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Bitter Pill: Randy Shilts and the Dawn of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26A deadly mystery and one reporter’s fight to expose the truth during the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic. With hospital beds filling up, the clock was ticking. . . . What would it take to wake up the nation? A masterful and eye-opening historical account
San Francisco, 1980. Randy Shilts—biographer of Harvey Milk and the first openly gay journalist hired by the mainstream media—receives a disturbing call at the San Francisco Chronicle. The caller, a Los Angeles patient, is being treated for what seems to be a rare form of skin cancer. As Shilts investigates, he uncovers a troubling The illness appears to affect only homosexual men, with early cases linked to a Castro-district bathhouse. And a meeting with an infectious disease researcher confirms his worst fears—the so-called “gay cancer” is far more widespread and complex than anyone realizes. Forbidden from reporting on it directly, Shilts turns to sensationalist fake news to force action against the unfolding HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Shilts’s relentless pursuit of the truth would change the course of history, exposing the crisis the world tried to ignore. With this graphic novel biography—equally engaging, insightful, and flamboyant—the creators bring to the fore a story that remains as crucial as ever and deserves our attention.
San Francisco, 1980. Randy Shilts—biographer of Harvey Milk and the first openly gay journalist hired by the mainstream media—receives a disturbing call at the San Francisco Chronicle. The caller, a Los Angeles patient, is being treated for what seems to be a rare form of skin cancer. As Shilts investigates, he uncovers a troubling The illness appears to affect only homosexual men, with early cases linked to a Castro-district bathhouse. And a meeting with an infectious disease researcher confirms his worst fears—the so-called “gay cancer” is far more widespread and complex than anyone realizes. Forbidden from reporting on it directly, Shilts turns to sensationalist fake news to force action against the unfolding HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Shilts’s relentless pursuit of the truth would change the course of history, exposing the crisis the world tried to ignore. With this graphic novel biography—equally engaging, insightful, and flamboyant—the creators bring to the fore a story that remains as crucial as ever and deserves our attention.
160 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve had And The Band Played On on my TBR for a while, and at the time I picked this up I didn’t make the connection that Randy Shilts was the same author of that book! This graphic novel offers a wonderful insight into his early career during the AIDS epidemic, and the impact he had both on the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as the political and social climate at the time.
Set before he wrote And The Band Played On, we follow Randy as he investigates the alarming rise of “gay cancer” cases, working to uncover the source of the illness and prevent its spread through his journalism. In doing so, he inadvertently alienates his own community by perpetuating the ‘patient zero’ narrative, and advocating for the closure of queer spaces, such as bath houses.
The comic does a great job of humanising Randy, whilst also not excusing some of his more controversial approaches. I felt for him, and I respect what he set out to achieve, but at the same time I hate the way he went about it and how he fed into the rampant homophobia of the time. This biography allows both of those things to coexist.
As a Brit I also found the story especially insightful, as I’m less familiar with American history. This graphic novel format is a particularly engaging way to learn more, and I really enjoyed reading the interviews and extra information at the end too.
The artwork itself is vibrant and expressive, and I loved how much thought went into the colour palette for each scene. Over the course of the story, the colours feel like they’re gradually draining away, which fit the narrative completely.
Word-salad aside, I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this, and I will definitely bump Randy’s book up my TBR now.
Thank you NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for providing me with an ARC.
Set before he wrote And The Band Played On, we follow Randy as he investigates the alarming rise of “gay cancer” cases, working to uncover the source of the illness and prevent its spread through his journalism. In doing so, he inadvertently alienates his own community by perpetuating the ‘patient zero’ narrative, and advocating for the closure of queer spaces, such as bath houses.
The comic does a great job of humanising Randy, whilst also not excusing some of his more controversial approaches. I felt for him, and I respect what he set out to achieve, but at the same time I hate the way he went about it and how he fed into the rampant homophobia of the time. This biography allows both of those things to coexist.
As a Brit I also found the story especially insightful, as I’m less familiar with American history. This graphic novel format is a particularly engaging way to learn more, and I really enjoyed reading the interviews and extra information at the end too.
The artwork itself is vibrant and expressive, and I loved how much thought went into the colour palette for each scene. Over the course of the story, the colours feel like they’re gradually draining away, which fit the narrative completely.
