This book is a stunning Brazilian YA telling of three young boys and their friendship, romance and life lessons through either dealing directly with or dealing with the outcomes of HIV. A timely and heart-wrenching reminder full of life and vibrance; this book had me laughing as often as it had me crying. The characters are lovable and believable, the dialogue is modern and compelling and the growth all of the characters go on throughout this novel is incredible,

Definitely recommend to all young people or anyone interested in queer YA fiction.

It is going to sound strange and I admit I probably come off a little weird for this but I find that some of the stories that have made the biggest impact on me over the years are the ones that look at the AIDS epidemic.

Fiction or Non-Fiction, the heartbreaking stories of the late 70s to the 90s are so powerful and move me. Over the years, some writers have approached this topic in a positive way. Living with HIV. I think it is absolutely essential that these stories are told. About how HIV isn't the equivalent of a death sentence like it was.

Where We Go From Here is the story of three friends who are all connected through HIV. Some have it and some do not. It is story about learning to love yourself and those around you without prejudice and being the found family that is often needed in times of crisis.

It was a lovely story with strong spiky characters. Part of me homes that Lucas Rocha writes a sequel in a few years time so we can catch up with Ian, Victor and Henrique.

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha is available now.

For more information regarding Lucas Rocha (@lucasgsrocha) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

This is a really powerful book about 3 guys living with / navigating their thoughts / feelings on HIV - a topic which I've not read anything about previously. The author writes about this with such care and understanding and despite being a fiction book, I felt I learnt loads about the disease from the scenes set in medical environments. I think this is such an extremely important book that everyone should read, to help us better understand the lives of those living with this disease. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book.

This book had some very important conversations and information within it's story. The problem is that at times that information made it read a little bit like a textbook. I found it very hard to connect to the characters until the final few chapters of the book as it felt like they were more case studies than people. I'm happy that the book exists to give more information on the topic of HIV but I just think it could have been handled slightly differently and less clinically.

This was at times a very difficult read, yet so so important, especially for today. The writing was amazing, the characters were great and I felt this book from start to finish.

Through Victor, Ian and Henrique this book shows the reader what it's like to live with HIV and how it impacts different people in different ways. I think this story is really important - it's educational while still being fun to read. Not only that, but it addresses the stigma around HIV and the common misconceptions. I enjoyed some characters more than others, but I think the way things worked out made for a good story.

This was also gifted to me, which I was very excited about. I'm really glad that this book exists, for me it's been the first book, well the first YA obok that deals with HIV, I loved how there was just so much love and support throughout the book, but I struggled to connect with the characters outside of their HIV stories. Nonetheless, this is still a really good bok and I did enjoy reading it and reading about the stigma surrounding HIV, especially because it's from a different continent.

A beautifully moving read heart wrenching and thoughtful. I loved all the characters and how their stories wove together. A perfect example of how YA should be done.

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha is a Portuguese translated novel about the lives of three young men and how HIV has impacted their experiences as gay men. Ian just found out he is HIV positive. Victor finds out the person he’s interested in is HIV positive and Henrique has been diagnosed for 3 years. The intertwining stories of these men beautifully deals with what it means to love, grow, trust and educate whilst dealing with the diagnosis of HIV.
Brazilian author Rocha attempts to dissect modern misconceptions regarding HIV, especially those present in his home country, Brazil, which has been largely recognised as having one of the most effective responses to the HIV epidemic. Despite it being over 50 years since the largest outbreak in the West of AIDS and HIV, social perception of the virus has changed very little, with fears today surrounding hugging, kissing and starting a sexual relationship with someone HIV positive. The lack of accurate information regarding the topic has created a society largely unaware of how the virus is dealt with in the 21st century. This is where Rocha comes in to bridge the gap in the market.
While this book is fictional, I think because of the focus on HIV, there is a lot of long conversations which are purely there for the reader to learn from, as opposed to being beneficial to the development of the characters themselves. This ties in with fact that I think most of the characters are very two dimensional, and their whole existence in this book is to educate the readers about HIV. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because I think it is indeed really educational, but it was hard to really like the characters when they barely have a life outside of their status.
One of the best things about this book, however, was the accurate range in emotions to the virus. While this book could have focused on “it’s no longer dangerous therefore you’re wrong for thinking bad of me”, it instead acknowledges the nuances of the topic as well as the fact that humans are a victim to the falsehoods we grow up hearing. No one person is portrayed as being more correct or superior because of their relationship with the virus, but the characters are portrayed on their own journey of confronting their perceptions and what they can do to change their mindset, which was really well done!
One last comment – despite the book being set in Brazil, I didn’t really feel like it had the Brazilian setting which I was hoping for. Due to the fact that this book is very much focused on the virus over the characters, other aspects of the book like writing, characters and setting take a slight step back. The only way I could describe this book is as if it’s a mix of fiction and nonfiction because the fictional aspect isn’t really emphasised too much.
Overall, a really good educational read and a massive achievement from the author, but I felt it could have improved on the ‘fictional’ side of the book.

