I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Genre:  YA, realistic fiction
Published:  May 2011, 285 pp. (Sourcebooks Fire)
Source:  Review copy from publisher
Review:  4/5 stars

Brief Summary:  (From goodreads.com) Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?


My Thoughts:  I liked this book.  If you remember, I thought Janet Gurtler's other book, If I Tell, was only so-so.  I enjoyed this one much more.  I've read other blogs comparing Gurtler to Sarah Dessen and I agree.

What I liked about this book was the transformation of the relationships in this family as they deal with the fear and devastation of cancer.  I didn't like some of the plot.  There were just so many issues and so much going on.  It felt a little contrived at times but I still enjoyed the book.

Recommendations:  I would recommend this to anyone who likes realistic fiction a la Sarah Dessen.

Ratings: 2.1.2  Includes teenagers having sex but not described, moderate profanity including vain references to Deity.


Thanks for reading!

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!