“Simone Garcia-Hampton is starting over at a new school, and this time things will be different. She’s making real friends, making a name for herself as student director of Rent, and making a play for Miles, the guy who makes her melt every time he walks into a room. The last thing she wants is for word to get out that she’s HIV-positive, because last time . . . well, last time things got ugly.
Keeping her viral load under control is easy, but keeping her diagnosis under wraps is not so simple. As Simone and Miles start going out for real–shy kisses escalating into much more–she feels an uneasiness that goes beyond butterflies. She knows she has to tell him that she’s positive, especially if sex is a possibility, but she’s terrified of how he’ll react! And then she finds an anonymous note in her locker: I know you have HIV. You have until Thanksgiving to stop hanging out with Miles. Or everyone else will know too.
Simone’s first instinct is to protect her secret at all costs, but as she gains a deeper understanding of the prejudice and fear in her community, she begins to wonder if the only way to rise above is to face the haters head-on.” – Goodreads
Garrett captures the insecurity, turmoil, sweetness, and excitement of first love and building close friendships in a respectful, honest, and deeply caring way. This book is unique in its subject matter, and I found it informational without being preachy or heavy-handed. Alternatively, it broke down stigmas, which I believe will lead to more stories about teens who are HIV-positive just living life. Simone and her friends, Claudia and Lydia, read in an authentic, age-appropriate, and relatable voice, not shying away from any topics. There were unabashed conversations about sex, and the characters encompassed a diverse array of sexual identities and experiences that felt open-ended and explorative rather than neatly defined and cemented.
One issue I came across was that we never meet Claudia and Lydia’s partners despite them coming up in conversation frequently. They seemed like icebreakers to bring up the topics the girls wanted to discuss about their relationship struggles instead of fleshed out characters affecting the plot. Since Claudia is asexual and frankly discusses the pressure she feels from her girlfriend to do sexual things, I think teens would benefit from dialogue and interaction to process a very real issue ace folks experience. As it stands, there’s room to make one’s own judgements about the couple’s relationship and Claudia’s experience. Readers curious about sex and invested in relationship-driven stories will enjoy Full Disclosure. Fans of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Little & Lion will be swept into the drama and consequences of secrets spilled.
Call # Fiction G1922fu
Review by Cynthia
Freddie Riley is in love with Laura Dean, the most popular, dreamiest, and charismatic girl in school, but there’s a few problems: Laura isn’t all that nice to her. Full of desperation after Laura breaks her heart again, Freddie begins writing to advice columnist, Anna Vice, framing the story through these emails. Despite the sound advice from her best friend, Doodle, and local mystic, Seek-Her, Freddie can’t seem to give up on her toxic relationship, even at the cost of her closest friendship. Throughout the book, Freddie isolates herself and becomes a bad friend. She must realize the person she’s dating brings out the worst in her. This heartfelt graphic novel follows Freddie’s journey of re-learning how to show up for her friends (and herself).
“A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.” – 
Those sensitive to the topics of rape or torture should proceed cautiously. While this book is never extremely physically graphic, it doesn’t shy away from the emotional repercussions of the events it details.
“Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she’s suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she’s comin’ for you, Jersey!” – 
“Pride and Prejudice gets remixed in this smart, funny, gorgeous retelling of the classic, starring all characters of color, from Ibi Zoboi, National Book Award finalist and author of American Street.
When Starr Carter witnesses the fatal shooting of Khalil, her childhood best friend, her life is turned upside down. The shooting becomes a national headline, but Starr’s best friends at her private, mostly-white high school do not know of her involvement in the incident. Starr struggles to keep her school life in Williamson separate from her family life in Garden Heights, the poor and dangerous black neighborhood where Starr grew up and lives. People are holding demonstrations in support of Khalil and tensions arise in Starr’s life. Starr is hesitant to become further involved with the shooting so as not to put her life at risk, but her words and actions could change the views of the community.
“At thirteen, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn’t learn of her undocumented status until her older sister wanted to apply for an after-school job, but couldn’t because she didn’t have a Social Security number.
Wildcard is a fantastic and thought-provoking book that sparked many emotions. The setting was portrayed vividly, as it was a huge aspect of the story’s plot. The setting, along with the unique and complex characters featured, arose questions involving the future: What will happen if technology evolves to be the way it is in Wildcard? The storyline was fast-paced and although there were some slower parts of the book, they were still interesting and helpful in the progression of the story. One important point to take note of is that Warcross, which is the first book in the duology, must be read before Wildcard. Wildcard picks right up after Warcross ends and there is no reintroduction of the characters or background of the story, so it would be best to read the two books back-to-back. The climax of the book featured many plot twists, keeping the reader on edge, and the structure of the book was helpful and easy to follow. Furthermore, the characters were highly diverse and the narration was effective, although it would have been nice if there were some reminders on the previous events of Warcross. All in all, Wildcard presents a well-balanced blend of action and stimulating questions, tying the whole duology together in a way that doesn’t disappoint.