From award-winning author Eric Gansworth comes Give Me Some Truth, a powerful YA novel about art, identity, and fighting for your voice.
Set in 1980 on the Tuscarora Reservation in upstate New York, the novel follows two teens: Carson Mastick, a budding musician determined to win a battle of the bands and break free from the limits placed on him; and Maggi Bokoni, an artist navigating prejudice, expectations, and the search for authenticity.
Against a backdrop of cultural struggles, punk rock, and Ronald Reagan’s America, Carson and Maggi confront racism, poverty, and the challenge of staying true to themselves.
Raw, honest, and deeply moving, Give Me Some Truth explores what it means to claim your own story and your own truth—through music, art, and resilience.
🎯 Perfect For
Readers of contemporary YA with themes of identity, art, and activism
Fans of Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), Sherman Alexie, and Elizabeth Acevedo
Educators looking to diversify classroom reading lists with Indigenous voices
Book clubs discussing race, culture, and self-expression in America
💡 Why You’ll Love It
Authentic Native American representation, written by a Tuscarora author
Combines art, music, and social issues in a powerful coming-of-age story
Honest exploration of racism, cultural identity, and resilience
Gritty 1980s setting filled with music, politics, and activism
Resonates with teens searching for their place in the world
Give Me Some Truth by Eric Gansworth
📖 Book Details
- Condition: New
- Author: Eric Gansworth
- Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic
- Publication Date: May 29, 2018
- Format: Hardcover / Paperback / eBook / Audiobook
- Pages: 432
- Language: English
- ISBN-13: 9781338143546
📚 Genre
- Young Adult Fiction
- Contemporary / Historical YA (1980s setting)
- Native American / Indigenous Literature
- Coming-of-Age
👥 Recommended Reading Age
-
Ages 14+ (Young Adult / Teen Readers)
Contains strong themes of racism, identity, and social issues, best suited for high school readers and up.
Awards and Praise for Give Me Some Truth:
NPR Best Books of the Year
Boston Globe Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year
* "Gansworth's follow-up to If I Ever Get Out of Here has an incredible voice.... His characters are rich, well developed, and will stay with readers for a long time.... A stellar choice for YA realistic fiction shelves." -- School Library Journal, starred review
"Gansworth vividly captures the difficulties of reservation life and showcases his thoughtful protagonists' multidimensional interests and far-reaching aspirations." -- Publishers Weekly
"An intimate look at the teens' lives.... A rich, honest story of family and friends, of a Nation within a nation." -- The Horn Book
"An achingly real and honest look into the lives of teenagers pushed to the margins, creating and loving against life's headwinds. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, always heartfelt." -- Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days
"From the first pages of If I Ever Get Out of Here, Dog Street was as alive to me as my own street and the people were as alive as my own. And when I finished, Dog Street sustained itself in my head as an ongoing place. I was so happy to have more time in a world that has become so alive to me. This book, Give Me Some Truth, teleported me in. I know I read it too fast. But it was like seeing the cousins you love at the picnic, how you just run to them. How you just want to hear everything." -- Lynda Barry, author of The Good Times Are Killing Me and One! Hundred! Demons!
"A stunning and powerful story about kids on the edge and what it means to break free of tradition and expectations. This book should be on every high school reading list." -- Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
"A classic teen novel." -- Kirkus Reviews