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The Truth Is Hardcover – September 3, 2019
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Named one of the best YA Latinx books of 2019 by Remezcla and HipLatina.
A Bustle Book Club Selection
A powerful exploration of love, identity, and self-worth through the eyes of a fierce, questioning Puerto Rican teen.
Fifteen-year-old Verdad doesn't think she has time for love. She's still struggling to process the recent death of her best friend, Blanca; dealing with the high expectations of her hardworking Puerto Rican mother and the absence of her remarried father; and keeping everyone at a distance. But when she meets Danny, a new guy at school―who happens to be trans―all bets are off. Verdad suddenly has to deal with her mother's disapproval of her relationship with Danny as well as her own prejudices and questions about her identity, and Danny himself, who is comfortable in his skin but keeping plenty of other secrets.
In her luminous, raw, and open-hearted exploration of identity, grief and first love, NoNieqa Ramos has created an unforgettable character in Verdad.The Truth Is offers a complex look at a brilliant, queer, neurodifferent girl, the mother who loves but doesn't understand her, and a fabulously drawn group of street kids who can't save themselves but just might save her. A brilliantly written breathtaking book. I couldn't put it down!
―Michelle Ruiz-Keil, author of All of Us with Wings
A brilliant, beautiful, moving story of ecstasy and loss and tragedy and hope, The Truth Is demands to be read. The fast-moving plot bristles with literary and classical references, but the deepest insights―and there are plenty―come from the unforgettable observations and conclusions of its main character, Verdad de la Reyna, an unforgettably brave and complicated heroine who confronts profoundly disturbing, real-world challenges with the help of friends, both present and past. Nonieqa Ramos follows up The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary with another superb novel guaranteed to break the reader's heart before trying to mend it."
―Tom Wilinsky and Jen Sternick, authors of Snowsisters
NoNieqa Ramos's un-flinching voice and writing style continues to cement her as a force to be reckoned with in the YA world.
―Mia García, author of The Resolutions
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCarolrhoda Lab ®
- Publication dateSeptember 3, 2019
- Grade level9 - 12
- Reading age14 - 18 years
- Dimensions6 x 1 x 8.75 inches
- ISBN-101541528778
- ISBN-13978-1541528772
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"The true test of a good story is when you meet a character that you know will stick with you for a long time. NoNieqa Ramos' The Truth Is has created such a character through her brave heroine, 15-year-old Puerto Rican Verdad de la Reyna. Dealing with the recent loss of her friend from gun violence, Verdad believes she will never love again until she meets Danny, a trans boy. Verdad tackles weighty issues ― her own prejudices, questions of sexuality and identity ― with unflinching honesty. This is Ramos' second young adult novel (her first was The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary, released in 2018) and it's exciting to see her continue to go deeper in portraying the complex lives of young people who grieve but also reclaim hope against so many obstacles."―Lilliam Rivera, author of The Education of Margot Sanchez and Dealing in Dreams
"Self-described Boricua Verdad, age 15, is a bundle of contradictions―sad and isolated since the murder of her best friend, Blanca, by a racist mass shooter; dryly funny when observing her classmates and family; and prone to blurting out pejorative terms just before or after lightbulb moments about the intersections of identity and privilege. In fact, Ramos has created a voice so authentic it may surprise readers used to teen characters sounding and acting like adults. The plot unfolds fast, with Verdad meeting and falling for sexy new student Danny (who is transmasculine) the same week she's involved in a poorly supervised classroom activity-turned-melee that results in the unfair expulsion of a Black classmate. Within days of realizing she may be queer, or questioning, or pansexual, Verdad leaves home, joining Danny and his culturally diverse band of friends, all queer and homeless. If this seems like a lot, it is, before even considering Verdad's burgeoning awareness of her OCD and PTSD or several sub-plots involving familial backstories. There are some well-realized and brief sex scenes, and flashbacks to the shooting are handled sensitively. Some aspects of the ending are a bit logistically neat, and not every character in the large cast feels fully realized. However, Ramos succeeds in portraying early adolescence in visceral emotional detail. VERDICT Ramos writes with intensity and poeticism in this fresh, painful, but ultimately optimistic coming-of-age novel. Notable for its up-to-the minute depiction of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race."―School Library Journal
"NoNieqa Ramos's unflinching voice and writing style continues to cement her as a force to be reckoned with in the YA world."―Mia García, author of The Resolutions
