{"product_id":"truth-is-a-novel-in-verse-hannah-v-sawyerr","title":"Truth Is: A Novel in Verse \/\/\/ Hannah V. Sawyerr","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFinalist for the 2025 National Book Award for Young People's Literature\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll the Fighting Parts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecomes 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeventeen-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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Truth learns she's pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, she makes one decision she's finally sure about: an abortion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDetermined 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTold through searing free-verse, journal entries, and interspersed fill-in-the-blank poetry prompts, Hannah V. Sawyerr's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eTruth Is\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ereminds us there is always a choice. There is always hope. And there is always a way forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBIO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHannah V. Sawyerr\u003c\/strong\u003e was recognized as the Youth Poet Laureate of Baltimore in 2016. Her spoken word has been featured on the BBC’s \u003cem\u003eWorld Have Your Say\u003c\/em\u003e program as well as the National Education Association’s “Do You Hear Us?” campaign. Her written word has been included in \u003cem\u003egal-dem\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRookie\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003exoNecole\u003c\/em\u003e. She holds a BA in English from Morgan State University and an MFA in creative writing from the New School. Sawyerr is an English professor at Loyola Marymount University and lives in Los Angeles.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"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.\"\u003cstrong\u003e -- \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/em\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Sawyerr’s sophomore novel uses the verse format stunningly to highlight the complexities woven into each of Truth’s authentic and compelling relationships. The book deftly addresses restrictive policies related to abortion access while prioritizing Truth’s talent, goals, and growth in a humanizing and inspirational way...An unforgettable, dynamic, and emotionally resonant novel in verse.\" \u003cstrong\u003e-- \u003cem\u003eKirkus\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eReviews \u003c\/em\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[P]ortrayed authentically with flaws and hope. Empowering and fierce...\"\u003cstrong\u003e -- \u003cem\u003eBooklist \u003c\/em\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Former Baltimore youth poet laureate Sawyerr offers a realistic glimpse into issues surrounding abortion access, choice, and determination in a lyrical way. A timely read for teens navigating identity, autonomy, and self-expression.” \u003cstrong\u003e-- \u003cem\u003eHorn Book Magazine \u003c\/em\u003e(starred review)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Sawyerr presents a stark look at how the oversimplification of an issue like abortion ignores the reality of people who do not have the choices so many imagine there to be.”\u003cstrong\u003e -- \u003cem\u003eSchool\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e[H]  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003eHarry N. Abrams  \/  Septemnber 23, 2025\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1.57\" H x 8.43\" L x 5.83\" W (1.2 lbs) 480 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor ages 14 to 18\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hachette","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44881926881456,"sku":"9781419776830","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0515\/3832\/9776\/files\/TRUTHIS.jpg?v=1765821798","url":"https:\/\/checkout.bembrooklyn.com\/products\/truth-is-a-novel-in-verse-hannah-v-sawyerr","provider":"BEM | books \u0026 more (Online)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}