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msrcreation's review against another edition
5.0
The conversations about bisexuality and HIV and friendship and sex are all wonderful in this. I love the relationship between Simone and her fathers and I loved seeing the openness with Simone talking to her doctor about sex. It was lovely having Simone experience the differences of having horrible experiences in the past with people learning she is positive and then experiencing love and friendship with those that care about her no matter what. You know it's not always going to be like that. That there are still people out there that will be terrible and ignorant about HIV but that doesn't mean there aren't people out there that will love and care about you. Simone learns that through out this and learns to be accepting of herself. It was a very heartwarming and sweet story. I never expected to love the romance in this as much as I did. Miles is the sweetest and seeing them fall in love was so cute.
lizeth26's review against another edition
5.0
Read this in one sitting it was such a good book! Totally a must read
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
3.0
Full Disclosure is paradoxically ordinary and stand-out at the same time. In all aspects other than its representation it reads as an average YA contemporary, the likes of which I've seen many a time before.
It didn't take away my overall satisfaction but keep in mind that as wonderful as it can be it does still adhere to common tropes of the genre. If you aren't big on YA or actively dislike it, this will most likely not be the book to change your mind.
Simone is HIV-positive due to her late mother passing it onto her at birth. She has to take medication and attend an HIV support group for teenagers, but she keeps those things as private as she can for fear of how people will react to her status - especially after a horrible experience at her previous school. As everything finally seems to be falling into place in her life, her newfound happiness is suddenly at risk due to an anonymous blackmailer.
Obviously, Simone is like every other teenager, she just happens to have HIV. However, I think it’s really important that the normalcy of her experiences was hammered home in an explicit, occasionally on the nose, fashion because it will force readers who harbor prejudice - unconscious or not - to confront exactly what they’re uncomfortable about in regards to people who have HIV. I had my own ignorance in regards to HIV and this explained a few things I was unsure about in an entertaining, yet educational way. It also encouraged me to do my own research by exposing how harmful being uninformed can be. In the Internet age, not knowing can only be an excuse for so long.
Her relationship with Miles was super, super cute. He was literally everything I could want in a love interest. Their regard for one another developed so naturally. Part of it was rushed, but it wasn’t insta-love so I’m chalking that specific aspect up to teenage hormones rather than poor writing. I like the way Garrett was able to balance the adorable with the realistic. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but it wasn’t needlessly negative either.
Her dads were so sweet and supportive I wanted to cry. I love reading about warm, encouraging parents. It’s part of my attraction to contemporary YA. I am living vicariously through protagonists who have understanding parents. Having parents who take you seriously as a teenager is invaluable. I always appreciate when there are examples of healthy relationships to model good behavior for the reader, who may not have that kind of representation in their everyday life to look up to.
Now onto the not so good parts.
Simone has two best friends - Claudia and Lydia. They are supposed to be really close except they disappear for most of the book only to pop up for a fight towards the end that is related to a passive arc about Simone recognizing her sexuality. Part of the fight is that Simone is too wrapped up in Miles. This would have been fine if the foundation for the friendship was better established before Simone started ditching them for Miles. Simone is kind of emotionally unavailable before she gets a boyfriend because she is guarded due to some confusion regarding her sexuality and being worried about disclosing her HIV status. Therefore her ignoring them does fit into her arc. However, without a more gradual approach to the shifting dynamic it felt as if their lack of presence was only poor usage of the characters rather than entirely intentional to cap off Simone’s arc.
It becomes more evident when you take a look at how shallow Lydia and Claudia are as characters. Lydia and Claudia are both in long term fairly serious relationships. We never meet either of these people in-text. All the information we know is second hand, communicated through Simone’s internal monologue rather than via interactions or dialogue. And after the first few chapters the mentions of their significant others dissipate entirely - to the point that if they didn’t bring it up in their fight it’d be easy to forget they were dating people.
