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5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 13, 2010
This review is from: Positively (Hardcover)
Emerson Price has had a tough life so far. When she was young, her mother got sick from HIV, which eventually turned into AIDS. Then Emmy's mother and father found out that Emmy had it, too. She got it while her mother was pregnant with her. Emerson is now 13 and her mother has just died from AIDS. She was always okay with having HIV when her mother was alive, because her mom knew what it was like. Her father never understood and he ended up divorcing Emmy's mother because the stress was just too much. Now, her father is re-married to a woman named Meg, and she's pregnant. Since Emmy's mother is no longer there, she has to go live with her father - and Emmy doesn't know what to think about it. She just wants her mother back, that's all. She feels like she can't trust anyone to be her real friend. She thinks that everyone just feels sorry for the sick girl. Now that her mother is gone, she feels like her best friend is just hanging out with her because she pities her, which is not the case at all. So Emmy starts to push her away. When things start getting worse her stepmother, Meg, finds out about a camp called Camp Positive. It is a camp for kids who are HIV positive. Emmy's father makes her go, even though it's the last thing that she wants to do. She has every intention of not opening up to anyone at the camp. But when she arrives there she meets a girl named Whitney who she ends up having a connection with. Soon, Emmy starts to open up because of Whitney and actually lets some emotion out. POSITIVELY was such a heart-wrenching story. The whole time I couldn't help but feel bad for Emerson. I couldn't even begin to imagine what living with HIV would be like, especially when you're that young and have just lost your mother. I didn't even think she'd really give Camp Positive a chance at all, but was surprised to find out that she actually made a friend there. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes sad but in the end uplifting stories. This really was a great read and a page-turner. It is also based off the author's experience with the Elizabeth Glaser AIDS Foundation, so that makes this book even more real to me. Reviewed by: Breanna F.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful, September 6, 2011
I'd heard basically nothing about this book, but since it was so cheap I decided to just buy it, without knowing all that much about it. When It arrived and I read what it said on the back of the book, I was surprised to read it's for ages 9 to 14. I read it anyways, and the fact that it's MG, not YA like I'd thought, didn't bother me much. Yeah, there are some explanations about what HIV and AIDS are, which I wouldn't have needed, and Emmy makes some immature decisions, but it's not like that never happens in YA. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, don't let the fact that this is for a younger audience discourage you - Positively is a great book! What's so great about Positively are the emotions it conveys. Emmy's story is heartbreaking. Struggling with HIV is heartbreaking as it is, and the fact that Emmy is only thriteen makes it even sadder. Emmy's feelings, both about her mother's death and her own disease, are raw and real, and I could feel them all easily, making me cry several times throughout this book. But Positively isn`t only a sad book - it's also hopeful, the message making me smile throughout the book, too (well, more at the end, but whatever). I loved the whole idea for this book - I've never read about someone being HIV positive, and how that affects every aspect of your life. The idea of having Emmy go to Camp Positive is great, too. At times, though, I was kind of bored by the plot - nothing all that much happens, and I think a few things could have been cut, especially since this book is actually for people younger than me, who I'm assuming get bored easier. The writing, though, is what held my attention. Courtney Sheinmel somehow managed to make the voice authentic for a thirteen-year-old girl, but still have the writing be beautiful, vivid and insightful. Emmy's voice is great, and her way of expressing herself is just beautiful. It's so innocent, despite what she's gone through, and that really showed the cruelty of a child having to face something as grave as AIDS. I don't have much more to say about this book, but I definitely recommend it. I'm sad to not have seen it around more. Even though it's MG and about a thirteen-year-old girl, I think it's suitable for YA readers, too. It's a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful story.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Tackles a big issue without turning into an after school special, January 25, 2011
Positively by Courtney Schiinmmel tells the story of Emmy a young HIV positive girl whose mother has just died of AIDS. The first half of the book follows Emmy trying to deal with her mothers death and her subsequent move into her father and pregnant stepmother's house. Emmy is angry and depressed and destructive because she is so hurt, then her parents send her to a camp for girls with HIV. Emmy is upset to have been sent away to camp but it ultimately ends up being a great help and comfort to her. Positively does a fantastic job of creating a engrossing story around a difficult topic without turning into a cookie cutter lifetime movie like story. When Emmy is lashing out and acting destructively the reader can see how much she is hurting. Her journey is presented in to educate young people to the daily struggle that HIV positive kids have while also presenting the readers with engaging characters and an interesting plot. Appropriateness: There is nothing inappropriate at all in this novel. Emmy is thirteen so I'd put the interest level to be middle school age with it not being inappropriate for even younger readers. There is educational information about how HIV is transmitted as part of the plot and parts of the book are sad but not to the point where they would be traumatic. I would of course recommend that parents use this as an opening to discuss HIV (and perhaps even other STD's) with your child. The lexile is 670 putting it around a fourth grade level.
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