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Cut Me Free

J.R. Johansson (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 1,456 ratings · 292 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 304 pages

Published January 27th 2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

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YA Novels of 2015

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Jul 31, 2014 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, ebook

Cut me Free's plot involves lot of disturbing happenings and broken characters, so it's really unfortunate that it wasn't the emotional read I was expecting. I was really loving it at first, but at the end I felt kind of meh about the whole thing.

I think it will all depend what you expect from it. After I read the blurb that talks of abusive parents and death and memories, I though this would be an emotional wreck of a read; a psychologically dense story. Instead, it focuses mostly on the thril Cut me Free's plot involves lot of disturbing happenings and broken characters, so it's really unfortunate that it wasn't the emotional read I was expecting. I was really loving it at first, but at the end I felt kind of meh about the whole thing.

I think it will all depend what you expect from it. After I read the blurb that talks of abusive parents and death and memories, I though this would be an emotional wreck of a read; a psychologically dense story. Instead, it focuses mostly on the thriller aspect of the plot - the new psycho that seems to be stalking her - while grazing over the psychological aspects. I do like my thriller books, though, so this was still highly entertaining, I just found it could have been that and way more, you know. A lot of lost potential that could have turned this into a truly memorable read. Like, for instance, the main character's emotional state of mind is surprisingly stable for having been locked up since birth, abused and neglected for years and years. The story is not exactly realistic in that manner. There are mentions of her struggles with her brother's death and her paranoia and such, but this felt as if it was added as an afterthought. Like a "by the way, I AM a broken mess". The reader shouldn't have to be convinced, we should be able to see and feel this instability. Something! On top of that, she adapted to society way easily considering she'd never stepped foot inside her house before ever, which didn't help the lack of depth.

Plot-wise, it's your average YA thriller with a psycho on the loose. The book does do this part well with a constant eerie feeling in the air. You just know the MC is not safe no matter the precaution she takes - it's creepy! We're also introduced to a sweet side character who makes everything a bit more nerve-wracking. You can help but want her to finally be a worry-free happy kid! The plot doesn't come problem free, though. The main issue is a common one with YA thrillers: You have these teenagers who refuse to get help for any number of usually dumb reasons. Honestly I'm not even sure why she didn't want to go to the police from day 1 - and don't give me that "scared of foster care" crap. This lands her in some (predictable) sticky situations that could have been easily avoidable.

So anyways, this is a good read for some mindless entertainment, just don't expect anything especially potent or profound.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Mar 19, 2014 Sara Raasch rated it it was amazing

If you thought INSOMNIA was creepy, you ain't seen nothing yet.

CUT ME FREE is chilling--physically, emotionally. Emotionally times two. It will drag you in and tie you up in a tight knot of heart-racing creepiness, while resonating with real-world events that add a level of sinking breathlessness.

You want this book. But you want in a well-lit room with all the doors locked and windows shut tight. ...more

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May 08, 2014 Jennifer Armentrout rated it it was amazing

WOW.

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Dec 15, 2014 Alyssa rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015-releases

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Cut Me Free by J.R. Johansson
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

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 f ...more

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Feb 17, 2015 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: murder-mystery, my-recommendations

Really liked this book. I mean I hated that everything in it happened but it was so well written and compelling. Piper is such a strong character. I wanted to reach into the pages and pull her out and tell her everything is going to be okay. Just...wow.

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Jun 11, 2014 Rashika (is tired) rated it liked it

Shelves: e-arcs, totally-worth-it, touchy-issues, ya, decent-characters, dark, meh-romance, read-2015, mystery-thriller

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF THE BOOK ON THE BLOG

Actual Rating 3.5
Cut Me Free was quite honestly not what I expected it to be. I went into the book looking for something more along the lines of mind fuck and got something different. But it was a good different. This book may not have been what I wanted it to be but what it was was something that was enjoyable. I do use that term loosely though because this is a book that deals with serious ...more

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Jun 12, 2014 Jay rated it really liked it

Contemporary books, as of late, have taken on heavier and important topics that need to be addressed in our society. Cut Me Free is one of them and it discusses physical abuse. The main protagonist, Charlotte was physically abused since she was young by her so called mother, and then her step-father along with her mother. We're talking serious business here, as in her brother was born inside the house and was never registered.. so legally? he doesn't exist. This frightened me so much because thi Contemporary books, as of late, have taken on heavier and important topics that need to be addressed in our society. Cut Me Free is one of them and it discusses physical abuse. The main protagonist, Charlotte was physically abused since she was young by her so called mother, and then her step-father along with her mother. We're talking serious business here, as in her brother was born inside the house and was never registered.. so legally? he doesn't exist. This frightened me so much because this isn't just fiction… things like this happen in real life, where innocent kids open their eyes to this abuse and only know a life with it. My heart really ached for them all. Bottom line, I applaud Johansson for addressing this difficult yet important topic in the YA world.

