If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Description: 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?

Epic Wins:

• Jaz- You get to see her grow and change as a character while keeping a secret stretches her over great lengths. She was witty, sarcastic, and had a way of putting things into perspective. 
• The secret (or secrets in general)- It ate away at her until she wanted nothing more then to scream out, lash out. You learn that everyone has some sort of secret they are keeping, something they are holding onto. 
• This novel debated the question of whether- when presented with someones secret- to tell or not. At first Jaz is ready to spill the secret but slowly she realizes maybe that isn't what she should do. It's all about who you tell and how. Maybe some secrets are best left as just that- a secret. 
• Jackson- He was judged mainly by the rumors that swirled around him. He was sweet and adorable despite those very rumors that suggested otherwise. Jaz learns not to trust what others say.
• Ashley- She was Jaz's reality check when she went too far, a real best friend. However- unlike most YA besties- Ashley and Jaz didn't have that tell-all sort of friendship. 
• Jaz's home situation- I call it a situation because it was far from normal. Not because she lived with her Grandmother but because she knew her mother. Typically if they live with a relative there parents are out of the picture- whether by death or by choice. 
• Biracial issues- Jaz feels like she is an in-between category. She isn't black but she isn't white either. Her town makes her feel isolated because she isn't one or the other. 
• Music- Jaz is a musician. She plays her music to enjoy it not for the opportunity to get famous. She plays like it's breathing. 

Overall: It's understated but impossible to put down. This is one of those books that hits almost every button with precise aim creating an epic story.

just sayin,

-Kare