Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.
And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?
Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.
Review
I'll admit that I knew what the story was about before I decided to read this book. The blurb is vague, though, so you can fully go into this book without spoiling anything for yourself (if you haven't read any of the other spoiler filled reviews, that is). My review will contain the not-so-secret spoiler so avoid it if you're looking to read My Life After Now without knowing beforehand.
My Life After Now is a story about a teenage girl contracting HIV. Lucy has a pretty idealistic life, but one bad week leads to a life-altering decision. One simple mistake. And that's all it takes. That is what makes this book stand out for me. It shows that something like HIV doesn't care who you are, how pretty you are, how many good choices you make, or anything else about you. One mistake can forever change your life (and the lives of the people you care about). This is something that people (especially teenagers) need to know. It can, in fact, happen to you. No one is invincible.
My Life After Now is a powerful, yet simple story. HIV is something that's not talked about enough. This needs to change. I believe that this book is a realistic picture of what can happen to someone that contracts HIV at such a young age. I certainly believe this book could be a way for someone to open up a dialogue with their child about not only HIV, but safe sex in general.
So, why my 4 start rating? There's a couple of reasons. One, the ending was a bit too predictable. Two (and the biggest reason!), I didn't particularly like how a situation was handled. Lucy has sex with Ty (her ex) while being fully aware of her positive status without telling him. After providing such a strong message, I felt very disappointed that this particular event (no matter how low the risk of transmission was) happened with absolutely no consequences. After all, the message of this book is that one small decision can change your life.
For those that don't want the spoilers, I do recommend this book. It has an important message, but doesn't come off as preachy or condescending.
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