I’ve read a few books based around the AIDS crisis in the last few months and Anthony Passerson’s novel has been added to my list of favourite reads for its tender, yet brutal, and to the point style of writing. The book flicks between two perspectives. One story is told through the eyes of Anthony’s uncle and family when he contracts AIDS through sharing needles. The other is a look at the frantic race to find the cause of AIDS and the cure.

As you’d expect this is a tough read at points and the disbelief how so many people were left without help, ignored by loved ones, shunned away and shamed for living their life. I loved the short sharp chapters and absolutely flew through this. Anthony Passeron isn’t one for long dragged out passages of text but what few words he uses creates intense emotion and it’s undoubtedly disturbing to read what people went through. The perspective from Desire and his family showed how AIDS not only affected the person but their whole family, as well as children they may one day create (which I have to be honest I didn’t even think of before, so this book completely opened my eyes!!!). What was different about this novel compared with others though was the perspective of the researchers at the early days of AIDS being discovered. One thing I found infuriating was the inability for people to listen, not trust and not understand the devastating effects AIDS was going to/and did have on the world.

Never feels right to say I “enjoyed” books like this but I couldn’t put it down. If you are one of those people who can read sad books I think this is definitely worth your time.

Divided into two story lines, we hear about several sides of AIDS pandemic; how it affected the author’s family, his uncle and the details about the disease.
The second part might be known to some readers, however the author’s uncle’s life is touching and eye-opening. and what makes this book special.

I was drawn in by the title and expected something different to what I got.

That said. this is a moving read. A family are torn with the AIDS virus and sleeping children references the drug addled kids on the street.

The book follows the doctors who discovered the virus and those who disbelieved and everyone it affected.

A well written book, that evokes emotion and one I will not forget in a hurry..

I found this book incredibly moving. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the film Beats Per Minute or the novel The Great Believers, but it stands on its own as well. I found it really interesting to read about the impact of the AIDS crisis in France, and I thought that the author did a great job of making the story personal as well as conveying the scope of the tragedy that it was.

This started out strong, I really liked the writing and the main family. However I found the time jumps incredibly confusing. Just when I was sinking my teeth into one timeline, it jumped to another and made my head spin. I wish the plot was a little slower and jumped around less but still an important and emotional story and part of history.