Once Upon a Twilight!: Blog Tour: The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on The Truth About Us tour for Janet Gurtler. This tour is hosted by Jean Book Nerd.

The Truth About Us
Author: Janet Gurtler
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: April 7, 2015
Review Source: Sourcebooks Fire

A powerful and gripping contemporary YA from the author of I'm Not Her that's "Just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult."-Booklist

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up. She's made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she's paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is. She pretends it's all fine. That her "perfect" family is fine. But it's not. And no one notices the lie...until she meets Flynn. He's the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care. But Flynn is the definition of "the wrong side of the tracks." When Jess's parents look at him they only see the differences-not how much they need each other. They don't get that the person who shouldn't fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. I wasn't originally the one for this blog tour and I am so glad that I got to take over and read this one! I really have been let down lately by the contemporary romances in YA, so I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this one so much!

First of all, I love this cover. I think the brick wall will stand out really well in the sea of books at the bookstore. I also like the two teenagers embracing on the side. It gives you just enough to be able to visualize Jess and Flynn, but not too much where you can create your own idea on what they look like. So, bravo on the cover art.

What I liked most about the book was Jess and Flynn. The characters were very well written and even though Jess is supposed to be some snotty girl, I immediately saw beyond that and to the hurting girl inside. I loved how Flynn and Jess met at the beginning, even though I know some other readers might not like that she was being careless. When you don't value your life, though, you do stupid things. Flynn had my heart the whole time and I really enjoyed the scenes where you could see that they really cared for each other. In the end, I was pleased to see Jess change from the beginning to the end.

Overall, I was very pleased with the book. The only reason I gave it a 4 tree review was because I felt it dragged on a little bit in the middle. I think some of the scenes could've been cut shorter or removed all together and the book would've been fine. I hope to read more from this author and look forward to getting this in the hands of some of my students!

And now....a fill in the blank questionnaire from Janet Gurtler!!

I am: Janet Gurtler
Something you might not know about me is: I clam up when people intimidate me.
The best surprise ever would be: A trip somewhere warm in the winter.
The best part of my day is: Not gonna lie…my morning coffee is hard to top.
Something I am willing to fight for is: My child.
Some wise words I love are: Let it go
Best cure for a bad day is: A long walk
Happy ever after is: Learning to love who you are, warts and all.
I hope to: Become a more spiritual person
I dream of: Having a best selling novel
I am passionate about: Writing.
I think everyone should: Be honest with themselves
Right now I am super into: the new book I’m writing
A world without books is: Not a world where I want to be
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen was: My son’s first smile

A Rita Award Finalist and Crystal Kite Award Finalist, Janet Gurtler's young adult books have been chosen for the JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION and as BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS from the Canadian Children’s Book Center. Janet lives in Okotoks Alberta, Canada with her husband, son, and a chubby black Chihuahua named Bruce.