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Wicked

The Wicked Truth

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Stella Sullivan just wants to forget.
But forgetting that night isn’t possible. She’s now navigating life with constant anxiety and nightmares she can’t escape, even after her mom got a job offer that took her far away from the living reminder of what had happened.
With this fresh start, Stella plans on staying under the radar—no friends, no extracurriculars, no distractions, and especially no boys. That is, until she meets her new neighbors. With emerald eyes and dark hair, Cade Carver is everything she desperately needs to avoid, but that proves to be impossible when his sister, Brooke, becomes the one person capable of breaking her rule.
As their friendship grows, Brooke’s dark secret comes to light, forcing Stella to confront the demons of her past. She’s the only one who can discover the truth of what really happened to Brooke. But will Stella risk everything to uncover it … even if it means losing the one boy she never planned on falling for?
Sometimes, the truth is better left buried.

Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2021

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Pru Schuyler

29 books530 followers

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5 stars
124 (29%)
4 stars
118 (28%)
3 stars
109 (26%)
2 stars
48 (11%)
1 star
16 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Emmyreads444.
318 reviews1,481 followers
August 28, 2023
I read this in 5 hours. I simply couldn’t put it down. Cade + Stella will forever have my heart. As someone who survived SA that went on for over a decade I’ve never felt more seen in a book before. This book had me laughing , crying , gigging at the banter between the main characters. I wish I could give this a million stars. I’m dropping all the books I have on my TBR to start the second book in the series right now because the wicked truth was that damn good. My babe Pru never misses.
Profile Image for Sara .
276 reviews42 followers
August 1, 2023
4 ⭐️

The book literally so underrated.
Where I can start, the writing was good, easy to read and the Storyline itself.
Stella was amazing how she tried to move on with her life after what she been through, trying to stand up for her best friend despite of her past and Stella and Cade were so cute together.

T.W: sexual assault
Profile Image for Lynnzie (lynnziebooks).
446 reviews47 followers
July 23, 2023
I loved this book. Stella is a protagonist I love. She is strong but vulnerable. She’s trying to move on from her past and finding her strength again even though she doesn’t feel strong.

This book is about overcoming traumatic events and even though something happened to you, it’s always a part of you but doesn’t define you. I loved seeing Stella’s journey, not only hers but the other characters as well. She finds her strength through the people she loves but also through herself.

The love in this book was precious. They made my heart MELT. They had obstacles to overcome but I was rooting for them the entire time. Where do I find a Cade? Asking for a friend….

Overall, this is a solid read. Pru Schuyler really threw her heart into this book, her debut by the way, and it shows. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for L.L. Meyer.
Author 10 books339 followers
February 11, 2022
Heart-wrenching, yet hopeful . . .
"If you'll have me, I'm yours."
And no, it wasn't the heroine who said that (⬆⬆) but the hero. 😍😍

First off, major trigger warning for sexual assault. The story revolves around it and if that's not something you want to read about, you should stay away.

That said, if you're prepared to take Stella's journey, it's definitely a worthy one as the reader goes into the mind of a survivor.
Austin ruined me. And he continues to ruin every thought I have, and any hope of me ever trusting a guy and letting him get close.
The author did such a good job here.🥺🥺 I loved the way Stella's narrative shifted from fragmented and heart-breakingly obsessive to slowly having her re-gain her footing in a new town, in a new school, with new friends, namely twins Brooke and Cade.

Her friendship with Brooke quickly flourishes, but Stella is both uncomfortable around Cade and drawn to him.
I feel the dead butterflies try to come to life.
It was bittersweet to watch Cade be confused by her keeping him at arm's length despite her obvious attraction to him, and then to watch them traverse the very rocky road of their love.
"You don't get to make me fall for you and then leave without even trying."
But the true magic of the story was in the author's message about sexual assault.
Every single person handles their trauma in their own way. There is no right or wrong.
Such good stuff.

If you're into . . .
✔ YA romance
✔ YA mystery
✔ true to life stories of a survivor
✔ a high school setting
✔ strong heroines
✔ sweet heroes with an edge to them
. . . you've found your next read.

Profile Image for Alisha.
532 reviews159 followers
July 5, 2021
ʸᵒᵘ ⁿᵉᵛᵉʳ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʷʰᵃᵗ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵒⁿᵉ ʰⁱᵈᵉˢ ᵇᵉʰⁱⁿᵈ ᵃ ᵐᵃˢᵏ. ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ ᶜʰᵒᵒˢᵉ ᵃ ᵐᵃˢᵏ ᵒᶠ ʰᵃᵖᵖⁱⁿᵉˢˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜʰᵉᵉʳ. ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᶜʰᵒᵒˢᵉ ᵗᵒ ⁱˢᵒˡᵃᵗᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜˡᵒˢᵉ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸᵒⁿᵉ ᵒᶠᶠ. ᴬⁿᵈ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᶜʰᵒᵒˢᵉ ᵗᵒ ˡᵃˢʰ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵃᵗ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵖᵉᵒᵖˡᵉ, ᵍᵉᵗᵗⁱⁿᵍ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵃⁿᵍᵉʳ ᵒᵘᵗ. ᴺᵒ ᵒⁿᵉ ʰᵃⁿᵈˡᵉˢ ᵖᵃⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵃᵐᵉ ʷᵃʸ. ᴱᵛᵉʳʸᵒⁿᵉ ᶜʰᵒᵒˢᵉˢ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉʸ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ ᵗᵒ ˢᵉᵉ.

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 ~ 4.9🌟
𝘛.𝘞 ~ 𝘚𝘦𝘹𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘶𝘭𝘵, 𝘝𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

Wicked Truth is story of a sexual assault survivor, Stella Suvillian. Raped by her ex boyfriend, Stella is a defination of vulnerable yet a strong person. Stella's life takes beautiful turn when she meets Cade and Brooke. She learns to trust and believe others.
The Wicked Truth is a character driven, very touching and heart breaking-ly amazing book. It's not easy to speak or write about such trauma. But you Pru, you've shown the world that a sexual assault survivor is not weak. They're not fragile. Healing takes time. But at the end, they come out stronger than before. When you start to live happy a life and not let that fear hinder your self growth, that takes courage. And that abundance of courage that you have is a middle finger to all those who says/thinks otherwise.



~~ 𝙷𝚞𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚎 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 ~~
311 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2022
This book wasn’t bad per say but I definitely didn’t enjoy it.

It written like a young teen which I suppose is on purpose considering Stella is only young (16/17). I think it’s not aimed at my age which is why I felt the book was too… young and the characters weren’t very developed. The guy who’s name I cannot even remember was weirdly so intensely into her and it was because she didn’t faint at the sight of him. Stella could have been more fleshed out and the way she dealt with the whole situation with her instant bestie… was just weird and I’m not sure realistic (although I could be wrong and probably am).

The concept was good and when reading the back i understood and appreciate why the book was written. A book like this especially the end with the group was relevant and they are needed in the world. I just don’t know if the book overall dealt with it in a realistic way but I just know I won’t continue the series.


Maybe I’m just too old
Profile Image for Jenny Hickman.
Author 29 books793 followers
June 10, 2021
The Wicked Truth is a character-driven story about a teen named Stella who is trying to navigate life and love in a new town while keeping the dark secrets of her past hidden. Schuyler builds tension like a pro and creates a storyline that keeps you guessing AND turning pages.

The Wicked Truth had me white-knuckled, on the edge of my seat, praying for a HEA.
29 reviews
June 24, 2021
OKAY. Holy. Moly. I don’t even know where to start!

This book started off so strong and just kept going. I LOVE that the trigger warning is not hidden. It’s front and center! It is well known what you’re getting into before you read.

Now this is one of those hauntingly beautiful stories that you don’t want to put down. Like you know it’s going to hurt but there’s also some sunlight to come from the storm.

I think Pru really excels in emotional connection. AND having just enough mystery and drama to keep the page turning.

Im really loving how strong the emotions transfer through the pages. It’s an emotionally connecting read! You feel every thought Stella has. Every fear, every anxiety as well as every moment of happiness.

I have told Pru this story is as thought provoking as the invisible life of addie larue. Or as upsetting/bittersweet as five feet apart. For a debut novel I’m really really impressed.

5/5⭐️ I loved it. It made me cry! I couldn’t put the book down and I finished in less than 2 days!
Profile Image for Evelina K.L.
190 reviews68 followers
July 23, 2021
[ARC Reader] 4.9 stars
An inspirational story told by a victim of sexual abuse. A short, simple flow of events about how a survivor dealt with the after, her thoughts her coping mechanism of closing herself off, and how she got through it all step by step. I loved how Brooke's and Stella's relationship bloomed from the beginning and a strong bond was formed between these two.

And Cade? He is hot, kind, and a cute sweetheart. He is so supportive of Stella and I really loved how he took her mom's permission first before taking her out. What set me off a bit was his lack of compassion on Brooke's side but again, I didn't read his POV to know what he really thought.

Overall, I gave this book 5 stars mostly for the message it spread. A normal high school romance with a bitchy ex-girlfriend and a best friend. But of course, the difference was bigger and I loved how it was focused more on the journey of her going through her trauma. Beautiful work Pru!
Profile Image for sab.
494 reviews73 followers
March 5, 2026
okay, so i didn’t hate this one but i didn’t love it.

the storyline was otherworldly, i loved the topic but the writing and execution was.. not what i was hoping for. i don’t know if it’s because these are high school students but the writing reads very underdeveloped and awkward at times - not the biggest fan. and then the timeline of it all left me confused with how the story was moving.
Profile Image for Jordan Green.
1 review
June 25, 2021
Review: 5/5

TW: Sexual Assault

Pru Schuyler did a phenomenal job of portraying Stella and her other character’s emotions and their trauma. With such a heavy and sensitive subject like sexual assault, it truly takes an amazing author to accurately portray the character’s emotions and allow the reader to fully understand what the character is facing. Pru Schuyler definitely did an amazing job of doing exactly that!

Between the sexual tension and on-going suspense, The Wicked Truth was such a captivating read that I just couldn’t put down! There were both moments where I was in tears and others where I had butterflies in my stomach along with an occasional laugh or two.

I highly recommend this book but will warn everyone that you won’t be able to put it down once you start reading!

The Wicked Truth is absolutely one of my new favorite books! I am so proud of Pru for such an amazing debut novel and can’t wait to be able to read the rest of this series and see more of her beautiful writing.
Profile Image for Tay Marley.
Author 6 books406 followers
July 10, 2021
The Wicked Truth dives deep into surviving assault. The aftermath and living with the pain of sexual assault. This story is fast paced but doesn’t skimp on any of the important bits. The devastation is raw and real. Stella is doing her best in dealing with what she’s been through and when it comes to her friends, she’s loyal and desperate to ensure they’re happy. While I wasn’t necessarily in agreement with her choosing to read Brookes diary, I felt that her reasoning was well executed. It was obvious that Stella really believed she was doing the right thing. So while it bothered me that Stella read the diary, I appreciated the way it was written. Stories of survival will always be near and dear to me. Thank you Pru Schuyler for taking on this topic.
Profile Image for Sasha.
115 reviews18 followers
July 23, 2021
This book. Wow. This is one of those emotionally gripping, heartbreakingly beautiful stories. I felt the emotional highs and lows that the main character, Stella, experienced. I was always cheering for her as she took her life back.

I also really loved how this author showed how trauma can have many faces and that we truly don't know what anyone has been through.

I would not hesitate to pick this book up. It's a story that should be read by everyone. I look forward to the rest of this series.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Profile Image for Nis.
142 reviews3 followers
May 9, 2022
4,5 ⭐️
Wow. I just finished this book And all I have to say is that it’s so good. I’m so proud of Pru for writing such a great debut novel. The thing that I loved about this book is that it’s more than a love story.
Can’t wait for the next book
Profile Image for Katie Rowe.
219 reviews
March 14, 2024
2.5⭐️ sorry but I what in the worldddd. I was hopeful in the beginning and it was good with her feelings and her coming through it ect . BUT my god ? It jumped from meeting him to being in love with him to him buying them a house ? They’re 18? I swear the book was set in like a month span? And jesus sorry but some of the shit they did and were saying was absolutely ridiculous it was a tough tough read not sure why I carried on tbh lol
Profile Image for Evangelina.
183 reviews12 followers
February 8, 2024
Rating:4⭐️
Spice:2🌶️

Wow this book made me feel so many emotions. I was happy, sad, and more.

