Book Review: The Truth Is by NoNieqa Ramos

**Disclaimer: I received a free electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Genre: 
Release Date: September 9, 2019 
Description:

"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."

Honestly, I quite enjoyed this. It did take awhile for me to get into the story because the writing/format was kind of a bit much for me. For example, the way the people were labeled or referred to by their appearance kind of annoyed me (i.e. White Girl 1, White Girl 3, etc.) because it was confusing. I understand there was a reason for it because Verdad never had a reason to learn their names, but it still left me confused. When I eventually was able to get into the story, it was an interesting/entertaining read. 

This book deals with many sensitive topics that should be explored more in books, such as mental health, grief, homophobia, and in general teens from broken backgrounds. Verdad had experienced so much in the duration of the book, which was reflected in her living situation as she started from being with her mom, to her dad, and eventually to her aunt. I also like how the story was not heavily focused on Blanca's death. Yes, it heavily affected Verdad, but her presence was never overpowering. I also like the new people that enter Verdad's life, namely Danny and his friends, because they bring a breath of fresh air to her life. 

The romance overall was very cute. It wasn't insta-love, but the progression was pretty quick, but I didn't mind because I really liked Verdad and Danny because they were really cute together. They melded well together, were understanding, and communicated well with one another. Overall, this story includes many important topics with a cute romance.

Overall rating:  3.5/5