Full Disclosure

I was so hyped for this book and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint in any way. There is a lot Camryn got right but the representation and diversity were what made me want to cry because it was just. so. well. done!

Simone is such an amazing main character, honest, strong, kind, lovable and real. There was not a single moment in which she was preachy or holier-than-thou which made sense because Camryn Garret is still a teenager herself and her younger characters are absolutely flawless in how multifaceted they are. You will not find a single type character in here.

I also loved that Simone was questioning her sexuality throughout the story and the author made sure to touch on subjects like the fear of not being queer enough, bi-erasure and the discrimination inside the LGBTQ community. I was also so happy to have asexual and non-binary representation, with the asexual character being in a relationship and discussing how she dealt with the sexual aspect of it which was beautiful.

I was not expecting this book to deal with sex so openly. YA tends to focus more on the romantic aspect of it and although that does happen here too, I was absolutely delighted with how horny Simone and how that is always written as something absolutely normal. We got to see girls talking openly about sex, buying sex toys, masturbating, watching porn, buying condoms and birth control and just being honest when it comes to their experiences.

With Simone being positive, there was also a lot of importance put in condoms and other forms of protection but that wasn’t a turnoff at all. I loved to see how much importance was put on being upfront about what she was comfortable with doing or not and was happy for all the teenagers that will read this and see both parts talking and negotiating what they want and are willing to do rather than just rush into it without knowing what to expect.

There were some instances in which it was obvious that this was a debut novel but they were very few and far between. The only part of the book that made me pause was when it came to Simone’s father going into the gynecologist with her. Maybe it was because the book is set in the USA (I think people are a bit more conservative there) or because Simone’s father is a doctor but it made me really uncomfortable in her behalf, not because he is a man but because he is her father and no kid is gonna be honest about sex when their parents are withing ear range. No matter how young, people should always feel safe and able to ask whatever they want to their doctors without fear of being judged and he father was knowingly acting as a barrier between her and her doctor, trying to keep her from asking what she really wanted to know (he was doing it out of a place of love and concern but I still with the doctor had kicked him out and then had a talk with him). This book could have been a lot different if Simone had been less little secure in herself and ended up not asking what she wanted due to her parent's pressure and then ended up doing something without having been properly informed.

This was such a grown-up book to be written by someone so young. It was amazing to see girls supporting girls, loving parents that talked to their kid, all the LGBT positive representation, Simone’s different support systems...this book just hits you in the feels.

I want to speak about one last thing and that is race. Simone is black, so is one of her fathers and so is her boyfriend. I spent most of the book thinking that Miles was not good enough for Simone, not because he was a bad person (he was not- he always treated her very respectfully and never tried to force her to do anything she was uncomfortable with), but because he just did not fight for her as she fought for him.

I have this theory about Miles. I think he represents a very different part of the black experience in America that Simone does. Simone is proud of being black: she lives surrounded by black culture, black television, black art, black music. She is aware of how racist people can still be towards her but she knows that the moment she talks about it to her friends or she gets home and tells her parents, they will immediately be in her corner. Miles doesn’t have that.

Mile’s parents did well in life and all they want for their son is for him not become a stereotype and that included barring form doing even the most innocent of things in fear that that will make him be seen differently. While Simone will not let a sexist or racist comment go unanswered no matter who it comes from, Miles will simply brush it off as to not be portrayed as the angry black kid because he lives in mostly white spaces. I was really interesting to see both Miles and Simone being called on their privilege in the face of the other and I loved that race was not just ignored but broadly talked about in this book.

I absolutely loved this read and I’m so looking forward to whatever Camryn Garret does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for this ARC.

A book which truly deserves to be read and lauded by a wide audience for its handling of topics which are usually glossed over. The conversations about sex & sexuality between Simone and her friends felt honest and relevant. I loved the sincere relationship with Simone and her fathers without making it seem trite. And on a broader level, I adored the references to some of my favourite musicals.