Word-salad aside, I’m glad I had the opportunity to read this, and I will definitely bump Randy’s book up my TBR now.
Thank you NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for providing me with an ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars
My knowledge of the beginning of the AIDS crisis was not nearly as complete as I would like it to be, so I was very excited to read this graphic novel. I knew it would be a hard topic, but I was excited to learn more about a topic that I consider to be very important. I was definitely not disappointed.
First, the art style of this graphic novel is phenomenal. I loved how the colors interacted with the story. There were a couple of frames where it focuses very close on Shilts’ face and the way the artist colored those frames was genuinely amazing. SO impactful.
I also thought the author did a good job of depicting Shilts as a complex person, neither a hero nor a villain. It would be easy to spin it either way (he’s a hero because he helped spread the word about AIDS when people were trying to cover it up, he’s a villain because he vilified Gaetan Dugas and worsened perceptions of AIDS as “a gay disease,” playing into harmful stereotypes). I think the author made him sympathetic, as someone who was trying to do the right thing, but also showed that his actions hurt people.
My only complaint with this was that it ended so abruptly. I thought I had much more to go when I reached the end and I was shocked that that was everything. I would’ve absolutely given it 5 stars if it was just a little bit longer and went more into the aftermath of the article that Shilts wrote that broke the news of the AIDS crisis. I just didn’t want it to end!
4/5 stars
My knowledge of the beginning of the AIDS crisis was not nearly as complete as I would like it to be, so I was very excited to read this graphic novel. I knew it would be a hard topic, but I was excited to learn more about a topic that I consider to be very important. I was definitely not disappointed.
First, the art style of this graphic novel is phenomenal. I loved how the colors interacted with the story. There were a couple of frames where it focuses very close on Shilts’ face and the way the artist colored those frames was genuinely amazing. SO impactful.
I also thought the author did a good job of depicting Shilts as a complex person, neither a hero nor a villain. It would be easy to spin it either way (he’s a hero because he helped spread the word about AIDS when people were trying to cover it up, he’s a villain because he vilified Gaetan Dugas and worsened perceptions of AIDS as “a gay disease,” playing into harmful stereotypes). I think the author made him sympathetic, as someone who was trying to do the right thing, but also showed that his actions hurt people.
My only complaint with this was that it ended so abruptly. I thought I had much more to go when I reached the end and I was shocked that that was everything. I would’ve absolutely given it 5 stars if it was just a little bit longer and went more into the aftermath of the article that Shilts wrote that broke the news of the AIDS crisis. I just didn’t want it to end!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams Comic Arts for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content warnings provided by reviewers on Storygraph:
Graphic: Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Blood
Randy Shilts was the author of And the Band Played On. It’s a work that I’ve always wanted to read but never got around to it. Now, I am even more determined to read it based on what I learned in Bitter Pill. The journalist was the first openly gay journalist for a major newspaper, and he was the first to write about the “gay cancer” that no one understood or wanted to touch with a ten foot pole.
Shilts was an unconventional reporter who did some surprising things in order to get the story. Some may call the things he did foolhardy, but that is what journalists have to do sometimes to get results. I’m not a big fan of how Randy went about his task to shed light on the epidemic, and in the process, fed into the general public’s homophobia of the time. So, he did a lot of good with his reporting, and at the same time, he also did a lot of harm with his reporting.
I thought the artwork was very good. I’m not an artist by any means, but I appreciated the style and color choices. There is definitely a symbiotic relationship between the story and the art.
Content warnings provided by reviewers on Storygraph:
Graphic: Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Blood
Randy Shilts was the author of And the Band Played On. It’s a work that I’ve always wanted to read but never got around to it. Now, I am even more determined to read it based on what I learned in Bitter Pill. The journalist was the first openly gay journalist for a major newspaper, and he was the first to write about the “gay cancer” that no one understood or wanted to touch with a ten foot pole.
Shilts was an unconventional reporter who did some surprising things in order to get the story. Some may call the things he did foolhardy, but that is what journalists have to do sometimes to get results. I’m not a big fan of how Randy went about his task to shed light on the epidemic, and in the process, fed into the general public’s homophobia of the time. So, he did a lot of good with his reporting, and at the same time, he also did a lot of harm with his reporting.
