Frannie and Tru

About this book

“Absorbing, electrifying, and achingly relatable. Frannie and Tru is a book with a pulse.” —Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Perfect for fans of Prep and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Frannie and Tru is a dazzling YA debut about a transformative summer in the life of a girl whose idol is not what he seems. Frannie has always idolized her cousin Tru. At seventeen, Tru is charismatic, rich, charming—everything fifteen-year-old Frannie wants to be, and everything she’s not. So when Frannie overhears her parents saying that after a bad coming-out experience Tru will be staying with them in Baltimore for the summer, Frannie is excited and desperate to impress him. But as Frannie gets swept up in Tru’s worldly way of life, she starts to worry that it may all be a mask Tru wears to hide a dark secret. And if Tru isn’t the person Frannie thought he was, what does that mean for the new life she has built with him? Confronting issues of race, class, and sexuality, Karen Hattrup weaves a powerful coming-of-age story that’s at once timeless and immediate, sharply observed, and recognizable to anyone who has ever loved the idea of a person more than the reality.

Censorship history

In 2024, "Frannie and Tru" was banned at the school level in several districts across the United States due to its LGBTQ+ content. This ban reflects a growing trend in various states where school boards and parent-teacher associations have raised concerns about the appropriateness of LGBTQ+ themes in young adult literature. Specific instances of challenges have emerged in states like Texas and Florida, where formal complaints have led to votes on the removal of the book from school libraries and curricula. The outcomes of these challenges have varied, with some bans being upheld while others are still contested in local courts.

Bans

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