"In her luminous, raw, and open-hearted exploration of identity, grief and first love, NoNieqa Ramos has created an unforgettable character in Verdad.The Truth Is offers a complex look at a brilliant, queer, neurodifferent girl, the mother who loves but doesn't understand her, and a fabulously drawn group of street kids who can't save themselves but just might save her.A brilliantly written breathtaking book. I couldn't put it down!"―Michelle Ruiz-Keil, author of All of Us with Wings
"A brilliant, beautiful, moving story of ecstasy and loss and tragedy and hope, The Truth Is demands to be read. The fast-moving plot bristles with literary and classical references, but the deepest insights―and there are plenty―come from the unforgettable observations and conclusions of its main character, Verdad de la Reyna, an unforgettably brave and complicated heroine who confronts profoundly disturbing, real-world challenges with the help of friends, both present and past. Nonieqa Ramos follows up The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary with another superb novel guaranteed to break the reader's heart before trying to mend it."―Tom Wilinsky and Jen Sternick, authors of Snowsisters
"A coming-of-age novel about coming out and overcoming. Verdad De La Reyna is having a rough time. Her best friend, Blanca, died when a white supremacist shot up a movie theater. Verdad has a scar from where a bullet hit her leg and post-traumatic symptoms like trichotillomania, but she still finds comfort in Blanca's ghostly visits. Verdad, who doesn't speak Spanish, also doesn't feel completely confident in her Boricua identity. The arrival at school of attractive white trans boy Danny makes her wonder if she's lesbian, or queer, or some other LGBTQ+ identity. Strong insightful prose, sometimes disjointed, showcases Verdad's unique voice, not shying away from her pain or her stubbornness. A lot of her growing up has to do with the question 'How could you be so woke and so 'sleep at the same time?' as a queer woman of color who has to work through transphobic thoughts, anti-black racism, and other prejudices, which may help some readers in their own understanding while alienating or hurting others. A diverse cast of homeless queer youth provides a lot of catalyst for her growth, which at times verges on exploitative, but young people underserved in literature will find fully fleshed, mostly positive―though somewhat tragic―representation here. Teen banter about racism, cultural appropriation, police brutality, and transphobia showcases the complexity, brilliance, and power of young activists. Shaky at times but powerful."―Kirkus Reviews
"Fifteen-year-old Verdad is done with friendships. After her best friend, Blanca, died in a mass shooting, she's decided to keep her head down and focus on school, not on making connections. But when Danny comes into her class, she can't help but notice him. As rumors swirl around his gender identity, Verdad begins to break her own rules about getting close and learns what can happen when you're true to yourself in the face of bigotry. Ramos (The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary, 2018) creates an #OwnVoices protagonist in Puerto Rican Verdad and weaves her many intense feelings together in a way that never feels forced, from Verdad dealing with PTSD after the shooting to falling in love to discovering and then defining her queer identity. Her voice, funny through the pain, carries what could have been an impossibly heavy story. A few plot points resolve a little too neatly, but it's nice to see teens who often face unending obstacles, in fiction and real life, get something close to a happy ending."―Booklist
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Carolrhoda Lab ® (September 3, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1541528778
- ISBN-13 : 978-1541528772
- Reading age : 14 - 18 years
- Grade level : 9 - 12
- Item Weight : 1 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1 x 8.75 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,531,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
NoNieqa Ramos is an educator and author who wrote THE DISTURBED GIRL’S DICTIONARY, a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens and a 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. The Virginia Center for the Book selected their pb YOUR MAMA, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara, as Virginia’s GREAT READ for 2021 highlighted by the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book at the National Book Festival. YOUR MAMA was a School Library Journal Best Picture Book of 2021, a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2021, a 2022 ALA Rise Feminist Book Selection, and a National Council of English Books Notable Poetry Book.Their pb BEAUTY WOKE, illustrated by Paola Escobar, was a Kirkus Best Book of 2022, a Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library Best Book of 2022, and a Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2023.
In February 2024, Inkyard Press will release NoNieqa's short story EVERMORE, a queer retelling of THE RAVEN, in a SFF YA anthology called RELIT: 16 LATINX REMIXES OF CLASSIC STORIES. Lerner Books will release NoNieqa's first picture book bio, Booklist-starred THE TRES HERMANAS: A SISTERHOOD of the COMMON GOOD, illustrated by Nicole Medina.
In September 2024, Lerner will release NoNieqa's YA novel, THEY THOUGHT THEY BURIED. Check out NoNieqa's website to learn more about their work.