I personally would have really preferred such a book to not include any romance but I think Johansson covered it well. It wasn't the sappy romance, but it was slow and Charlotte first had to be able to learn to trust people other than herself, which was no easy feat. Once Charlotte ran away, you would think this is it for her, new name, new identity, new life.. unfortunately people who have gone through a traumatic experience can't stay quiet or do nothing about someone they witness going through the same.. and I appreciated Johansson adding that to the plot. It really brought more depth and the relationship between Charlotte and the girl showed us how Charlotte was with her little brother. There was a ton of emotional scenes for me to digest while reading the book.

I liked the mystery but wished it was a bit more fleshed out. However I personally wasn't able to guess who the person was that kept sending her the threatening notes. I was impressed by the end and it was very realistic. Cut Me Free is a very quick read but it packs a punch. It is a book that holds an important message inside and I really wish more people would read it. It breaks my heart knowing that right now there are kids out there who are physically abused.. kids that can't seem to escape the dire situation they were forced into and I feel raising awareness and not turning a blind eye about a topic like this is important for the common population. ...more

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Jan 12, 2015 AH rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-netgalley, black, young-adult, contemporary, dark, zzread-jan2015

Cut Me Free is a hard book to rate. It was an OK read, but parts irritated me. The main character Piper has been through hell. The Parents placed her and her brother Sam in the attic and they were subjected to all sorts of torture. Piper manages to escape and she finds Cam, who helps her change her identity and get a new place to live.

Piper becomes Charlotte and she learns to live on her own. Here's the thing - she never went to school and has never was properly socialized, yet she functions li ...more

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Feb 02, 2016 Orlanda Machado rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, stand-alones, books-i-own, mystery, romance, realistic-fiction, thriller, my-hardbacks, read-in-2016

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This book was seriously good ! I was actually expecting to like it… I never read the synopsis of this book, not even after I finished reading the book, but I was expecting a lot fr ...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Danielle (Love at First Page) marked it as lost-interest-did-not-finish

Shelves: arc

DNF @ page 95.

Sadly, I have to set this one aside because the story isn't working for me. The first few pages did capture my interest - the main character has escaped from a terrifying home life, and for the past year she has been alone in the "real world" for the first time. She's had to learn how to survive on her own, trusting no one and always on the run. Yet, all too soon, Cut Me Free stopped holding my attention. We find out what Charlotte has had to experience, and it's absolutely terribl ...more

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Mar 20, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-star, wasted-potential, mystery-suspense, z-2016read, trauma-abuse-recovery

3 stars. This is definitely a good book, but it really does not fit the blurb very well.

This book seems to be advertised as a book about abuse and its psychological repurcussions. It is not that. This book is a very well-written, high tension thriller. It's just missing the psychological aspects I was looking for. However, the potential is not realized. This could be so much more than a cheap thriller.

As a thriller, this book is not bad. There's nothing splitting it apart from other thrillers, ...more

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Dec 04, 2014 Stacee rated it really liked it

Shelves: contains-the-evil-sentence, read-in-2015

This was absolutely captivating. It's a tough topic, but handled really well.

I loved Charlotte. She's such a fighter. Sanda is absolutely adorable and I don't have words for the awesomeness that is Cam.

The tension was delicious and the twists kept me guessing until the very end. ...more

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Feb 15, 2015 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it liked it

Shelves: read-for-review

This is a very hard book to review, because it deals with some seriously gritty subject matter. Puppies and rainbows this is not. Charlotte has had basically the life from hell, and that is putting it mildly. I am hoping that none of us can comprehend the horror that she experienced, and somehow lived through at the hand of her "parents". Now, she is trying to navigate life on her own while trying to put the events from her past as far behind her as possible.

I found Charlotte incredibly hard to This is a very hard book to review, because it deals with some seriously gritty subject matter. Puppies and rainbows this is not. Charlotte has had basically the life from hell, and that is putting it mildly. I am hoping that none of us can comprehend the horror that she experienced, and somehow lived through at the hand of her "parents". Now, she is trying to navigate life on her own while trying to put the events from her past as far behind her as possible.

