Truth Is, Hannah V. Sawyerr
Truth Is, Hannah V. Sawyerr
List: $18.99 | Sale: $13.29
Club: $9.49

Truth Is

Author: Hannah V. Sawyerr

Narrator: Hannah V. Sawyerr

Unabridged: 5 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 02/10/2026


Synopsis

Finalist for the 2025 National Book Award for Young People's Literature From the critically acclaimed author of All the Fighting Parts comes an empowering and defiant novel in verse in which a teen poet grapples with an unplanned pregnancy and determines what happens to her body in a world that wants to take the choice away from her. Seventeen-year-old Truth Bangura wants nothing more than to know a life beyond her hometown. Writing and performing is her only solace in a life overwhelmed by a drifting relationship with her best friend, an emotionally turbulent home environment, and the reality that her below-average grades make her true dream—escaping her mother's grasp after graduation—uncertain. When Truth learns she's pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, she makes one decision she's finally sure about: an abortion. Determined to move forward, Truth turns to the pages in her notebook with the support of her slam poetry team—including the poet with a voice smooth as summer jazz, who's been catching her eye during practice. At an open mic night, Truth finally gains the courage to perform a piece that dives into her rocky relationship with her mother—and reveals the choice she never told her. But when a video of Truth's performance is posted online and starts going viral, her decision quickly becomes everyone's business—including her mother's. Told through searing free verse, journal entries, and interspersed fill-in-the-blank poetry prompts, Hannah V. Sawyerr's Truth Is reminds us there is always a choice. There is always hope. And there is always a way forward. "Sawyerr (All The Fighting Parts) combines fast-paced, unwavering verse poems with text messages, social media transcripts, and more in this stunning portrait of a teen in transition that earns all the snaps."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Reviews

Goodreads review by April on September 27, 2025

TRUTH IS THE TRUTH!! I love a good YA book and this one was EVERYTHING! This was the first novel in verse book that I read and I absolutely loved it. It immediately made me want to purchase Hannah’s other book All the Fighting Parts. Truth was a force to be reckoned with and stood “in her truth” no m......more

Goodreads review by Mallory on November 13, 2025

This novel is written in verse and it is powerful and easy to read. The voice of the poetry took on the voice of the character or it created it, but it was really easy to lose myself in Truth’s world. Truth is 17 and facing some normal and less normal issues for a teen. I love her brutal honesty and......more

Goodreads review by Sydney | sydneys.books on September 19, 2025

I was so excited to read Hannah V. Sawyerr's next work after All the Fighting Parts, and I am not disappointed in the least. I was delighted to see this longlisted for the National Book Award too! Very well deserved. This book is powerful. TW: Abortion; Teen pregnancy; Abusive/toxic parent (emotional......more

Goodreads review by Lit_Vibrations on September 27, 2025

Special thanks to @coloredpagesbt @piquebeyond @hannasawyerr for my gifted copy‼️ This book was absolutely phenomenal written in free verse, journal entries, and blank poetry prompts I read this in one sitting just this morning! It’s inspiring, empowering, emotionally gripping, and gives all the feel......more

Goodreads review by Ebony Essence on September 28, 2025

Thank you @coloredpagesbt @piquebeyond @hannasawyerr for this book tour opportunity and gifted book. WOW!!! Just wow!! This book is a must read for anybody of any age. A great YA book that should be on a high school syllabus. With Truth being the amazing character I feel a lot of people can relate o......more