Review: If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Page Count: 276
Format: Hardcover
Published by: Simon Pulse
Source: Borrowed from library

Synopsis From Goodreads:

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

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.

If I Lie was one of my most anticipated books last year. I really enjoyed it and I am so glad that I got the chance to read it. It was definitely worth the wait!

There was a military theme trend in YA contemporary last year, and I have to say that I really enjoy reading this type of book. If I Lie was a heartfelt and emotional story about friendships and family, and all the love and complications that comes with both. It was a very heavy story that was quite intense at times, and it dealt with a lot of serious issues.

The protagonist, Sophie Quinn, was a very strong and likable character. When we first meet her she is dealing with the fall out after being caught cheating on her Marine boyfriend, Carey. Sophie is silent and stoic while facing an entire town of critics. She has her reasons for 'cheating', but they aren't her secrets to tell. Instead of coming clean with the truth, Sophie was willing to sacrifice her own happiness to protect Carey. I really didn't feel that it was necessary for Sophie to become a martyr. It got to be really hard to root for her when she made things so difficult for herself. I thought she unnecessarily put herself out there for ridicule and didn't attempt to stand up for herself. She's not perfect, and she knows she made a mistake, and there were times when she wanted to break down and confess everything. But she managed to handle herself very well and keep her personal business her own, and I ended up really admiring her for that.

I spent most of the book really pissed off at Carey. He knew the hell that Sophie was going through back home and did nothing to stop it. He never made an attempt to step up and do the right thing. It wasn't cool of him to let her take the blame and all of the fallout. I think Carey took advantage of Sophie's feelings for him and her loyalty to him. I almost felt bad for disliking a character who was deployed and not present or able to defend his actions.

Carey's best friend, Blake, was another character who I was very disappointed in. He knew what Sophie was going through and he did absolutely nothing to defend her. He had the power to change things drastically, but he was too much of a coward to step up.

I found many of the other characters in Sophie's life to be very interesting. Her father and his gruff, military demeanor. Her mother who abandoned her when she was little. Her friends who turned their backs on her. But my favorite character was George. He is such a delight! He sincerely cared about Sophie, and he was very sympathetic to her problems. He was the only one who took the time to understand what Sophie was going through, and he was the only one who believed in her innocence.

Overall, I think that If I Lie is a terrific book that I really enjoyed reading, and I highly recommend it. It's such an emotional read, you will definitely need tissues to get through it. I look forward to reading more books from Corrine Jackson.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars