Advance copy. ( )

Fairly short, I found this story of a victim, a witness and a suspect very readable. Alex Crusan is hispanic and HIV-positive in a small town in the US, his life is circumscribed by his disease and he has to accept that one mistake has landed him with a whole heap of trouble. His mother tries to cover up the truth but he really doesn't feel happy with that. One of the people who make themselves clear about their prejudice is Clinton Cole, who was seen near the accident by Daria Bickell, who is Downs Syndrome and never lies. The story is told from the three of their voices and the author does a pretty good job of differentiating between them.

It explores bigotry and prejudice and perception of truth and I found it an interesting read. ( )

Because Alex Crusan is violently brutalized due to his HIV status, he is hospitalized. A mysterious assailant hits his car with a bat while Daria Bickell, a Down-Syndrome inflicted girl watches. She is willing to testify that she saw Clinton Cole do it. He denies it and insists he is innocent. Teens will enjoy the facts being told from three different perspectives. They will also enjoy the realistic aspect of this novel as well as the social issues it brings up. The message of tolerance is a strong one which is intelligently conveyed in this novel.
VOYA Rating: 4Q, 2P

Cindy Dobrez (Booklist, Apr. 15, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 16))
Flinn, author of Breathing Underwater (2001) and Nothing to Lose (2004), takes aim at bullying once again. This time HIV-positive Alejandro Crusan, a Florida high-school junior, is the target. After being attacked in his car by a baseball bat-wielding teenager, Alex is hospitalized while recovering from his injuries. Clinton Cole, prejudiced and afraid of catching AIDS, hates Alex and is responsible for tormenting him on several previous occasions. Now he claims he's innocent. However, Daria, a teen with Down syndrome, saw Clinton at the scene of the attack; she also witnessed one of the earlier assaults. The teens alternate telling their stories and sharing their secrets, as Alex struggles with the truth about the attack and about the origin of his HIV-positive status. Daria's narration unfolds in free verse, a form that effectively shows both her halting, repetitive speech and the disparity between her inner thoughts and her ability to communicate them. Teens will enjoy ferreting out the reality from the conflicting narratives and arguing about the sensitive issues raised along the way. Category: Books for Older Readers--Fiction. 2005, HarperCollins, $16.99, $17.89. Gr. 7-10. (CLCD)

Told from three perspectives. Alex is an HIV-positive high schooler who is attacked in his car by Clinton, a classmate who's alwasy had a problem with Alex's HIV status. Or so we are led to believe by Daria, a mentally challenged girl who witnessed the attack. The three voices take the reader through a journey of discovery, as each must grapple with their own personal flaws. A quick, gripping read. ( )