MICHELLE'S REVIEW: If I Lie by Corinne Jackson

Title: If I Lie
Author: Corrine Jackson
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Publishing House: Simon Pulse

ISBN: 9781442454132
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

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.

                        (Image, information, book summary courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

I could actually count on one hand the books that have made me cry. There was Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, Morgan Matson's Second Chance Summer, and now this book. Mind you, these are not the kind of tears that just gently rolled down my face. These are the kind of tears that had me wanting to reach into my chest, rip out my heart, and throw it in the trash bin. I am generally not a weepy person, as I do have tear ducts made out of steel, but goodness, did this book have me wishing that I could stuff tissue in my eyes.

With Quinn's ex-boyfriend Carey away in the war, Quinn has to deal with the little military town bearing on her because of the scandal. Her scandal. Before anyone ever knew that they were over, Quinn was caught in a compromising photo with a guy who is obviously not Carey, but nobody knows the truth of that night. Nobody knows that Carey asked Quinn to keep a little secret that could change everything. After all, it's not lying if it's the omission of truth... Or is it?

If I Lie has got to be one of the best contemporary novels I have read - and I have read a lot of them. Quinn lives in a military town. Her father is a military guy himself, and even he can't tolerate her when the scandal erupted. Carey was kind, compassionate, and perfect - the town hero. Everyone in town knew that they were it, the serious couple who will eventually settle down one day. Quinn could walk away from it all, if they only knew the truth, but it's a secret that Quinn will take to her grave if she has to.

Goodness, did I feel Quinn. I felt that she was one of the saddest protagonists I have ever come to know, but did I ever love her. She was rejected by her so-called friends, the guy she was in love with, her father, and even by people who didn't really know her, and the only person who knew the truth was thousands of miles away. At least she had George, the wonderful, wonderful old guy Quinn visits in the Veterans' Center. George was Quinn's pillar of strength, and you could not imagine how pained I was when the realities of life caught up with him. It was one of the hardest scenes I have ever read, and I literally had to stop and bawl my eyes out. (Tear ducts of steel? What tear ducts of steel?!)

There were a lot of times in the book that all I wanted to do was scream at Carey and tell him to tell the whole town what he's been hiding all along, if only to get everyone off of Quinn's back.  I thought that Carey was very selfish in allowing Quinn to take the brunt of the situation, but then, I guess I could imagine all the stigma that Carey was envisioning for himself, especially when a lot of people look up to him. However, it is also in these tough times that Quinn finally does away with her identity as only Carey's girlfriend, and establishes herself as someone who sticks to her guns and has her own principles. It is in this time that relationships have been tested - most have been severed, and only few have stayed true. At the same time, Quinn also reminds us that there is a time to heal, to lick wounds, and a time to finally get on with life. All I thought of in the entirety of the book was that there are people out there who are as misunderstood as Quinn, and that it is very much a human error to immediately judge someone without fully knowing the entire situation. But in the same manner that others have wronged us, Quinn reminds us to be the better man and learn to forgive, in our own time.

I simply could not recommend this book enough. I would strongly urge you to read this when you're sure that you could dedicate your entire time in soaking up all the emotions that this book evokes. Pick up Corinne Jackson's If I Lie with a box of Kleenex and a pint of ice cream, if only to soothe the emotional turmoil Jackson will ultimately put you through.

Rating:

         

NICOLE'S REVIEW: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Title: Dualed
Author: Elsie Chapman
Format Acquired: Hardcover

Publication Date: February 26, 2013

Publishing House: Random House

ISBN: 9780307931542
Source of Copy: Purchased from Fully Booked

Summary:

                                            Be the one

Be worthy

The city of Kersh is a haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate, a twin rased by another family, and teens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage - life.

West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But a tragic misstep shakes West's confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt she's no longer the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running, not only from her Alt, but also from love... though both have the power to destroy her.

Fast-paced and unpredictable, Elsie Chapman's suspenseful debut brings unexpected romance into a chilling, unforgettable world.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Imagine living the first 20 years of your life knowing that one day your government is going to give you an assignment to track and hunt down your genetic Alternate, your twin of sorts raised by another family, and only one of you will survive. Survival means eliminating your Alternate and if successful you get a shot at living a better life - advanced schooling; marriage; better food.

It's an interesting premise and since I could not resist I proceeded to imagine myself living in a world as harsh as that, where killing is normal and everyone is trained to become soldiers. I figured that if I were ever given an assignment like that I'd be shot dead in a few seconds.

Dualed has its good points and its bad points, but I suppose that I'm giving it a four out of sheer enjoyment. The story is told in West Grayer's point of view and it basically chronicles her struggle with the tragedy of losing her family, her battle with her Alternate, and her growing feelings for her childhood friend Chord. I liked West. I thought that she was a strong heroine, capable and resourceful with a penchant for pushing others away when she's hurting and would prefer to hash things out on her own. It's just that sometimes I found her a tad bit cold and distant and I could not understand her reasons as to why she chose to become a striker - an assassin for hire. As a distraction? Training? 

Another thing I was iffy about was Chord and West; while I liked Chord and his relationship with West well enough, I just couldn't get a feel for them at times because their interactions with each other were akin to that of strangers. They're childhood friends right? Shouldn't there have been some sort of lingering emotional connection or tension between them?

It's also easy enough to picture the city of Kersh, the desperation and fear that permeates through the Actives - people who are in the process of killing their Alt - and the success and elation that a Complete feels. It wasn't hard to imagine the underground world of Strikers and their ilk becoming assassins for hire as a show of rebellion against their government. I guess I just want to see more backstory although whatever's written in the book is enough to give readers a feel for things.

What I also liked about Dualed was the action, suspense and anticipation. I could hardly put down the book because I was waiting for the moment West gets her assignment, and when it started, I was caught up in the cat and mouse chase she was engaged in with her Alt. 

Overall, Dualed is a highly entertaining and suspenseful sci-fi read where children are raised to become soldiers and killing their Alternate is simply a rite of passage. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.

Rating:

                      

Blog Announcement: Hiatus Until the 18th

Hey guys, if you've noticed our lack of posts and comments, you can blame our stressful schoolwork for that. We're having our finals, so we've decided to be on hiatus until March 18, 2013. We've tried to keep the blog up and running during this stressful time, but despite our efforts, we're unable to keep up, and we don't want to give you guys half-baked reviews. By then, we'll be resuming our posts and regular updates again.

Hope you guys understand the pressure we're under. (Straight nights of no sleep for us, boo!)

Love, 

Michelle and Nicole

TTR