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rozymbanks's review against another edition
If I Tell was a refreshing read simply because I’ve read so many YA paranormals lately. It was a good story without having any vampires or shifters. The protagonist, Jaz, has a believable voice. Towards the end of the book many of her actions seem immature until I remembered the way I behaved at times when I was 17.
It seems like all YA contemporary protagonists must have a quirky or creative hobby. Jaz’s hobby is playing the guitar and songwriting, and this is explored in the story without overwhelming the whole book.
A lot of weighty issues are explored in this book, such as racial identity, the aftermath of sexual abuse, bullying, and postpartum depression. This added up to a lot of drama, and it was balanced to some degree by the sweet romance between Jaz and Jackson. The central dilemma of the book seems to fizzle out at the end, but this shows that Jaz is able to deal with the question of whether or not to tell in a more mature way as well as heal her relationship with Simon, her mother’s boyfriend.
It seems like all YA contemporary protagonists must have a quirky or creative hobby. Jaz’s hobby is playing the guitar and songwriting, and this is explored in the story without overwhelming the whole book.
A lot of weighty issues are explored in this book, such as racial identity, the aftermath of sexual abuse, bullying, and postpartum depression. This added up to a lot of drama, and it was balanced to some degree by the sweet romance between Jaz and Jackson. The central dilemma of the book seems to fizzle out at the end, but this shows that Jaz is able to deal with the question of whether or not to tell in a more mature way as well as heal her relationship with Simon, her mother’s boyfriend.
themaddiest's review
3.0
Jasmine Evans’ life has always been fairly complicated. As a biracial girl growing up in a very white town, she’s never quite fit. The product of a one-night stand between her white mother (who was 17 at the time) and her absent, black father, Jasmine has never really understood who she is. Despite all this, Jasmine has been surviving. When she sees her mom’s boyfriend making out with her best friend at a party, Jasmine feels torn: where does she draw the line?
Janet Gurtler’s If I Tell has a lot of good things going for it. Good dialogue, strong secondary characters, and some real emotional turmoil help to propel the book’s story. The exploration of what it means to be biracial in a mostly-white community is important and sensitively handled. However, the problematic aspects weigh down an interesting premise.
The problem starts with the fact that Jasmine’s anger–at her mother, at her mother’s boyfriend, and at her best friend–never feels completely authentic. Everything the reader knows about Jasmine indicates that before she witnessed the drunken kiss between Simon (the boyfriend) and her best friend, she’s was a well-adjusted kid with a pretty good life. So the concept that her anger drives the majority of the plot and story never completely works. The central conflict of the book doesn’t have enough depth to it to justify what Jasmine does or feels. Because of this, the sympathy of the reader is long gone by the time Jasmine comes to grips with her feelings.
That being said, there are still good things to be found in the pages of Gurtler’s book. Strong, believable dialogue helps elevate this novel from a string of nearly-identical issue books being published for teens. Having the main character gently probe the meaning of her identity and what role race plays in her every day life adds a nice complexity to a fairly simple story. Strong characterization overall makes up for the flimsy plot.
Recommended for fans of contemporary YA, but with reservations. There’s more promise here than actual delivery. Sophisticated readers are likely to become frustrated with Jasmine’s erratic behavior.
If I Tell by Janet Gurtler. Sourcebooks Fire: 2011. Electronic galley accepted for review via Netgalley.
Janet Gurtler’s If I Tell has a lot of good things going for it. Good dialogue, strong secondary characters, and some real emotional turmoil help to propel the book’s story. The exploration of what it means to be biracial in a mostly-white community is important and sensitively handled. However, the problematic aspects weigh down an interesting premise.
The problem starts with the fact that Jasmine’s anger–at her mother, at her mother’s boyfriend, and at her best friend–never feels completely authentic. Everything the reader knows about Jasmine indicates that before she witnessed the drunken kiss between Simon (the boyfriend) and her best friend, she’s was a well-adjusted kid with a pretty good life. So the concept that her anger drives the majority of the plot and story never completely works. The central conflict of the book doesn’t have enough depth to it to justify what Jasmine does or feels. Because of this, the sympathy of the reader is long gone by the time Jasmine comes to grips with her feelings.
That being said, there are still good things to be found in the pages of Gurtler’s book. Strong, believable dialogue helps elevate this novel from a string of nearly-identical issue books being published for teens. Having the main character gently probe the meaning of her identity and what role race plays in her every day life adds a nice complexity to a fairly simple story. Strong characterization overall makes up for the flimsy plot.
Recommended for fans of contemporary YA, but with reservations. There’s more promise here than actual delivery. Sophisticated readers are likely to become frustrated with Jasmine’s erratic behavior.
If I Tell by Janet Gurtler. Sourcebooks Fire: 2011. Electronic galley accepted for review via Netgalley.
bookgoonie's review
3.0
Did you read that preview? Jaz catches her mother’s boyfriend making out with her best friend. The crisis is kind of the backdrop for our characters to operate around. This book is more about Jaz’s sense of self.
She is half black-half white. Eventhough her grandfather has raised her in a very nurturing way. She is still plagued with not belonging in her small town. Jaz ostrasizes herself from those around her, granted with some help of the local mean girl. Built some big time walls. Her mom’s boyfriend, Simon, helped her to have pride in her black self. And that is why she is so hurt, when she witnesses his drunken act.
Jackson, new-to-town-out-of-juvie-hot-mysterious-bad-boy, sees the beauty that Jasmine is and sets out to get to know her. You’ll witness a very slow and sweet budding romance. Until Jaz jumps to conclusions, throwing up her old walls and lashes out in the most horrible way. But getting through some of the family crisises swirling around her and time, she grows. She faces the fact that sometimes she is guilty of the acts she has suffered from others. Labels.
She is half black-half white. Eventhough her grandfather has raised her in a very nurturing way. She is still plagued with not belonging in her small town. Jaz ostrasizes herself from those around her, granted with some help of the local mean girl. Built some big time walls. Her mom’s boyfriend, Simon, helped her to have pride in her black self. And that is why she is so hurt, when she witnesses his drunken act.
Jackson, new-to-town-out-of-juvie-hot-mysterious-bad-boy, sees the beauty that Jasmine is and sets out to get to know her. You’ll witness a very slow and sweet budding romance. Until Jaz jumps to conclusions, throwing up her old walls and lashes out in the most horrible way. But getting through some of the family crisises swirling around her and time, she grows. She faces the fact that sometimes she is guilty of the acts she has suffered from others. Labels.
britsreadinglife's review
4.0
Find the original review here at This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
I really cannot recommend Janet's books enough. She can just write YA contemporary so well. There is a few cute moments, but mostly they hit on different themes. Like this one, the MC, Jasmine, is struggling with being bi-racial in a town that is pretty conservative. Her mom was 17 when she had her, so she's been raised by her grandmother. And her mom has been more like a sister. I felt a lot of rage in reading this one. Jasmine had closed herself off and could come across as unsociable. It was her coping mechanism. I totally understood why she'd be like that. Just another great book from Janet.
I really cannot recommend Janet's books enough. She can just write YA contemporary so well. There is a few cute moments, but mostly they hit on different themes. Like this one, the MC, Jasmine, is struggling with being bi-racial in a town that is pretty conservative. Her mom was 17 when she had her, so she's been raised by her grandmother. And her mom has been more like a sister. I felt a lot of rage in reading this one. Jasmine had closed herself off and could come across as unsociable. It was her coping mechanism. I totally understood why she'd be like that. Just another great book from Janet.
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