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embaranovich's review against another edition
2.0
Just couldn't get into this one, there was no character depth. Pretty much all I wanted to know was if Simon got caught, and even that scene fizzled.
justsojess's review against another edition
3.0
If I Tell tackles a lot of issues. It addresses wanting to fit in, not really having parents, the danger of keeping secrets and even the danger of telling secrets. But the issue I thought just shined in this story, everyone is not always what they seem and that everyone has a secret.
Through most of the book Jaz acts like she is the only one going through a hard time. That she was the only different one and the only one holding onto a secret that could ruin lives, which was not true at all.
This was all good to a point. Sometimes the multitude of issues became a lot to keep up with.
Jaz was also a whiner about all of the issues she was faced with. She complained about not having anyone in her life, but she never made any attempt to get close to anyone. And when anyone tried to get close to her she held them at arms length.
She kind of acted like since bad things happened to her she has the right to hate certain people and mope around complaining all the time. Bad things happen to everyone. You don't like it, you change it. That what I wanted to yell at her multiple times. And to stop jumping to conclusions about everyone before she knows the whole story.
Even though I had some problems with Jaz's character, I did enjoy the book. The writing style was very enjoyable and I did appreciate how everything came together in the end. Though all I could keep thinking was, if you hadn't have kept this secret none of this would have happened...but then there would not have been a book so I suppose that doesn't matter.
If I Tell was a solid contemporary that I enjoyed reading. It is a bit heavy and faces some serious issues, but I suggest giving it a try.
Through most of the book Jaz acts like she is the only one going through a hard time. That she was the only different one and the only one holding onto a secret that could ruin lives, which was not true at all.
This was all good to a point. Sometimes the multitude of issues became a lot to keep up with.
Jaz was also a whiner about all of the issues she was faced with. She complained about not having anyone in her life, but she never made any attempt to get close to anyone. And when anyone tried to get close to her she held them at arms length.
She kind of acted like since bad things happened to her she has the right to hate certain people and mope around complaining all the time. Bad things happen to everyone. You don't like it, you change it. That what I wanted to yell at her multiple times. And to stop jumping to conclusions about everyone before she knows the whole story.
Even though I had some problems with Jaz's character, I did enjoy the book. The writing style was very enjoyable and I did appreciate how everything came together in the end. Though all I could keep thinking was, if you hadn't have kept this secret none of this would have happened...but then there would not have been a book so I suppose that doesn't matter.
If I Tell was a solid contemporary that I enjoyed reading. It is a bit heavy and faces some serious issues, but I suggest giving it a try.
cindy_todd1's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this read. It gave me insight to a bi-racial girl in high school. The struggles she has had all her life she thinks because of her color. It's a good read to get teenagers to really think sometimes how their actions can truly affect others.
andye_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Jaz Evans is a bi-racial teenager who lives with and been raised by her white grandmother. Her mother gave birth to her at 17 and gave responsibility for Jaz's care over to her parents. Jaz's father, a black man, was never in the picture of her life. Now at 34 Jaz's mother is pregnant again. She and her boyfriend, a younger black man, have a fairly stable relationship although the pregnancy was a surprise. While at a party, Jaz sees her best friend who is drunk as usual making out with a guy who turns out to be Simon, her mother's boyfriend. Now Jaz is faced with a dilemma....to tell or not to tell. She doesn't want to upset her mother at this delicate time but can't stand the idea of her new sibling being left without a father as she was.
I felt sorry for Jaz. She was a 17 year old black girl being raised in a white world by her Grandma and her mom. This was a problem for her because she had no one in her life to relate to until Simon came along. Then when she came face to face with Simon's betrayal she is even more lost. The problem was that I got tired of listening to Jaz whine. The stress that she feels comes out in anger against everyone in her life. She complains constantly about having no one but she doesn't do anything to change things. When Jackson Morgan comes into her life, she is attracted to him but holds him at arms' length. She never actually seems willing to try to improve her relationships or her life.
I felt like the book was somewhat schizophrenic....trying to decide if it was a book about race issues or about betrayal. I do understand that they were all wrapped up in one another but neither were adequately addressed. For me the book was just "okay".
Janeth
readingteen.net
I felt sorry for Jaz. She was a 17 year old black girl being raised in a white world by her Grandma and her mom. This was a problem for her because she had no one in her life to relate to until Simon came along. Then when she came face to face with Simon's betrayal she is even more lost. The problem was that I got tired of listening to Jaz whine. The stress that she feels comes out in anger against everyone in her life. She complains constantly about having no one but she doesn't do anything to change things. When Jackson Morgan comes into her life, she is attracted to him but holds him at arms' length. She never actually seems willing to try to improve her relationships or her life.
I felt like the book was somewhat schizophrenic....trying to decide if it was a book about race issues or about betrayal. I do understand that they were all wrapped up in one another but neither were adequately addressed. For me the book was just "okay".
