'This Is My Truth' is a beautifully written YA book, that I really enjoyed reading.
There are so many amazing messages portrayed throughout this book, and overall this book is incredibly heartbreaking whilst also giving you a sense of hope too.
I loved the characters and the friendships in this book. I loved the writing and thought it was really beautifully written.
I think this book was a perfect YA book that conveys so many important messages and gives you so much insight into all the topics which are mentioned throughout this book.

Oh this book is my favourite read of 2022. Yasmin's writing is so beautiful and at times it truly felt like she was writing about my life. I am so in love

Thank you to the publisher for my earc of this book!
Wow, get the tissues ready. This book absolutely deals with very tough topics, but in such an emotionally mature and delicate way. Well written and very emotive.

This Is My Truth is a powerful novel that is an extremely emotive read, deals with some heavy topics such as family trauma and domestic violence. It's beautifully written.

Such an emotional, powerful novel dealing with domestic violence and family trauma.

The storytelling was amazing, such an emotional read, some hard times throughout but it was such an important book!

Yasmin Rahman's first book is still one of my favourite reads of 2021 so far so I had high hopes for her follow up - that were totally obliterated and then some. A powerful, emotional yet inspiring read!!

Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, child abuse, violence, bullying, racism, living in care.

Amani and Huda are best friends and are both getting nervous about their upcoming GCSE exams and their future beyond the school gates. Shy Amani has a picture-perfect family, whereas confident Huda has grown up in care and now lives with her loving foster parents, who are now expecting a baby of their own. Both girls are jealous of each other’s lives, without knowing the darkness that lies beneath them. Then one day, Huda witnesses Amani’s father hitting her mother, and Amani’s darkest family secret is out. As Amani tries to stop Huda from spilling her secret, a blog starts up at school, revealing the deepest darkest secrets of students. Could this blogger be the one to spill Amani’s secret? and will Huda manage to keep quiet about Amani’s secret?

WOW! Yasmin Rahman has done it again! Having read her debut All The Things We Never Said a few years ago, I was eagerly waiting for her next book to drop. This Is My Truth is just as good, or even better than its predecessor and there’s no mistake in saying that this book will utterly destroy you emotionally. From the moment you start reading, you know you are going to be taken on a tear-jerking journey, and I must warn you now, that this book does deal with some pretty sensitive topics so do go into it ready to read some impactful, harrowing scenes.

Domestic abuse is one of the main topics featured within This Is My Truth, and some of the scenes were rather agonising to read, but it just hits home how the is happening in real life, and how issues like this should be being addressed through fiction. The way you see Amani try to hide what is happening is both heartbreaking and poignant, and you can tell how much she just wants her family to be the type you see in pictures. The happy family, the family that isn’t broken and the family that loves being together. The scenes where she and her younger brother Ismail are sheltering from the abuse that’s happening by watching films Amani has made is heartrending and turned me into a sobbing mess. You also get a look into how Amani’s mother is so desperate to leave her abusive husband but is terrified to due to her fear of what her family and friends would say and think of her. This gives us, the reader a real insight into Bengali culture and how community and reputation means everything.

Huda’s family life is the complete opposite of Amani’s, but we still see her struggle with the idea of her foster parents having a baby of their own. She had a lot of insecurities and struggled to think about what she wanted to do with her future. This could stem from the fact she grew up in care and was moved around a lot. All Huda wanted was to be the perfect daughter, and have what Amani had. You feel for Huda when she discovers Amani’s secret, as her best friend all she wants is for Amani to be happy and safe. The relationship between Amani and Huda was such a beautiful one, and you could tell how much of a bond they had. It was interesting to see how they dealt with their opposing opinions and their falling out. You could tell how much they both wanted to make up and work through their problems instead of hating each other and losing the trust and friendship of the other.

Rahman’s writing is gorgeous and is almost poetic at times, and this is one of the reasons why I struggled to keep my emotions under control when reading This Is My Truth. The writing style is so emotive and you can honestly feel everything these characters are feeling. You don’t want to put the book down, as you become so attached to the characters, also, and you feel so protective of them and just want to wrap them up in a big warm hug. It’s been a while since a book has made me feel so impassioned for both the characters and the plot. Rahman, I can tell is going to become huge in YA and her beautiful, passionate writing is why I think this.

