The Truth According to Ember Review
By Celeste Daniels
Hello, audacious readers!
It’s almost time to ring in the new year! But before we say good bye (and even good riddance) to 2025, let’s wrap up our last book of the month. Last month, we got political and lyrical with The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. This month, it was all about love and lies with The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava.
Ember Cardinal is no stranger to a white lie and while she would love to be a little more truthful in her life, lies always seem to make things easier. So, when she gets tired of getting rejected from every job she applies to, she decides that maybe a switch from checking “Native American” on the ethnicity question to “White”—only a half lie, technically.
Soon after, Ember lands a well-paying job working at a tech startup. She also catches the eye of the IT guy and fellow Native, Danuwoa Colson, despite the company’s no-dating policy. However, Ember quickly discovers that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. She soon finds herself lying about everything: her home, her car, her background, and even her work. And though she gains a lot from them, she also has just as much to lose. Soon, Ember discovers that the only way out is with the truth, even if it comes at the cost of everything.
This story is half a rom-com and half a corporate drama. The moment I realized what kind of company she was working at, I immediately knew that it was going to be a rough ride for her. If you didn’t know, I once worked at a tech startup, so reading Ember’s journey was unfortunately relatable. In fact, most of Ember’s issues were relatable.
The stress to succeed despite everything she’s going through; how she yearned for something more; the conflict she felt when dating Danuwoa; her irritation at being surrounded by racist people who did not see themselves that way. It made me root for her, despite the lies.
In fact, it’s what made me like the romance. Danuwoa was a breath of fresh air as a romance hero. He was giving, kind, and funny. A tad too perfect, some may argue, but I will take it in the year that was 2025 (sometimes, a girl just needs a reprieve). It also made me want to scream when the lies became increasingly unnecessary. I just wanted to hit her with “Tell him the TRUTH” Genie-style but when a relationship is built on lies, it can be hard to convince someone there was ever any truth to it.
If I were Ember’s friend, I would have told her two things: 1) Everyone lies in corporate. It could be a small or big lie. It could be about the work or achievements or someone’s background. Corporate as an environment almost requires it. So, don’t take it overboard but don’t feel like you’re the only one doing it either.
2) There is a difference between lying and keeping things private. When you enter a professional space, you owe no one information about your life. Not your car, house, love life, family—none of it. So, live your life and keep it as close to the vest as you want. If they don’t like that, you are in the wrong company.
In this rare instance, I actually liked ending because of the self-discovery rather than the romance. Some may look at it as optimistic but its probably the realest part of the book. Leaning on your community is not a weakness. More often than not, it’s the best solution because it’s a place where you can come as you are, flaws and all. You may discover, like Ember, that everything you need to get to the place you want is there. And while I love romance (and never mind some spice), I hope readers take away that message too.
I hope you enjoyed The Truth According to Ember! Make sure to check out the Audacity Book Club merch! Get your “Not ya mama’s book club” hats today and keep an eye out for the “Not ya mama’s book club” sweatshirts, launching in 2026. Until then, comment your thoughts below and make stay tuned for January’s book club read as well as the annual drunk book review.
And of course, don’t forget to read audaciously!