A really solid YA Contemporary that shines a light on the issues and prejudices surrounding HIV. I really liked to hear from the different perspectives and the friendship between the characters. I think this book is very important and relevant.

I just finished this book and I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I really loved the concept - how it centres on three boys finding a way to manage their lives when HIV enters it. What makes it unique is the three different perspectives - one of a man who’s been dealing with the virus for three years, one of a boy who’s just been diagnosed and lastly, the view from a boy who’s boyfriend just told him he’s positive.

The book is not afraid to delve into the more difficult aspects of the virus, nor does it pin any blame on anyone for contracting it. I think everyone should read this book as it does educate on the prejudices of HIV/AIDS and the turmoil it can have on people.

I think the characters had so much potential in this book. Now don’t get me wrong I loved them all so much - but I don’t think they had much of a personality outside of contracting the virus (or learning from their prejudices). I also enjoyed the family dynamic between the the three main characters and their friends, but I think if we had seen more development on not only living with HIV, but their friendships as well, the climax of the book would’ve made a bigger impact.

I also had an issue with the pacing. The beginning and the middle was very drawn out, and at times I found myself zoning out. The climax of the story kind of came out of no where and was rushed.

Despite these negative points, I think everyone should add this TBR. It was enjoyable, and you do want to find out what happens in the end - and at 288 pages it’s a quick read too.

I'm always looking for interesting narratives, and perspectives, and this one really stood out- three protagonists and how an HIV diagnosis affects their lives, in Rio de Janeiro. In the afterword, Lucas Rocha write that his impetus to write this came from his discovery that he couldn't really find fiction for young people in Brazil, that dealt with HIV in a non-tragic and non-judgmental manner. ( I thought about it, too, and I can't say I can think of one either!). A diagnosis is frightening, and the book doesn't elide that to serve up an overly cheery plot. It's nuanced, and It's lovely how non-didactic this book is-it manages to be informative, but also flows organically, and is woven into a compelling narrative. The characters are memorable, and very well-etched; quite often, in YA, I find that protagonists can stand in for types, but this book doesn't really hew to regular YA tropes. This is a sweet, funny, hopeful book and I can't recommend it enough.

3/5 stars

A very insightful and informative YA contemporary novel!

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of the year as I th0ught reading a book about HIV in today's world and how it affects different people would be quite insightful, and it definitely was. It's definitely an important story that I would recommend teenagers to read as it takes down prejudices and misconceptions about HIV that they may have themselves without even knowing. What this book does so well is showing some of the different situations and scenarios that someone might be in, and there are also discussions about unconscious bias that quite a lot of people have without even realising it. I did also like the sort of found family trope found within it, and it was also nice to read a book that wasn't set in typically western society.

My biggest issue of the book was that I really couldn't connect with the characters. While I did like the writing, the three different perspectives really blended together and I found it difficult to remember who was who and what their story arc was actually about.

Overall, despite my criticisms for it, I did enjoy this insightful contemporary novel, and I would recommend it to people.

I would like to start off by saying thank you to NetGalley, Lucas Rocha and David Fickley Books for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had heard so many good things about Where We Go From Here that when I got accepted for the ARC, even after publication of the English translation I quite literally squealed. I have been wanting to consume more things set in places other than the UK and the US so this was such a great start. On top of that the topic of HIV is really interesting to me, I find the science behind it so interesting and hearing how it impacts people's lives all over the world is incredibly moving for me.

Where We Go From Here follows three gay men in Rio de Janeiro, all with different relationships with HIV. Henrique was diagnosed a while ago and is now undetectable, Ian has just tested positive for HIV and doesn't know who he got it from, and Victor has just found out that the guy he is seeing is positive but he has tested negative. I often don't like books told from multiple perspective but in this it was totally necessary. Seeing things from all three characters point of views, reading about them processing their thoughts and emotions, really helped me engage with the characters and understand what they were feeling.

It definitely had some emotional parts when I wanted to give all of our main characters a hug, but what I loved most was that this was a book about HIV with a happy ending. So much media that I have consumed about HIV aints such a bleak picture of lives cut short and broken families, it felt amazing to read something that reminded people HIV is no longer a death sentence. Even now there is such a stigma around it and recieving a diagnosis must be absolutely terrifying, but being able to read books like this shows people there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can llive with HIV and be happy. It doesn't gloss over the hard parts, they are all very much there, but at the end of the day our charcters get through it.

I have two wishes for this book and thats why it didn't get five stars. The first is I wish it was longer, this would have given us more opportunity to connect with the characters. I am a very character driven reader and although I liked the characters, I didn't find myself wanting to be part of their lives like I do with so many of my favourite books. My only other wish is that we got an epilogue for Victor and Henrique. I loved Ian's epilogue but he didn't really mention them and I desperately want to know how things are going for them.