This Is My Truth was a powerful, sensitive, gorgeous read that will leave you in tears. Everything about it was pure perfection, and the way it touches on delicate issues is admirable. Yasmin Rahman is cementing herself as one of my favourite YA authors, and I cannot wait to read what she writes next.

Trigger warning: Domestic violence

This book deals with domestic violence in desi and Muslim communities and it is an incredibly difficult topic to deal with but Yasmin deals with so sensitively and it’s so well written. She also discusses what it can be like for a young girl in the foster care system.

The story is told from the point of view of Amani and Huda who are best friends in the last couple weeks of school. Huda is more outspoken and confident whereas Amani is more reserved and introverted but they both get along really well together. Seeing the way the teens were during the last few weeks literally transported me back to my last few weeks of school. While Amani’s school had a prank war, we had egg and flour fights. The stress and relief and excitement and worry with your normal coming to an end after five years was so well written in the story. I could feel it and remember when it was me. Honestly it made me real nostalgic, although I do not miss exam stress.

Both Amani and Huda think the other has the perfect family but it really shows how no one truly knows what is happening in the home and that on the outside your family can seem picture perfect but inside you are just trying to survive each day.

Huda had a lot of insecurities and struggled to think of a future for herself because of how she has been moved around in the foster care system. How can she think of a future plan when her whole life can be uprooted in any moment? Do her foster parents truly love her or will they discard her now that they have their own baby coming? These things run through her mind pushing her into asking Amani to teach her to be a “perfect daughter” and it really brought into question, what is a perfect daughter and can any girl be a perfect daughter?

These are the things that make you you, the things I love about you.

None of us are perfect, we make mistakes, we hurt those we love even by accident and yet desi culture demands perfection from girls from a young age. Their worth is based on how “perfect” they are. They decide what makes the girl a good or perfect daughter and it always includes being obedient, submissive, quiet, and able to handle all domestic chores without complaint. When we aren’t that, we are labelled rebellious and bad.

Huda is attacked in this way by some characters in the book too. She thinks that because she isn’t that type of daughter her foster parents won’t want to keep her after they have their own child. Her insecurity about being loved was so heartbreaking to read. No child should be made to feel that they aren’t loved and love shouldn’t be conditional on whether they meet certain criteria. Even though her foster parents are incredible and love her for the way she is. Society pressure can still make a teen feel insecure about it.

Amani lives in an abusive toxic household but one that looks picture perfect from the outside. Everyone sees a wonderful caring father and yet no one sees who he truly is behind closed doors. So who would even believe her mother or Amani if they spoke up? Amani’s terror and struggle to cope and hide this from everyone was so difficult to read. How despite being terrified herself she still had to be there for her little brother. How this affected both their perceptions on how you should treat your spouse, what marriage is like, how a woman should be treated and how a man should be towards their wife. Amani says she would rather be single and honestly I felt the same at her age. Marriage was a prison, it was suffocating and violent. But I was really glad to see there was a contrast with Huda’s foster parents being in a healthy happy relationship.

I thought that’s what marriage was – not being happy.

Amani would take on the burden of “fixing” her dad like it was her responsibility, if she was just a perfect daughter it would be okay. But no matter how perfect she was, her dad would still become violent at the smallest inconvenience. Her mother lived in fear, and would flinch at the smallest sounds. She reduced herself, she stopped being her own person and just lived to try and keep her husband happy. She kept one thing for herself which was a part time job and this became another area in which her father would try to control her financially. The emotional, physical, psychological and financial abuse she goes through is horrifying and yet she still tries to be a good mum to her kids and wants to protect them. She doesn’t realise until much later that her silence was also destroying her children, even though women are told to stay silent “for the sake of the kids.” How is staying in an abusive relationship good for her or her kids?

I love that Yasmin has written a book dealing with these topics within the Muslim and Desi communities because so many kids and teens are affected by it and yet to speak about it is taboo. There is too much emphasis on what will people say as opposed to how my child feels, is my family safe, are we creating a healthy environment for them to grow up in. Yasmin has done such a wonderful job of discussing these topics in her book and I hope that they are easily available to teens. So they know that they aren’t alone and trapped, so that they know that violence isn’t okay.

Okay wow I have written a long essay but truly this is a topic I am incredibly passionate about and I was literally sobbing by the end of the book and knew that this will stay with me for a long time. Like Yasmin’s first book, this is another book I wish I had been able to read as a teen.

