90s, I had thought that I was relatively well informed about HIV, but I found I learnt a lot from this book that I hadn’t previously considered.

Although Simone’s diagnosis was obviously a constant presence throughout the book, I loved how a lot of the focus of the story was just on how awkward it is being a teenager and discovering who you are, never mind if you are a teenager who happens to be HIV-positive.

People’s reactions to discovering Simone’s diagnosis really shocked me. I thought we were passed a lot of what happened, and it saddened me to realise that maybe we never will be.

Full Disclosure is an inspiring, heart-warming rollercoaster of emotions, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

It was only after I finished reading that I discovered that the author is just 19 years old, and that this was her debut novel. To me, this just makes the book even more astonishing in it’s skill and delicate handling of so many sensitive subjects. I think we can expect great things from Camryn, and I for one will be snapping up whatever comes next from this amazing talent.

I liked this overall for the most part but there were a few moments that I thought could have been handled better. The representation at times felt like box ticking as all the characters that mattered had something that made them a part of a marginalized group and it did not feel entirely accurate. I did like Simone for the most part but she would occasionally shit on other people and be so rude when talking about their experiences in relation to hers. The theatre element was interesting and this was one area i wish that we saw more of as the glimpses into this world were a bit few and far between for my liking.

I was, I have to admit, somewhat sceptical when a colleague recommended Full Disclosure to me. How good, I wondered, could a novel written by a teenager be? Very good, it turns out. Full Disclosure had so many things to recommend it but I'd like to highlight just a few which seem in especially short supply in YA. First up, Simone's relationship with her dads was just wonderful. Too often parents in YA are either the antagonists or mostly missing from the narrative, which actually isn't representative of many teens' experiences. Simone's dads are always supportive of her, and the portrayal of their family as a close, open, loving one was really enjoyable. Secondly, I loved how sex positive this book was (not dissimilar in this respect to the brilliant Jack Of Hearts & Other Parts by Lev Rosen). Finally, as an enormous fan of musicals generally and Rent specifically, I loved the little hints in the plot to Rent which, of course, also deals with the topic of HIV, and a school performance of which Simone is directing.

really liked Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett. Simone has recently left her old school after being forced to come out as HIV Positive. When we meet her, she is comfortable at her knew school. She has made friends and is directing a high school production of Rent. She has even met a cute boy and is considering a sexual relationship. Then she begins to get letters and messages threatening to disclose her HIV status. This book has a diverse group of characters. It explores issues that confront teens who are living with a HIV status. In addition, it shows a teenager coming of age in a complex world: confronting prejudice and finding allies. It is an engaging and fun read that deals with serious issues in a fun way.

Full Disclosure is book, which addresses, what it means to be HIV Positive, it educates and creates awareness surrounding Sex and HIV among teens and adults as well as the stigmas that are still prevalent regarding HIV. So, without a doubt, this is a very important book.

Camryn Garrett writing is easy, lucid and quite accessible. I loved the main character, Simone, she is smart and intelligent but most importantly, she is aware and responsible regarding her condition and how it can effect any future partners that she may have. I also adored the fact that Simone tries and fights so hard to live a normal and full life despite her condition and in a world were so many people lose hope and give up so easily, Simone's character is an inspiration. I also loved Simone's relationship with her fathers (weird first chapter aside), and her two best friends, Lydia and Claudia. The romance aspect of the story too was done very well.

On the downside, at times it felt like there were too many ideas floating around in the plot which weren't explored properly and to some extent even stilted the development of the main theme. In short, the story could have really done with a better execution. I didn't care about all the musical reference because they don't interest me and therefore sometimes I felt lost with the narrative but that's just a "ME" problem. Other than that, like I mentioned above, this is a pretty important book with very diverse characters and it will definitely help people be more aware and accepting rather than giving in to age old stigmas.

I'm in love with this book and especially Simone!

I love this book because it has an important message and an important role: enlighten us about HIV and encourage us to be smarter than the judgy people portrayed in the book. However, this book is not just about Simone's sickness, it also talks about sexuality and race.

I love Simone because she is full of courage, passion and forgiveness. Also she is obsessed by musicals and that makes it impossible to hate her :p

However, the book wasn't perfect. I found that it wasn't always clear who was talking in a conversation, I was missing some back story with several character, and they were some spelling mistakes and word placement, but it was easily overlooked.

I’ll admit the HIV element of this story is what caught my interest, mainly because it’s not really talked about in books, especially YA books. Plus if I’m being honest I don’t really know much about it myself and I wanted to learn something which I definitely did.

Simone is a typical teenager trying to make her way through a new high school. She’s desperate for this school to be different and she’s off to a good start: she’s made new friends, she’s the Student Director for the school’s production of Rent and she’s got her eye on cute lacrosse player, Miles! The last thing she wants is for anyone to find out she’s HIV positive, not because she’s ashamed of it but because things tend to get messy when people find out.

