What You Don't Know Can Kill You

When eighteen-year-old Ellen tests HIV-positive, she discovers that her boyfriend had a secret affair--the consequences of which will leave her constantly wondering if the dormant symptoms of AIDS will awaken.

Arrick's disturbing novel depicts the consequences of forgoing safe sex practices in these AIDS-stricken times. Ellen, 18, is smart, beautiful and has a bright future that is likely to include Jack, her longtime boyfriend. When her blood drive donation reflects the HIV virus, Ellen is sure it's a mistake--she and Jack have been monogamous--until he admits to a few sexual indiscretions while away at school. The story incorporates AIDS-related information, the need for friendship and familial support, the prejudices born of ignorance, and the psychological strains heaped on family members--Ellen's parents and Debra, her 13-year-old sister, are overwhelmed with grief. Although introductory portions of the narrative and some of the dialogue evince an unnatural tone, ensuing passages are filled with heart-rending anguish and should dispel notions of "It can't happen to me" among careless, sexually active readers. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ellen, college-bound in the fall, learns that she carries the HIV virus, transmitted to her by her previously monogamous, slightly older boyfriend, who had engaged in unsafe sex after getting drunk at a fraternity house. Author Arrick attempts to convey how this news affects Ellen, her younger sister Debra, their parents, and the entire community, where AIDS has previously seemed a remote problem. While showing the broad, indiscriminate sweep of this national crisis is commendable, this novel is too short to delve into any aspect of it in more than a fleeting, superficial manner, and readers are bound to feel confused by the sheer number of the relationships of the many adults and teenagers involved. Plenty of solid information on AIDS is clumsily shoe- horned into the narrative; meanwhile, for those who believe themselves beyond the reach of this illness, Arrick does make a strong case regarding the possibilities for infection of the middle class mainstream. (Fiction. 11+) -- Copyright ©1992, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.