I loved Huda and Amani’s friendship and it was really great to see friends that fall out but also work through the reasons for the fall out without making lives difficult for each other. Huda broke Amani’s trust but she realised she was wrong to do so and apologised and tried to make up for it. Amani knows that what Huda did, while still wrong, was to help her. It’s such a delicate and difficult situation to be in for both of them and we aren’t really shown or taught in any way how to handle these things. I was glad to see that they were able to work things through and remain friends.

Someone once told me you can’t count on the future…the present’s all you got

This book deeply resonated with me on so many levels and one that I want everyone to read. It’s such an important book and shows how toxic these situations are and that we shouldn’t have to silently put up with it. I highly recommend everyone who can read this to read this. Give it to teens and adults alike because even adults who have not been in these type of situations don’t truly understand what it is like. Please go buy and read this book!

Yasmin has done it again. She has produced a book that is perfect for not only today's teens, but adults too, could read this and learn so much. I didn't cry this time but it took me through so many emotions. It IS triggering. Especially when you know victims of DV so I found myself needing to take breaks to reflect and to vent. It hit home just how complex the situation is for victims, families (and friends looking on) who also find themselves in a helpless situation.

The details were painful to read, but very much necessary. I hope this book will bring much understanding of the situation many families, unfortunately, find themselves in. I hope too that it will empower those in that situation to realise they don't deserve it and seek out help for themselves and their loved ones.

Seeing the careful representation of Bangladeshi Muslims was extremely important to me. Yasmin was careful to balance the negative sides of the cultural norms, with a family that refused to bow to the patriarchal norms of many traditional Bangladeshi families.

I also really appreciated that the MCs were hijabi Muslim girls, but that an issue wasn't made of the hijab. And the way the practising of daily prayer etc was mentioned incidentally, rather than an explanation being given for it.

Yasmin not only dealt with issues of DV but also fostering, identity, bullying, the stress of teenage life and much more.

There was plenty of humour and nods to teen movies and programmes such as Mean Girls and Sabrina the teenage Witch. I found myself completely invested in the book. And loved the sarcasm and drama of teen life.

I work in a primary school library, which is why I wouldn't buy it for my setting but this is a book that should be made easily available for all teenagers.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Yasmin Rahman and I was delighted to be accepted for her latest release on NetGalley. I knew that I’d be in for a difficult, emotional ride but I had no idea how much it would affect me!

On the face of things, Amani’s family seems perfect. Her father is a successful vet with his own TV show, her mother is a gentle, loving woman and her little brother Ismail is the light of Amani’s life. But there is a dark secret that rears its head behind closed doors. Amani’s best friend Huda has been brought up in the care system but she has been in the care of the wonderful Nafisah and Ali for the last four years. But with her foster parents now expecting a baby of their own, Huda is worried about what her future in the changing family will look like. As their GCSEs loom, Huda witnesses Amani’s truth and she promises not to tell anyone as long as Amani helps her learn to be the Perfect Daughter. But then a gossip blog pops up at school. A blog that is gradually revealing the secrets of Year 11 students at Blithe Academy. Who will be next?

Amani spends most of her life trying to escape the horrors of her home. Both school and Huda’s house are places where she knows what to expect and nothing can go majorly wrong. However, she is still worried about her Ammi and Ismail when she’s away from home, so the trauma of her Abbu’s actions never really leaves her mind.

Amani’s relationship with Ismail is really lovely to watch. She knows how to comfort her brother when violence is being rained down on their Ammi and it’s heartwarming that its own creative outlet that makes him happy. There were times during my reading of this book when I was worried that Amani and Ismail wouldn’t be able to stay together and I was willing everything in the universe for things to work out well for them both.

The book also provides an insight into the toxic side of Bengali culture. This explains so much of why Ammi has stayed in her marriage for so long. I think the contrast between Huda’s family and Amani’s shows that this isn’t the case for all Bengalis and that bad people and dangerous ideas exist regardless of faith or community.