As Simone and Miles get closer and things start to get, ahem, a little heated, Simone knows she needs to tell him she’s positive, she’s just not sure how he’ll take the news. But when she finds an anonymous note threatening to reveal her secret to the whole school unless she breaks up with Miles, she’s left with a decision: does she break up with Miles to protect her secret or does she tackle the prejudice head on!

Full Disclosure is an honest and humorous YA book full of sex positivity. I really enjoyed the way the author tackled the subject matter and that sex was openly discussed throughout, because let’s be honest sex is a big thing for most teenagers.

The best thing about this book is Simone! I loved her attitude towards her HIV status and the fact that she knows she’s awesome. She’s not prepared to take any crap and her sassy nature definitely brought her character to life. Add this to her chemistry with Miles and her banter with her parents and you’ve got a winner.

The supporting cast is the second best thing about this book. Simone’s parents are legends and her support group friends are just so relatable. They were all well written and added something to the story. I didn’t unfortunately feel this was the case for Simone’s best friends. It felt like they were unnecessary and just added to give the story some extra teenage drama.

Overall this was a great read. I enjoyed the story and the sensitive but honest way the author portrayed the life of a young black teenager who is HIV positive.

Full Disclosure is a inspiring story about dealing with discrimination and the power of self-acceptance.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Penguin Random House Children’s) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

I really enjoyed this book. I'd never read a YA book about a HIV positive teen and it was really interesting to read her experience, her hopes and fears about having her first relationship and having sex and just finding out about what it means to have HIV in this day and age.
One thing I found a bit odd and a little shoe-horned in was the whole sexual orientation discussion between her and her friendship group and the issues that arose. It wasn't clear to me what the issue was and why her friends would go weird on her for being bi or having had a relationship with a girl before her relationship with a boy when one of them was also bi. Very unclear and unncessary in my view for the story. But maybe I just didn't get it...
Other than that a good story.

I really loved the premise of this book - we follow young Simone who is HIV positive and represents a minority that is often dehumanized in real life as in literature. I loved connecting with Simone but that's also where the issue with the book lay for me - I could not connect with Simone. I felt like she was written very distantly and her friends didn't really stand out to me, either. I was also a bit iffy about the asexual rep since I am part of that community and that representation was a bit...overgeneralized, to say the least.
All in all, I am so glad this book exists to give voice to young individuals like Simone but I just wish that there would have been more emotion behind it all so I could connect to her and her struggles.
Still, a wonderful book to recommend to everyone who wants to learn more about AIDS and the many misconceptions around it!

After reading and loving the blurb for this book, I was so excited to get approved for it. However, the reality did not live up to the hype and unfortunately I did not like it.

A refreshing YA read covering a number of tricky topics well. I felt an instant connection with Simone due to her love of musical theatre... that was pretty much the only similarity between her life and mine, but I did enjoy reading about her friends, family and the not so pleasant people in her social circle. She really does have a lot going on which makes the book an interesting read.

I think Miles was my favourite character in the book, if I was a teenager I'd have a massive crush on him now!

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author.

This feels like an important book. I've never read a book with a main character with HIV before - and it's interesting to read one set in present day, when we've made so many leaps towards helping those who are HIV positive that you can live a good long life with it, despite the stigma and assumptions.

I like the main character and the author writes the voice well. I really liked the LGBT aspect of it, especially the parents.

I really enjoyed this look at the experience of a HIV+ teenager (Simone) and her first relationship. Having spent her life hiding her medical history and being told that abstinence is the way forward for her, when Miles shows up she has real trouble sticking to that plan and must think about disclosing her situation or losing Miles.
This was so refreshing- the female friendships in the book were spot on and Simone's thought processes regarding telling her friends/Miles about her diagnosis were honest and thought provoking.

So great to see a HIV-positive main character. A really pacy read, and an informative one too. Thanks to the publisher for allowing me access!

Full Disclosure is a brilliant novel about what it is to be a teenager living with HIV. Simone contracted HIV from her birth mother so she has lived her whole life with it. She takes her antiretroviral medication every day and she goes for regular check-ups at the hospital. She lives her with two dads and now she’s at the age where she might start dating they’re concerned about how she will deal with that along with HIV. Simone has already had to move schools when everyone found out about her medical status and her dads understandably want to protect her.

This is such a brilliant book that really explores what it must be like to have had a diagnosis your whole life and to have managed it well, only to reach an age where you’re thinking of boyfriends and perhaps becoming sexually active and all of a sudden it’s an issue you have to confront. Simone worries about how she would tell a boy, and if it would put them off her. She worries at which stage of a relationship she would have to start the conversation. I loved that she comes across as really mature in many ways but also as an ordinary teenage girl who fancies boys and hangs around with her friends.

