Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure

My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure
My Pet Virus The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure
Author: Shawn Decker
ISBN-13: 9781585425259
ISBN-10: 1585425257
Publication Date: 9/21/2006
Pages: 256
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 29

4.1 stars, based on 29 ratings
Publisher: Tarcher
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

11 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

candieb avatar 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.
Bibliocrates avatar 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!
familiagarduno avatar 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 avatar reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 425 more book reviews
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.
skywaywaver avatar 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.
ilovedale3 avatar reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 524 more book reviews
A candid, heartwarming, and very funny look at a young man's life as a "positoid" (HIV-positive through a tainted blood transfusion as a child). Great read!
Jenndiggy avatar reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 7 more book reviews
I don't know how he wrote such a funny book about having HIV/AIDS. I was laughing out loud at some points. Excellent read.
reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 18 more book reviews
Funny, touching and real. A great read!
creditfairy avatar reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on
I literally laughed out loud a few times while reading this book, which is very rare for me. A quick read...probably around 2 hours cover to cover...but I did enjoy this little memoir and hope that Decker might write another one day.
reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 37 more book reviews
Great and informative read-
leahv avatar reviewed My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure on + 11 more book reviews
This was a very informative (to me anyway) and entertaining book. I read it in two days as it kept my interest very well.