If You Must Know by Jamie Beck

Melanie | Howell High School, Grade 11

Rating: ****

The book If You Must Know by Jamie Beck is about two sisters who were not close at all but with the crazy things life throws at them, things needed to change. Each of them were perfectly happy with their lives apart but when everything suddenly changes they feel lost. The sisters polar opposite personalities makes for a compelling story about finding trust and friendship in one another. We see themes of disloyalty and devastation strike the family but it only brings them closer together.

Overall, the novel is a sequence of rollercoaster events that left me always wanting to read more. It was a great story, easy to follow and took a ton of unexpected turns. One of my favorite things about this book was seeing the characters develop throughout the story. I would definitely recommend reading this because of how each chapter genuinely made me want to continue reading! I think the story was interesting but very heartfelt at the same time because of the way the family changes how they interact with one another despite all of the challenges they face while simultaneously grieving the loss of a loved one. Definitely a good, easy read for anyone who enjoys a good family story!