I totally agree with you! There's a total lack of regard for the AIDS crisis while, at the same time, there's almost a stereotype of it via Harry and his relationships.

Also, the writing was just blah too. I really can't understand why this book is so highly recommended.

Unpopular opinion here, but I absolutely hated this book. Monique's character wasn't needed at all and if she was left out, it could have been a much better book that made Evelyn more dimensional in terms of her depth as a character. Additionally, the constant foreshadowing was just too much and while there was a little bit of a plot twist, it wasn't unexpected given the foreshadowing hammer prior to that point in the novel. The book had the potential to do way more with the writing than it did. There was way too much telling and not showing, which makes sense given the interview style, but while that's easy to read for some, I found it really tedious and difficult to really dig into the time period, the scenes, the environment the characters found themselves in, etc. Also, the relationship between Evelyn and Celia was super toxic, and, honestly, had this not been the book for my book group, I wouldn't have finished it. I was surprised that so many people liked it and recommended it, honestly.

That being said, I do think this book would make a much more interesting TV show or movie. As a book, for me, it fell very flat.