I stopped in the middle of reading True to jot a quick note about why I kept reading something so far out of my normal reading pile in case I forgot later. I shouldn’t have worried.

True is not some light, fluffy story about finding the person who makes you happy. It’s not a comfort, or comfortable, read. It’s a kick in the teeth kind of book about how life isn’t fair, about how no white knight comes flying in to save those failed by the system that’s supposed to keep them safe, and about how the ones everyone expects to be on your side, intentionally or not, may be the source of your biggest problems.

I’d misread the blurb and picked it up expecting a New Adult Romance, a category I’m curious about. If this is indicative of the New Adult category, though, then I get it. Some of the problems are similar to Young Adult, but the place Rory and Tyler are in is different. The power they have over their lives is the scary, intimidating, and freeing power of being an adult on the verge of complete independence with the weight of the future firmly in their hands. This book made me cry, and it’s a rare text that can throw me that deep into other lives.

Another sign of how much the story caught me is that I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want it so much that I did what I typically don’t do, which is read the teaser chapters for the next book. The next in the series is not about Rory and Tyler, but they’re there, and I’m thrilled with the pairing suggested in the next one coming, because I could see it in True and wanted to learn how the pairing worked.

It’s been a while since I read a straight fiction book, one that doesn’t fall into the literary, romance, or historical categories. Many of those I’ve read over the years seem to be trying too hard. They either turn me off with unlikeable main characters (and no, “likeable” doesn’t mean I want to have lunch with them. Just that I’m interested in their journey), or they throw in social crises for the tension rather than because the story is about experiencing, surviving, and learning from those crises.

True does none of these things. It involves real people who aren’t always smart or nice. It looks at the problems in society by how they affect the characters, and rarely is the experience simple or black and white . If you’ve been walking through life with blinders on, True is the book to make you question assumptions about the legal system, drug users and drug use, and the social expectations that can trap people in situations they should never have to face.

If you’ve read this far, perhaps you’re getting the feeling this is a crusader book out to teach you everything wrong with our world, that it’s full of fancy preaching about what choices to make, and how to get out of the messes you might find yourself in.

Maybe it is, in some ways, but not in the ones that count. If you can’t see yourself in Rory, odds are you have a friend, a sister, or even an enemy who might be like her. Tyler offers the same feeling of familiarity, as do many of the other characters peopling this book. Very few of us have never been in any of the circumstances they find themselves in, whether in college, high school, or out in the “real” world. The story feels personal, approachable, and sometimes hitting all too close to home.

To show what I mean, here’s the note I jotted to myself. It lays out why this book captivated me, and why I have recommended it to several people already.

True is exactly the kind of book I never read. It starts with a near rape, is full of cursing, cigarettes, and harsh circumstances. I read for the positive, for hope, and for stepping beyond the darkness.

So why am I still reading this too-old, socially awkward virgin’s journey through discovering sex and the complicated emotions that come with finding someone she wants to take that step with?

Because, like the title, this book is true. It pulls no punches and leaves the rose-colored glasses in the other room. It gives a picture of life at its worst while giving us people strong enough not to give in, not to be crushed, though they’re certainly bruised, by the truth that is life.

There are some books you should read not for enjoyment, though I’d be stunned if you didn’t enjoy True, but because they either give you insight into the struggles of the people around you or offer evidence that you’re not alone in your own challenges. This is one of those books. As such, it’s destined for a banned book list somewhere. Take that as a sign it’s worth reading.

I received this title through NetGalley, but the opinions are all my own.