"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Sir Richard Steele

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Review of If I Tell


If I Tell
Janet Gurtler
Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN 9781402261039

   Jaz is smart and not popular. Her best friend is a girl four years older that works at the same coffee shop as Jaz. Her other friend is a girl who just moved to the area and is a lesbian. Jaz has been a bit of an outcast since she was younger. She is biracial and the small town she lives in frowns upon her kind. Her grandparents raised her from the beginning. She was able to tell her grandfather anything and now he is gone too. She is like a fish out of water. The only thing that keeps her sane is her guitar and her music.
   Jaz just doesn't communicate well with other people; but on impulse she goes to a party. She wanders around and runs across something she wished she hadn't seen. Why did she go to the party? She wouldn't have seen it. She wouldn't have let Jackson drive her home and she wouldn't be falling for a guy from reform school. She could just pretend everything was normal again. She wouldn't have to keep a secret from her mom. A secret that would surely blow her family apart.
   This is a wonderful YA book that takes in some very complicated issues. Jaz is a seventeen year old who tries to act so grown up but remains very immature. Her mother is dating a man who is much younger and not much older then Jaz herself. The author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride through the life of a teenager who has been fighting prejudice her entire life. Sadly, some of the things she accuses other people of, she does herself. I won't go into specifics because I don't want to ruin the story for you. If you are interested in a good story with alot of emotional conflict, I highly recommend this book. My one and only complaint is that there is some distinct similarities between this story and I'm Not Her. This is no way takes away from the fact it is a great story. If not for this fact, I would have given it a 5 star rating.
   I wish to thank Sourcebooks for providing me with a copy for reading and reviewing purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. I was not compensated in anyway except for receiving the book to review.

I give If I Tell 4.5 out of 5 stars

4 comments:

  1. Thanks kimba88 and thank you for stopping by my blog today.

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  2. This sounds like an excellent book. I really enjoyed your review. I haven't read the other book that you said it was similar to- so I guess I should put them on my list!

    ~Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com

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  3. Jess, thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I did.

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