I thought the artwork was very good. I’m not an artist by any means, but I appreciated the style and color choices. There is definitely a symbiotic relationship between the story and the art.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A graphic novel adaptation on the life of the queer reporter Randy Shilts, during the onset of the AIDS epidemic, and an inspection of his work's influence on the perception of the illness and the LGBTQA+ community, and vice versa.
Historical stories about real people are, in my opinion, never easy to adapt to the comic's medium, considering the limit on pages and the artistic interpretation, but this work does a good job. It paints a sympathetic picture of the man and his struggles while not straying away from his actions and the effect he had. Initially, I thought the comic's scope to be too small, for example, expecting it to also display the role of the lesbian community during the epidemic, but considering it spends most of its time on the starting events, it's forgivable. I appreciate the comic's tight framing of only one character and his personal experiences as someone directly affected by the events.
I thought this to be deeply moving. Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for an eARC for an honest review!
Historical stories about real people are, in my opinion, never easy to adapt to the comic's medium, considering the limit on pages and the artistic interpretation, but this work does a good job. It paints a sympathetic picture of the man and his struggles while not straying away from his actions and the effect he had. Initially, I thought the comic's scope to be too small, for example, expecting it to also display the role of the lesbian community during the epidemic, but considering it spends most of its time on the starting events, it's forgivable. I appreciate the comic's tight framing of only one character and his personal experiences as someone directly affected by the events.
I thought this to be deeply moving. Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for an eARC for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!
This graphic novel shares insight into a different corner of those involved in the fight for attention, recognition, and help during the AIDS epidemic. I had only very recently heard the story of Patient O thanks to a random video on my timeline speaking on Taylor Swift's new album titled Patient Zero and the complicated history that comes with that term. I've read and seen a lot of fiction and non-fiction surrounding the AIDS epidemic but somehow missed this story entirely. I found it very accessible and absorbing and it adds more names to the list of compelling complex figures from that time I have and will continue to learn about. I enjoyed the art and the interludes which added more context and played with perspective. I fount the timeline a little confusing but not enough to fully take me out of it and some characters a little hard to distinguish from one another. Overall, a well constructed, researched, and informative graphic novel. The further historical information and interviews at the end were a nice touch too!
This graphic novel shares insight into a different corner of those involved in the fight for attention, recognition, and help during the AIDS epidemic. I had only very recently heard the story of Patient O thanks to a random video on my timeline speaking on Taylor Swift's new album titled Patient Zero and the complicated history that comes with that term. I've read and seen a lot of fiction and non-fiction surrounding the AIDS epidemic but somehow missed this story entirely. I found it very accessible and absorbing and it adds more names to the list of compelling complex figures from that time I have and will continue to learn about. I enjoyed the art and the interludes which added more context and played with perspective. I fount the timeline a little confusing but not enough to fully take me out of it and some characters a little hard to distinguish from one another. Overall, a well constructed, researched, and informative graphic novel. The further historical information and interviews at the end were a nice touch too!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc! After reading When the Band Played On, it was interesting to read about the role that the author (Randy Shilts) played in uncovering the truth during the HIV/ AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Hired by the San Francisco chronicle as the first openly gay reporter, Randy began covering information around AIDS. He ruffled a lot of feathers. People who did not want certain information revealed, were upset that he was printing things in the newspaper. When Randy discoverd just how serious the epidemic was, he wanted certain measures to be taken such as closing the bath houses, which upset the gay community. The illustrations do the story justice, in showing just how important Shilts' role was in disseminating information at this time. This graphic novel is an important contribution to queer literature.
If you like graphic novels that illuminate historical events and figures, than this would be up your alley!
If you like graphic novels that illuminate historical events and figures, than this would be up your alley!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to this early graphic novel, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A nonfiction graphic novel starring Randy Shilts, a gay reporter who gets wind of a terrible epidemic happening within the gay community of San Francisco. Before AIDS was called AIDS, Randy goes on the look out for the real story behind it. Wanting justice and to help his fellow community while the media would rather turn the victims into criminals and the government would rather ignore the situation entirely because to be gay was to be unworthy of medical care or basic human kindness.
I liked this alot, you learned something about history but also made it fun to learn even if it was sad. The writing was good and easy to understand. The artwork was superb and simple.
