If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

If I Lie
Corrine Jackson
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Released: August 28, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 288
Source: Cavalier House Books

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.

I received this ARC months ago and sort of put it on the back burner. Then Memorial Day came around and several other bloggers were talking it up bringing it back to the forefront. I skimmed the back cover, which I almost never do, and had a terrible thought. What if what I think might be "the big secret" is actually "the big secret?" Maybe I watched a few too many episodes of Scandal* recently, but when I thought I already figured out the big reveal I was a bit deflated. Thankfully, the point of this novel wasn't so much about the exposure but of its repercussions.

Quinn is alone. After two years of dating Carey, the object of the entire town's affections, she is repulsive after what she's done. What's worse than pictures of Quinn kissing another boy being leaked on Facebook and sent to the entire school board? Finding out a few weeks later that Carey is missing in action. So while he's off fighting and probably dying for our country, Quinn is found half-naked in the arms of another. Her friends have abandoned her and taken to publicly humiliating her; the first thing her principal does is call her father, a Marine himself; and Carey's parents who were always like a second family make it clear that her mere existence is an abomination. Sounds pretty terrible, doesn't it? What's worse is that Quinn didn't do anything wrong. But bound by her promise to Carey, she cannot - and will not - tell the truth because it isn't hers to tell.

Two, no three, things made this novel amazing. I loved the way it wasn't about the secret. Like I said, I figured it out, which didn't at all matter because this was about what happened to Quinn. I loved that it wasn't always just about Quinn. We find out about her own family history which plays into how she's treated, and we find out that one of her "punishments" was one of the things that saved her. (I don't want to even name the side character who stole my heart for fear it won't blindside you the way it did me - in a good way, of course.) And I loved the way Cory wasn't afraid to use the F-word. Words like "heck" and "dern" can make a novel too sugary while flinging screams of curses across every page feels like watching Phone Booth. Cory placed every word with extreme thought - expletive and not - making her an author I definitely want to watch out for.

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it made me ugly cry, and the masochist in me loved it all the more.

*Have you guys watched this show?! Ohmygosh, put the first season on your summer watch list!

FTC: I received an ARC of this novel from Simon & Schuster via Cavalier House Books in exchange for an honest review.