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nanislibrary's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh, malo, malo.
Siento que la autora no pudo desarrollar bien esta historia, y es una lástima porque pudo haber sido buenísimo.
Lo único que me gustó es como Charlotte salva a Sanda y los esfuerzos que hace por protegerla y permitirle ser feliz. En lo demás, un fiasco.
En muchas partes creí que era más un libro de romance que de thriller. ¡Que decepción!
Siento que la autora no pudo desarrollar bien esta historia, y es una lástima porque pudo haber sido buenísimo.
Lo único que me gustó es como Charlotte salva a Sanda y los esfuerzos que hace por protegerla y permitirle ser feliz. En lo demás, un fiasco.
En muchas partes creí que era más un libro de romance que de thriller. ¡Que decepción!
nagam's review against another edition
4.0
How does one review a book that was brilliantly written but scared the bejesus out of them? I feel shaky and scared and angry that there are humans like those and worse in this world. This book is not for someone who cannot deal with really difficult scenarios. Many times I had to stop reading for a breather. (Many.) More to come in an official review on the blog.
sqeeker's review against another edition
5.0
- I was a little scared to read this, but I shouldn't have been. It was AWESOME!
- There wasn't anything too graphic or hard to read, but it is still sad, and I felt awful that there are people out there that abuse other people, especially children.
- I felt so many emotions while reading this. I really felt for Charlotte and Sanda. I felt sad, angry, sick, and scared for them. I wanted to just reach in the book and hold them and protect them.
- Cam is amazing! I loved him! He is such a great guy. He reminded me a little of Gus (The Fault in Our Stars) and Levi (Fangirl) except Cam is more ballsy.
- Side Note: Don't read this after dark! I had some weird dreams after reading into the night. I just couldn't put it down, but I paid for it!
- The ending is such a thrill. Wow!
- I'm so excited that I got to read this for Utah Book Month! Thank you so much to the author for giving us an ARC for review!
- There wasn't anything too graphic or hard to read, but it is still sad, and I felt awful that there are people out there that abuse other people, especially children.
- I felt so many emotions while reading this. I really felt for Charlotte and Sanda. I felt sad, angry, sick, and scared for them. I wanted to just reach in the book and hold them and protect them.
- Cam is amazing! I loved him! He is such a great guy. He reminded me a little of Gus (The Fault in Our Stars) and Levi (Fangirl) except Cam is more ballsy.
- Side Note: Don't read this after dark! I had some weird dreams after reading into the night. I just couldn't put it down, but I paid for it!
- The ending is such a thrill. Wow!
- I'm so excited that I got to read this for Utah Book Month! Thank you so much to the author for giving us an ARC for review!
breparson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chava_in_oz's review against another edition
3.0
quite poorly written in parts and very unrealistic. It was an ok read though
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson was a book that pulled me into the story and made it really hard to put the book down. There is a definite darkness to this story and the main character has suffered through something that is unimaginable but she comes through it with a toughness that helps her survive when she is on her own.
Piper has escaped her abusive parents and now she is trying to live in a world outside of the attic she has lived in for her entire life. In order to do that, Piper needs a new life and she hires Cam to give her a new identity. Now she is Charlotte and she has an apartment and Cam helps her get a job. Just as she begins her new life, Charlotte is pulled back into a situation she thought she would never have to face again.
Something new for Charlotte is the fact that Cam wants to help and be her friend. This is not something she has ever had before and while she doesn’t necessarily trust anyone, she realizes he really is a good guy. I liked Cam and he was a good balance for Charlotte. She (with good reason) had to be very careful and I loved how he slowly broke down the walls she had put up.
As the story moves forward, we know what Charlotte has gone through and we also find out what she has recently done when she sees a girl in the park that has marks that are very similar to those she has suffered. Things start to get dangerous and weird for Charlotte when she starts receiving threatening messages. Now Charlotte has to figure out who is behind the messages and what she is going to do.
I loved the mystery aspect of this story and the way the story unraveled. There is no question, Charlotte is strong but she is stronger with Cam helping her out and when she finally realizes he isn’t really going anywhere, she actually begins to rely on him. In the end she does try to keep him out of the danger but that does backfire on her and Cam refuses to let her handle this problem alone.
I liked the overall story here. It isn’t necessarily a pretty story, but it is about survival and the suspense tied in is believable. As I mentioned, I found myself unable to put this book down because I needed to know what was going to happen next for these characters and who was behind everything. Plus, I was trying to figure how it was all going to come together.
If you like an emotion packed story with a mystery plus some solid characters, definitely check this one out. I was excited to get my hands on a copy and will definitely be checking out other books by Johansson as soon as I can.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Piper has escaped her abusive parents and now she is trying to live in a world outside of the attic she has lived in for her entire life. In order to do that, Piper needs a new life and she hires Cam to give her a new identity. Now she is Charlotte and she has an apartment and Cam helps her get a job. Just as she begins her new life, Charlotte is pulled back into a situation she thought she would never have to face again.
Something new for Charlotte is the fact that Cam wants to help and be her friend. This is not something she has ever had before and while she doesn’t necessarily trust anyone, she realizes he really is a good guy. I liked Cam and he was a good balance for Charlotte. She (with good reason) had to be very careful and I loved how he slowly broke down the walls she had put up.
