Told through a series of emails, texts, and free verse poetry, The Truth Project tells a story of finding oneself and discovering that the family you choose is more important than the family DNA gives you.

A senior in high school, Cordelia was on the right track. She had early acceptance to college, loving parents - a typical model daughter. But when she consulted an ancestry site for her senior project and found unexpected results, Cordelia's whole world went into a tailspin. Caught between knowing the man who raised her and wanting to know the man she shares DNA with, Cordelia has to decide if digging up the past is worth shattering her present.

Written in a unique blend of poetry, emails, and text messages, The Truth Project was a thought-provoking, and at times emotional, look at teenage self-discovery. Using the ever-growing popularity of genealogical tests, The Truth Project examines the importance of nature versus nurture when someone discovers that the person they thought shared half their DNA really doesn't. Cordelia as a character was raw and real, her responses emotional, even heartbreaking at times. The writing was smooth, the free verse beautiful. The Truth Project is a true coming of age story, full of love, heartache, and discovering what truly matters.

I really liked the premise of Medema's novel-in-verse: that the protagonist, Cordelia, is thrown into an identity crisis by the results of a DNA test that suggests she isn't who she thought she was. The novel deals well with the icky toxicity of family secrets, and the ways in which ignorance can be both blissful and poisonous.

Given the complexity of what Cordelia discovers, though, I felt the conclusion was a little too tidy--all the conflict gets resolved in one evening at a poetry competition. It's a dramatic ending, but not a particularly believable one.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Written in texts, e-mails and verse, the author manages to put a lot of emotion into every page.

Cordelia does a senior project about her family's genealogy, doing a DNA test, and learns what she has long suspicioned - she just never feels like she is a perfect fit within her family. She learns that the father who raised her is not her biological father. Cordelia shares her thoughts and feelings with all those around her, Sana, who has plenty of issues of her own to deal with; Kodiak, who got way off track the previous year and now has the reputation of being a bad boy. Cordelia's older sister, Bea, is away at college and little sister Iris speaks in hashtags. She refuses to share any information with her parents, shutting them out completely. Cordelia's English teacher realizes what an immense talent lies within Cordelia and she does her best to bring it to light.

Identity, family, friendship and love all intertwine to create a memorable story. This would be a great book to share with high school language arts classes.

I have a soft spot for books in verse. The format works so well for YA, when there is so much that needs expressed and such an exuberance for saying it. I liked the emphasis on family, which is sometimes a theme more frequently explored in adult fiction. It treads an old subject, feeling like you don't belong, in a contemporary way.

A seemingly simple senior genealogy project turned into a life altering discovery for eighteen year old Cordelia Koenig. After receiving her DNA results, Cornelia now knew why she always seemed to not quite fit in with the rest of her family. Told through texts, emails, and poetry, Cordelia goes through an emotional journey of self discovery. But during that journey, she became so self absorbed that she neglected and lied to the people who most loved her.

Some parts of this story were a bit frustrating, but also very realistically written, especially with the lack of open communication between mother and daughter. At some point, I expected some in depth conversation, but instead Cordelia willingly and openly discussed her shocking discovery with her friends while at the same time shutting out her family members, such as her little sister who had no clue what was going on with Cordelia and why their mother was always crying. Her friends became her emotional outlet to vent all the hurt she was going through. Everyone was hurting and their once happy family life was filled with lies, avoidance, and tears.

This was a fast paced read that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Some of the issues discussed in this story were: teen pregnancy, abortion, friendships, affairs, self discovery, and the true meaning of what makes a family. I think teens will relate to and enjoy this book.

An ARC was given for an honest review.

This was an emotional story that I loved!! The characters and story were beautifully done and I could not put this one down. The family themes in this story will make you cry and laugh and just feel so much for the MC.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC to read and review

I love that this is a story told in verse, text, and email. I think this will really be something students will latch on to and enjoy. It was a great way to read a story and possibly might be really accessible to reluctant readers. It is a coming of age story of a young girl who is looking to someday leave her small Alaskan town, and the discovery of who she is which I think will also really resonate with teens.

I felt like this was an honest story that really dealt with life in a realistic way readers can relate to easily. I liked the characters and although I didn't always agree with them on situations I still really connected with them. I would definitely recommend this book to my students and have it in a class library.

I am normally an iffy consumer of verse, but I really loved this one.

Things I liked: the characters were so relatable, the format felt very authentic, and the poems were lovely.

DNA doesn’t lie. It doesn’t care if it hurts you or makes you question your identity either.

Cordelia has never quite felt like she fit into her family. She jokes that she’s the .5 kid in the average family of 2.5 kids. But when she chooses to get her DNA results as part of her senior project on identity, she finds a bit more truth than she was looking for. When she finds out that the man who raised her isn't her biological father, it sends her on a quest to find out where she belongs.

Meanwhile, she's working on her senior poetry project with Kodiak, the boy she grew up with, who's turned into "trouble." Despite him getting a girl pregnant last year and getting arrested, straight-A student Cordelia finds herself drawn to him and his poetry.

Together, they go on a quest to find the truth about Cordelia's biological father.

This book gave me all the feels! Every teen who’s ever questioned who they are or where the fit in the world will relate to Cordelia. I enjoyed the unique format. Cordelia’s story is told through hauntingly beautiful poetry, interspersed with casual texts and more formal emails to her teachers. You really felt like you saw all sides of her: the person she was to herself, the person she was to her family, the person she was with her best friends and the person she is with her teachers.

You'll cheer for Cordelia as she finds her way through the lies to her version of the truth.

This was a highly anticipated read for me that I'd had my eye on for months, and it didn't disappoint. I loved every beautiful word of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the advance review copy provided in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Truth Project by Dante Medema.

This is a story told in verse form, or through dialogues via email/text. It was a different and interesting way to read a story. Ultimately it's about a young girl who is looking to someday leave her small Alaskan town, and perhaps more about who she is.

I felt like this was an honest and heartbreaking story, and it shines a light on how mistakes of our past can effect us for years. I did find myself frustrated with pretty much all of the characters at one time or another, but isn't that so typical of life? This was a good and unique YA book that I would happily lend to my teen.

This. Book. Was. AMAZING! I finished it in a few hours and couldn’t put it down. The writing style was incredible and the characters made me feel so many emotions. I definitely recommend this book to everyone!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I loved this book. I started it last night and ended up staying up until I finished it. I really enjoyed the style of writing; the combination of email, text, and poetry. It was unique and engaging, but done so artfully that it just felt natural. The main character, Cordelia, had a beautiful story arc and her character seemed well developed. I highly recommend this book.

This was a beautiful and engaging book with strong writing and characterization. Definitely recommend picking this one up!

The Truth Project is an interesting read! Feeling a sense of not really belonging leads to a DNA search as part f a school project. Lots of life lessons in this book! Things are not always what they seem to be and sometimes the grass does look greener on the other side. Teens will like this story as it connects to friendships, family issues, finding a sense of belonging, and exploring who we are - or who we think we are. This book is well written and holds the reader's attention. This will be on my recommendation list for Fall!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a beautiful blend of verse and epistolary, with a memorable main character and really terrific supporting cast. It deals with heavy family issues with a deft hand. It's deeply felt and really memorable.