lisa /

Title: Where We Go From Here

Author: Lucas Rocha

Pages: 288 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

A touching, urgent #ownvoices LGBTQ+ debut novel from Brazilian author Lucas Rocha.

Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV. Victor, to his relief, has just tested negative. Henrique has been living with HIV for three years. 

Then, their worlds collide…

Where We Go From Here is an honest and compulsive novel which unveils the common misconceptions and prejudices surrounding HIV in the twenty-first century, showing how far we’ve come while shining a light on just how far we have to go. 

Heart-breaking, heart-warming and ultimately hopeful, it is a desperately needed and powerful piece of fiction.

The Review

It is going to sound strange and I admit I probably come off a little weird for this but I find that some of the stories that have made the biggest impact on me over the years are the ones that look at the AIDS epidemic.

Fiction or Non-Fiction, the heartbreaking stories of the late 70s to the 90s are so powerful and move me. Over the years, some writers have approached this topic in a positive way. Living with HIV. I think it is absolutely essential that these stories are told. About how HIV isn’t the equivalent of a death sentence like it was.

Where We Go From Here is the story of three friends who are all connected through HIV. Some have it and some do not. It is story about learning to love yourself and those around you without prejudice and being the found family that is often needed in times of crisis.

It was a lovely story with strong spiky characters. Part of me homes that Lucas Rocha writes a sequel in a few years time so we can catch up with Ian, Victor and Henrique.

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha is available now.

For more information regarding Lucas Rocha (@lucasgsrocha) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

lisa /

Title: Full Disclosure

Author: Camryn Garrett

Pages: 288 Pages

Publisher: Penguin

The Blurb

Simone Garcia-Hampton is HIV-Positive… and is positive HIV won’t define her.

Simone is a lot of things: the new kid at school, a supreme theatre nerd, daughter to two loving but slightly overbearing fathers; and HIV-positive.

She knows that celibacy is – technically – the best way to stay safe. Enter Miles Austin: intelligent, funny and way too sexy for Simone to resist. But her classmates don’t know about her condition – and what is the truth worth in the hands of the wrong person?

A smart, funny, sex-positive YA read, perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han, Full Disclosure is a heartwarming take on the particular challenges of adolescence, written as only a teen could.

The Review

One of my favourite things about YA literature is that subjects that are often seen as taboo or scary to talk about are presented to a young, impressionable audience and allows the reader (presumably but not always of young adult age) to make their own mind up rather than relying on the hand me down beliefs of older – and not necessarily wiser – generations.

It is for that reason that we should all be thankful for writers such as Camryn Garrett who has written Full Disclosure: a book about – but not limited to – the discussion of HIV. Her protagonist, Simone, is HIV positive. For Simone, it is one aspect of who she is. Besides that, she is a young girl who is trying to navigate her way into becoming an adult. She is dealing with the everyday worries of being a teenager, and a girl, and a student, and a friend, and a girlfriend. Whilst these things may seem like run-of-the-mill things for most, Simone has to deal with them with the added pressure of a chronic illness that has so little understanding and a history of scaremongering.

Full Disclosure is a fantastic story about the brutality of high school and reminds us firstly, how difficult being a teenager can be but more importantly it reminds us to be kind to one another. You never know what another person is going through and you will invariably never know unless you forget your own prejudices.

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett is available now.

For more information regarding Camryn Garrett (@dancingofpens) please visit www.camryngarrett.com.

For more information regarding Penguin (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.