Even though I liked it, I know some people might have a problem with gay Jesus.
You could definitely fly through this in one sitting.
A nonfiction graphic novel starring Randy Shilts, a gay reporter who gets wind of a terrible epidemic happening within the gay community of San Francisco. Before AIDS was called AIDS, Randy goes on the look out for the real story behind it. Wanting justice and to help his fellow community while the media would rather turn the victims into criminals and the government would rather ignore the situation entirely because to be gay was to be unworthy of medical care or basic human kindness.
I liked this alot, you learned something about history but also made it fun to learn even if it was sad. The writing was good and easy to understand. The artwork was superb and simple.
Even though I liked it, I know some people might have a problem with gay Jesus.
You could definitely fly through this in one sitting.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to educate myself on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and enjoy graphic novels, so this was an obvious choice for me to pick up. The graphic format really lends itself to teaching about this epidemic while feeling personable. I learned a lot and feel like a better person now that I’ve taken more time to educate myself. This was so much more upsetting than I could have expected. I knew it was a really really rough time but this graphic novel really shows the ugly. I’m devastated.
I think this book is really important. It covers historical events that should be more widely discussed. I knew of the epidemic but not as much as I would have liked. I’m really glad I picked this up.
I recommend this book to people who are interested in the topic and want to be educated in a more personable way.
Rest in peace to all of those who we have lost and those still struggling.
I really wanted to educate myself on the HIV/AIDS epidemic and enjoy graphic novels, so this was an obvious choice for me to pick up. The graphic format really lends itself to teaching about this epidemic while feeling personable. I learned a lot and feel like a better person now that I’ve taken more time to educate myself. This was so much more upsetting than I could have expected. I knew it was a really really rough time but this graphic novel really shows the ugly. I’m devastated.
I think this book is really important. It covers historical events that should be more widely discussed. I knew of the epidemic but not as much as I would have liked. I’m really glad I picked this up.
I recommend this book to people who are interested in the topic and want to be educated in a more personable way.
Rest in peace to all of those who we have lost and those still struggling.
August 26, 2026
As a British person I know of the British first patient from the story of Pride but this graphic novel gave me a deeper look into the race against the clock that Randy fought in hoping that knowledge could help other. Yet, this is yet another tale of how society had its bigoted blinkers on, trying to refute the problem instead of trying to solve it.
The artwork in this graphic novel is superb. The use of colour really adds to the overall emotion within each panel.
I’m a Media studies and English teacher who often will talk about the history of Queer culture, usually referring to Hoard Ashman or Alan Turing in my Pride assemblies and now I am happy to add another trailblazer to my collection of people that young people of today should learn about.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from #netgalley, thank you. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The artwork in this graphic novel is superb. The use of colour really adds to the overall emotion within each panel.
I’m a Media studies and English teacher who often will talk about the history of Queer culture, usually referring to Hoard Ashman or Alan Turing in my Pride assemblies and now I am happy to add another trailblazer to my collection of people that young people of today should learn about.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from #netgalley, thank you. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bitter Pill recounts the story of journalist Randy Stilts' work covering the early days of the AIDS epidemic. It explores the challenging dynamics of the fight for gay liberation and the backlash perceptions of the AIDS epidemic caused, and the debates and nuances of conversation in the gay community. This book is a valuable addition to the reflective literature on the time, but on its own is not enough to give a good sense of the time. The ending felt quite abrupt, and didn't cover a lot of the dynamics discussed in the notes at the end. I would have liked to see more contextual information covered in the comic itself. However, I do still recommend this comic as a useful educational material, which can sit alongside other comics, plays and histories of this time. It is vital we don't forget this history.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A big thank you to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for the early copy.
Medium: E-book
My thoughts: I think that the most important job of small historical retellings like this, is to make you want to know more. This book delivers on that and so much more. The story was well-rounded, not deifying Randy Shilts but showing the humanity of the people involved and the inhumanity of the policies involved. It's hard to remember that it wasn't so long ago when the queer community was so marginalized that they allowed this disease to almost take an entire generation of us out. It hurts but I'm so glad that I know about this part of the story too. This too is our history. Five heartbreaking stars from me.
