How do I live my life without becoming a statistic?

OOF. This was amazing. Set in New York in 1983, this novel follows a year in the life of Micheal, his brother Connor, his best friend and theatre prodigy James, and his other best friend Becky. Typical coming of age, filled with love and identity formation, but set right in the middle of the AIDS epidemic.
This novel hit so many spots, and I can imagine it being so educational for young queer people. It features heartwrenching details but without a single touch of tragedy porn. The main character, Michael, struggles to come out in his traditional household, especially after witnessing his brother Connor being kicked out of the house for doing the same thing. Adding to that, his first experiences with love and lust are soured by the everlasting dread and the constant possibility of becoming sick. There are only hints at the lack of information due to the oppressive and homophobic politics of the time but they stick out. Multiple characters are hinted at potentially being sick, but nothing is confirmed and the reader, just like Michael is left hanging: maybe things will work out, maybe Micheal will grow old, maybe the hookup didn't lie about being healthy. But we won't know.
Highly recommend to anyone in need for queer YA, though the representation is rather 'lacking' in 2021 standards (as most AIDS-centric narratives it largely focuses on gay men). Pairs well with BBC's It's a Sin mini-series, since both manage to feature highs next to the lows (though the series is heavy in some of its portrayals so be warned).