If I recall correctly Claudia's girlfriend does go to a different school so that explains why she's not there during the day, however, Lydia's boyfriend should attend the same one yet he doesn't appear once even in passing in the hallways. They never all hang out together. Simone doesn't even sound like she's met them when she talks about them despite being friends with Claudia and Lydia for a few months. When Claudia and Lydia try to bring up Simone not managing her time effectively, it was ridiculous because neither of their significant others are actual characters just accessories to make a point in the narrative so of course it's easy for them to navigate splitting time.
Claudia has a more definitive personality because she is there to cause some stress for Simone in regards to her sexuality. Lydia is little more than Claudia’s sidekick - she lacks a spine and mostly exists to be the ‘good’ cop to Claudia’s bad. Outside of one occasion featuring special circumstances neither is seen without the other making it even harder to see the two as fully realized characters. Instead it felt as if Garrett was merely checking off the box of ‘friends’ so Simone isn’t totally alone.
The play and the blackmail take a backseat to the relationship progression - familial, romantic, platonic, or otherwise. Anything not relationship based exists primarily in the first quarter or so before fading away until it’s time to be put to bed in the third act. Both plot threads are little more than window dressing rather than essential aspects of the story.
For instance, the blackmailer waits months before actually doing anything. So despite Simone blatantly not doing what they want, I'm expected to believe a person so desperate to separate the two they resort to blackmail would allow them to spend so much time getting closer? It's even more unrealistic a timeline after their motivations are revealed. Like if someone is blackmailing you I'd assume they'd want you to stop immediately, not send you multiple threatening messages to give you time to think about it. At least if Simone was avoiding Miles but still bumping into him at play practice or he actively keeps seeking her out, I could see the blackmailer only sending messages because Simone would look as if she's trying to follow their directive. As it stands, though it does bring her some justifiable anxiety; she largely ignores the risk and continues to do as she pleases so I don’t see why the blackmailer would wait so long to up the ante. It made the conflict feel manufactured.
Similarly, the play falls to the wayside as the focus pivots to Simone and Miles. Simone is having issues getting some of her fellow cast members to take her seriously. We don't see Simone's efforts to endear herself to them, rehearsals pass in a blur in the background yet Garrett tries to act as if Simone's entire reason for being was to be a director. She barely directs nor does she ever truly prove herself in text. It's all wrapped up way too tidily at the very end - which would have been fine if more time had been spent on crafting the show as Simone rising to the occasion would have been something tangible to reflect her intangible emotional growth.
I really liked this book. It was sweet. It was powerful. I love the casual diversity in race and sexuality. I love how sex positive it is. I love its depiction of the highs and lows of adolescence. I love how positive everything is just in general. Though Simone has her struggles it was never some unbearably sad drudgery. It was hard to read because I sympathized so deeply with her, but it was overall an uplifting story about love, Black love, queer identity and taking charge of your narrative. Even with my criticisms, I'd highly recommend it based on my enjoyment alone.
It didn't take away my overall satisfaction but keep in mind that as wonderful as it can be it does still adhere to common tropes of the genre. If you aren't big on YA or actively dislike it, this will most likely not be the book to change your mind.
Simone is HIV-positive due to her late mother passing it onto her at birth. She has to take medication and attend an HIV support group for teenagers, but she keeps those things as private as she can for fear of how people will react to her status - especially after a horrible experience at her previous school. As everything finally seems to be falling into place in her life, her newfound happiness is suddenly at risk due to an anonymous blackmailer.
Obviously, Simone is like every other teenager, she just happens to have HIV. However, I think it’s really important that the normalcy of her experiences was hammered home in an explicit, occasionally on the nose, fashion because it will force readers who harbor prejudice - unconscious or not - to confront exactly what they’re uncomfortable about in regards to people who have HIV. I had my own ignorance in regards to HIV and this explained a few things I was unsure about in an entertaining, yet educational way. It also encouraged me to do my own research by exposing how harmful being uninformed can be. In the Internet age, not knowing can only be an excuse for so long.
