ReviewIf I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a one night stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

Reasons I chose the book:  

After receiving a request from the publisher and reading the summary I was definitely intrigued with the synopsis. I had missed out on Gurtler's first book I'm Not Her and was excited about reading a book by this contemporary author.

Reason I like or disliked the book: 

To be honest while I liked several aspects of the book, I had some mixed feelings too. Gurtler deals with a whole boat load of issues, all of which are important, but I found myself questioning why so many in one story. Jaz, the main character, is biracial and has dealt with so much in her seventeen years. Raised by grandparents because her mother had her when she was in high school and couldn't deal, Jaz not only has some abandonment issues, but has a difficult time dealing with her racial identity. She has suffered through years of bullying and has consequently withdrawn from making friends preferring to isolate herself and escapes through music. Even though the relationship with her grandparents was strong and nurturing, not having any black role models in her life has greatly affected Jaz's ability to deal healthily with her ethnicity. Other issues that are dealt with include teen drinking, sexual abuse drugs, and post postpartum depression, and while these issues are not the main focus they do play roles in Jaz's story.

Because Jaz's life is messy, I found myself torn between really liking her character and also not always accepting her. The one person Jaz felt closest to, her grandfather, had died leaving her alone to deal with her best friend's betrayal. The friendship and romance between Jaz and Jackson was well written, and I also really liked Ashley, a lesbian friend whose presence in the novel was sporadic, but always a welcome change from Jaz's BFF Lacey. 

Reasons for recommending the book: 

Despite some of the issues I had with the book, Gurtler's writing is engaging and If I Tell explores issues that need to be explored. It is a quick read and I found myself engaged through out. I would definitely read other books by Gurtler. 

 Source: I received a copy of If I Tell from Sourcebooks for review.

ReviewMystify by Artist Arthur

Sasha Carrington has grown up feeling like an outsider, and her parents are too concerned with scaling the Lincoln, Connecticut, social ladder to even notice her. They’d be really horrified to know about the supernatural abilities Sasha and her friends Krystal and Jake possess. But as part of the Mystyx, Sasha has found her place.

Now her parents have suddenly taken an interest in everything she does, and their timing couldn’t be worse. Sasha’s father wants her to become BFFs with snooty Alyssa Turner, who hates Krystal for stealing her boyfriend. Then there’s Antoine Watson, the boy Sasha has liked forever, the boy her parents would never approve of. But with the dark side getting more dangerous by the day, and the Mystyx’s own powers growing in unexpected ways, Sasha is facing choices that could affect her friends, her love life—and even her destiny. (Publisher's summary from Goodreads)

In Arthur Artist’s second Mystyx novel, Mystify we follow Sasha and her Mystyx buddies, Jake and Krystal as they try to unravel and adjust to their supernatural abilities and attempt to find out more about The Darkness that is haunting them.

Unlike the first book in the series, which was told from Kyrstal’s POV, Mystify is narrated by Sasha and provides much insight into her life as a “Richie” and the problems that creates for her friendships and love life.

I am fascinated by these teens’ supernatural powers and remain more than a little curious as to exactly what The Darkness is. Unfortunately, Artist only teases us with a few more hints and an ancient curse. There is a connection between the Goddess Styx and it is clear that the Mystyx are the forces meant to battle The Darkness, but exactly how this will play out is still a mystery.

I did enjoy Sasha’s story and admired her ability to stand up to her father’s rich man mentality. She came across as an independent thinker who did not hold with her parents’ beliefs. The budding romance between Sasha and Antoine, a boy who her parents feel is way below Sasha’s station in life, dominated much of the story. However, Sasha does takes the lead in trying to figure out how the Mystyx are going to fight The Darkness and manages to keep the group from breaking apart.

If this review seems more than a little cryptic, that is because, the story left me confused. There are way too many unanswered questions, vague leads, and a new addition to the group, whose role is unclear. Guess I will just have to wait for the next book and see where it leads me and the Mystyx. 

Source: Received ARC copy from Publisher