Review Detail

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.