As the story moves forward, we know what Charlotte has gone through and we also find out what she has recently done when she sees a girl in the park that has marks that are very similar to those she has suffered. Things start to get dangerous and weird for Charlotte when she starts receiving threatening messages. Now Charlotte has to figure out who is behind the messages and what she is going to do.
I loved the mystery aspect of this story and the way the story unraveled. There is no question, Charlotte is strong but she is stronger with Cam helping her out and when she finally realizes he isn’t really going anywhere, she actually begins to rely on him. In the end she does try to keep him out of the danger but that does backfire on her and Cam refuses to let her handle this problem alone.
I liked the overall story here. It isn’t necessarily a pretty story, but it is about survival and the suspense tied in is believable. As I mentioned, I found myself unable to put this book down because I needed to know what was going to happen next for these characters and who was behind everything. Plus, I was trying to figure how it was all going to come together.
If you like an emotion packed story with a mystery plus some solid characters, definitely check this one out. I was excited to get my hands on a copy and will definitely be checking out other books by Johansson as soon as I can.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
awedree's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kayla_llbr's review against another edition
3.0
"Now they are dying. Now they are dead. And I don't regret what I've done."
I'm not sure why but I've always been drawn to things with dark undertones: books, music, people. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly happy and optimistic person, but sometimes it's easier to understand the emotions that drive a person in their darkest hours. I like venturing out of my comfort zone and reading about issues and people that scare, yet intrigue me. There is a level of intimacy when it comes to diving into a story that has the power to make you fearful and uncomfortable. That's what I experienced with Cut Me Free. Charlotte's story is laced in pain and desperation, but beyond that this is a story of courage and survival.
"Minutes stretch as I stand in the shadows of skyscrapers, trying to wrap my head around how small I really am...even when the rip through my heart seems impossibly large."
With a story like Charlotte's it would be easy for this novel to travel down the rabbit hole of despair and never come back, but surprisingly it didn't. This could easily be attributed to Cam, the helpful, handsome, and protective force in Charlotte's life that has her questioning what it is to trust someone. Their interactions really did put Charlotte in a new light. I would have liked if the romance would have been a little more prominent, especially in the middle of the story, because with stories with heavy themes, like this one, it helps to have something soft and lighthearted in contrast. But what really, really, made me enjoy this story was the relationship Charlotte had with Sanda. Charlotte and Sanda have a very sisterly relationship. Sanda tugged at my heart with her ability to try to overcome all the pain she was subjected to. I liked the person Charlotte became in Sanda's presence.
"One fact that remains after everything else settles. I will not let Cam or Sanda become collateral damage in the carnage of my life."
Besides the strong personal character developments and even stronger character relationships, Cut Me Free had a good amount of twists and turns to turn what was a dark story into a thriller. I did have a few moments where I ended up skimming things, especially towards the end, but overall I really did enjoy where this story went. Do I think this book is for everyone? Probably not. I know that the themes explored in this are a bit heavier than some might be able to handle, but it's worth a few uncomfortable and squeamish scenes for the writing and story.
3.5 stars*
*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I'm not sure why but I've always been drawn to things with dark undertones: books, music, people. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly happy and optimistic person, but sometimes it's easier to understand the emotions that drive a person in their darkest hours. I like venturing out of my comfort zone and reading about issues and people that scare, yet intrigue me. There is a level of intimacy when it comes to diving into a story that has the power to make you fearful and uncomfortable. That's what I experienced with Cut Me Free. Charlotte's story is laced in pain and desperation, but beyond that this is a story of courage and survival.
"Minutes stretch as I stand in the shadows of skyscrapers, trying to wrap my head around how small I really am...even when the rip through my heart seems impossibly large."
With a story like Charlotte's it would be easy for this novel to travel down the rabbit hole of despair and never come back, but surprisingly it didn't. This could easily be attributed to Cam, the helpful, handsome, and protective force in Charlotte's life that has her questioning what it is to trust someone. Their interactions really did put Charlotte in a new light. I would have liked if the romance would have been a little more prominent, especially in the middle of the story, because with stories with heavy themes, like this one, it helps to have something soft and lighthearted in contrast. But what really, really, made me enjoy this story was the relationship Charlotte had with Sanda. Charlotte and Sanda have a very sisterly relationship. Sanda tugged at my heart with her ability to try to overcome all the pain she was subjected to. I liked the person Charlotte became in Sanda's presence.
"One fact that remains after everything else settles. I will not let Cam or Sanda become collateral damage in the carnage of my life."
Besides the strong personal character developments and even stronger character relationships, Cut Me Free had a good amount of twists and turns to turn what was a dark story into a thriller. I did have a few moments where I ended up skimming things, especially towards the end, but overall I really did enjoy where this story went. Do I think this book is for everyone? Probably not. I know that the themes explored in this are a bit heavier than some might be able to handle, but it's worth a few uncomfortable and squeamish scenes for the writing and story.
3.5 stars*
*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
loslibrosdelupita's review against another edition
3.0
La historia es buenísima, pero no me terminan de convencer los personajes.