Families who loved Nothing But the Truth (and a Few White Lies) by Justina Chen often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling with the weight of 'perfect' expectations or feeling like an outsider in their own skin. Patty Ho is a fifteen year old girl caught between worlds: she is half Taiwanese and half white, and feels she is 'not enough' of either. To escape her mother's strict control and the feeling of being a disappointment, she heads to a summer math camp at Stanford, where she unexpectedly finds the freedom to define herself on her own terms. This story explores the nuances of biracial identity and the complex, often painful friction that can exist between a mother and daughter. While the academic setting is high pressure, the emotional core is about self discovery and finding a sense of belonging that is not dependent on cultural purity or perfect grades. It is a realistic, compassionate look at the teenage experience of outgrowing others' expectations to find your own truth.
