Life and Other Complications


Young Adult - Social Issues
266 Pages
Reviewed on 04/14/2021
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Author Biography

Heather Mullaly is a passionate believer in the power of story. When she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the two she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their three teenagers.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Vernita Naylor for Readers' Favorite

We all have our secrets. We believe that if those closest to us knew about our secrets they would either not like us or see us in a different light. Life and Other Complications by Heather Mullaly is a book about humanity, abuse, secrets, denial, exposure, and consequences. Aly has several secrets. One secret was discovered when the small town that she lives in found out that she has HIV, but what they don't know is how she contracted it. Some speculate that it's because she's promiscuous. Another secret is that she has a crush on Luke, who is not only a nice guy but he's hot. Would Luke want to be with someone like her? All of her secrets were safe until one day everything changed with a knock on the door. Once her secrets are out, how will it impact Aly, Luke, and those around her?

I enjoyed Life and Other Complications because Heather Mullaly brings this disease to the forefront by depicting the life of a young girl living with HIV and telling her story. In the past HIV had a stigma attached to it that still exists today, accompanied by whispers, fear, and stares. This is one of the only diseases that results in isolation and in being ostracized either by others or within oneself. Seeing the different phases of life that Aly must live while living with HIV and her interactions with those around her reflects the social issues of the story. Additionally, it will give the reader another perspective of HIV which demonstrates why a book like this is important. I highly recommend that you get a copy of this book today and tell others. Spread the word.