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A review by rosebeccs
Where We Go from Here by Lucas Rocha
4.0
This was such a beautiful and refreshing read. It follows the intertwined lives of three gay men in Brazil and the impact that HIV has had on them. Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV, Victor has found out that the man he's dating is positive, and Henrique has been living with it for three years now.
Usually with most books on the topic, this would be the start of a whole lot of misery. And don't get me wrong, of course there is pain and overwhelm in this one but really it shows these people who can now live with HIV. It does a good job of diving into the prejudice and assumptions that still exist in the community, while also dismanteling them by showing the lived reality today.
It's really lovely to see a YA book taking on this topic in a way that speaks to young people informatively, without lapsing on giving us characters to connect with. That said, where it falls down is in making these characters full three dimensional. It does focus almost entirely on how their lives are affected by HIV and misses out on giving us much outside of that. Which is a shame because I really was interested in all three of them.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it and I'm particularly glad it exists for younger people to learn from. It was heartwarming and realistic without dwelling totally in hardship, Definitely would recommend it!
Thanks to David Fickling Books for the ARC through Netgalley.
Usually with most books on the topic, this would be the start of a whole lot of misery. And don't get me wrong, of course there is pain and overwhelm in this one but really it shows these people who can now live with HIV. It does a good job of diving into the prejudice and assumptions that still exist in the community, while also dismanteling them by showing the lived reality today.
It's really lovely to see a YA book taking on this topic in a way that speaks to young people informatively, without lapsing on giving us characters to connect with. That said, where it falls down is in making these characters full three dimensional. It does focus almost entirely on how their lives are affected by HIV and misses out on giving us much outside of that. Which is a shame because I really was interested in all three of them.
Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it and I'm particularly glad it exists for younger people to learn from. It was heartwarming and realistic without dwelling totally in hardship, Definitely would recommend it!
Thanks to David Fickling Books for the ARC through Netgalley.