Draft:It Rhymes With Truth

• Comment: Sorry, these are paid reviews, which don't count towards WP:NBOOK. asilvering (talk) 02:32, 21 August 2024 (UTC)

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It Rhymes With Truth is a tragicomical coming of age novel by Rich Miller that was published in 2024. The novel is about an unnamed 8-and-a-half-year-old homeless boy who is taken in by an elderly woman named Ruth. She lives in a retirement home and hides the boy there during the events of the novel. The book is narrated by the boy at age 18, looking back on a decade of life with Ruth.

Reception

It Rhymes With Truth has been praised in advanced reviews of the novel. In a 5 Star review, Clarion Reviews said “The nature of memory is interrogated at every turn, and the possibility of love is never denied in It Rhymes with Truth, a poignant novel about a cross-generational friendship.... With equal parts wit and tenderness, Rich Miller’s heartfelt novel looks for answers to the question of loneliness in the relationship between a young boy and an old woman. It Rhymes with Truth burns with compassion and delights in all of the absurd, beautiful, and painful ways that people try to care for one another against the crushing weight of alienation.”

In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews said “Miller’s deeply felt tale illustrates how life’s greatest challenges always arrive before we’re ready for them, and how they shape us into the people we become….A masterfully controlled tear-jerker of a novel about found family.”

BookLife/Publisher’s Weekly named it an Editor’s Choice book, saying, “Miller’s storytelling is charming and contemplative... subtly showcasing the defensive psyche of a child shaped by a rough childhood. A vital, moving novel.”

In an IR Approved review, Indie Reader said, “The novel delves into themes of loneliness, friendship, healing, and self-discovery. It highlights the profound impact small interactions and gestures can have in shaping a person’s identity and understanding of the world.”

In a starred review, Blue Ink Reviews called it, “[A] thoroughly engaging novel—by turns, funny, thoughtful, sweet, and sad…. This book is wonderfully fresh, thanks to the author’s breezy style incorporating song lyrics, drawings, and funny footnotes….The book’s conclusion is heart-wrenching as the pieces of the story fall into place”

The book review organization Readers’ Favorite gave it unanimous 5-Star reviews by a panel of five reviewers. One of its reviewers praised the book by saying: “I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud while reading It Rhymes With Truth.... [The novel is] an absurd and unforgettable tour de force.”