Sunday, August 30, 2009

Positively by Courtney Sheinmel

"When my mother died, I imagined God was thinking, 'One down, and one to go.'" This is how Emerson Price feels when her mother passes away. Her mother was sick for a long time with a disease known as AIDs. Emmy is HIV-Positive, she takes pills everyday and visits the doctor all the time. She becomes a different person when her mother dies- angry, moody, upset. Her father and his expectant wife Meg, decide to send Emmy to Camp Positive hoping to help Emmy become herself again. Camp Positive is for people like Emmy, those who are HIV-Positive. At camp, Emmy begins to realize she's not alone.

This book was amazing. It showed the truth about AIDS and what it means to be HIV-Positive. Emmy's heartwarming story is personal, and you feel like you're right there in the book with her. Crying about her mother's death, yelling at her father, everything makes you feel like you're in the book. First person narrative's are always my favorite, because you really feel connected to the character. The plot was original, too. I loved the idea of Camp Positive. It seemed like such a great place, and was perfect for people like Emmy, feeling lonely and different in her everyday life, she learned a lot about being grateful for who she was, for being alive. The characters and plot were all well developed and every character had a specific role in the book. Heartwarming and life changing this is a book every girl needs to read.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hightstown, New Jersey USA