Overall I loved Where We Go From Here, it really touched my heart and made me emotional in ways a lot of books don't. I would highly recommend giving it a read to anyone, whether you're a part of the LGBTQIA+ community or not. It addressed HIV in such a unique way that everyone needs to experience.

I know from the moment i saw this book that i had to pick it up because I've never really read anything that goes deeper and gives me more knowledge about HIV in todays times I also thought that this was great story about love, and a honest book i didn't know i needed. This book made me feel so many emotions which tells me that this story worked right for me. I really hope more people read this as it gives across good messages.

4.5*

'But knowing is not the same as feeling. Knowing is not living without the fear that things might go wrong.'

I loved this book;
It's set in Brazil, has multiple POV, queer characters, HIV rep, romance, friendships and community.

We follow Ian, Henrique and Victor and their experience with HIV.
Ian is 18 and we meet him as he is being diagnosed as HIV positive. In the clinic at the same time is Victor, who is getting a test after a guy he was seeing, Henrique, told him he was HIV positive, and Henrique who is 21 and has been living with HIV for a few years now.

This book is so wonderful and nuanced and I loved how we saw all their experiences and how they challenged prejudices and misconceptions, even from the characters themselves about HIV and how you can transmit it.

This book is also super informative about HIV in general but also how HIV is treated in Brazil, all the technical terms around HIV as well as side affects of the medicines. I learnt sooo much from this book. It really is a must read.

I loved these characters and their relationships with their friends and siblings were wonderful.

It's heavy at times and sometimes you don't always agree with the characters but it's a great read and the translation is fantastic.

My only issue was near the end when we meet Henrique's ex boyfriend. The reasons behind his actions made no sense to me other than to show prejudice and then how the queer community can band together afterwards.

CW: hiv prejudice, homophobia, medicine

C/W: Outing, homophobia

"Where We Go From here" fills a gap in adult fiction surrounding HIV/AIDS. We follow Henrique, Ian and Victor, all of whom meet because of Ian's new diagnoses as HIV positive. The book itself highlights the robust HIV medical programs in Brazil while being critical of the lack of social support and understanding given to those who are HIV positive.

Larissa Helena, the translator for this work has done a wonderful job with translating this work. I believe it is a much-needed look for English speaking audiences into a system of healthcare that works and what happens when you have a found family that shows up for you.


Thank you to NetGalley and David Fickling Books for allowing me access to an e-arc of this work.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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3/5 Stars
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Review:

Where We Go From Here is a LGBTQ+ Young Adult novel recently translated and released in English. It is the debut novel of Brazilian author Lucas Rocha. The novel is set in Brazil and follows the lives of three characters during the AIDS pandemic.

Two of the central characters, Victor and Ian, meet at an HIV testing center when one tests positive and the other negative. A third character, Henrique, is introduced and has been living with AIDS for the last three years. Throughout the novel, the three characters must learn to navigate their lives and relationships in a world with AIDS. This novel did a great job expressing realities and emotions around recent diagnosis and how it can affect your circumstances. The characters seemed honest, however, they did feel a bit distant. Perhaps it was the shifting perspectives or how rapidly the story progressed, but I did find it hard to connect with the characters.

I think this book does provide an important perspective and storyline that was missing from the YA market. I think it is a promising debut novel and I’m intrigued to see the author’s future works.

A wonderful and heartfelt novel that deals with tough issues beautifully. This is something that everyone should read and know about, especially when it has been so well written.

Where We Go From Here offers a look into the lives of three young queer men living in Brazil and dealing with HIV, whether their own diagnosis or that of someone they love. Rocha doesn’t shy away from exploring the harsh realities of the disease, particularly through the lens of the global south while also telling a touching story of community, love and acceptance.

I had been highly anticipating this book and particularly looking forward to being able to read about queer issues and HIV from a completely different perspective to my own and this book delivered. Where We Go From Here is simultaneously engaging and informative and makes for a really interesting read. The discussions of HIV and how it affected the three main characters were the strong point of the book and felt very honest, particularly as it examined some of the (often subconscious) prejudices people hold towards those who are HIV positive. This book deals very effectively with the stigma surrounding the disease and I really enjoyed reading about the main characters breaking it down.

This brings me to something I loved – the community spirit. There was a really strong sense of community and love and support throughout that made all of these difficult conversations and situations the characters found themselves in so much easier to bear.

However, I really struggled to connect with this book or care for the characters. I think this is down to the writing style not pulling me in enough and finding the three perspectives difficult to differentiate. The characters were very one dimensional outside of their connection to HIV, whether a diagnosis or working through their prejudices surrounding the disease. This had the result of making it difficult to root for their relationships or development. This issue was exacerbated by the first person narrative style which is usually associated with a deeper connection with the narrator and their thoughts and emotions.

Where We Go From Here is a poignant, informative read that doesn’t shy away from tackling the harsh realities and stigma associated with HIV, particularly from a country in the global south, while also showing the power of community and support networks to craft a touching story of love and acceptance.