Three Things I Know Are True - by Betty Culley

Book Synopsis

Fans of Jandy Nelson and Marieke Nijkamp will love this deeply moving novel in verse about the aftermath of a gun accident.

Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with his best friend Clay's father's gun. Now Jonah needs round-the-clock care just to stay alive, and Liv feels like she's the only person who can see that her brother is still there inside his broken body.

With Liv's mom suing Clay's family, there are divisions in the community that Liv knows she's not supposed to cross. But Clay is her friend, too, and she refuses to turn away from him--just like she refuses to give up on Jonah.

This powerful novel is a stunning exploration of tragedy, grief, compassion, and forgiveness.

Review Quotes

"Introspective and inquisitive Liv's free-verse narration vividly explores the rift between her family and Clay's; memories of her late father; and the difficulty of surviving in her economically depressed small town. Above all, her spare, blunt lines convey her love for Jonah; her exhaustion and loneliness as her friends and overworked, overwhelmed mother grow distant; and the nuances of guilt and forgiveness. Liv's struggle with the "little animal / inside" her that yearns for attention even as she acknowledges that Jonah "needs everything" is piercingly realistic. Fortunately, kind--if somewhat one-dimensional--secondary characters offer support, and Liv and Clay's gradual romance is touching. The ending offers bittersweet but satisfying closure. Most characters appear white; one of Liv's friends is Indian American. A poignant, humanizing exploration of a sadly timely issue." - Kirkus Reviews
"An emotional journey that follows a life-altering tragedy. Culley weaves carefully chosen details into a slowly forming tapestry. A tale that is both harrowing in subject matter and elegant in execution." - ALA Booklist
"Piercingly realistic. A poignant, humanizing exploration of a sadly timely issue." - Kirkus Reviews
"A heartbreaking story about a topic that is too prevalent in today's society." - School Library Journal
"Eloquent narrative verse. Culley deftly captures the community's nuanced responses and the heartbreak both families navigate as this devastating tragedy becomes a political battleground." - Publishers Weekly
"Culley's compelling free-verse poems accumulate into a poignant story of a family that was already struggling and then transformed into something unrecognizable. Liv's narration is touching, honest, and perceptive. A story of love and resilience as much as loss and grief." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)