One word to
describe this book: Wow!
Particularly as the author was aged seventeen when she
first wrote this book. Garrett writes with a compelling and honest YA voice for
teen readers. Did I mention the author was seventeen? As I said: wow!
Simone
Garcia-Hampton is a feisty, independent seventeen-year-old girl. She lives with
her two dads, who adopted her as an Aids orphan.
Although she is HIV positive,
she lives a full and healthy life, hangs with her two sexually diverse best
friends, is queer herself and loves musical theatre.
She is the student
director of the school’s musical. None of these things define her, and nor
should they. She knows the best way to protect people she loves is to remain
celibate – but she can’t help but crush on the gorgeous, funny and intelligent
Miles Austin.
Enter a blackmailer.
Simone has chosen to not disclose her HIV status to her friends or to her
crush, but somebody knows her secret.
And this anonymous person is threatening her
through a series of anonymous letters – to either stop seeing Miles or to have
her HIV status revealed to all.
At her previous school, the revelation of being
HIV spread so quickly and created such a whirlwind of fear, that she ended up withdrawing
from the school due to the backlash from uninformed parents who feared for the
health of their children by being exposed to her. Simone has too much to lose
at this school. But the blackmailer seems to know a great deal about her, and
she needs to identify who this person is and how he or she is able to stalk her
so effectively.
I loved that this
book is a celebration of diversity and inclusion in all of its forms. As an
African-American adoptee of a gay couple who is HIV positive and sexually fluid
herself, Simone knows a bit about not being a privileged member of society. The
story is about the courage to own all aspects of yourself, even the parts that
expose you to fear and prejudice.
Garrett is unflinchingly frank around matters
such as masturbation and sexual health, and weaves these into a novel that also
tackles more familiar YA life issues such as how to manage friendships and
school commitments when you’re in the throes of a new relationship.
Overall,
Garrett maintained the pace and intrigue throughout, and the climax did not
disappoint. And I learnt what ‘ace’ meant in a LGBTIQ context. Bonus!
Title: Full
Disclosure
Author: Camryn
Garrett
Publisher:
Puffin, $16.99
Publication
Date: 5 November 2019
Format:
Paperback
ISBN: 9780241367063
For ages: 15 +
Type: Young
Adult Fiction