Janeth
readingteen.net
janessaking's review against another edition
4.0
If I Tell was really good!
I love how Janet focuses on topics/issues that a lot of other authors don't really write about.
This story made me emotional and I was so invested into the characters and what they were going through.
I feel like this ended with a lot of questions left unanswered, but that's almost every book nowadays.
I also really liked how some of the characters in this book reappear in Who I Kissed...I love when authors connect their stories.
I love how Janet focuses on topics/issues that a lot of other authors don't really write about.
This story made me emotional and I was so invested into the characters and what they were going through.
I feel like this ended with a lot of questions left unanswered, but that's almost every book nowadays.
I also really liked how some of the characters in this book reappear in Who I Kissed...I love when authors connect their stories.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
So basically if I am going to read a Janet Gurtler book I just need to plan on not doing anything else until I'm done. And if anyone needs to talk to me they're going to have to send a search party because I will be lost inside the book.
I don't read much contemporary YA, but Janet Gurlter's characters, and the difficult situations they have to deal with, suck me in and don't let go. I can't even really explain what it is that makes these books so good. Just go read them yourself :)
I don't read much contemporary YA, but Janet Gurlter's characters, and the difficult situations they have to deal with, suck me in and don't let go. I can't even really explain what it is that makes these books so good. Just go read them yourself :)
novelgoddess's review against another edition
4.0
Jasmine is bi-racial, born to a 17 year old mother, raised by her very loving grandparents. Jasmine’s father hasn’t had anything to do with her, except for setting up a trust fund for her on the condition she never try to contact him…NICE! This, she feels, sets her apart and she’s never made friends because it was easier to hang with her Grandfather and her guitar.
One night at a party, Jasmine sees something she wishes she hadn’t and it shakes her to the core. Once she decides to tell her Mom what she saw, her mother reveals she is pregnant. Now what is Jasmine to do?
I thought Janet did a fantastic job of tackling the feelings of being bi-racial in a primarily Caucasian environment. A lot of the things Janet wrote about were the same feelings many bi-racial friends have shared with me that they experienced growing up, only my friends were growing up in large urban areas with their family unit intact, unlike Jasmine.
I felt tremendous sympathy for Jasmine all the way around. I loved that Jaz spent a lot of time in self-reflection and did finally find two people who were willing to climb the wall Jas had erected to separate herself from her schoolmates. I also loved the honesty with which Jackson carried himself. I appreciated that he’d made his mistakes, done his time, and was doing everything he could to stay on the straight and narrow. I loved the potential influence he would have had on Jasmine and the growth I believe she would have experienced with him in her life.
I so enjoyed this book that I finished it in one sitting. I am adding Janet Gurtler to my list of authors I want to read more from.
One night at a party, Jasmine sees something she wishes she hadn’t and it shakes her to the core. Once she decides to tell her Mom what she saw, her mother reveals she is pregnant. Now what is Jasmine to do?
I thought Janet did a fantastic job of tackling the feelings of being bi-racial in a primarily Caucasian environment. A lot of the things Janet wrote about were the same feelings many bi-racial friends have shared with me that they experienced growing up, only my friends were growing up in large urban areas with their family unit intact, unlike Jasmine.
I felt tremendous sympathy for Jasmine all the way around. I loved that Jaz spent a lot of time in self-reflection and did finally find two people who were willing to climb the wall Jas had erected to separate herself from her schoolmates. I also loved the honesty with which Jackson carried himself. I appreciated that he’d made his mistakes, done his time, and was doing everything he could to stay on the straight and narrow. I loved the potential influence he would have had on Jasmine and the growth I believe she would have experienced with him in her life.
I so enjoyed this book that I finished it in one sitting. I am adding Janet Gurtler to my list of authors I want to read more from.
lindagreen's review against another edition
1.0
As with many reviewers, I was torn with this book. It had its moments of wonderment but overall it seemed too far reaching. The writing was good for a YA book but not exceptional, the plot line well drawn at first and then slowly degenerating into a “how many teen topics can we throw in this novel”. The addition of so many problems common to teenagers caused the original plot line to be diluted and have less of an impact on me as a reader. The main character went from a relatable character to one that whined throughout the entire novel and frequently judged others while complaining of them doing the same thing. The unevenness of all of this and the duplicity of it made it a chore to read and, unfortunately, is not a book I would recommend to most teen audiences.
ARC Galley Proof
ARC Galley Proof
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
Jasmine is mortified when she sees mom's boyfriend kissing Jasmine's best friend at a party. Now Jasmine doesn't know what to do. Should she tell?
Plot is a bit predictable once you get past the initial concepts of the storyline. Characters are well-developed and grow throughout the story. Jackson especially, as Jasmine's love interest, is especially intriguing.
Plot is a bit predictable once you get past the initial concepts of the storyline. Characters are well-developed and grow throughout the story. Jackson especially, as Jasmine's love interest, is especially intriguing.