If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Genre:  YA, realistic fiction
Published:  Oct. 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire, 244 pp.
Source:  Review copy from publisher
Review:  2.5/5

Brief Summary:  Jaz hasn't had an easy life growing up in her small town, raised by her grandmother because her teenage mom wasn't really up to the task.  Her father, whom she doesn't know and who wants nothing to do with her, is black, and her mother is white so she's always felt like she didn't fit in.  Then one night she see's something she wishes she hadn't seen.  If she tells anyone it could ruin her mom's happiness but knowing this secret is hurting her.


My Thoughts:  I'm probably going to sound like a huge jerk when I say this but I kind of thought Jaz was a big whiner.  The story moves along pretty well and is interesting but there is so much angst and so many issues that I got a little annoyed.  I'm not sure that I've ever read a book with a biracial protagonist so that part could have been interesting but she feels so sorry for herself that I had a hard time feeling bad for her.  She does come around and I liked her better by the end.

This is just my opinion.  I've read several other very positive reviews.  It was interesting enough for me to finish and I really liked Jaz's love interest.

Recommendations:  I wouldn't recommend this for young teens.  There are some mature themes like teenage pregnancy and sex outside of marriage though there aren't any descriptions.

Ratings:  2.1.2  Includes sexual themes without explicit descriptions.  Some language.

Thanks for reading!