Medium: E-book
My thoughts: I think that the most important job of small historical retellings like this, is to make you want to know more. This book delivers on that and so much more. The story was well-rounded, not deifying Randy Shilts but showing the humanity of the people involved and the inhumanity of the policies involved. It's hard to remember that it wasn't so long ago when the queer community was so marginalized that they allowed this disease to almost take an entire generation of us out. It hurts but I'm so glad that I know about this part of the story too. This too is our history. Five heartbreaking stars from me.
September 29, 2026
4.25 ⭐️ || 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Incredible and insightful. This graphic novel highlights the beginnings of the 80’s AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, through the eyes of Randy Shilts as he first uncovers and reports the devastating news to his own community.
This story was well paced and illustrated beautifully with simplistic and impactful artwork. It included so much details and information that I was previously unaware of—which sent me down a rabbit hole of leaning more about the origins of the term “patient zero” (wildly topical with TSwift’s latest single, does she have no shame???), the quilts, and more about the disease itself.
Thank you to Net Galley and Abrams ComicArts for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Incredible and insightful. This graphic novel highlights the beginnings of the 80’s AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, through the eyes of Randy Shilts as he first uncovers and reports the devastating news to his own community.
This story was well paced and illustrated beautifully with simplistic and impactful artwork. It included so much details and information that I was previously unaware of—which sent me down a rabbit hole of leaning more about the origins of the term “patient zero” (wildly topical with TSwift’s latest single, does she have no shame???), the quilts, and more about the disease itself.
Thank you to Net Galley and Abrams ComicArts for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Great. Good blend of entertainment and humor, with education about a very serious topic. Too many people don’t know anything, or too little, about this topic. I like it when important information is packaged in an accessible way that people may be more interested in reading (compared to a textbook). Complete with references and endnotes, this seems like a good resource. It was also just a good, short, little graphic novel. This is a POV and point in time that I haven't seen a lot of content about in the past.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
August 31, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this graphic nonfiction book. I learned so much about Randy Shilts and the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but it never felt like I was reading a textbook. There’s a great story here along with a lot of history and information, which made it both educational and engaging.
I also loved the artwork. The graphic format worked really well for telling this story and made a difficult and important part of LGBTQ+ history very accessible.
Informative, interesting, beautifully illustrated, and definitely worth reading.
I really enjoyed this graphic nonfiction book. I learned so much about Randy Shilts and the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but it never felt like I was reading a textbook. There’s a great story here along with a lot of history and information, which made it both educational and engaging.
I also loved the artwork. The graphic format worked really well for telling this story and made a difficult and important part of LGBTQ+ history very accessible.
Informative, interesting, beautifully illustrated, and definitely worth reading.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"Randy? It's great to have you with us."
Bitter Pill is an essential read. The writing and the illustrations are wonderful and keep you captivated in the true and sad story of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
This comic doesn't shy away from the fact that Randy could have approached the subject differently than he did at the time, but humans make mistakes and he evidently did help the cause.
I had never heard his name before, and Bitter Pill was such a good way to learn about him and his work.
Thank you Clément Xavier and Héloïse Chochois, Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley for this ARC. I truly loved it.
Bitter Pill is an essential read. The writing and the illustrations are wonderful and keep you captivated in the true and sad story of the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.
This comic doesn't shy away from the fact that Randy could have approached the subject differently than he did at the time, but humans make mistakes and he evidently did help the cause.
I had never heard his name before, and Bitter Pill was such a good way to learn about him and his work.
Thank you Clément Xavier and Héloïse Chochois, Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley for this ARC. I truly loved it.
August 13, 2026
Bitter Pill tells the fascinating true story of Randy Shilts, one of the first openly gay reporters for mainstream media, as he attempted to warn gay men about HIV/AIDS. This graphic novel does an incredible job of highlighting his influential and controversial journey. I learned so much from this graphic novel and am in awe of how much education the authors included in under 200 pages. An absolute show stopper of a graphic novel. 5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Bitter Pill.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Bitter Pill.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was so beautifully done. I loved the illustrations, the stories told & the perspectives we were shown. I also appreciated how Randy Shilts wasn't idolised nor demonised but he was presented as who he was - human, flawed & imperfect but with having good intentions.
I will be reading more about the AIDS epidemic soon. This book made me so emotional.
