This convoluted story had some depth to it. Even with the bloated storyline, the author missed what should have been a major plot point: The man who gave a deadly STI to a 16 year old girl (Lucy) was an ADULT. Not one character, including the girls' parents, even blinked an eye.
Lucy had some crappy stuff happen to her, made a bad decision, and will deal the the consequences forever. She is supposed to be a sympathetic character, but instead she is annoying and dangerously self-absorbed...which fits her age, I suppose. It just didn't make for good reading. ( )

As she enters her junior year of high school, Lucy Moore thinks she's got it made. As the best actress in her school's drama club, she's sure she's about to land the role of Juliet in the fall production of Romeo and Juliet. Naturally she'll be playing the role opposite her boyfriend, Ty, the golden boy of drama club. She's got a pair of supportive best friends - Max and Courtney, and a pair of dads who couldn't love her more.

In a space of the week, Lucy's world crumbles - the role and the boy both go to theater-camp competitor and high school interloper, Elyse. When her undependable biological mother shows up at her house trying to make yet another new start, that's Lucy's final straw. One foolish night of fleeing her problems for an uncharacteristic night of clubbing in NYC is all it takes to change Lucy's life forever. Now Lucy has a deadly secret she can't tell anyone, and the one person she does tell validates her worst fears.

My feelings about My Life After Now were tremendously mixed. The beginning of the story seemed wildly exaggerated. I understand that this almost absurdly bad week had to happen to drive the rest of the plot, but the speed with which things come undone was blatantly unrealistic. The end, as well, fails in realism, with resolutions that seem to come together far to easily and with too few questions asked.

In the middle, though, My Life After Now really shined. Lucy's terror and shame at what she has done and the diagnosis she receives is expertly rendered. Her unwillingness to open up to her parents and her friends about what happened and the consequences, for fear of their judgement, disappointment, disbelief, or fear is entirely convincing. When the truth does have to come out, as the truth always does, Lucy has become so isolated and afraid that her relief is palpable. Her coming to terms with living her new life is expertly handled. While My Life After Now suffers a little from a certain YA tendency to wrap things up too nicely and easily, it's ultimately an addictive read about a relatable narrator facing a different diagnosis than is tackled in any of those other YA "sick kid" novels you may have read, which makes it a welcome addition to the genre and well worth a read. ( )

A good story, but predictable. ( )

The author tries to tackle a very sensitive issue in her novel – HIV/AIDS. The main character lives in Westchester County, New York, and is the daughter of two gay male parents as if this explains how and why she feels comfortable going into New York City for a night of drinking and dancing at a club. She is also comfortable and drunk enough to go home with the lead singer of the band playing in said club, leaving her friends who simply go home and wait for her there. It is very obvious that no good can come from this encounter, and none does. While the premise for her acquiring the HIV virus is a bit unrealistic, Lucy’s reactions and subsequent actions are more credible, as is the basic information about the disease. This is an interesting look at a terrible disease and what it can do to a person who acquires it told through the viewpoint of a teen who must now live with it. It balances hope for a normal life with the reality that said life would not be a normal life expectancy and that death will not be a pleasant experience. In an age where dramatic improvements have been made in HIV/AIDS research, there still is not cure, people are still acquiring this disease, especially teens, and many are still dying too early from it. ( )

I wanted to read this book cause I never read anything like this before. Raw and realistic, this book took me on a journey I never thought I take.
1. Plot. This book is very good in the plot. The reader is introduced to a vibrant who has her whole life ahead of her. You see her happy and then BAM. One mistake changes it all.
2. Characters. There are several characters who helped Lucy. They supported her and didn’t turn away from her. They all got educated in what to do and helped Lucy fight.
3. HIV. I think since this book is based on it, the facts and the statistics on the disease is good. It helps the reader become much more aware and educated. It's broken down easily that any reader who is reading the book would understand.
4. Anxiety. I don’t know why but this book made my stomach hurt. Not that it was bad, it was a great read. Don’t get me wrong, but reading about such a sensitive subject and watching a young girl spiral down that road gave me enough anxiety for the week.
5. Awareness. One thing this book does is create awareness in the reader. I think books like this one is good for young readers to read cause it helps them understand more. Especially since you can read this story and not feel confused but come out educated.
This is touching story that I think all can read. It can happen to anyone at anytime. Compelling and touching, My Life After Now depicts a life changed by a status. Tackling a subjects and bring it to light, My Life After Now is awesome! ( )