Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Review: If I Lie

Corrine Jackson
Contemporary Young Adult
276 pages
Simon Pulse
Available Now
Received through Teen Book Scene for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.


MY THOUGHTS
If I Lie is a stunning story, heating our blood and squeezing our hearts as we watch our young heroine bear the brunt of a community’s anger and disappointment while she remains bound and gagged by her unwavering loyalty to best friend and boyfriend Carey. Quinn’s isolation and status as a traitor affects us from page one, each confrontation with her family and former friends thinning our skin until we feel as fragile as the paper on which Quinn’s story is depicted; until every verbal jab and every look of loathing seems to tear a piece of us from the whole, letting it flutter to our feet where it’s joined shortly by the tattered remnants of our hearts. Ms. Jackson spares us nothing, brutally showing us how easily people don blinders when it suits them, and how quickly they allow themselves to look at a situation without ever really seeing it.

Quinn is a remarkable young woman, wearing a scarlet letter she doesn’t deserve with as much grace as she can muster, and while she strains against the invisible hand Carey has so cruelly placed over her mouth, she never once tries to remove it to spare herself anymore pain. While both Carey and his best friend Blake are revered and praised for their separate loyalties—Carey’s to God and country, and Blake's to Carey’s family in their time of need—it’s Quinn’s loyalty that outshines them all, and while she certainly isn’t free of blame for the situation all three find themselves in, she is the only one to own the fallout and condemnation, left on her own to cover and shield two people who prove repeatedly to be uninterested in returning the favor.

It would be easy to argue that Quinn had little choice in bearing the substantial weight of her traitor’s cross, physical evidence of her “betrayal” of Carey publicly flouted and completely indisputable to give her nothing to deny, however, she is presented with the opportunity again and again to share her burden by giving voice to Carey and Blake’s secrets yet she remains admirably silent. She recognizes her role in the events leading up to her current ostracization, never wallowing in self-pity because she knows that every finger she points at either Carey or Blake could be turned and pointed right back at her, and while her treatment at the hands of those who’ve known her her entire life is despicable, Quinn brings a wobbly smile to our faces as she stands strong against the onslaught.

Heartbreaking and beautiful, If I Lie creates in us a tangled mess of conflicting emotions as we attempt to sort through the splintered remains of what seemed months ago to be the perfect life. Though Quinn is the one issued the gag order disguised as a plea from a desperate and hurting friend, we feel its effects just as strongly, longing to open our mouths and spill the truth of Carey, Blake, and Quinn to anyone and everyone who will listen as though speaking it aloud in our reality will somehow provide her relief in hers. While we desperately want to hate Carey for what he’s inadvertently forced Quinn to endure, Ms. Jackson crafts all her characters in such away that our anger fades in the face of the individual pain each of them faces, and we read eyes wet with tears as we wonder if, after everything that’s happened, the truth is even capable of releasing any of them their secret-lined bindings.

Rating: 4.5/5

45 comments:

  1. Outstanding!!!!!! Ever since I read the Tour Stop post here last week(ish?) I was dying to read your review!
    I feel already so bad for Quinn and my heart will most definitely break for her! I'm eager to find out the big secret (although I assume to know.. ) and I definitely want to meet Quinn!

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    1. I just wanted to hug Quinn! She definitely made a mistake, but Carey and Blake were equal players in that mistake and it was so hard to watch Quinn deal with it all herself.

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  2. This book sounds incredibly emotional. One that would have me screaming at the characters, but in a good way. I mean, just anything that affects you that strongly is good right? Maybe a bit emotionally draining but it sounds like a must read!

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    1. Exactly! I had to walk away several times because I got so angry on her behalf. It was a fabulous book:)

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  3. I was already looking forward to If I Lie but since I've been trying to cut down on buying books and read the ones on my shelf, I hadn't preordered this even though I so very badly wanted to. Hopefully I'll be able to fir this into my reading schedule soon because it sounds AMAZING. Lovely review :)

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    1. I completely understand trying to curb the book buying, I try to do that all the time and fail:) I hope you add this one on your list when allow yourself to make a purchase though!

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    2. Trust me, the next book I purchase will definitelly be If I Lie. Promise ;D

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  4. Marvelous review! I really admire how Quinn stayed strong through everything. Very elegantlly crafted review.

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    1. Quinn was amazing. Granted she had no choice but to face the consequences of her actions, she couldn't hide from them, but she just had so many chances to tell the truth and ease her suffering, yet she refused because it would have hurt Carey. Loved her.

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  5. This sounds like a very moving and beautiful read. I'm not in the mood for something like this at the moment but I will definitely be reading this in the future. Perfect review, Jenny! Wonderful and well-written as usual. :)

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    1. You definitely have to be in the right mood for these kinds of books, so I hope you'll give it a try when you are. Definitely a favorite read this year:)

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  6. Gosh, such a beautiful and moving review, Jenny! I love the paragraph you wrote about how easy it would be to want Quinn to just come out with the truth - you analyzed it so well and showed us one of the most important and admirable sides of her character - I couldn't have said it better myself!(; Simply marvelous! :)

    ~Keertana
    Ivy Book Bindings

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    1. YES! I was so proud of her for not taking the outs Blake continually tossed at her, she kept her promise no matter how much worse it made things for her.