Her relationship with Miles was super, super cute. He was literally everything I could want in a love interest. Their regard for one another developed so naturally. Part of it was rushed, but it wasn’t insta-love so I’m chalking that specific aspect up to teenage hormones rather than poor writing. I like the way Garrett was able to balance the adorable with the realistic. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but it wasn’t needlessly negative either.
Her dads were so sweet and supportive I wanted to cry. I love reading about warm, encouraging parents. It’s part of my attraction to contemporary YA. I am living vicariously through protagonists who have understanding parents. Having parents who take you seriously as a teenager is invaluable. I always appreciate when there are examples of healthy relationships to model good behavior for the reader, who may not have that kind of representation in their everyday life to look up to.
Now onto the not so good parts.
Simone has two best friends - Claudia and Lydia. They are supposed to be really close except they disappear for most of the book only to pop up for a fight towards the end that is related to a passive arc about Simone recognizing her sexuality. Part of the fight is that Simone is too wrapped up in Miles. This would have been fine if the foundation for the friendship was better established before Simone started ditching them for Miles. Simone is kind of emotionally unavailable before she gets a boyfriend because she is guarded due to some confusion regarding her sexuality and being worried about disclosing her HIV status. Therefore her ignoring them does fit into her arc. However, without a more gradual approach to the shifting dynamic it felt as if their lack of presence was only poor usage of the characters rather than entirely intentional to cap off Simone’s arc.
It becomes more evident when you take a look at how shallow Lydia and Claudia are as characters. Lydia and Claudia are both in long term fairly serious relationships. We never meet either of these people in-text. All the information we know is second hand, communicated through Simone’s internal monologue rather than via interactions or dialogue. And after the first few chapters the mentions of their significant others dissipate entirely - to the point that if they didn’t bring it up in their fight it’d be easy to forget they were dating people.
If I recall correctly Claudia's girlfriend does go to a different school so that explains why she's not there during the day, however, Lydia's boyfriend should attend the same one yet he doesn't appear once even in passing in the hallways. They never all hang out together. Simone doesn't even sound like she's met them when she talks about them despite being friends with Claudia and Lydia for a few months. When Claudia and Lydia try to bring up Simone not managing her time effectively, it was ridiculous because neither of their significant others are actual characters just accessories to make a point in the narrative so of course it's easy for them to navigate splitting time.
Claudia has a more definitive personality because she is there to cause some stress for Simone in regards to her sexuality. Lydia is little more than Claudia’s sidekick - she lacks a spine and mostly exists to be the ‘good’ cop to Claudia’s bad. Outside of one occasion featuring special circumstances neither is seen without the other making it even harder to see the two as fully realized characters. Instead it felt as if Garrett was merely checking off the box of ‘friends’ so Simone isn’t totally alone.
The play and the blackmail take a backseat to the relationship progression - familial, romantic, platonic, or otherwise. Anything not relationship based exists primarily in the first quarter or so before fading away until it’s time to be put to bed in the third act. Both plot threads are little more than window dressing rather than essential aspects of the story.
For instance, the blackmailer waits months before actually doing anything. So despite Simone blatantly not doing what they want, I'm expected to believe a person so desperate to separate the two they resort to blackmail would allow them to spend so much time getting closer? It's even more unrealistic a timeline after their motivations are revealed. Like if someone is blackmailing you I'd assume they'd want you to stop immediately, not send you multiple threatening messages to give you time to think about it. At least if Simone was avoiding Miles but still bumping into him at play practice or he actively keeps seeking her out, I could see the blackmailer only sending messages because Simone would look as if she's trying to follow their directive. As it stands, though it does bring her some justifiable anxiety; she largely ignores the risk and continues to do as she pleases so I don’t see why the blackmailer would wait so long to up the ante. It made the conflict feel manufactured.