The exploration of misogyny extends into Blithe Academy too. When the Burn Blog revealed that Ezra Fitzgerald has been dating two girls at once, the girls start hating each other and take the flack for the secret being let out. It doesn’t seem to have affected Ezra at all, as he continues to laugh with his friends and retain his popularity status. This is a very real phenomenon that so many women experience on a daily basis, especially when it comes to sex or relationship matters. Girls will and always have been the ones in the wrong and this is a theme that resonates throughout the book across both Amani’s school and home lives.

Amani and Huda’s friendship is exactly the kind of connection that every teenage girl needs. They both recognise each other’s talents, beauty and fantastic true selves and they really need each other to see those things in themselves. They fall out and both say things that they regret. They’re both messy and flawed but I never had any doubts that their friendship could survive their arguments.

When Mr Voake, Amani’s Media Studies’ teacher, tells her that she has great potential to become a film-maker, she is suddenly filled with a determination to follow her dream. At this point, she still has the heavy shadow of her father’s disapproval hanging over her but I knew that she had the strength and ambition to do what she really wanted to do. I was willing her to see it through and blast through the barriers that had previously been put in her way.

This Is My Truth is a wonderful story of friendship, family and overcoming something as frightening and overwhelming as domestic violence and coercive control. It deals with some very dark, real-world topics while celebrating the wonders of female friendship, sibling relationships and going after your true passions. My heart broke several times and I don’t remember the last time I was this desperate for things to work out well for a set of characters. It’s a highly emotional but important read for anyone who loves honest YA fiction.

This Is My Truth is a book that sits with you long after the final page. Rahman delves into some tough topics, but in a way that is sensitive and nuanced.

You can clearly see the effects of extensive research and sensitivity readers, which Rahman credits in her acknowledgements. This level of dedication and commitment to getting her representation right is what sets Rahman apart. It’s evident in every word she places on the page, you can really feel the heart and soul being poured into this book. I really loved how Rahman used the anonymous blog to explore the familial issues and how the secrets grew from just embarrassing anecdotes to darker issues. This makes the topics discussed have all the more impact. The way Amani has such a complex relationship with her father and every day feels different in certain ways is explored so well. You can feel the entrenched manipulation in their daily routines and how they have to walk on eggshells.

A shining light in this book is Amani and Huda’s friendship. I loved the two of them and how funny their dialogue was. You just felt comfortable around them and it was great to see such a solid friendship. At the same time, they felt so authentic in the way that they were both far from perfect. They’re dealing with their own insecurities and issues, which leads inevitably to confrontation. I really liked how Rahman pushed as far away from a rose-tinted lens as she feasibly could. Both of these girls are just trying to survive their own situations, but still have room for laughter and joy.

This Is My Truth is a fantastic book that kickstarts such a necessary conversation. It is an emotional whirlwind, leaving you crying from both laughter and sorrow.

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and Hot Key Books for the arc in return for an honest review.
This book honestly broke my heart. It is such an impactful, emotional read highlighting the effects of domestic abuse as well as bullying , racism and more with family and friendship running through it all.
It was unbelievably heart-wrenching and I cares about the characters so so much that I hated seeing what they were going through. It definitely opened my eyes to domestic abuse, making me see the harsh reality that people go through day to day.
Although this book deals with dark, deep topics, the main friendship of Amani and Huda was beautiful and some comedic , lighthearted moments came from their friendship. Naturally, there were highs and lows to their friendship so I liked seeing how their problems were resolved and how their friendship developed throughout.
I also liked finding out more about the Bengali culture and thought the underlying focus on that culture really added to the story. I was also kept on the edge of my seat, not sure what was going to happen to Amani’s family next and there were a few twists throughout which were executed seamlessly.
The plot was beautifully done with many different plot lines all intertwining, the writing was stunning, the characters so real and true. Yasmin Rahman is truly an incredible author who deals with delicate topics so well. This was an easy five stars for me and I highly recommend it to all! I will definitely be picking up Yasmin Rahman’s other book and future books!
(TW/CW: Domestic abuse, bullying, racism)

THIS BOOK!! Funny and moving and heart-wrenching but ultimately so empowering and hopeful. WOW is all I can say. WOW. The writing is phenomenal. Everything about it - the pacing, the dialogue, the character development. The way it has you shouting into the pages! Phenomenal.

I picked up Yasmin's debut recently and after this I had to go back and dive into that one and it is just as brilliant. I've found another author whose books I would read in a heartbeat, without even thinking about it. So special to discover someone who writes so powerfully, with so much empathy, and in such a deeply relatable way. Navigating such difficult but important themes. Top class.

