REVIEW: If You Wrong Us by Dawn Klehr

If You Wrong Us by Dawn Klehr

Publication Date: October 1, 2015

Publisher: Flux
Source: Book Purchased by Reviewer

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):


Becca and Johnny become entangled after a car crash steals the lives of two people they love. Officially, the crash is an accident. But Becca and Johnny are convinced: someone did this.

As they plot revenge against the person responsible, a bond—intense, unyielding, and manic—takes hold of them. And in an unexpected turn of events, they fall for each other.

Or so they think.

In an upside-down world where decay is beautiful and love and hate become one, Becca and Johnny find themselves grappling with reality. Nothing is exactly what it seems, including what they've come to believe about the crash. Question is: will they learn the truth before it's too late?

No. The question is: when they learn the truth, will they care?

I fell in love with the synopsis of this book when I randomly saw it one day at B&N. I love going to bookstores to find all the books i've been eagerly waiting for but i'm also a big believer in fate leading me to random books. So I instantly knew I would love this one.

This book goes back and forth between the POV's of Becca and Johnny. Alternating between the present in Johnny's view and the past in Becca's view. The event that brings these two together is a car accident involving Becca's twin sister, Johnny's mother, and a third party who shall remain nameless for the time being.

Before the accident, Becca and Johnny had no concrete connection to each other. Then, in a chance meeting at the accident site, they became closer and began their journey down this twisted and sad rabbit hole. In an attempt to exact revenge on the person Becca believes to be the culprit behind the car accident, they both do things that they regret. From beginning to end, being able to see the character arc for both of these two MC's was incredible. The Becca and Johnny that we see in the beginning of the book are not the same Becca and Johnny we see at the end of the book.  Being able to watch these two separate view points unfold had me captivated the entire time--hook, line, and sinker!

Becca becomes completely obsessed with getting revenge on the person she thinks is responsible for the death of her sister and she convinces Johnny to join her in her plan. Without giving away too much, i'll let you know that one of the two narrators was slightly disturbed and seemed a bit unstable throughout the book. The other narrator was completely naive and gullible. Seeing the true personalities of these characters while listening to their thoughts about each other was so fun to read. I also really loved that little plot twist in the end. It completely threw me off and I had no idea it was coming.

Overall, this book was a fun and quick read and i'm so happy I picked it up. Though there were a few unanswered questions in the end, they were minor and didn't take away from the story. If this book is on your TBR, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

REVIEW: The Truth by Jeffry W. Johnston

The Truth by Jeffry W. Johnston

Publication Date: February 1, 2016

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Received from Publisher 

Buy it at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

*This eARC was received from the publisher, but it did not influence this review in any way *

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Lie, torture, kill—there's nothing Chris and Derek wouldn't do for their younger brothers…


When Chris wakes up tied to a chair in a dark basement, he knows that he's trapped—and why. He shot and killed Derek's little brother. He had his reasons, but no matter how far Derek goes to uncover the truth about that night, Chris's story won't change. It can't. There is far too much at stake…

Derek is desperate to prove his brother didn't deserve to die. And if kidnapping his brother's killer is the only way to the truth, than he'll go to extremes. But Chris's truth is far more dangerous than Derek could have imagined, and knowing could cost both their lives…

When I started reading this book I was a little skeptical about how the author was going to handle this story, but I instantly fell into the rhythm and soon found that I couldn't put it down. This story is told through a combination of flashbacks and the present which I normally find a bit difficult to read, but this author made it flow naturally and beautifully. The story itself was told in reverse which I loved because it's such a different style to write and it kept me guessing until the very end!

The story is told from Chris's point of view while alternating between the present and flashbacks as Chris tells Derek his side of what happened. The entire time I was reading, I loved how unpredictable it all was! I never knew what was going to happen and the ending was such a perfect twist. It truly had me questioning everything I had learned while reading. That ending was perfect! There are no words for it!!

I think what makes "The Truth" so special is that it touches on realistic subjects and gives such a realistic feeling while reading it. The author turned this story into more than just a young adult book. He highlighted facets of human nature. He shows you that everyone is damaged in some shape or form and that corruption can drive people to do horrible things. He shows you that not everyone gets to have a happily ever after, no matter how much they deserve one and everyone has bad things happen to them, even good people. He also made me feel sad for the antagonist of the story. His love for his brother was truly heartfelt.

This book is a fast-paced story that will leave you wanting more as you turn the last page and wonder how you could have read it so fast without realizing.