Similarly, the play falls to the wayside as the focus pivots to Simone and Miles. Simone is having issues getting some of her fellow cast members to take her seriously. We don't see Simone's efforts to endear herself to them, rehearsals pass in a blur in the background yet Garrett tries to act as if Simone's entire reason for being was to be a director. She barely directs nor does she ever truly prove herself in text. It's all wrapped up way too tidily at the very end - which would have been fine if more time had been spent on crafting the show as Simone rising to the occasion would have been something tangible to reflect her intangible emotional growth.
I really liked this book. It was sweet. It was powerful. I love the casual diversity in race and sexuality. I love how sex positive it is. I love its depiction of the highs and lows of adolescence. I love how positive everything is just in general. Though Simone has her struggles it was never some unbearably sad drudgery. It was hard to read because I sympathized so deeply with her, but it was overall an uplifting story about love, Black love, queer identity and taking charge of your narrative. Even with my criticisms, I'd highly recommend it based on my enjoyment alone.
reflectiverambling_nalana's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Figuring out who you are, what you want, and how to navigate life is difficult enough without a key aspect of your existence being something that still carries a lot of stigma. "Full Disclosure" speaks not only to this experience but is also an interesting title to reflect the informative nature folded into the entertainment form. I am far out of the demographic this book was written for but I have a great appreciation for what this accomplished. While for an older reader, or one who has read their share within this sub-genre, some of the beats may familiar there are elements I truly commend.
First and far most, this book is a great example of what it takes to research and pay care to expressing a life experience not your own with care and respect. just because it might not be your personal story to tell doesn't mean that you shouldn't use your craft to bring awareness to something as long as you are respectful in how you approach it. In an age where social media thrives on calling others out, it's refreshing to see a work that does not try to claim righteousness or ownership over something but is using a talent to bring something to life you're passionate about. I highly recommend the author's note.
This story also has a really great balance on the importance of familial relationships. Not just those between parent and child-though I am always elated to see stories about this dynamic particularly when real communication and hurdles are seen as they function in life and are not just a matter of narrative drama. But also those between grandparents, in laws, step-siblings, neighbors, friends, classmates, and those that you may only share one key part of your life.
I loved how it felt quintessentially teenage in that the best course of action is avoided, but at the same time someone of the same age is urging our lead character to do what would have been the step that we would say was 'right' from an outside perspective. It's not just another case of me screaming at a book: does NO ONE see a problem with this? There are also real conversations about teenagers and sexual questions and interactions that felt quite appropriate and not just fetishist, 'steamy' scene inserts.
And, on a silly selfish side, as a lover of theatre and musicals, all the little references and the love and passion for it within the novel gave me an extra dose of smiles. and, on the side to my delight, there is even a dash of representation for the asexual community. I'm always happy to see a variation of my own flag's experience made available for teens--something I wish I had available to me at that age.
First and far most, this book is a great example of what it takes to research and pay care to expressing a life experience not your own with care and respect. just because it might not be your personal story to tell doesn't mean that you shouldn't use your craft to bring awareness to something as long as you are respectful in how you approach it. In an age where social media thrives on calling others out, it's refreshing to see a work that does not try to claim righteousness or ownership over something but is using a talent to bring something to life you're passionate about. I highly recommend the author's note.
This story also has a really great balance on the importance of familial relationships. Not just those between parent and child-though I am always elated to see stories about this dynamic particularly when real communication and hurdles are seen as they function in life and are not just a matter of narrative drama. But also those between grandparents, in laws, step-siblings, neighbors, friends, classmates, and those that you may only share one key part of your life.
I loved how it felt quintessentially teenage in that the best course of action is avoided, but at the same time someone of the same age is urging our lead character to do what would have been the step that we would say was 'right' from an outside perspective. It's not just another case of me screaming at a book: does NO ONE see a problem with this? There are also real conversations about teenagers and sexual questions and interactions that felt quite appropriate and not just fetishist, 'steamy' scene inserts.