I found Charlotte incredibly hard to connect to, in part because that was likely the point. How could Charlotte be relatable when no one can relate to such horror? She'd lost her brother, the only person she truly loved, and now she was on her own, completely clueless to the world around her. This is when she comes into contact with Cameron, who has some underground way of forging new identities (for a price, which Charlotte is lucky enough to be able to pay). Cam is kind of instantly smitten. Charlotte doesn't know this, but the reader pretty much does. He takes such an interest in her in such a short amount of time that it's pretty clear that he has more than platonic feelings. At times, he uses his morals as a guise to spend more time with her and to ask her about her past (as in, he doesn't want to be an accomplice for some kind of criminal), and other times, he is simply there to help her out. She rejects even his attempts at friendship for most of the story, because she simply has learned never to trust anyone. While Cam was a good guy, he needed to back off a bit. You'd think that being in the fake identity business would have taught him a bit about people who've undergone trauma needing some space, no?

Very early in the story, Charlotte encounters Sanda. Sanda is loving in a volatile situation herself, and Charlotte's inner voice (which she imagines as that of her brother Sam) tells her that she must find out what is happening to Sanda. Sadly, Sanda has been kidnapped and is being abused, so Charlotte makes it her mission to rescue her. While I applauded Charlotte for rescuing Sanda, it was ridiculously convenient that she sees this girl walking by who she knows is being abused, is able to track her down, and free her. At any rate, I loved Sanda, so we can just ignore the convenience.

Now, Charlotte has to worry about Sanda's safety as well as her own, and she will do anything to protect this little girl. Soon, it becomes clear that someone is following Charlotte, and she must find out who. It was a very fast paced book, and I was unsure of how things would play out until the very end.

Cut Me Free was certainly a thrilling and quick book, but it left me wanting more of an emotional connection. With such traumatic circumstances, I was sure I'd be feeling a lot for these characters, but I really didn't. Charlotte really didn't even allow herself to be vulnerable even in the confines of her own mind, so it was hard to feel much for her.

Bottom Line: It was a good and entertaining story, but it did lack the emotional depth I was hoping for.
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight ...more

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Jul 01, 2014 Megan rated it really liked it

Shelves: strong-female-character, wtf, awesome-book-covers, kick-ass-books, okay, goodreads-first-reads, awwwww, on-my-bookshelf, stand-alones, thrilling-horror-novels

MY RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

**Thank you J.R. Johansson for your generous giveaway on Goodreads**

After reading the last of Harry Potter, I needed a book to read that would kick-start my inner bookworm from it's state of depression and inspire me to keep reading. I won CUT ME FREE from a giveaway on Goodreads and had been sitting on my shelf for about a week. Why not read it?

I am SO glad I chose this book for my kick-starter! I read it in a day and a half, unable to peel my eyes away from Charlott ...more

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Dec 31, 2014 Kathy Martin rated it it was amazing

CUT ME FREE was an excellent story that caught a grip on my heart and didn't let go until the last page was turned. Piper is on the run from her old life. She spent eleven years in the attic of the people she called The Parents being abused. For six of those years she had the company of her brother Sam. She did her best to protect him but, one day, the Father woke her up and told her to bury him. That was the last straw for Piper. She attacked both the Mother and the Father and believes that she ...more

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Jan 13, 2015 ExLibris_Kate rated it it was ok

Cut Me Free begins with a girl who you can tell right away has survived something traumatic. What you find as you read this book is that she is rebuilding her life after surviving horrible circumstances. The descriptions of abuse are pretty detailed, so they could be triggering for some readers. Charlotte’s character, despite being locked in an attic for most of her life, seems to be able to function at a pretty amazing level and is also savvy enough to know she needs an identity to navigate her ...more

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Jan 03, 2016 Rosalind rated it it was amazing

This is an excellent read. It is a psychological thriller wound around the realities of abuse, kidnapping and sociopathy in society. What struck me most about this book was the obvious understanding the author has of the underlying emotional and psychological struggle the central character is experiencing as she comes to terms with being 'free'. I struggled to put this book down.

It is true that there is a strong romance line running through the story, but this fits well with the narrative becaus ...more

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Jul 14, 2014 Kathy rated it it was amazing

“Cut Me Fee” is dark, and it is the most beautiful novel I’ve ever read. Each emotion is real, true to the main character’s life and background, but even better is how raw they are. I didn’t just know what emotions Piper felt, I lived them. Jenn Johansson stunning words brought these lovable characters to life in a way that leaves me thinking about them long after I’ve closed the book.

