Corrine Jackson’s If I Lie is a compelling story about a loyal friend who has a huge weight on her shoulders. Don’t let the fact that it’s a teen novel fool you- If I Lie is a life changing book that both adults and teens can enjoy. It’s more than a dramatic teen novel; it’s an intense ride that will toy with your emotions. I was enthralled with it from the beginning. Just reading the first page had me hooked! Jackson captures your attention and your heart with “Carey Breen is MIA” followed by a painfully descriptive character meltdown. Immediately, you want to know the rest of the story. It only gets better as it goes on. Every page brings up a new question or plot twist. The novel is a masterpiece. With every conflict the characters encounter, you feel their hardship right along with them. This sort of empathy is amazing and can be hard to handle at times. However, I loved every second of it. Very rarely have I read a book that had me feeling exactly what a character feels. Jackson’s magic will have any reader under If I Lie’s spell by the time they turn the first page. Reading this frustrating and fascinating novel showed me that unless you know the whole story (which you never really do), you shouldn’t be quick to judge.

This book really makes you think. I’ve never read a teen novel that covered so many important topics. There’s more to this story than teen drama. There are tons of themes that somehow beautifully blend together to make a great story. Patriotism, loyalty, family, equality, secrets, judgment, and friendship are all covered in excruciating detail. Most fascinating of all, If I Lie takes you into the world of military families, and the military town of Sweethaven, North Carolina. While experiencing this book, you follow the struggles of Sophie Topper Quinn- named after her mother and uncle. It seems lovely that she be named after family members- except for the fact that her namesakes had an affair with each other when she was young. Disgraced by the scandal, Sophie goes for the rest of her life by just Quinn. It’s the only honorable name she has left. She is completely appalled by cheating- until, that is, she does it herself. Or at least that’s what the town thinks. Quinn’s boyfriend, Carey, goes off to war in Afghanistan, and before he leaves, he tells her a secret that alters their relationship and Quinn’s life.

After Carey’s confession, Quinn is caught with Carey’s best friend, Blake, behind the bleachers. This all seems like Quinn’s fault- until Carey’s secret is revealed to the reader. Carey broke up with Quinn because of his secret. However, she can’t simply explain this, because that would mean she’d have to share Carey’s secret with the whole town. Without Blake’s public support and Carey’s absence, she has no one who believes in her. Her own father practically disowns her! As if all this wasn’t hard enough, Quinn is told that Carey has gone missing in action. This is too much for a young girl to bear! Her boyfriend has broken up with her and left her with a huge secret, Blake won’t listen to her, everyone in town has dubbed her the town slut, and Carey has gone missing, he may even be dead. Not only is that saddening to Quinn because she still loves him as a friend, but she also can’t reveal Carey’s secret and clear her name until he comes home. So if he doesn’t, Quinn will have to live in a town where everyone hates her until she goes to college. That doesn’t break her, though. She stays loyal and keeps quiet about Carey’s secret. Things only get worse when Quinn’s mother comes into town. Now Quinn has to deal with her banned mother on top of everything else. Although everyone in town thinks Quinn is complete scum, she is really a hero. No one has any idea how brave she is being, sticking up for her ex that just left her behind with a secret too big for one to bear.

Other than the intense plot line, If I Lie brings many different thoughts to mind. As you read, you ponder, “How would I act if I was Quinn?”, and “How would I treat her if I was someone in her town?” Quinn’s bullying and hatred gives the novel a relatable teen topic, but in a less cliché way. The reader will undoubtedly feel the deepest sympathy for this brave young girl who goes through so much conflict. Quinn has to fight two battles: the one where she tries to survive her hometown’s hatred, and her internal fight between Carey’s reputation and her own.
While suffering along with Quinn throughout this dark yet beautiful tale, the only thing that keeps Quinn (and the reader) going was the hope that Carey will return and things will go back to the way they were. Although it’s a teen read, If I Lie is almost in its own genre, somewhere between teen books, tragedies, and mysteries. It’s compelling, emotional, mysterious, and deep. After you close the book a final time, you are left feeling Quinn’s battle scars.