“The first step to solving the AIDS crisis in Africa is to raise awareness about the disease. This novel begins to do just that for a younger generation . . . It is not only an important book, it is also a good story.”

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“This is a searing book on an important subject . . . Stratton neither overplays nor underplays the tragedy or the hope here, and there is not a maudlin moment in the novel, just genuine grief and understanding as the epidemic assumes some of its many human faces.”

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“The strong, respectful writing makes this crucial and broadly relevant story unfailingly human.”

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“A finely nuanced, beautifully articulated polemic, with a sparkling main character.”

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“Courage, honesty and commitment to oneself are qualities that are fostered in this fantastic text.”

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“Chanda’s Secrets is a novel with the lilt of Africa in its language and the urgency of adolescent struggle in every paragraph. When AIDS isn't just a faraway acronym, but a sinister, invisible poison that threatens to steal your family, creep into your nightmares, break your heart and darken your future, how do you learn to grow up with love and courage? That’s one of Chanda’s secrets. This powerful story hits home with its harsh truths, its pain and its hard-won hopefulness. No-one can read Chanda’s Secrets and remain untouched by the young people who are caught in the AIDS pandemic and still battling to make sense of their lives.”

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“Compassionate, heart-breaking story . . . This is the best sort of 'issue' novel. It is immensely readable. It alerts its adolescent audience to a real and pressing matter, and it inspires compassion-perhaps even activism-by putting a precise, human face on sorrow.”

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“A book of great hope that features one of the most inspiring heroines to be found in teen literature today.”

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“The statistics of the millions infected with HIV/AIDS in southern Africa find a human face in this gripping story of one teenager . . . Chanda’s immediate, first-person,present-tense narrative is neither sentimental nor graphic as it brings close the personal struggle with all its pain and loss, shame and guilt . . . The message about overcoming ignorance and shame and confronting the facts is ever-present, but the tense story and the realistic characters-caring, mean, funny, angry, kind, and cruel-will keep kids reading and break the silence about the tragedy.”

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“Well-paced, robust prose and well-cadenced dialogue . . . provide a gripping and heart-wrenching reading experience designed for mature readers . . . Highly recommended.”

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“Smart and determined, Chanda is a character whom readers come to care for and believe in, in spite of her almost impossible situation. The details of sub-Saharan African life are convincing and smoothly woven into this moving story of poverty and courage, but the real insight for readers will be the appalling treatment of the AIDS victims. Strong language and frank description are appropriate to the subject matter.”

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“Deserves a five-star rating.”