Simone is shocked to find out that the boy she fancies likes her back and they end up going on a date. Her friends are so happy for her until she starts putting him first and they feel left out and let down. So Simone is dealing with all of this when she gets a note threaten to expose her medical status if she doesn’t break up with her boyfriend. She has no idea who could have written it but it sends her into a tailspin and she doesn’t know who she can trust or who she can turn to.

I loved this book, it’s so well-written and it’s full of diversity. The characters are diverse but none feel like they are there for the sake of diversity, all are there and we learn about them in a very matter of fact way – just like in real life. I really appreciated that there aren’t any token characters, there is just a mix of people as in any social group.

Full Disclosure is a book for everyone, it really brings awareness about living with HIV in such a believable way. This book impacted me in a similar way to The Hate U Give, it’s a great read that makes you think and it stays with you after you’ve read it.

Full Disclosure - Camryn Garrett

Right.
Cute, sassy, clever kids? Yep.
LGBTQA+ rep? Yep.
Great friendships?
Amazing parents?
Diverse characters?
Drama. Like, literal drama.
Mentions of Lin-Manuel Miranda?
Yep. Yep. Yep.
This is one of those great, modern YA novels that covers tough subjects while still managing to be adorably teenage. This reminded me a lot of Simon vs the Homosapian Agenda, purely because of it manages to talk about bullying, being outed and a whole host of high school drama while still maintaining that fun, endearing, YA-ness of it all. I don't think I've read a book about someone with HIV before, and not having the condition myself, so I can't really attest to how good a representation it is, but what I can tell you is that this is a really good story with a lot of heart. So, what's it all about?

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...

Do you know what I loved about this the most? How sex positive it is.
Simone has grown up knowing that she is HIV positive and she has spent her whole life learning about how to manage her health but she's a teenager and she wants to have sex. Not like right now, but it's something she wants to do at some point and being HIV positive, she has a lot of things to think about. She doesn't just think about it though, she discusses it, with her doctors, with her parents, with her friends... Simone's buds take her to a sex shop so they can buy sex toys and talk about masturbation. How awesome is that?! There is nothing secret or shameful about sex here, it's dealt with in an incredibly mature and positive way. Not only that, but this isn't a book that focuses on heterosexual sex either, Simone is adopted by a gay couple, her friendship group is made up of a homo romantic asexual and a bisexual... This is a book that covers a lot of bases.

Of course, the main thread of this is Simone's HIV, but that all of these characters are so well fleshed out, that it isn't the only thing she has going for her. This book manages to be educational when it comes to the subject without being preachy or ramming it home. it's nicely balanced. It tackles a lot of the misconceptions and prejudices that surround HIV which was very insightful and seeing how different people in Simone's life react to her news was interesting, it really does prove that adults can learn a thing or two from the kids.

This came out at the end of last month, so go grab a copy!

thoroughly enjoyed this book. thank you for bestowing such amazing stories on us mere mortals. would deffo recommend this book.

I have to start by saying I’m probably not the authors target audience given I’m a 35 year old married mother of two lol however I have been known to enjoy well written YA and I think this definitely fits into that category. It felt authentic and handled a difficult subject matter sensitively and appropriately. It was very diverse, as is fitting of the generation of being your most authentic self. Miles was such a sweetheart but Simone did grate on me a little at times. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an impactful book that explores so many important topics in a really great way. This book is educational, sex positive and one that should be put in every high school library.

Simone a biracial teenager living with her adoptive fathers. She has recently moved to a new school, she is questioning her sexuality, crushing on the popular boy Miles and she’s also HIV+ and to make matters worse someone in her new school knows and is using this to blackmail her into leaving Miles alone.
HIV is such a stigmatized illness and due to this it’s a topic that people don’t talk about and due to this there is so many misconceptions around it and this book does such an amazing job at derailing these myths and gives people a better insight into what HIV really is for example, that it’s not always transferred via unprotected sex, that there are medication out there that people can take to help manage it and the u=u rule meaning that if the virus is undetectable in your system then you can’t pass it onto anyone.

This book also has such a sex positive message that shows that sex and masturbation is a normal part of life and that its not something to feel shame about but it also shows that it’s also normal not to feel this way or want to partake in these acts and that asexuality is also a thing and that you also shouldn’t be ashamed of it.
Basically this book has everything from a cute romance that you will be rooting for from the beginning to strong friendships, loving families and great diversity and representation.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable and impactful book that I feel everyone should read and I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

A poignant and beautifully tender story of a HIV positive teen, acceptance, sexuality, race and intoxicating first love. Hugely powerful. Simone is one wonderful young woman and Miles has incredible emotional intelligence. A must-read.