This story broke my heart and yet filled me with hope. Hope, that young adults will read this and not only find something to understand but to educate them to be the better person in what can sometimes be a world of fear.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Everyone should read this book. There is still too much disinformation about HIV and Garrett does an amazing job of making the subject accessible and understandable while never compromising on the reality of what it must be like to live with the disease. I felt every moment of this story on an emotional level and the plot, while perhaps predictable from a story perspective, was never boring and I felt swept along in it regardless of the familiar beats. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone I know!

I found this an engaging read, I wanted to know what was happening next, I wanted to see more of everyone. I loved that its target demographic was people like the characters - there was no big reveal of "so the thing with me is", as if it were written for the cis, het, white, gaze. And even though Simone has HIV, everything else about her is relatable - and that's the message, just because she has an illness, doesn't make her a different person, or less than a person, or anything else that people might want to throw at her. But because of bad experiences before she fears that people *will* think those things, and it's uplifting when people don't. When people still treasure her for the wonder that she is as person.

As a cis, het, white, girl, I see myself represented a lot but I learn things from reading other people's perspectives, it's how we grow - putting ourselves in others' shoes. But for so many people (although less and less these days, I hope) *only* other people's shoes are available, and that's not right. We need more books like this one, bringing in other perspectives into the mainstream because people deserve to see themselves represented. They deserve to see people like them be heroes and go on journeys. They deserve to wear their own shoes, or at least ones in a size and style that they might consider wearing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Full Disclosure in exchange for my honest review. I’ve rated it 4 out of 5 stars!

Full Disclosure is a contemporary YA novel that follows 17-year-old Simone. She’s smart, funny and musical-obsessed. She’s also HIV positive and no one at her new school knows – not even her best friends and definitely not Miles, the sweet and sensitive lacrosse jock she has a massive crush on. She’s already had to leave one school when someone she trusted outed her and she doesn’t want that to happen again. When Simone and Miles start dating, she begins to receive anonymous notes threatening to reveal her secret to the entire school unless she ends things with Miles.

I was shocked to hear that Camryn Garrett was just 17 herself when she sold this book. She has successfully tackled extremely serious topics with maturity and sensitivity, yet the book remains fun to read. It’s relatable and humorous – I loved all the pop-culture references, especially as a musical fan myself – and the romance is sweet and authentic.

My favourite thing about this book, however, was Simone’s relationship with her Dads. They’re so loving and supportive that Simone knows she can share anything with them. I loved how they had honest and open conversations, especially about sex and sexuality. (The whole book is very sex-positive!) It’s always refreshing to a healthy parent-child relationship in YA, when the parents can so often be absent or antagonistic characters.

Those who want to read a story that deals with important topics, including racism and sexuality, yet remains a fun, somewhat fluffy read and has great LGBT representation will enjoy this novel. I’d recommend it to fans of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Hate U Give.

This book intrigued and informed me on a subject that I knew very little about. I am way out of the teenage reader bracket but think that age group would really enjoy it

I really praise the author writing a book where the main character is living with HIV and how she goes about day to day life and the issues she faces on a daily basis. I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more when I was younger and would definitely recommend to young adults. It’s a very unique coming of age story.

“Simone Garcia-Hampton is HIV-Positive... and is positive HIV won't define her.”

Simone is funny, beautiful, sharp and fiercely caring (you would definitely want her to be your best friend); she’s also the new girl, the director of the school play and navigating a crush on a boy called Miles. However, like SLAY, FULL DISCLOSURE also features a young Black girl whose biggest secret is held to ransom by an anonymous bully. In this case, someone is threatening to out Simone’s HIV status to the whole school. Camryn Garrett’s story is compelling and Simone is a complex and endearing narrator; I devoured this in an afternoon.

I’m adding Simone to my list of characters I’m protective of. She’s a musical theatre nerd and in that way reminds me of myself (I quit ballet at 5 to make popcorn and watch MGM musicals with my mum on Saturday mornings!). Lots of the YA books I’ve read recently have featured Black protagonists who are honour students, singers, gamers, historians, athletes, musicians, mathematicians, rappers, artists, chefs, scientists and dancers, and it’s nice to see that as more authors are writing their own stories, we are starting to get to a level of representation that means that more and more young people can see themselves in the books they read.

I was struck by how candid FULL DISCLOSURE was. The novel opens with Simone at the gynaecologist asking questions about her sexual health; her fathers are pretty “liberal” and great at communicating their feelings (perhaps too much!); for the most part, Simone and her school friends have frank conversations about their sexuality (the vibrator scene & the trench coats!); her support group friends have non-PC conversations about their experiences; Simone and Miles are very open with each other quite early on (Miles especially - I am definitely #TeamMiles). Because of this candidness, this book is a fantastic educational tool and dispels a lot of ignorance-based fear surrounding HIV (also google is free). FULL DISCLOSURE is about more than Simone disclosing her HIV status, there are some pretty great models of healthy communication in all kinds of relationships which is something everyone could use an example of. This feels like an important book.

An unbelievably refreshing read.

A come of age story with a difference.

Full of detail and depth, giving a different view on HIV and just what it involves not only for the person who has it but for others too, family, friends and the general population.

I was intrigued and felt rather emotional for the characters involved.

This is one of those books that everyone needs to read.

Sending out a message of positivity and empowerment.

Great for readers young and old.

This is an incredible book with a wonderful voice, a really strong plot and great characters. There is so much intelligence and depth to this book, it's full of knowledge about HIV and how a young teen might battle stigma and overcome social ignorance to live her best life. I really liked Simone and the guy who caught her eye, Miles, who is the sweetest fictional boyfriend. I don't think I've read such a powerful YA book for some time!

From the summary of this book I knew it was going to be amazing and I wasn’t disappointed. Full disclosure is about Simone, a 17 year old girl who is just like all of the others, she falls in love, has two very supportive parents (dads), has her bffs who love and support her and oh she has HIV. There’s so much prejudice still with HIV and the fear of AIDS, the misinformation, how people react and this book does such a good job on exploring this from the point of view of a teenager while also being super positive.

Four out of five vibrators to Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett

I had no idea until I looked the book up on Goodreads that Camryn Garret was only 17 when she sold this book. Um. Wow. Now that I know it does make sense because Full Disclosure there was a real coming-of-age flavour to it; a young person grappling with her independence and life choices.

I really enjoyed Full Disclosure. Our heroine is Simone, a 17-year-old black girl who’s HIV positive. She’s already had to move schools once because people found out about her HIV (and as more details kept slipping out about that it was such a painful story) and it’s obviously made her very wary. But now there’s a guy she fancies and she’s torn between wanting to fuck him and the fear of what will happen if she tells him the truth. To make things worse, someone’s sending anonymous notes threatening to expose her to the entire school if she keeps on hanging around with him.

I really liked Simone. In nearly every way she’s a quite ordinary teenager, but there’s this one area of her life which she has no choice but to be incredibly mature about. At least, she does have a choice but last time she rebelled she got pneumonia, so you can see why she’s being sensible. It’s not just for herself, either. She’s constantly having to think about other people: taking care not to endanger them, knowing she must disclose that she’s HIV positive before having sex, and of course her constant fear over how they will react if and when they find out. She has a lot to deal with, and that’s on top of everything else she has going on, from racism to questioning her queer identity.

There are some great supporting characters too, especially Simone’s friends. Lydia seemed super sweet and I really enjoyed Claudia, who’s having her own problems due to her asexuality and her homophobic parents. The relationship between the three of them was really interesting, their support for one another, the way things crumble, and the way it ultimately ended up. I liked it a lot.

Simone’s two fathers, Dad and Pops, were totally lovely but not perfect. They love their daughter so much that they haven’t quite realised that she’s practically an adult and is capable of managing her condition and making her own decisions. It’s not a big part of the story, but it’s there in the background and you can tell that it’s always a slight irritant for Simone even though she loves them. Again, I really liked the way this relationship developed throughout the novel.

