The Truth Is

”[P]ortray[s] 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

“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.“—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.“—Tom Wilinsky and Jen Sternick, authors of Snowsisters

“A coming-of-age novel about coming out and overcoming… . [P]owerful.“—Kirkus Reviews

“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.“—Booklist

Raised in the Boogie Down Bronx, NoNieqa Ramos is an educator and literary activist. Their work includes the young adult novels The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary and The Truth Is, as well as the picture book Hair Story. They believe Halloween is a lifestyle, not a holiday. If you’re in Virginia, you might catch NoNieqa getting motorcycle lessons from their soulmate Michael or going indie bookstore hopping with their preciosos Jandi and Langston.