The Truth About Tomorrow by B. Celeste
Reviewed by Ryane P.
Teen reviews are written by local teens on a book of their choosing. Teens earn volunteer hours for every review they write. Learn more about this program on our Volunteen page.
The Truth About Tomorrow by B. Celeste is a haunting, emotionally charged book that follows 16-year-old Charlie Tucker, a troubled teen battling emotional instability and healing from her own problems. She’s a teenager who develops a romantic relationship with her older adoptive uncle, Ollie. The book centers around the idea of Charlie truly finding herself and learning to fight her PTSD while creating a relationship with 30-year-old Oliver James. Due to the nature of this relationship, this book is recommended for mature readers.
Through raw characterization and an intimate level of emotional understanding, Celeste constructs a narrative that urges readers to grasp the lasting impacts of trauma and human connection. Celeste fabricates a character-driven world that feels painfully intimate as she introduces more and more characters into the carefully forged novel. What sets this novel apart is its deeply crafted emotional intensity. The small-town environment feels lifeless, judgmental and full of silent expectations. Exactly the kind of world that feels as though everyone knows your past and assumes your future. Charlie’s character is written with unfiltered honesty. She is full of drive, passion and a little bit of impulsiveness, yet her vulnerability makes her impossible to dismiss. Ollie serves as her other half; he’s not idealized, yet Celeste truly shows his internal conflict and hesitation as clearly as Charlie’s disorganized chaos. Their unsettling relationship pushes the readers to think about responsibility, power, and risk. The dynamic is intentionally uncomfortable at times, pulling the readers in and forcing them to confront the tension throughout their connection. Short, emotion-filled moments replace long descriptions, trapping the audience in Charlie’s mind. The pacing reflects Charlie’s ups and downs, relying on intense moments that are just as consuming as they are captivating.
Celeste’s writing style further amplifies these terms. She composes her book in a way not meant to comfort her audience, but to challenge readers to confront uncomfortable situations about trauma, healing, and the reality of unclear boundaries. Her prose is raw and intimate, oftentimes to shadow Charlie’s cleaved mental state. Celeste presents a narrative that questions the idea of finding oneself while carrying unsettled pains. Charlie’s journey is not defined by her relationship alone but rather by her painful recognition that survival requires both accountability and self-awareness. When Charlie’s relationship with Ollie is discovered, it is abruptly put on hold. This interruption doesn’t bring clarity or closure but leaves readers unsettled and plunges them into a reflective state. Years later, when Charlie and Ollie reconnect, their dynamic is noticeably abstracted and altered as a result of the little communication between them. Their reunion is not framed as a romantic resolution but as a moment of realization shaped by maturity, growth, memory, and regret.
Ultimately, The Truth About Tomorrow leaves readers longing for more as Charlie and Ollie work toward reconnecting and confronting the weight of their time apart. Celeste ends the novel without leaving readers satisfied and with complete certainty, inviting readers to sit with the complexity of what has changed and what remains. Their shared past remains present, defining each interaction and reminding readers that healing does not mean forgetting but rather embracing. Similar books include My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell and Truly, Madly, Deeply by L.J. Shen. Both books explore power imbalance and delayed self-realization. I highly recommend this book to anyone because while the subject matter may feel heavy, it leaves readers with a lingering sense of reflection long after the final page.
This book is not available from CAPL but can be requested through our Interlibrary Loan program. Learn how to request books at https://www.caryarealibrary.org/ill/