The Truth Is

The Truth Is

YA fiction
"I have two seats saved in the back of every classroom. One for
me. One for Blanca. From both, you can clearly see the door. From
both, you could clearly duck behind the piles of textbooks if
necessary. Because it can happen anywhere. In a school, in a church,
in a mall, in--anywhere. White dudes are pissed and packing. I mean
a POC may kill you for your wallet. But at least they are not killing
you for your existence."
Of course Blanca won't be sitting in any of her reserved seats.
The theme she had planned for her quincenera was used for her
funeral. The only place Verdad, narrator of Nonieqa Ramos' The Truth
Is, can hear her beloved voice is in her head. The only place she can
visit her is the cemetary.
Verdad is in a very dark and lonely place. It seems that there
is no one who can help her find a way out or discern the need for
doing so:
*not the conservatively religious mother who works multiple shifts as
a nurse and is always after her to be a little more ambitious
"She turns, leans against the counter and folds her arms. 'Well,
after you get your college education you could rewrite all the textbooks
if you like. And if you took another class, you could get to
college faster. Today could be the day you decide to change
everything. Make a decision to move in the right direction."
*not her trying-to-be deadbeat dad
"...He left us for another life. Got himself a new house, a new
wife, a stepdaughter. But most of the time it feels like he's still
fleeing the scene of his earlier crimes. My dad's present does not
have time for his past..."
*not the classmates to whom she's only visible as a cliche
"Guy who I could peer tutor in math and who could give me tips
about how not to end up unconcious in gym class: 'Verdad's too school
for cool.'
Pink-haired girl I could be joking with in bio lab: 'She's been
like that since middle school. She's a walking calculator.'"
Then Danny, a new gender mysterious student, shows up in
Verdad's homeroom and she is assigned to show him/her/them around.
The assignment somehow morphs into a friendship. It is a friendship
her mother is dead set against. But it may hold her chance to move
on...
...how?...
...you'll have to read the book and see.
This is a very relevant book to be reading now that people are
paying a lot more attention to racism.
On a purrrsonal note, Friday I am off on a quest, a mission. I am
really looking forward to that. I'll let you know if I attain the
object of my desires. (Jules)
I am watching for Lisa. Lisa comes today. My hooman is so happy when
she sees her. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Lisa!
Tobago and Jules Hathaway


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