Now this book does have some triggers and those few triggers are heavy in this book, I still loved the story so much.

I can’t wait too read the next book, and see Becca’s story and read about her falling in love🩷
Profile Image for Ramya.
283 reviews14 followers
November 28, 2024
"𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆. 𝑻𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆"
Profile Image for rebecca.
45 reviews27 followers
June 15, 2022
The wicked truth 💚🌲🍀🧩
@pruschuylerauthor

★★★★☆

I really love this book and I can’t believe is her debut novel. Pru surprised me with some things I will not tell because you need to find them by yourself. I just want to say that I'm extremely proud of her and that I felt everything she wrote here.
I'm going to tell you what to expect from this book. This is clearly a high school romance, their love story doesn't have too much background. The heroine has a tough past, she has gone through some bad things. Maybe you will find some things childish or predictable, but I feel like they couldn't be Stella & Cade without this touch of innocence. I mean, that's why they are adolescents, to make mistakes, to be innocent not as mature as every author creates their characters. I really appreciate that Pru made them do reckless thingss or make some decisions that are not that smart. They fell for each other fast and hard. I love that this was a short read, nothing to give me a headache haha, but the end... My heart literally broke and you will see why.

I love you, Pru! With all my heart 🫶🏼
Profile Image for starrgaze..
593 reviews107 followers
July 10, 2021
"The fear never leaves anymore. It’s always there, crushing my chest. Always making me question my next step."

ARC was very kindly provided by the author of this book in exchange of an honest review. ❤


This was a quick and sweet summer read that still tackled some very important subjects regarding sexual assault and how different people cope with it in different ways. The ending was really well and strongly written and honestly the little note from the author melted and broke my heart at the same time. It was nice to read about men like Cade and James, especially since, sadly, I've never had the luck of actually meeting people like that in real life. My only take on them is from movies and books and for now, I'll have what I can get haha.
Once again, thank you to the author for trusting me with reviewing her first book, it was an honor. ❤ I don't doubt the next will be even better.
Profile Image for N.J. Gray.
Author 6 books320 followers
June 22, 2021
Schuyler delivers a powerful message with a story that will break your heart and put it back together again. Stella Sullivan walks you through what it’s like to wake up each morning after her traumatic past. But as broken as she feels, Stella finds the strength to fight through her pain with the help of her new love interest, Cade, and her best friend, Brooke. The tension at the end had me on the edge of my seat, gripping the pages. If you’re looking for a new favorite YA novel, I highly recommend this read! Just be sure to have a few tissues ready.
Profile Image for Hirnakshi Panwar .
273 reviews
July 6, 2021
This book is everything you could wish for from forcing you to turn the page to giving you happy/sad tears to giving me hope.
Pru gave a very strong message through her which I think should be heard more and more. Stella is an inspiration. The way she reminds herself that she is a survivor. And every survivor deserves to be acknowledged. I love the friendship between Brooke and Stella. The way they are incomplete without each other and the way they stand and support each other.
I cannot recommend this enough!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Chinis.
350 reviews21 followers
June 14, 2023
3.5 ⭐

Thanks to the author for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Hubieron escenas muy fuertes 🥺



Am I just that good at hiding it? Maybe if I just fake it till I forget it, it will all go away.


The story is about Stella, who was r*ped by her ex-boyfriend and after that, she starts to suffer anxiety. The book start just after the event and alternates a few chapters between the past and the present. While reading the book, we can see the after effects of that day and how Stella tries to cope with the anxiety and fear to face new situations. Just then, she gets to meet Brooke, who is going to be her best friend, and Brooke’s twin brother Cade.

