Stay TrueStay True
What it's about
Hua Hsu arrived at Berkeley in the 1990s as a serious, music-obsessed son of Taiwanese immigrants who made zines and looked down on anything popular. Ken, a Japanese-American classmate, loved everything mainstream, from Pearl Jam to Abercrombie, and they became unlikely, close friends. Then, in their third year, Ken was killed in a carjacking. Hsu tells the story of their friendship and of trying to hold on to him.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize for memoir and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It's a tender, precise book about friendship, grief and who we are at twenty.
You'll love it if you liked
Crying in H Mart
The Year of Magical Thinking
Just KidsGood to know
It's short and quiet. Ken's death comes about halfway through and the book then turns to grief.
By the numbers
- Readers32 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller19 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz37 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #131 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #136 of the 481 new books we rank
- #764 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is Stay True worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize for memoir and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #764 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Stay True about?
Hua Hsu arrived at Berkeley in the 1990s as a serious, music-obsessed son of Taiwanese immigrants who made zines and looked down on anything popular. Ken, a Japanese-American classmate, loved everything mainstream, from Pearl Jam to Abercrombie, and they became unlikely, close friends. Then, in their third year, Ken was killed in a carjacking. Hsu tells the story of their friendship and of trying to hold on to him.
How long does it take to read Stay True?
About 5 hours (204 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Stay True won?
Pulitzer Prize (Memoir) winner (2023); NBCC Award (Memoir) winner (2022).
What should I read after Stay True?
If you liked it, try Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion or Just Kids by Patti Smith.