Bleeder

Starred review from March 1, 2013

When he turned 18 in his senior year of high school, Smoak's parents and doctors told him he had tested HIV-positive several years earlier, the result of a blood transfusion administered to treat his hemophilia. This remarkable first book from Smoak, an English teacher and writer, begins during his final year of high school in rural North Carolina. The narrative follows his student days at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and several years beyond. Unlike most HIV-inspired memoirs, this one is also a coming-of-age story, one that describes a transition that was sometimes excruciatingly difficult owing to Smoak's HIV and hemophilia. Without self-pity, the author recounts the trials of dating girls and working odd jobs in college, while simultaneously enduring the fear of disclosing his HIV to his friends. By the end of the book readers will cheer for Smoak, feeling an affinity sparked by his perseverance and humble humanity. VERDICT Many will read this engaging book in one sitting. Though HIV has inspired many memoirs, this is one of the best.--Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Denver Lib.

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