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A review by thelibraryskeeper
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this absolute delight of a debut novel.
The Truth According to Ember is a romantic comedy that handles generational trauma and cultural appropriation in a way that I do not think I have seen represented in a Native-told story before. The author remarked "Where are all the native romances?" and I asked the same thing. Nava lays out the story using a single POV (honestly not done often enough in the romance genre) from Ember. The main character has applied for jobs to try and move on up in the world to prove herself. After rejection after rejection, she concludes that maybe it's her on paper that is stopping her from getting where she wants to be. So begins the lies. Ember lies her way into her dream job and then some. Not to mention the literally Native Daddy of her dreams. But at what cost will her lies be? At what point will it be too much? The author mentions at the end of the book that a lot of what Ember went through was actual things she dealt with in her life. Reading this at the end of the book hit me with maximum impact. It's awful and it's real. Big congratulations to Nava on her debut - I can't wait to see what's next.
Themes: forced proximity, happily ever after, he falls first, forbidden romance
The Truth According to Ember is a romantic comedy that handles generational trauma and cultural appropriation in a way that I do not think I have seen represented in a Native-told story before. The author remarked "Where are all the native romances?" and I asked the same thing. Nava lays out the story using a single POV (honestly not done often enough in the romance genre) from Ember. The main character has applied for jobs to try and move on up in the world to prove herself. After rejection after rejection, she concludes that maybe it's her on paper that is stopping her from getting where she wants to be. So begins the lies. Ember lies her way into her dream job and then some. Not to mention the literally Native Daddy of her dreams. But at what cost will her lies be? At what point will it be too much? The author mentions at the end of the book that a lot of what Ember went through was actual things she dealt with in her life. Reading this at the end of the book hit me with maximum impact. It's awful and it's real. Big congratulations to Nava on her debut - I can't wait to see what's next.
Themes: forced proximity, happily ever after, he falls first, forbidden romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Classism and Abandonment