Full Disclosure
Camryn Garrett
Penguin Random House Children’s UK, 2019
Paperback, 320 pages, €9.99
ISBN 9780241367063
Full Disclosure is unapologetic to its core. Our protagonist Simone is HIV-positive. She has her problems with it of course, but she never once allows herself to fall into the trap of believing the vile things people say about it. She is imperfect and yet perfectly so. This story is gripping and utterly moving. Secondary school is tough for every teenager but there is something about the way that Garrett writes it that puts you in her shoes. Every heartache or joyful moment that Simone experiences is felt by the reader too. Her use of language and dialogue is key to that.
The way Garrett writes about family, race and sexuality is so real and heartfelt. Each character has a unique set of circumstances which are handled delicately. There is so much diversity in this book, be it through race or sexuality. Representation of minorities is really important, especially at a YA level. Having someone to relate to in the content that we consume helps us realise that we are not alone. If anything else, it’s educational too. There is a character in this book who is asexual and has a girlfriend, and though the situation isn’t always pretty, it’s handled so honestly and openly that it teaches people what it’s like to struggle with this. The main character’s illness also does a lot to teach about HIV and what the stereotypes are around it and how that perception can be harmful. But instead, people should be looking to educate themselves. The book has some resources at the end about HIV which I found to be incredibly useful.
Cliona Hornibrook
We hope everyone is celebrating with a good book! We thought we would share with you what everyone on the Paper Lanterns team is reading this week. There are some fantastic YA reads here that we would recommend checking out. Let us know what you’re reading at the moment!
This is for fans of (or an introduction to) McCabe’s Butcher Boy and E.M. Reapy’s Red Dirt. Depression, addiction, faith and love are all thrown in the pot and discussed frankly by Shaw, as well as severe mental illness – the book is dedicated to her brother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He died aged twenty. Not for the faint of heart and certainly not for the squeamish, Thrill Seekers is a bloody, harrowing, all-Australian tale which is well worth grappling with.
I truly relished this read. As an Irish person, I also feel very connected to my roots by the story, as many Irish words are used and many other Irish legends referenced, including some that I had never heard of. This book was a learning experience. Deirdre Sullivan really manages to pull the reader into the enchantment and poignancy of the story. It feels like being read an old tale by a familiar voice.
Adelaide and Toby Buchman’s brother-sister relationship really appealed to me as well because, although they keep things from each other, they are always there for when the other is in need. I loved this book! I would recommend it to anyone who likes romantic fiction that includes real-life situations. Again Again is a wonderful story that shows us the reality of loving and losing the right and wrong people.
