My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: pet virus, ric flair, Depeche Mode, New York, Ryan White (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Growing up in the small town of Waynesboro, Va., Decker was diagnosed with hemophilia at 18 months, and then in 1987, while in sixth grade, he found out that one of his many blood transfusions had infected him with HIV; the diagnosis of full-blown AIDS came 12 years later. His drug regimens and general ill-health made him unfit for an eight-hour workday, and finding a woman who was comfortable enough with his HIV status was less than easy. For the purposes of Decker's book, he's not interested in pity, preferring instead to take the offensive—usually with purposefully bad humor, referring to himself as either a "thinblood" (for hemophiliac) or "postoid" (for his positive status). It's a refreshing tactic, for Decker focuses more on what he's doing to move ahead in life than on how he's suffering. Decker's bravery is inarguably admirable, but it distances him; by book's end—when he has married a beauty queen, with whom he tours the country speaking about sex and HIV—we respect him but hardly feel as though we know him. (Oct.)
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From Booklist

Decker, a hemophiliac, learned at age 11 that he was HIV-positive. In his candid, raucous memoir, he recounts what it meant to grow up with his "pet virus" in the 1980s and 1990s. There's plenty of self-deprecation and no self-pity as he describes his first girlfriends and sexual encounters; the experience of meeting his favorite band, Depeche Mode, through the Make-a-Wish Foundation; and the process of gaining the confidence to "come out" and talk about his disease publicly, ultimately finding a career as a writer and speaker. Throughout, he's clear about his family's unwavering support and tough love ("Don't complain. The person a few rooms over may be taking a dirt nap tonight," his mother, who shares his dark humor, calmly remarks in the hospital); and his growing relationship with Gwen, the HIV-negative young woman who becomes his wife, is particularly poignant. There are too-few memoirs about living with AIDS, and this hilarious, outspoken, and vibrant story will instruct and inspire its readers. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher; 1 edition (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585425257
• ISBN-13: 978-1585425259
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #518,254 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever, poignant, hilarious, September 21, 2006

By	Sean Strub (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When Shawn Decker was interviewed for a cover story in POZ Magazine (which I founded) everyone in the office thought he was a natural comedian. He was a teenager in NYC for the first time, getting interrogated by a group of gay men with AIDS. We had fun asking him questions like if he ever tried marijuana. His reply? "no, because I am afraid it might lead to harder drugs, like AZT". My Pet Virus is Shawn's account of a childhood and young adulthood with HIV. If David Sedaris and Paula Poundstone had a love child, it would sound like Shawn Decker. But the book isn't just funny, it is insightful, moving and an extraordinary perspective on the AIDS epidemic through the eyes and experience of a young heterosexual man from Jerry Falwell country, in rural western Virginia.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to make a fun book about living with HIV/AIDS, September 27, 2006

By	Suzanne M. Casey "beaconeast" (watertown, ma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great book about one of the most well-adjusted people in the world. Shawn has taken what was a death sentence at one time and overcome low expectations to shed some good light on the world. Thank you for having the guts to be a regular kid in a world that wanted to hide you away. Your sense of humor and take on life is a great way to address HIV/AIDS and safe sex to the next generation. Keep up the good work!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2006 Book of the Year!, October 7, 2006

By	Christopher A. Deane - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I do a lot of reading, and don't always have a chance to pick up a book a second time, but I have already read and re-read My Pet Virus, and I'm hoping for a sequel. The book handles some pretty heavy subject matter with an incredible sense of humor and wit. After reading this one, you feel like you really know author Shawn Decker, and you like him.