Autumn Leaves: A Novel [Paperback]

The story surrounds the subject of HIV and how you and many others could be affected by it and not even know it just by making a crucial mistake of having unprotected sex. It was just a coincidence that as I was reading this book I was waiting for my results of my prenatal HIV test.

On top of that one of the characters named Kennedy finally found love in her life and then found out that she had full blown AIDS and had to give up that love because she loved him so deep and wanted him to live his life, without it being complicated with her sickness. Now that's love, when you worry about someone else more that yourself. This book kind of reminds me of Butterscotch Blues which was also a great read.

I highly recommend that this book be read because of the attack we are recieving on this world from AIDS, even though it can be transmitted from more that casual sex, that is the main reason it is tranmitted though, so please get a little bit of education in this work of fiction.

Later....

This was not a good book. It was not well written. The characters were one dimensional stereotypes. The writing was horribly cliched. It wasn't interesting. The issues were not handled deftly. It wasn't gripping. The only reason I finished it is because it was chosen for my book club. Really, the only good thing I can say about this book is that there are very few spelling mistakes. Other than that, there are no redeeming features.

I honestly cannot believe that this book managed to get published (much less managed a paperback printing.) It's bad from the very first sentence, and never gets better. There are times when it delves into the "so bad it's funny" area (think "Plan 9 from Outer Space"), but there's no real humor. There's no real intelligence. There's not a single line that you would ever repeat to anyone (except in an English class as a "what not to do" example). Just 300+ pages of unrelenting awfulness.

And then, there's the *issue.* AIDS. McGlothin treats this so heavy handedly, you think you're reading some kind of public service announcement, except the average AIDS pamphlet is way more entertaining. His info, however, was five years out of date at the time of publishing (and even farther out of date now). His research was slipshod as well, and it showed in the storyline. Also, the characters must have been living under some rock for the past 15 years - any 12-year-old child off the street is better informed on HIV and AIDS than any of his characters (or for that matter, Mr. McGlothin himself). I suppose that it's good that someone wrote a book that had something to do with AIDS, pity it couldn't be someone with talent.

Go back and read the Publisher's Weekly review. It's dead on - and better written than Autumn Leaves. Don't buy this book. Don't waste your time on this book. Don't read this book. You'll thank me later.