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  7. Oooh, now this is a tough one. While I hate it when people cheat, I have heard that this one is a good book. I'm glad that Quinn isn't a wallowing in self pity kinda girl and your review is awesome but I'm still undecided....

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    1. I have huge issues with cheating as well, but *technically* Quinn doesn't cheat. Yes, she makes a poor decision, but the story is so much more complex than simply kissing someone who wasn't Carey:) I hope you read it!

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  8. All I can say is thank goodness I'm cheap and on a book buying ban, because you could probably singlehandedly cause my book buying to get out of control. In a good way, of course.

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    1. Good for you on a book buying ban! I've bought 7 this week. I'm a book buying ban failure.

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    2. It helps that I have little money coming in. My wishlist has pretty much exploded lately, though.

      As I say that, though, I bought a couple books today. *hangs head*

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    3. Mine too. Every week I tell myself I'm only going to buy one book that week, and then 5 books later I'm all "I just won't buy any next week". Rinse. Repeat. :)

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  9. I've heard good things about this book. Beautifully written review. Quinn sounds so amazing...how many people wouldn't exonerate themselves?

    Now, I'm going to go find the spoiler somewhere!

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    1. I know I would have been sorely tempted to tell everyone the truth, and I loved that Quinn never really even considered it. It simply wasn't an option to betray Carey's trust in her, even if everyone already thought she had albeit in a completely different way.

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  10. This is such a beautiful review Jenny, this review was definitely squeezing my heart when I was reading it. I have been patiently waiting to dive into this book, now after your gorgeous review I can't wait! :)

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    1. Thank you! I hope you love it as much as I did:) I wanted to hug Quinn the whole time I was reading.

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  11. I don't think I could ever bear Quinn's burden. I'm too much of a chicken. But I can't deny that I admire her. I'm definitely looking forward to reading this one.

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    1. Me either. I would crumble I think. She's stronger than me for sure:)

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  12. Your review alone tells me that I will be one pissed off reader while reading this. I'll want to come to the defense of the characters and slap everyone around! LOL

    But it also tells me that this is a book I must read. Thanks for sharing Jenny!

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    1. You will definitely be pissed. I'm pretty sure I swore at my book on more than one occasion, and had to get up and walk away on others:)

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  13. This sounds like a 15-hanky read! I don't think I could bear Quinn's burden. I like to think I am tough but I realize that I am not!

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    1. I like to think I'm tough too, but what she goes through is something I'm not sure I could deal with. She has no one but George from the VA hospital to lean on, and her isolation was just painful.

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  14. Fantastic review! I've never heard of this book, but it definitely sounds much different than a lot of the contemporary novels I've been reading lately. I'll have to add it to my TBR list, because I love books that have me feeling conflicted and emotional.

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    1. I hope you give it a try Christina! It will definitely leave you an emotional mess:)

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  15. Another amazing review. Quinn sounds like she must be an extraordinary young woman to keep whatever this secret was (I have a guess) rather than exonerate herself. This sounds like a great read.

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    1. Quinn is no doubt extraordinary, I loved her:) I wanted to throttle her friends and family for not giving her the benefit of the doubt and for taking her refusal to explain the situation in its entirety as a sign of guilt.

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  16. OMG! This sounds so emotional. I'm also surprised more stories like this (military) haven't come out more. I really like the sound of Quinn. I think we need more characters like her, but eek! Crying! NooooOOOoooo!

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  17. Ah, I need this book! So much heaping praise for it has me craving to get my hands on a copy. Wonderful review, Jenny! I love this line in particular: "...until every verbal jab and every look of loathing seems to tear a piece of us from the whole, letting it flutter to our feet where it’s joined shortly by the tattered remnants of our hearts." It's always the emotional books that are the most unforgettable and spectacular. :)

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  18. Wow, this one sounds intense! I love how we bookish people just so caught up and angry at the characters. That's exactly how I felt with Nana K. when I read Nana. Definitely putting this one on my tbr. Fabulous review as usual, Jenny!

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  19. Sigh. I absolutely love your review for this book Jenny! If I Lie seems amazing. Quinn and everyone else sounds so lovable. I'm definitely ready to read a great contemporary book right now! :)

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  20. Okay, I wasn't really interested in this one because I'm just not into stories dealing with the military. Then, I read some reviews of this one and saw your interview with George and figured maybe I'd take a look. You've totally convinced me to change my stance, Jenny, with this review! This one sounds intense and beautifully written, and I can't wait to find out what secrets Carey is hiding.

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  21. Great review! I wonder if I might know Carey's secret. Hmm.

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  22. I think this book sounds amazing-I'm really looking forward to this intense contemporary and I can't wait to experience it for myself!

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  23. I love Contemporary young adult books and this sounds super good. Even though it does sounds heavy, I'm willing to give it a try. :) Great review.

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  24. Your review, all the comments and that synopsis!!! I cannot wait to read this!! It sounds like a contemporary that will be intense perhaps make me cry.......I just finished The Fault in our Star, and my heart still wants heavy reads...:)

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  25. Truly a stunning review, Jenny. I am hearing amazing things about this book! I am definitely adding this to my list!

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  26. Lovely review! Quinn seems like an excellent protagonist, and this story seems like a good, emotional read.

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