Yasmin Rahman is the incredibly talented author of two novels which discuss sensitive and heartbreaking themes. This Is My Truth focuses on domestic violence, child abuse, racism and living in foster care. The author has created a wealth of complex Muslim characters who's stories unfold throughout the novel.
I have never read novels that feature such devastating actions and words that also fill me with joy and hope. Yasmin Rahman has written another beautiful novel that broke my heart as I cherished the bonds between siblings and friends.
This Is My Truth is an emotional and empowering read that I would highly recommend but please read the trigger warnings first.

I’ve heard a lot about Yasmin Rahman’s debut novel, All the Things We Never Said, particularly it being quite intense, but having not read it myself, I was unsure what to expect from the author’s writing. This Is My Truth broke me. Rahman captures the pain and vulnerability of being a teenager and shouldering the burden of something that’s way more than what you should have to perfectly. The main character of the book, Amaani, deals with the usual stresses of a teenager about to sit their GCSEs and feeling the pressure of needing to know what do with their lives, as well as hiding the fact that her father consistently physically and emotionally abuses her mother. Amaani feels constant shame and disappointment at herself for not being able to stop or help the situation as well as a huge amount of pressure to protect her family’s secret. I thought the author did a brilliant job of representing the realities of a situation that unfortunately a lot of young people are probably familiar with and I can imagine a lot of young people who have gone through or are currently experiencing similar situations finding a lot of comfort in the representation. I also thought Rahman did a great job of highlighting the reality of how in many South Asian communities domestic abuse is seen as the fault of the victim and is a very taboo topic. Along with the topic of domestic abuse, this book also does a great job at covering themes such as academic stress and friendship breakups that I think many young people will find relatable.

Overall, would definitely recommend this book, though do ensure you check out the trigger warnings beforehand and be warned that it’s a very intense read. I look forward to reading more of Yasmin Rahman’s work in the future.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in the book due to the author and how here previous books have touched on important topics.

The characters are empowering and at times in the most difficult situations, that as a fellow muslim, can relate very well to.

The book has great lessons to be learnt and I was not expecting to get emotionally attached to some of the characters, but I certainly did (shed a tear or two).

This book will, for sure, be seen on my bookshelf once it's been published.

Thank you for accepting my request of this book. I am grateful to have been a part of the experience.

This Is My Truth by Yasmin Rahman is a story about friends and family dynamic, being brave and true as well as fighting for what's best. This book tells us not to be be scared to reach out for help because everyone deserves to be happy, so fight for it and it shall be, Inshaallah.

I mainly picked this book up because I remember just how much I enjoyed reading the author's debut novel, All The Things We Never Said so when I saw it is available on Netgalley UK, I just had to request and read it. As I expected, this book is sad and heartbreaking but its also empowering as the characters who are going through difficulties finally frees themselves from it - shackled away from the clutches of an abuser.

I really like the friendship between Amaani and Huda, how they're always helping and looking for each other. But sometimes it gets too much and conflicts are bound to happen. I didn't expect this book to have Gossip Girls vibe and what was even more surprising was to find out the person behind it. This story proves just how messy relationships can be but to not lose hope as there will always be loved ones who will always root and support you, no matter what.

I thoroughly really enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will be interested enough to go pick it up once it comes out later this month. This book will make you angry and sad but most important of all is that it will make you rise up to the occasion and root for the characters along the journey to freedom.

I absolutely loved this book. Yasmin's books are always so dark yet full of hope and that's what I love about them. I loved the incredibly realistic depiction of domestic abuse and seeing the impact it had on all of the different members was fascinating. I also loved seeing the depiction of someone in the foster care system as that is not something we often see in YA. This book was addictive, emotional yet full of hope and that's what I loved most.

I cried.

This book is pretty much my teenage years... its very realistic. We follow Amani and Huda, both brilliant characters with so much depth, through their final year at school.

There are a lot of trigger warnings like racism, bullying and domestic abuse. I found it so hard hitting and real. It was close to many things that i experienced myself.

I was screaming at the characters, when i saw the tell-tale signs, the red flags but i guess they have to work things out for themselves!!

Highly recommend, gripping story, this is on the younger side of YA but important to read. I need to go and download this authors first book!!!!