“This Terrible True Thing, Laden’s story becomes that of Danielle, a teen from Philadelphia attending boarding school in New Jersey in the early 1990s and navigating the uncharted territory of having a newly out-of-the-closet parent. When Danielle finds out that her father is HIV-positive, her world is upended, sending her on a coming-of-age journey.”
-R. Eric Thomas, Philadlephia Magazine
Check out the Spotify playlist for the book.
Awards and Press for This Terrible True Thing
Winner of 2024 Audie Award for Best Young Adult Audiobook, Narrated by Gail Shalan, produced by Blackstone Publishing
Philly Books We Love: Jenny Laden’s This Terrible True Thing, by R. Eric Thomas
Best Books from The Philadelphia Inquirer
“This Terrible True Thing is billed as a Young Adult novel — and its many line drawings read like (impressive) doodles in the margins of a notebook — but the complexity of Danielle’s relationship with her father as they wrestle with the grief and ignorance of the era allows this story to transcend the YA/lit-fic divide.” Laden will be at the William Way LGBT Community Center on Sept. 6. (Blackstone Publishing, $19.99, Sept. 5)
Praise for This Terrible True Thing
“Jenny Laden captures the confusion and sadness of the dark days of AIDS…Through her intimate voice and illustrations, she powerfully conveys the experience of being a teenager caught between worlds…This is a tender story, a beautiful story. I loved reading it.”
– Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father
“A generous-spirited, beautifully human, elegiac first novel of love, family, loss, and the transformative power of art that will crack open your heart and make new room inside. I wish I’d had this book years ago.”
- Libba Bray, #1 NYTimes bestselling author
“With crisp writing, elegant illustrations, and characters who just burst with life and authenticity, Jenny Laden delivers a moving, finely crafted story that immerses you into the soul-wrenching early years of the AIDS epidemic. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll love this triumph of a book.”
- Neal Bascomb, NYTimes bestselling author of The Grand Escape
"This multifaceted novel helps young people connect with a vitally important time that they may know little about - the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s. Dani's journals, drawings, and stories personalize these historical moments and make this time come alive. While the events may be in the past, the lessons of compassion, empathy, and love that Dani, her family, and friends learn are timeless."
-Al Vernacchio, author of For Goodness Sex: A Sex-Positive Guide to Raising Healthy, Empowered Teens
“This Terrible True Thing is a brilliant blow-by-blow about what it means to love someone who adores you, and then lose them right when you need them the most. Art-love suffuses every page. There are many passages I wish I could have written…Jenny Laden’s witty voice and sharp powers of observation make for a unique, fresh, and important debut.”
– Justin Evans, author of A Good and Happy Child
"A 90s nostalgia trip that, for once, doesn’t ignore the AIDS epidemic, but rather tackles it head on with heart and dignity, This Terrible True Thing authentically portrays the tension of living in two worlds –– neither of which you feel you fully belong in…witty, earnest, educational, and deeply cathartic all at once.”
- Jackson Bird, writer, performer, and LGBTQ+ advocate