And, on a silly selfish side, as a lover of theatre and musicals, all the little references and the love and passion for it within the novel gave me an extra dose of smiles. and, on the side to my delight, there is even a dash of representation for the asexual community. I'm always happy to see a variation of my own flag's experience made available for teens--something I wish I had available to me at that age.
therestlessbookflea07's review against another edition
4.0
"My HIV isn't a threat to you, but your ignorance is a threat to me."
This book introduces Simone, a vibrant, deeply intertwined to Broadway and Drama, and an HIV positive teenager who strives to sustain meaningful experiences with herself, her family, friends and in love. To protect herself from another harassment and the effects of stigma, Simone keeps her condition confidential until she began receiving horrific notes of outing her situation if she refuses to disconnect and desert her crush and budding love interest Miles.
Tackling a significant and historic theme of HIV/AIDS awareness among youths supported and protected by trusted adults and peers, Garrett effectively portrayed skillful teenage humor while sustaining a wealth of information on her character's condition. Not only does it highlight realistic experiences on HIV/AIDS stigma, the novel also allowed to emphasize the roles of parents and schools in communicating appropriate knowledge and establishing cultures that are friendly, safe and non-discriminating to HIV positive individuals.
Along with magnifying a experience-drawn discourse on HIV/AIDS, the novel also illustrated the seemingly normalized and subtle maltreatment among racial differences that still takes place in present time. Vital and relatable points on sexuality were also included throughout the story.
All in all, this book is a literary package of knowledge, entertainment, and a strong movement towards de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS and on acceptance of self.
A recommended young adult read!
This book introduces Simone, a vibrant, deeply intertwined to Broadway and Drama, and an HIV positive teenager who strives to sustain meaningful experiences with herself, her family, friends and in love. To protect herself from another harassment and the effects of stigma, Simone keeps her condition confidential until she began receiving horrific notes of outing her situation if she refuses to disconnect and desert her crush and budding love interest Miles.
Tackling a significant and historic theme of HIV/AIDS awareness among youths supported and protected by trusted adults and peers, Garrett effectively portrayed skillful teenage humor while sustaining a wealth of information on her character's condition. Not only does it highlight realistic experiences on HIV/AIDS stigma, the novel also allowed to emphasize the roles of parents and schools in communicating appropriate knowledge and establishing cultures that are friendly, safe and non-discriminating to HIV positive individuals.
Along with magnifying a experience-drawn discourse on HIV/AIDS, the novel also illustrated the seemingly normalized and subtle maltreatment among racial differences that still takes place in present time. Vital and relatable points on sexuality were also included throughout the story.
All in all, this book is a literary package of knowledge, entertainment, and a strong movement towards de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS and on acceptance of self.
A recommended young adult read!
marieburrows's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
4.0
faysak's review against another edition
medium-paced
4.0
read for a class on the aids epidemic
a young adult book written by a teenager that feels so accurate to its age group. this is the first young adult book ive read that is so sex-positive, candid about sex, and educational. it was also engaging and simone is a relatable and cool character.
a young adult book written by a teenager that feels so accurate to its age group. this is the first young adult book ive read that is so sex-positive, candid about sex, and educational. it was also engaging and simone is a relatable and cool character.
akacya's review against another edition
5.0
2024 reads: 92/250
simone is starting over at a new school in her junior year. as the student director of the school play, rent, she’s making friends. but what her classmates don’t know is how close to home rent is for her, as an HIV-positive teen. while keeping her viral load down has become easier, keeping her diagnosis a secret is becoming harder, especially when she receives a blackmail note telling her to stop talking to her crush, miles, or the note-sender will expose her.
honestly, going into this book, i didn’t know much about HIV. while i am not going to treat this book like a complete guide, and will do more research on my own, i appreciate how much i learned from it. i also liked the different perspectives on HIV, such as simone’s dads discussing the people they knew who died from AIDS versus simone herself who was born with HIV. there were also many moments in the book where simone had to educate others because, unfortunately, many people have a negative stigma when it comes to HIV.
overall, this was a lovely story and i can’t wait to read more from camryn garrett.
tanya_raeds's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
open this book with an open mind <3