A review by frenchtoast_n_books
If I Tell You the Truth by Jasmin Kaur

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

In short, I loved it. It was really beautiful and even though it centers around really difficult topics (rape, undocumented persons, racism, and such) it was handled very well in a manner that I think is easily digestible. It gives the necessary depth and emotion without being graphic/explicit in its content. 

I loved the mix-media approach to the story, different timelines with both mother and daughter's stories and points of view, and how things are messy. It makes the story very real, not fiction-sugar coating but also not trauma porn. I also love how the story was written pre-COVID, so the author added how the story would be different if if was to reflect our current COVID immigration procedures. 

I only found 2 things that irked me in my read that were personal sentence/word choice issues for me. One, was immediately abbreviating the college. The other was a sentence that didn't quite make sense to me. 

I'd love to reread this as audio to hear the cadence of the poems because I'm not good with poetry. It would add an extra layer to the story for me that would make me love it even more. 
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