Review: If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Dec 5, 2011 by shanyn

Title: If I Tell
Paperback, 256 pages
Author: Janet Gurtler
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 1, 2011
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

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Book Summary from Goodreads.com:
Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure… people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn’t raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she’s never fit in hasn’t been easy. But she’s been surviving. Until she sees her mom’s new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

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Review:
Completely superficial, but I would like to start by saying I love the covers of both of Janet Gurtler’s books. They complement each other well, and are clearly contemporary.

But anyway.

If I Tell is a solid contemporary from Sourcebooks Fire. The summary makes it sound more drama filled than it is – I mean, don’t get me wrong, Jaz certainly finds out a secret that she doesn’t know if she should tell, but the entire book is written in a more realistic way rather than the soap opera feel of the summary. So there is drama, but it’s not totally ridiculous (for the most part).

I loved the writing of Janet Gurtler, which makes me very excited to read the other book she published earlier this year which I also have a copy of. I am also excited to read that one because I am hoping I like the main character a bit better – Jaz and I just didn’t mesh that well.

Overall I enjoyed the story, as it is full of emotion and identity seeking by Jaz. I have high expectations for Gurtler’s other novel, I’m Not Her!

Buy: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

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