Maybe it is because is the author's debut novel, but the insta-love between both protagonists didn't convince me, nevertheless I really felt the chemistry and tension between them. Also, there were a few things that were non-realistic to me and that made the reading less credible but, overall, it was a good read.

I really liked Stella’s character and how she always tries to put a lot of effort in everything she does and how, after acknowledging her friends (even her non-friends) she just wants them to be happy. As for Cade and Brooke, they were very important characters in Stella's life and thanks to them she could heal.

“I want to be the one you choose, the one you want to be with. If you’ll have me, I’m yours.”


The Wicked Truth is a book about healing and trusting again. Also, the story is not far from reality and there can be a lot of Stellas out there.

Beware of the trigger warnings in this book

PD.: I am so excited to meet Cal 😻
Profile Image for Victoria.
3 reviews
December 19, 2025
Let me start off by saying I enjoyed this book up until the plot line plummeted and turned unrealistic. Pru really missed the mark on this one. It had the potential to be great had she gone a different direction with the storyline. For starters *spoilers ahead* Stella is a SA victim and she openly acknowledges within her inner monologue that she knows what it’s like to have her sense of power stripped away from her. She feels like her rapist took everything away from her. Well how could she take her best friends story and broadcast to the public?? Her friend was informed of the truth of her rapist IN FRONT of her closest people. Stella took that choice and power away from her best friend. Regardless of her reasoning behind it, it was wrong and a terrible storyline. This all started with Brooke’s journal being left in Stella’s room and a much better storyline would’ve been that B purposefully left it for Stella to find because B could see through Stella and could see what was going on so without approaching Stella upfront she gave her the truth behind her own story and then they could’ve bonded and healed together over the shared experience. Resulting in them working together to find the man responsible for Brooke’s attack. I was very disappointed in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Natasha Allen.
618 reviews16 followers
January 12, 2023
The plot itself is a 5⭐️ worthy story. It’s a beautiful, tough and emotional telling of survivors.

The reason why I’ve gotta give it a 2.75 is the execution. Sadly there were just too many things that either didn’t make sense or add up or were realistic and therefore kept taking away from the overall story. Things like: there’s no way with the type of house Cades family is meant to have and all the staff there, that they didn’t have any kind of cameras or that no one say Stella break in. Then there was the speed of the uni acceptance, Cade buying a house, her mum not mentioning her birthday before their trip, then little details like when Cade asked her to prom wearing a tux then by the time they get into her bedroom literally seconds later she’s taking off his t-shirt and jeans??

There were sadly just too many things like that which kept happening and kept taking away from the story
Profile Image for Stephanie Engbrecht.
24 reviews
November 21, 2022
If I Could Give More Stars, I Would

This book was incredible. The author created amazing loveable characters, gave redemption where it was needed and justice where it was deserved.

Though I am a crier, I don’t tend to with books. However, I will say out of the hundreds I have read, this is the second book ever which has brought me to tears. Both happy and cleansing ones.
And I have to say that the ending line of the book was perfection, in my opinion.

As a survivor, I am so thankful for the care the author put in to providing resources and trigger warnings.

I highly recommend the read if it won’t trigger anything for you.
Profile Image for a🧚‍♀️.
941 reviews
August 20, 2023
The story behind this book is amazing and really sensitive but everything just progressed quickly, one moment she’s lost in her head then the next she overcomes it and helps others. I get the growth but it happened too quickly and it never really shifted little by little it was just one day she was this then the next she was that.
414 reviews
October 31, 2023

Wow this was an emotional ride 🫢

Stella has a hard past and has to deal with her trauma whilst trying to move on with her life. It can prove to be very tricky though.

Cade is the next door neighbour and her new friends brother. Protecting her when he doesn’t know her?? Absolutely.

Omg this book!!! The ending was so powerful especially the last page 🥰🤌 WOW 🤩

Profile Image for Alexandra.
297 reviews13 followers
March 9, 2022
It had great points but felt rushed

The story was great had really good points but it felt rushed. Wish it wasn't so rushed. It would've been an amazing story if dedicated more time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews