Blog Tour: Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson

Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson
Published by Macmillan on January 27, 2015
Genres: Love & Romance, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 304

Amazon • Book Depository •

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte barely escaped from her abusive parents. Her little brother, Sam, wasn't as lucky. Now she's trying to begin the new life she always dreamed of for them, but never thought she'd have to experience alone. She's hired a techie-genius with a knack for forgery to remove the last ties to her old life. But while she can erase her former identity, she can’t rid herself of the memories. And her troubled history won’t let her ignore the little girl she sees one day in the park. The girl with the bruises and burn marks.

That’s when Charlotte begins to receive the messages. Threatening notes left in her apartment--without a trace of entry. And they’re addressed to Piper, her old name. As the messages grow in frequency, she doesn’t just need to uncover who is leaving them; she needs to stop whoever it is before anyone else she loves ends up dead.

 

There’s a lot about J.R. Johanssen’s books that draw me in. She’s been said to be fantastic with the creepiness of her stories and Insomnia soundeo absolutely heart pounding, though I haven’t read Insomnia solely because it didn’t sound like my kind of novel (no matter how fascinating it sounded). But Cut Me Free? Well, a story about a killer, a tragic past, some psychological aspects, and a bit of romance sounded right up my alley. I may be a wimp, but it’s hard to resist the thrill of a…well, a thriller.

AND THE RUMORS ARE TRUE. Johanssen is brilliant when it comes to placing subtle hints and creating chilling atmospheres. I shuddered more than I care to admit, and I mean that in the absolutely best way possible. There’s little Cut Me Free shies away from, making it a gritty and raw story about a girl who’s a murderer–for all the right reasons, if you can call any reason “right” (and I’m inclined to do so). There’s a certain brutality that Johanssen brings to light, one filled with torture and contains a world of suffering. And I mean that quite, quite literally. If I’m being completely honest, there was almost a part of me that wanted to categorize this abuse as fictional; it’s hard to grasp the reality of these kinds of psychopaths wandering around and looking like regular civilians.

Charlotte though. Charlotte has a kind of superpower. She sees these abusers for what they are and when she sees a hurt little girl…she intervenes. And starts a ridiculous chain of reactions that lead her from one extreme to another.
While I wasn’t very shocked by the general outcome or by the whodunit question, the lengths at which these characters go to to protect their loved ones and uphold their morals definitely did. Charlotte and our entire cast of characters are passionate and explosive–and utterly,  utterly stubborn. Which, in a thriller, doesn’t exactly foretell a promising outcome.

Or a fantastic romance. Cam fell so quickly for Charlotte, it’s hard not to call insta love and it’s harder still to believe that it was his sole reason for half the things he did in the story. Even after he said the words, it was difficult to believe him. There was little to no chemistry between these two characters, and, had I not been privy to Charlotte’s mind, I probably wouldve sided with Lily when she claims that Charlotte would end up hurting Cam. View Spoiler » Although I still think she was pretty idiotic, doing what she did. « Hide Spoiler
The story definitely could’ve done without,  but I’ll admit thatCam was pretty sweet in his earnestness and endearingly determined to help Charlotte at every turn.

A story rife with the dangers of the real world, there’s much to fear and more than just a few passages that’ll have you checking your locks. Heart pounding and spine tingling, Cut Me Free is a thriller that’ll keep you up and have you wondering who that strange man out on your street corner could possibly be. No? Just me?
Well then.

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About J.R. Johansson

J.R. JOHANSSON has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she’s nearly drowning in testosterone. J.R. lives in a valley between majestic mountains and a beautiful lake where the sun shines over 300 days per year.

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1/13: Curling Up with a Good Book

1/14: YA Interrobang

1/15: Dana Square

1/16: My Book Muse

1/19: Fandom Monthly Magazine

1/21: Books for YA

1/22: Forever Bookish

1/23: The Life & Times of a Book Addict

1/26: A Dream Within a Dream

1/27: Fiction Freak