The Things We Promise

Gr 9 Up—Gemma's first school formal is at the end of the year. Her make-up artist brother, who works in New York, is coming home to Australia to do her hair and make-up. She has a crush that she hopes will notice her, a couple of good friends, and a slightly flaky best friend. Then one of her brother's first boyfriends dies. The obituary reads "after a short illness." In Gemma's world, she knows that is code for AIDS. It is the early 1990s and the epidemic is ravaging the world. Until that moment, she never really worried about her brother, Billy, because he and Saul have been together for years. Billy comes home out of the blue and things start to go downhill. What is worse is people's reactions to those who are gay and those with AIDS. Gemma is put in the position of choosing what is the most important to her, to her family, and to those around her. This historical novel highlights a dark time in the early history of the epidemic. Gemma starts as a whiny follower and morphs into someone who will stand up for what she holds dear in a believable way. Unfortunately, a lot of that is lost in a story that is very long and dense, with flashback memories that are not integrated well into the present time line.