Member Reviews
An incredibly important YA novel about a teenage girl who’s HIV positive. It was informative and moving. Simone was a strong character who had gone through a lot. Navigating high school is hard enough and Simone has the added fear of someone telling her secret when anonymous notes begin showing up with that threat.
I loved when she showed her vulnerability and when others embraced her. She has a strength and determination that’s admirable; however, at times I felt she was judgmental and rude toward her friends who were honestly supportive of her.
I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.
I absolutely loved this book. I was sad when it ended. Not only did this book keep me entertained but it also taught me something new and pushed me to think outside the box. My only complaint is that I wish we had gotten more information about her family dynamic.
I hope stories like this get introduced to classrooms around the world as a way of showing the next generation that being different is okay. The author did a great job and I commend her for giving kids growing up with HIV a voice. Thank you for this book.
‘Full Disclosure’ by Camryn Garrett was a brilliant read. It was honestly amazing. Highly recommend!
Marked as DNF in Goodreads. I did not enjoy the writing style at all and the story was so cringey that I couldn't push through it. This is an important subject but maybe not the best telling.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the early copy. This was a well written Young Adult Contemporary that deals with important topics. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Simone is ready for a new start. She's at a new school, joined the drama department, and has developed a major crush on Miles. What her new friends don't know about is her HIV positive diagnosis. At her last school, when people found out, it went poorly to say the least. When she receives an anonymous note telling her they know about her diagnosis and threatens to tell unless she stops hanging out with Miles, Simone doesn't know where to turn. Simone must decide if she will make a sacrifice to keep her secret and privacy or if she will speak out and confront the prejudice in her community,
Why you need to read FULL DISCLOSURE:
1.) The writing- Camryn Garrett is a powerhouse of talent. FULL DISCLOSURE is filled with incredible writing from the sentence level all the way to the big overarching scenes. I wanted to highlight whole pages of sharp prose.
2.) The authenticity of being a teenager- This story expertly captures the sheer awkwardness of being a teenager, particularly when a crush is involved. When you have so many feelings inside of you constantly rolling around, it's hard to smoothly articulate your thoughts. Young readers will instantly connect with Simone's struggles as she tries to make new friends at a new school and flirt with a new crush. In addition, the representation of being an HIV positive teen is rare to find and helps fill an important gap on contemporary YA shelves.
3.) Powerful friendships- While there is a romantic relationship in FULL DISCLOSURE, I would argue that the friendships are just as, if not more, powerful in this novel. Simone has had her trust broken more than once, and it's hard for her to show her full self and put trust in people again. Simone's friends show that there can be immense power and connection in honesty and vulnerability.
FULL DISCLOSURE left me in awe from the writing to the characterization to the plot. I can't wait to see what Camryn Garrett writes next.
Great story and loved the romance. Loved the cast of characters and how the story came to be. Great story and I would read this author again.
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.
This was a STUNNING read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I loved that not only was I entertained, but I truly learned something from this book. The writing was amazing, the characters were so real and I could see this play out in my mind. I also LOVED that they did Rent...I loved that musical/movie!!
Simone is a 17-year-old high school student who begins to fall in love, but she's dealing with personal issues. She is HIV positive, she's possibly bi and her fathers are always in her business. Simone is such a bold young lady and I love it! She refuses to let the ignorance of others stunt her maturity and life. She speaks out for those like her. She doesn't allow people to just talk about her without facts. Simone was everything to me.
Mr. Hampton and Mr. Garcia, her fathers, were freaking awesome! I loved that they showcased a loving gay marriage. They were such perfect, over-protective and funny fathers. Mr. Garcia is the the more intense father since he's a doctor he is always in her business about sex. Mr. Hampton is a teacher so he's the more laidback father. I truly enjoyed them!
Claudia was one of Simone's bestfriends that was not only asexual but also a lesbian! That was epic to see and read! Claudia was so comical. Lydia is Simone's other best friend and she was straight. I loved how quite and shy she was compared to Claudia.
Miles was the most AMAZING boy ever! He seemed like a quiet guy, but he was outgoing, talkative, kind and more loving than any human. Miles made me swoon for him a bit. He wasn't judgmental at all and he didn't allow ignorance to stop him from liking Simone.
The romance was EVERYTHING! I loved that Simone and Miles beat the odds of everyone and their stupidity. I loved seeing them fight for one another. I loved seeing them talk about sex and interact with smarts. They didn't allow Simone being positive stop them from being teens in love. I was shook during that kitchen scene --- mind blown, but I was also giddy and happy for the two of them. I loved the way Miles never stopped liking her and how he kept trying to get her to open up. They were just too darn cute!!!
The mystery behind the note was a shocker! I totally thought it was Eric, but it turned out to be someone else. I didn't even imagine it being that person, but after finding out and then looking back at some of the interactions there were definitely signs lol.
Overall, I highly recommend this book! It's a heavy topic, but also a light-hearted and fun read. I truly look forward to more books by Camryn Garrett.
Well written. Didn't really draw me in the way I had hoped. It dealt with many important topics that will start conversations for readers.
Once again, a very important book. I loved Simone's voice in this novel and would recommend to anyone interested in a poignant novel. Garrett has done a fantastic job! Full review to come!
That was an excellent read. Some parts really hit me emotionally. There was a lot going on and I could have used less high school drama since everything else was so solid, but a really good read. I did at one point question one character’s taste in Friends pairings, but I let it go. Definitely pick this one up.
Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett is an important book on the YA scene. Simone is born HIV positive, and part of the story is her navigating life with a chronic illness. And, what's important about this book is that it's just part of her story. She's also a daughter, a friend, a lover. This is a book with diverse representation and has strong character development.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Overall, the story is great Simone is a main character you can get behind and her struggles are unique with a new perspective. If the beginning was a little stronger I would give this book five stars for sure because once the action picks up its almost impossible to put down!
Holy crap!! This book covers the tough topic of HIV in a high school age character. I like how it covers the topic of HIV and sex stores and such because high school students need to be aware of what some people may hide from you until it’s too late. It’s also okay to cover HIV like this because you never know who may be suffering from it and not wanting to tell anyone. Even at 25 percent finished with the book I felt as if the author wanted to get the message across that even though you have HIV you aren’t alone and I feel like they covered the whole being born with HIV can still be just as scary and it could be mistaken as you caught it from someone. I feel like everyone should read this no matter what age you are! The friendships developed in this book are really strong and that made me feel closer to Simone who is our main character. I really enjoyed the writing in this book and I can’t stress enough how important this book is to read to everyone! This book includes so many different things that need to be told and it hits you in the right way! Absolutely a five star read and it could be one of my favorite books of the year so far.
Overview: Simone is HIV positive. It's a disease she's had to contend with her entire life since she was born with it, but under careful medical care, she's able to live a normal, healthy life. She's had to change schools due to her status getting out and the bullying that ensued, but, at Sacred Heart, she feels like she's finally found her place. She's directing the school musical, has a great group of friends, and a potential boyfriend on her radar. Life feels pretty close to perfect until notes threatening to reveal her status start popping up in her locker. They threaten to topple everything she's built in the last few months, but she doesn't know what to do. Overall: 4.5
Characters: 5 It's the characters that make this book. Simone is lost in a lot of aspects of her life in a super relatable way. She wants to study theater in college but doubts whether that's a practical choice, and she feels unsure about her sexuality. She also wonders if she'll ever be able to have a totally normal life due to her positive status. Her status is a part of her, but she in no way lets it define her.
The supporting cast is also great and bring out different sides of Simone. I love that her parents are heavily featured in the book. She was adopted by her Dad and Pops, and they're both incredibly supportive. They also give an insight into what Simone has been through on the way to getting her viral load undetectable as they're a major part of her doctors appointments and care.
Then there are her new best friends, Lydia and Claudia. They're her support system, and you know that they'll always have her back, but they fight like a real friend group. They have one of the most realistically portrayed friend groups I've ever seen in YA.
Miles comes into the picture at drama club. He's working on the crew after his lacrosse season is taken out of the equation by an injury. There's a quick connection with Simone that develops over the course of the book and leads to a lot of new questions that Simone has to tackle with the guidance of her friends, parents, and doctors. Despite her worries, Miles is a genuinely good guy and proves that not everyone will react as poorly as she's experienced in the past.
There's also the kids she goes to support group with. Though they've known each other for years, they start out on icy terms at the start of the book. Everyone resents being there, so they don't care about becoming particularly close. As she falls out with her other friends and her status becomes more and more of an immediate issue in her day to day life, she grows closer to this small group of kids who can fully understand what she's going through.
What I love about all of these characters is that they have their fair share of flaws and bad moments, like all of us do, but you can tell that they all have incredibly good, caring hearts. I really enjoyed getting to see a main character with a full support system made up of characters I genuinely became attached to. Also, the representation in the book is incredible and captures a really full spectrum from a diversity and sexuality standpoint. Beyond Simone's dads, Lydia is bi and Claudia is ace and a lesbian while Simone is questioning. The conversations that the girls have about the topic are really organic and insightful and honest. I really appreciated that as a side narrative.
Plot: 4 The plot in this book is really secondary to the characters and the little moments between them. There is a strong structural line as the mystery and threat of the notes increases and the deadline creeps closer, but that wasn't the part of the story that had me hooked. I loved the random scenes of deep conversations or tentative cute moments or the emotional moments where Simone is forced into real revelations. If you love just experiencing characters and their dynamics like I do, then this is the book for you. There are plenty of plot twists to pair with the indulgent scenes, though, if you are a plot based reader.
Writing: 5 One interesting thing to point out about this book is that it was written by someone who was a teenager at the time of writing it and is currently in college. I think that's what made the book for me. Her writing sparkles and has the added benefit of seamlessly reflecting what it's like to be a teen right now. There's no out of sync moments with our current world, and all the interactions feel so natural. She's not having to put thought into how teens talk to each other or shove a twenty year old high school experience into the present day. While almost all major house YA books are written by adults who can write great books, there's no replacing the extra level of depth and understanding you get out of a YA book written by someone immediately experiencing being a teenager. Teens get written off so easily in professional spaces, and I can't imagine how much Camryn's had to fight to be taken seriously, but this book is great proof of how teen voices would greatly benefit the genre. I'm so excited to see what she'll write next and to find more authors like her.
The book was so much fun to read and the perfect escape. I'd DNF'd a couple books before I remembered I had it on my Kindle, and I just clicked with Full Disclosure immediately. I hope that the book will continue to entertain and educate teens and adults about what it's like to be HIV positive. I didn't know much about it before the book, and I don't think it's something that's discussed in such a nuanced way enough. I also think that the range of characters and diversity will allow every reader to find someone that represents them in the story.
My only note on this book would be that it's probably best suited for at least high schoolers and maybe those on the older teen end. There are a many conversations about sex in lots different contexts that aren't really sugarcoated. It's super important, and I'm glad that there are books with that level of openness and focus on being informed, but definitely stick with whatever your personal comfort level is.
It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.
TW: biphobia, acephobia, homophobia, racism
This book gave me lots of mixed feelings. In the end, I ended up really liking it but there was so much that was kinda off. The main character, Simone, was a little annoying at times, but honestly I'm sure I was as a teenager as well. She made a lot of assumptions about other people, which I can probably credit to her being a teenager but still. There was some small parts about asexuality that rubbed me the wrong way. It was just the wording but it still put me off a bit. It was so small that I'm not sure if I'm overreacting. I will say though, these characters have pretty good character growth. People learn from their mistakes and apologize, I really enjoyed that.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
I adore the cover of this book. It's beautiful.
The book has a special storyline which isn't frequently covered in books..especially not young adult books.
It's so important that other people with HIV see themselves in stories, tv shows, and more..
Camryn Garrett writes beautifully.
this book easily kept my interest, and I'd definitely read more by this author.