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If you are a librarian, please stock this important book.
If you are a teacher, have it on your shelves.
If you are a parent, read it with your teenager.
If you are human... read it.
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2019
If you are a librarian, please stock this important book.
If you are a teacher, have it on your shelves.
If you are a parent, read it with your teenager.
If you are human... read it.
The Truth Is by Nonieqa Ramos took me on a roller coaster ride. There was so much cultural authenticity in this one that there were moments that just felt too real. It brought back memories I didn't want to think about but it is also made me see that not much has changed as far as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Verdad, whose name translates to truth, was accurate to her moniker. Verdad's character was a great depiction of Puerto Rican teenager trying to overcome so much in life while navigating a world that wants to negate their existence. This story is overflowing with tough social issues but Ramos does a great job with the character development of Verdad and allows us to see their struggles with mental health and PTSD, their exploration of gender and sexuality, dealing with daily microaggressions and trying to pave their own road for the future. I really appreciated that Verdad made lots of mistakes and was allowed to take accountability and change.
This book is so important because it addresses so many relevant issues that affect teens. It gives voice to unique experiences that are often silenced. This book also offers so much representation that the recent onslaught of banning it is disheartening. This book includes:
✍ LGBTQIA+ rep
✍ Puerto Rican rep
✍ mental health & trichotillomania & PTSD
✍ school shootings, deaths & aftermath
✍ trans & homophobia
✍ exploration of sexuality & gender
✍ culture clash
✍ racism
✍divorce
✍ found family
Please support this author and the book. Buy it, share it and have the conversations it evokes. Diverse voices should be amplified not cancelled. This book is one that will definitely save a life and make someone feel seen.
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2021
The Truth Is by Nonieqa Ramos took me on a roller coaster ride. There was so much cultural authenticity in this one that there were moments that just felt too real. It brought back memories I didn't want to think about but it is also made me see that not much has changed as far as diversity, equity and inclusion.
Verdad, whose name translates to truth, was accurate to her moniker. Verdad's character was a great depiction of Puerto Rican teenager trying to overcome so much in life while navigating a world that wants to negate their existence. This story is overflowing with tough social issues but Ramos does a great job with the character development of Verdad and allows us to see their struggles with mental health and PTSD, their exploration of gender and sexuality, dealing with daily microaggressions and trying to pave their own road for the future. I really appreciated that Verdad made lots of mistakes and was allowed to take accountability and change.
This book is so important because it addresses so many relevant issues that affect teens. It gives voice to unique experiences that are often silenced. This book also offers so much representation that the recent onslaught of banning it is disheartening. This book includes:
✍ LGBTQIA+ rep
✍ Puerto Rican rep
✍ mental health & trichotillomania & PTSD
✍ school shootings, deaths & aftermath
✍ trans & homophobia
✍ exploration of sexuality & gender
✍ culture clash
✍ racism
✍divorce
✍ found family
Please support this author and the book. Buy it, share it and have the conversations it evokes. Diverse voices should be amplified not cancelled. This book is one that will definitely save a life and make someone feel seen.
"Hell is now, saying it happens later is a power play."
That struck me as the essence of this powerful story distilled into three sentences. Verdad has been carrying huge scars for nearly a year. One is visible, where the bullet passed through her leg when a white supremacist opened fire in a movie theater, killing her best friend among others. The other is her inability to grieve the loss of that friend. She sees and hears Blanca's ghost all the time and the emotional paralysis is beyond debilitating.
When she meets Danny who sometimes attends her high school, the attraction is immediate. Danny, however, is transgender and they are homeless, having been kicked out by their father. As the attraction deepens, Verdad must come to grips with her own sexuality, her divorced mother's rigidity and Mom's ever increasing tightening of her expectations and Verdad's freedom. Then, there's Danny's gang, all cut loose by their families, all either lesbian or transgender. One thing the book does extremely well is show readers how bleak and tough such a survival usually is.
The ending is far from happy, but every one of the teens is in a somewhat better place and you can hope that things continue getting better for all of them. The dialogue between them, coupled with some super secondary characters, helps the book flow well. This is an important book and one I wish were part of all public and school libraries.
This book probably had the most rep of any book I've ever read - sexualities, nationalities, different languages. That being said, there was A LOT going on - sexual assault, fun violence, racism, transphobia, teen homelessness. I'm not even sure I remembered it all. Though there was a lot going on, the story flowed seamlessly. The characters were likable and real. It's a great read if you're looking for a lot of diversity!