As for the Simone-Miles-anonymous-letters plot, oof. We do find out, eventually, exactly what’s going on there and I was pleased with the way it was handled. It felt real and I liked that all the ends weren’t tied off neatly. Oh, so stressful though! First obviously I’m furious that someone’s literally trying to blackmail her. And the problems for Simone in trying to deal with it are so hard. Because if she tells the school authorities she’s being threatened she’s going to have to tell them why. And that means banking on them being supportive about her HIV and keeping it quiet. Yikes.

I also really like the sex positivity in Full Disclosure. There are teens and they are having sex, the way teens do. I like the way they’re responsible about it, Lydia’s friends help her get birth control. They buy vibrators together and it’s fun and silly and honest. I especially like that there’s an asexual character included in all of this. There’s no point in being sex positive if we don’t also acknowledge the people who don’t want to have sex. Plus all the gayness and bi-ness was delightful!

On the whole I thought Full Disclosure was really good. Camryn Garrett obviously really knows her stuff when it comes to HIV – I learned quite a bit! The story is really good and the stakes felt high. Perhaps the writing isn’t my favourite style, but it was still good. And I loved the main character, Simone. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

WOW. I don't really know what to say. I really enjoyed this book because it was original and like a breath of fresh air. I truly enjoyed reading this because it not only taught me more about HIV but it did it in a way that didn't feel awkward, demeaning, or like a lecture. We've also got a bit of a mystery element which kept the novel moving forward!

Most of all... I enjoy just how sex-positive this book is. YA is known for toning down the sex but I loved seeing the main character go to an actual sex shop and pick out a vibrator, having an honest conversation with her partner about her HIV and the reaction she received. I think more books need to be more sex-positive because right now YA doesn't take that conversation - it makes a few jokes but never seriously speaks about it.

I think story is going to blow people away and I can't wait for people to fall in love with this novel.

Full Disclosure is the best YA book I have read for some time. Raw, honest, funny, with a protagonist who knows her worth, Full Disclosure really opened my eyes to life with HIV as a young woman today. I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Full Disclosure is a YA novel about a girl navigating teenage love, friendships, high school theatre, and being HIV-positive. Simone Garcia-Hampton is seventeen, still the new kid at her school, and directing their production of Rent. When she discovers that lacrosse-playing Miles Austin might feel the same way about her that she does about him, Simone knows her overprotective dads will have something to say about that, both as parents and because she's HIV-positive. As Simone starts to open up to her friends and to Miles, she realises people can know her secret, but it also seems someone wants to force it out of her.

In some ways Full Disclosure follows some classic young adult novel paths, and in other ways it is very fresh and exciting. Simone is a quirky main character, a girl who knows she wants to be thinking about sex, but is also very aware that given her condition, there's a lot more to think about. Her friends Lydia and Claudia are also great characters, the kind who it would be interesting to have spin-off novels about, and the book has a lot of focus on different LGBT+ people and how people face similar and different issues. Miles is sweet and feels like a classic YA love interest: thoughtful and caring, if maybe a little too much at times.

Aimed at an older YA audience, the novel is likely to open many readers' eyes not only to realities of being HIV-positive, but also other conversations around sex and sexuality. It feels a bit like a cross between Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts), combining a range of diverse characters and a main character growing up with discussion of teenage sexuality. Unlike those books, however, it has a black female protagonist and importantly looks at the different experiences of her and her female friends. Not only does it cover these topics, but it also is funny and sweet and is likely to be a hit with fans of similar YA novels.

I whizzed through this book in only 5 hours of actual reading time. It completely captivated me! Simone is a teenager, with all the problems and changes that come with it. To top it, she's adopted - with two gay dad's - and she was born with HIV. I don't know about everyone else, but I didn't cope with being a teenager very well so I'm already proud of this fictional yet utterly believable character. The narrative is done through Simone's eyes. And is so honest. It encompasses all the things that a teenager would be thinking; school stresses, friendship groups, sexuality and let's not forget high-school crushes. This is a brilliant coming of age YA novel. One that I think I will rave about for a while. Not only was it a brilliant read, it also taught me loads about HIV (U=U) and living with HIV. And the theme of this text is completely right, people don't know as much as they should and they react based on incomplete facts. I am so glad that I read this book and implore you to read it too.