Thank you to NetGalley, Abrams ComicArts, Clément Xavier and Héloïse Chochois for allowing me to access the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I will be reading more about the AIDS epidemic soon. This book made me so emotional.
Thank you to NetGalley, Abrams ComicArts, Clément Xavier and Héloïse Chochois for allowing me to access the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It’s a pretty good graphic novel about Randy Shilts since I have heard of him before but I didn’t do a deeper dive like this graphic novel had and of course, the Q&A of both authors However I do wish the ending of the story wasn’t so abrupt. I would’ve liked more irl scenarios of Randy Shilts since i felt this graphic novel was little short on the scenarios.
Got this with thanks from Netgalley and publisher
Got this with thanks from Netgalley and publisher
September 24, 2026
A visually gripping graphic novel, Bitter Pill tells the story of the origins of the AID epidemic, the people who tried to bring attention to it, and those that ignored the problem. Specifically, this tells the story of a reporter doing his best to demand the issue be seen and acknowledged by the government. A quick, important story for the queer community.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for the chance to read this early!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for the chance to read this early!
September 26, 2026
First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this graphic novel as an eARC! i greatly appreciate it!
You know I had no choice but to pick this up upon seeing the cover, right? I simply cannot resist books like this. And oh, man, was this one good! The story was great, our main guy is so conflicted and relatable, and that ending literally had me in tears! So good!
Five out of five stars to Bitter Pill!
You know I had no choice but to pick this up upon seeing the cover, right? I simply cannot resist books like this. And oh, man, was this one good! The story was great, our main guy is so conflicted and relatable, and that ending literally had me in tears! So good!
Five out of five stars to Bitter Pill!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was very interested to read this book because I'd never heard of Randy Shilts. The illustrations beautifully matched the text. I really enjoyed it and am happy to see my library already has a copy.
The Advanced Review Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Advanced Review Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2026
(ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
Striking illustrations paired with some humor balance out the heavy subject matter. As a queer person, it can be easy to just go "I've read enough, I've seen enough, I've heard enough" about this topic and time period. It felt familiar as a whole, but it stands on its own.
I more recently became aware of the Patient O vs Patient 0 debacle. I thought it was handled very respectfully and I think was successful in trying to right a wrong from history. One of the strengths of this book is to let queer people be flawed. Painting over the bad parts doesn't protect us and doesn't win us anything. We aren't 100% heroes and we aren't 100% villains.
I would recommend reading this and I would want it displayed on my shelf.
Striking illustrations paired with some humor balance out the heavy subject matter. As a queer person, it can be easy to just go "I've read enough, I've seen enough, I've heard enough" about this topic and time period. It felt familiar as a whole, but it stands on its own.
I more recently became aware of the Patient O vs Patient 0 debacle. I thought it was handled very respectfully and I think was successful in trying to right a wrong from history. One of the strengths of this book is to let queer people be flawed. Painting over the bad parts doesn't protect us and doesn't win us anything. We aren't 100% heroes and we aren't 100% villains.
I would recommend reading this and I would want it displayed on my shelf.
September 26, 2026
The artwork was stunning and it was such an important topic to read about! Thankful to have gotten the ARC to learn a little more about this important topic! At times it did seem a little crushed together. Like it could benefit from maybe a few more pages tying the story together rather then jumping around as much as it did! I loved the use of colour throughout!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved it!
So ein toller Comic zu der AIDS/HIV Krise. Ich habe so viel dazu gelernt und den Comic verschlungen. Die Charaktere werden so authentisch mit Höhen und Tiefen und all ihren Fehlern und Held*innentaten dargestellt.
Ich bin wirklich begeistert und würde es jeder und jedem empfehlen.
So ein toller Comic zu der AIDS/HIV Krise. Ich habe so viel dazu gelernt und den Comic verschlungen. Die Charaktere werden so authentisch mit Höhen und Tiefen und all ihren Fehlern und Held*innentaten dargestellt.
Ich bin wirklich begeistert und würde es jeder und jedem empfehlen.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is easily my favourite graphic novel of all time. It tells the story of an important era in our history. It is not just about LGBTQ+, it is about how mankind need to learn to accept and respect differences. This reminds me so much of the movie, Philadelphia.
September 29, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews