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alys_anthology's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
jeleigh16's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted to absolutely love this book. I enjoyed it, but there were things about it that kept me from giving this 5 stars. The main issue I found was the consent issue. There was more than one character forcing themselves on another character in the name of teenage lust. If the book didn't have that element or they'd more strongly communicated about that difficulty in their relationships, I would have had an easier time with it. The representation of various experiences of these teens during the late 80s/early 90s in NYC during the AIDS epidemic was well done though and the ending does bring the themes together nicely. It certainly showcased what it means to learn to be a part of this thing we call community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Terminal illness
Moderate: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Excrement, Homophobia, Infidelity, Death, Death of parent, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Grief, Outing, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Gun violence
mikesean77's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ginnylt's review
5.0
Love that this exists and that young people can learn important history about the HIV/AIDS crisis.
bbri's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Would never have finished this if not assigned for book club, but it ended up being kinda good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Terminal illness
Minor: Fatphobia
beltaine76's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
myriadreads's review
5.0
I cried more than once while listening to this book, but it made me laugh, too. It's the story of three young people, told with alternating narrators. It's set in 1989 New York City, at the height of the AIDS crisis. One character is a straight girl, a designer, and her uncle is dying of AIDS. Another is a gay young man who is out and proud, but his parents aren't supportive. A third is a young man who is Iranian born, and he is struggling with his sexuality, knowing that he likes guys but feeling terrified of AIDS, and scared to let down his mom. The action is paced around their relationships, their reactions to the fear and misinformation and the crisis around AIDS. And, it's all set to a soundtrack of Madonna's greatest hits. I love character driven fiction with a high emotional impact. I'm not afraid to get sad, but I want hope and love and happiness, too. This book had all of that, and great narrators on the audio, too. I loved it so much that I ordered it in hardback before I had even finished, so that I could reread favorite parts and make notes. So, so good.
jmatsumura's review
4.0
QUEER LOVE STORY. <3 love it. It's about much more than Reza, Judy, and Art. It covers the AIDS crisis and resulting civil disobedience. It's about pain and loss, privilege, hope, art, and much more.
paig35mith's review against another edition
3.0
Another recommendation for Pride Month and I enjoyed it. The story was a good one but it wasn't a story that sucked me in. I don't know if it's because it a romance novel that it didn't excite me, I mean I did enjoy the other recommended book and it was a romance novel. The love story was cute and seemed pretty realistic even though I don't understand feeling like you're in love even though you just met the person. But it's high schoolers and I guess when your young love doesn't have to be developed it just is.