All the Truth I Can Stand
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Nov 5, 2024
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- $11.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A gay teenager in 1990s Wyoming must contend with the violent loss of a loved one in this historical YA novel that draws from the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard in 1998.
Juniper, Wyoming, high school student Ash is still reeling from his mother’s death and ostracization by his friends when his father signs him up to join the crew for a college production of Oklahoma! Ash is slowly drawn out of his shell by student reporter Jenna and the star of the show, Shane, with whom a romance slowly blooms. Shane is talented, sensitive, and magnetic, but also deeply troubled. When Shane is found brutally beaten and unconscious, Jenna and Ash are shattered. And after Shane dies, they watch his death become a rallying point for gay rights advocates, and they wonder what the full story is and if they truly knew Shane at all.
All The Truth I Can Stand is a heartbreaking exploration of grief and legacy, and details the good and the bad that can come to pass when an imperfect person is made into a symbol.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Stokes reimagines the murder of Matthew Shepard in this speculative historical novel, an auspicious debut. In 1990s Wyoming, 17-year-old Ash is instantly infatuated with 19-year-old Shane, who Ash first sees playing Curly in a production of Oklahoma! Upon meeting at a cast party, sparks ignite, and Shane's friend Jenna encourages their blossoming relationship. Though the boys start spending more time together, Shane remains cautious about romantic entanglements; Ash laments this and prods Shane into treating him less like a "little brother." When he learns that Shane has a history of engaging in substance use, including methamphetamines, Ash's father warns him to stay away from Shane. But as Shane begins exhibiting odd behaviors, Ash and Jenna grow increasingly concerned. Then Shane is assaulted and tied to a fence. His subsequent death is declared a hate crime, and as Ash and Jenna investigate, they learn some uncomfortable truths. Keen prose meditates on the nature of violence fueled by bigotry and its effects, making for a layered and provocative telling that will encourage readers to critically examine their own behaviors and perceptions. An author's note concludes. Ages 14–up.
