Candy B. (candieb) reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 239 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
I was expecting this book to be touching and sad. I was feeling a little down and decided, what the hell... cry a little. Um. Not so much. I realize that what the author goes through each day is very serious and I'm sure sad in it's own right. But ya know what? He is living - LIVING - proof that life goes on and you just have to keep getting on with the getting on of living life to the fullest. He's funny - oh, he's got some dark humor about him - but he's really funny. I don't think I've laughed so much at a memoir EVER.
Shawn made me laugh - and yes, cry a little - for him, for his mother, for his wife, but mostly it was tears from laughing so hard. He's a bit twisted and well, I like that.
I did, however, learn a lot about his myriad of illnesses and about what it must be like living with them. He did an amazing job of educating his readers while being entertaining. A dark, serious subject has a bit of light to it. This is an absolute wonderful read. Read it.
Shawn made me laugh - and yes, cry a little - for him, for his mother, for his wife, but mostly it was tears from laughing so hard. He's a bit twisted and well, I like that.
I did, however, learn a lot about his myriad of illnesses and about what it must be like living with them. He did an amazing job of educating his readers while being entertaining. A dark, serious subject has a bit of light to it. This is an absolute wonderful read. Read it.
A. J. C. (Bibliocrates) reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 252 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
I really enjoyed this book, an informative memoir about what it is like to live with a smorgasbord of illnesses, Hemophilia, Hepatitis C, HIV, and AIDS, minus the poor me factor. I felt guilty for enjoying this book as much as I did, but I couldn't help it. It was very funny. I highly recommend this book, a nice heartwarming read, so sad to have to end up with so many illnesses as a result of receiving tainted blood products! I sure hope the screening process for donating blood has improved!
Kristina B. (familiagarduno) reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 164 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
What a great, poignant book. Shawn does an incredible job keeping the pages turning and keeping you interested. His writing draws you in and sets the scene SO WELL that you feel like you're right there. He does an excellent job documenting from a young age to current life. He is a true inspiration - not just to thinbloods and positoids, but for us thickbloods and negatoids too. This book is beyond exceptionally good, well written, comical and the various pictures help make him feel like a real person talking to you and not an author of a memoir. 5 Stars Shawn, thank you!
Bonnie S. (Bonnie) -
Helpful Score: 2
I truly was expecting a lot of heartache in reading this tale of a kid born with hemophilia, infected with HIV which then grew into full blown AIDS when he was very young. And, a bit of self-pity was rightly expected. Boy was I surprised. Besides having quite the talent for writing, Shawn Decker has a bigger talent for finding the joy in life, no matter how sick he gets, and sick he gets. He relates all of his trials throughout his life with the attitude of it could and will get worse, so enjoy today. Even when he was banned from school back in the days when Ryan White was in the news for the same thing, he tells it without a bit of poor me. His telling of his love affairs is sweet, tender, and at times pretty funny, and sad. His wife is amazing, as is his family. This is a good book, and the only time he annoyed me was when he seemed a bit flippant about all the monetary support his parents have given him over the years.
Maggie C. (skywaywaver) reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 148 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting view of hemophiliac living with AIDS, who also grew up while the AIDS crisis while was developing in America. A great writer, who had me laughing at many points.
