My friend Ida is hating me right now. She’s a heavy duty book lover and a writer. This is the Facebook post I received from her after posting all of the Class of 2k12 and Apocalypsies Tuesday Book Birthdays…
Kim… I don’t know how to say this… but I don’t know if I can be your friend anymore… it’s just… all the books you post about… I can’t take it anymore Kim… my reading list is starting to cause me anxiety attacks… I don’t leave the house… I pretend those kids that keep calling me mommy are just visitors… I’ve started to ignore my personal hygiene…it’s turning into a real problem… sigh
Ida, I love you and I’m very sorry to do this to you…
IF I LIE by Corrine Jackson–Coming August 28, 2012
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 is available for Pre-order here…
Kimberly Sabatini’s Review of IF I LIE:
When I was in high school, I became fascinated with POW’s from Vietnam. I was haunted by the idea that these guys had never come home. Who were they? Where were they? And what had they left behind? I “adopted” a missing soldier and wore my MIA bracelet until it wore out and broke in half.
When I was in college, I was a girlfriend of a guy who was in the army. Then I married him–making me a military wife. I fell in love with this fierce, dedicated, kind, bigger-than-life community. And sometimes I hated being just another piece in a finely tuned machine–even it it was made up of some very wonderful people. Sometimes I felt a little lost. I didn’t always like who I was supposed to be and what was expected of me. I didn’t know it then, but I was a girl who had things to say–weird, slightly off center things to say–and not speaking them was a bit unhealthy. So, I related to Quinn–having lived that life with my own kind of secrets pushed down inside me.
I’m sharing this information with you because I want you to know, that in my opinion, Corrine Jackson got it right. As I read her words, it took me back…
I’m a huge fan of authors who create people with depth. I like to see the characters have faults AND triumphs. Not only did Jackson do this seamlessly, but she also accomplished this with her presentation of the military. I both loved and hated the institution and it’s affect on those involved in it–just like I did in real life. She didn’t use hero worship and she didn’t demonize either. She simply acknowledged that like all of us, it is made up of the good and the bad.
I was also grateful to see her humorous and touching relationship with an elderly veteran, George. I have always had a soft spot for the older generation. I think they are gifts that we often let pass us by. Jackson brought me to tears with her gentle reminder that it takes only one person to make a difference in someone else’s life.
IF I LIE is a well written, beautifully balanced, heart-wrenching book that is about so much more than a snapshot of people in a small military town. I hope it moves you as much as it did me.
Corrine Jackson (pronounced Cor-een) believes flip flops are appropriate footwear for any occasion, but concedes the need for boots since moving to damp and foggy San Francisco. She loves collecting degrees, including a BA and MA in English, and very soon, an MFA in Creative Writing. Aside from her longing to live in Anthropologie, she claims a seven-year career at a marketing agency and, before that, she graphically designed things. Her YA contemporary book, IF I LIE, will be published by Simon Pulse on August 28, 2012 and her YA paranormal romance, TOUCHED, will be published by KTeen in December 2012.
You can find out more about Corrine Jackson and IF I LIE here…
So, I’m wondering if you know anyone who is on active duty? Do you have a veteran in the family? Any thoughts for those who serve? I’d love to hear.
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I’m a military BRAT; my father was in the Navy for 23 years and i spent the first half of my life moving around to different countries as he was stationed in varying places. Likewise to the lifestyle, I have dozens of friends in the military, just out of the military, retired; and unfortunately friends that fall into the negative “side effects” of it, too. Usually I’m hesitant to read any military-centric books because I have my own personal demons about them, but I’m excited for this since it feels like it could be one of the most honest, real portrayals of the life. Aside from the fact that it sounds like a phenomenal book, I’m interested to read about the military town, too – I live in San Diego, one of the biggest military cities in the US, and I always like to see other people’s views and portrayals.
I’ve been waiting for this book forever, and you are so not helping me wait haha. This is a great review, but it just makes me wish it was coming faster!
Ashley–
I can’t imagine how tough being a military kid was. It would have been very hard for me–I stink at change. I’ve always been curious about it and so I always asked all the kids that I met. (I was a substitute teacher in Germany for awhile) and I found that some kids loved it and some hated it.
As for IF I LIE–I think Cory did an amazing job and I’ll cross my fingers that you get your fingers on an ARC soon. I’d pass you mine, but it’s for an ARC Tour so I can’t. Make sure you let me know what you thought after you do read it–I’m so curious!
Even though it was difficult a lot of the time, I absolutely loved it. I got to go to some amazing places and have friends around the entire world. Truthfully though, I think a lot of it is because I was born into it — I was born overseas (London) and was moving ever since so I never had anything other than the concept of a movable, changeable home. I found it was difficult for people who always felt as though they were from somewhere else, like they were just being moved away from their home. I never had a home or a hometown, so I never felt like I was being taken away. The hardest part for me was to actually STOP moving; my dad retired in 2003 and we settled in SD. I still have this little bug to up and leave anywhere after a few years, and it’s incredibly hard for me to stay in one place. This could be why I’ve been looking for jobs outside of California now haha.
And I appreciate the offer of passing your ARC! I’m trying to find someone with one who I can bribe with my awesome baking skills haha. Have you read Something Like Normal by Trish Dollar? I just received it on NetGalley and want to read it SO badly it’s taking everything in me not to skip it to the top of my reading list. Even though it’s still military, the plot seems a bit farther removed than anything I’ve experienced.
That makes a lot of sense…you were born with traveling shoes on. I was the exact opposite. My worst nightmare would have been leaving my small town. That’s why I was very lucky to be pushed outside of my comfort zone when I got married. I really grew a lot. Ever stationed in Germany? We were in Augsburg for 4 years–LOVED it!
You are a lucky duck–my Net Galley request got turned down for SLN! Guess I’ll be trying to bribe with bake goods too…oh wait…I stink at baking LOL!
So different! My worst nightmare is being stuck in one tiny town — the suburb next to mine has a slogan that reads “the country in the city” and every time I’m there it makes me antsy. Augsburg is in Southern Germany, right? We were never stationed there, though I was in Brussels, Belgium for 5 years and we used to drive to Hamburg every few years on vacation…the opposite direction, but I remember that Germany was beautiful! I wish I remembered more, but just means I’ll have to go visit 🙂 When we were moving from Belgium to Italy we thought of driving down through Germany and Switzerland, but ended up going through France (Paris, mostly) to Spain back through the South of France and down to Naples, Italy. I’m glad you loved being in Germany though! That must have been scary to be taken away from your home. Did you get to travel anywhere else in Europe?
It was a BIG adjustment for me but one I’m glad I was forced to make. I traveled all over–All over Germany, France, Italy, London, Copenhagen, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Prague, Even spent 10 days in Egypt. It was amazing–changed me forever. <3 I always loved when family got to come out and visit too.
I was born into a military family, and my daughter is married to a military man (Navy pilot), so I’m always happy to hear about a book that gets the military experience right. I’ll be adding this one to my reading wish list. 🙂
Why do I have the feeling that your list looks like mine LOL!
Thanks for the great review and the encouraging comments. I can’t wait for IF I LIE to land in the hands of readers. 🙂
Love you, Cory!!!!
[…] a fan of her writing–I’m sure you remember how I gushed about her other debut novel IF I LIE. Loved it! Well, TOUCHED has been teasing me for quite some time now because it debuted in Germany […]