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The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive
Marvelyn Brown, Courtney Martin, 2008
HarperCollins Publishers
240 pp.

In Brief
The surprisingly hopeful story of how a straight, nonpromiscuous, everyday girl contracted HIV and how she manages to stay upbeat, inspired, and more positive about life than ever before

At nineteen years of age, Marvelyn Brown was lying in a stark white hospital bed at Tennessee Christian Medical Center, feeling hopeless. A former top track and basketball athlete, she was in the best shape of her life, but she was battling a sudden illness in the intensive care unit. Doctors had no idea what was going on. It never occurred to Brown that she might be HIV positive.

Having unprotected sex with her Prince Charming had set into swift motion a set of circumstances that not only landed her in the fight of her life, but also alienated her from her community. Rather than give up, however, Brown found a reason to fight and a reason to live.

The Naked Truth is an inspirational memoir that shares how an everyday teen refused to give up on herself, even as others would forsake her. More, it's a cautionary tale that every parent, guidance counselor, and young adult should read. (From the publisher.)

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About the Author

• Birth—May 7, 1984
• Where—Nashville, Tennessee, USA
• Awards—Emmy Award
• Currently—lives in Brooklyn, New York, New York


Marvelyn Brown is a native Tennessean who works with numerous HIV/AIDS outreach groups. She has extensive radio and television experience, including appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, MTV, BET, and The Tavis Smiley Show. She's also appeared in Newsweek, Ebony, and Real Health magazines. Her public-service announcement for Think MTV won an Emmy Award. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. (From the publisher.)

More
Marvelyn Brown is an African American author and AIDS activist whose autobiographical book (The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive) tells her story as a young heterosexual women contracting HIV/AIDS at the young age of 19. A former top track and basketball athlete, she was in the best shape of her life, but found herself suddenly battling an unknown illness in an intensive care unit. Doctors had no idea what was going on, and it never occurred to Brown that she might be HIV positive.

Brown’s tale has had quite an impact on the AIDS community, and the world, as she travels telling her story trying to make more people aware of the continuing growth of the AIDS pandemic.

Her book and work as an HIV/AIDS activist has resulted in Brown having had extensive radio and television appearances. Marvelyn Brown has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, America's Next Top Model, CNN, MTV, BET, and The Tavis Smiley Show. She has also appeared in Newsweek, Ebony Magazine, and Real Health magazines. Her public-service announcement for Think MTV won an Emmy Award. Marvelyn Brown continues to write and has dedicated her life to HIV/AIDS awareness. Brown was names one of the Top 25 Heroes of the past twenty-five years of the AIDS epidemic (other noted AIDS activist included on this list are Alicia Keys, Magic Johnson and Phill Wilson). (From Wikipedia.)

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Critics Say. . .
Make a note to add The Naked Truth; Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive by Marvelyn Brown to your bookshelf. In this poignant account, Brown 24, provides a cautionary tale about how she became HIV-positive at 19.
Essence


Be inspired by this true story of a 19-year old who contracted the HIV virus from her longtime monogamous boyfriend and became an Emmy Award winning advocate for HIV awareness.
Upscale


Readers Say . . .
(Some books have few online mainstream reviews; in such cases, we try to find helpful ones by Barnes & Noble readers.)


Must Read! : I am a parent with 2 children. This book scares the hell out of me when I think about what my children are facing out there. I was sexually active and in college when the AIDS epedimic firt blew up in the mid to late 80's. After years of wondering, I finally got tested in 1998 and it was negative. Since then, I have been married and faithful to my loving wife. However, I see so many young people playing with fire in their relationships. Unbelievably, people are still having unprotected sex with differet partners on a regular basis! And some silly women believe that if they only sleep with one guy at a time that they are somehow lowering their chances of getting AIDS! Parents, teachers, pastors, coaches, uncles, aunts and anyone else with access to influential young adults should make this book required reading. Buy it and send it to them as a gift. It may literally save their life.
Review - Nupe172, 11/16/08


A Must Read for Young Sexually Men and Women: It is a quick read 'can be finished in a day' but it holds a powerful story. We can't stop today's youth from being sexually active. Hopefully, if they read this book and see that ANYONE can get HIV/AIDS, they will either think twice before having sex or they will insist on using protection. If you are sexually active, please go get an HIV test. I finally went and got one in March '08 and thank goodness it is negative. Now I know. Make sure you know your results as well.
Reviewer - Anonymous, 9/9/08

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Book Club Discussion Questions

Sorry—the publisher has not made any questions available for this book.

But don't despair. Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

   • NonfictionDiscussion Questions
   • Read-Think-Talk About a Book

Also, consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started.

1. Should this book be required reading for teens?

2. Do you think there is still a lot of misinformation in this country—ignorance, superstition or naivete—when it comes to AIDS? Are there things you learned about AIDS from reading Brown's book? Did anything in this book surprise you?

3. Did this book inspire you to become involved the fight against the spread of AIDS. What can you, or any individual, do—on a large or small scale?

4. What is the impact that Brown says her father's suicide has had on her life? We talk a great deal about the absence of a father figure for young males, but what about young females? What light does Brown's book shed on losing a father for a young girl?

5. What ultimate message about being HIV-positive does Brown convey in her both her book and her many public appearances?

6. What kind of a person is Marvelyn Brown?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)