Well-written, thrilling, and not a page without suspense (whether from danger or the heart-wrenching and subtle ...more

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Jul 15, 2014 Sheila rated it it was amazing

Another fabulous story by author J.R. Johansson. The complex characters and emotionally moving story line made this book a great read. There is plenty of suspense and romance, along with the harsh reality of abuse that makes this a book you will not forget for a long time.

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May 24, 2014 Erin Arkin rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, 2014-real-book-challenge

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 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.
...more

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Apr 20, 2015 Jaclyn rated it it was amazing

I started this book at midnight and didn't put it down until I finished it at 5 am. It was fantastic. You could feel the emotions of each of the characters and you wanted so much for her to succeed. I thought the suspense and romance, and every other part of it was done wonderfully. It was good enough that my mind still continued to go back to the story throughout the next day and will probably stay with me for a long time. Well done! ...more

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Jan 18, 2015 Magan rated it really liked it

Shelves: to-review, 2015-reads, hardest-books-i-ve-ever-read

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.

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Jan 22, 2016 Tabatha Jane rated it really liked it

Such an amazing novel. I felt myself bond with each of the characters. This was an extremely addicting and heartbreaking read. The end for me although was predictable but all in all, I would read this again.

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Jan 30, 2015 J-9 rated it it was amazing

Holy crapballs ....That was awesome!

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Feb 07, 2019 Kimberly Rodriguez rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 16, 2014 Leah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: for-review, favorites, ebooks, books-read-2014

introduction

When I saw Cut Me Free on Netgalley, I was immediately intrigued because it looked like a pretty creepy book, with its black cover. I wasn't actually expecting to be accepted for the book (yes, sometimes I request books I know I won't get, just on the offchance the publisher will say yes and then I get irrationally angry when I'm declined - it's the Netgalley effect) but to my surprise, I was accepted and added it to my list of January releases, excited to see if the novel lived up t introduction

When I saw Cut Me Free on Netgalley, I was immediately intrigued because it looked like a pretty creepy book, with its black cover. I wasn't actually expecting to be accepted for the book (yes, sometimes I request books I know I won't get, just on the offchance the publisher will say yes and then I get irrationally angry when I'm declined - it's the Netgalley effect) but to my surprise, I was accepted and added it to my list of January releases, excited to see if the novel lived up to its premise.

Cut Me Free was the second 2015 release I've read to deal with children being put through the wringer in the most awful way possible. First was Little Peach which deals with child prostitution, and here we meet Charlotte, who is forced to change everything about her after a horrific start at the hands of her "parents" (and I use the quotation marks because anyone who does what Charlotte's "parents" do to her do not deserve the honour of being called parents.) It was despicable to read about, made even worse by the fact that when Charlotte rescuses another little girl suffering a similar fate, it brings Charlotte's new life into horrible danger.

what i loved

The pulse pounding pace of the novel is immediately what springs to mind when I think back on the book. There was never a dull moment in Cut Me Free - from Charlotte's inital forays into becoming Charlotte, and her interactions with Cam (oh, Cam, I loved Cam) and the way she so boldly went to save Sanda. It was like bang-bang-bang as each new scene played out, and as Charlotte dodged danger and became a hero.

Reading Cut Me Free made me so sad - for Charlotte, for Sanda, because it's like JR Johansson says in her acknowledgements - these stories aren't necessarily fiction. Yes, Charlotte and Sanda's tales are ficion, but this kinda thing happens around the globe all the time, even right now as I'm typing this review and you're reading it. But it also made me more aware of stuff like this. Because you don't imagine it, do you? Yet then you go read a book about it and it brings it all home that not everyone has the same advantages as you and it makes you more grateful for the life you do have.

What can I say about Charlotte - and Sanda - that can accurately described my love for them? I LOVE novels about survivors and they are both that. How a nine-year-old gilr like Sanda could have the sunny disposition she has is frankly amazing. I was in awe. If I had to go through what they go through, I would never been seen outside again, ever. I'd be too scared. But Charlotte and Sanda didn't let the fear win. Yes, they were still scared; yes, when the packages and letters start arriving Charlotte debates running again, but when it mattered, Charlotte buckled down and said no. She wasn't going to let this happen again, she wanted to stop running and she did her utmost to make that come true and I admired her for it.

And Cam! He stole my heart from the very first page. Who doesn't love the boy who will stop at nothing to save you? Even if you try to ditch him and do your best to keep him at arm's length? Ugh, he was just the dream guy. And I wasn't expecting a romance, because look at the kind of book it is, but it happens in such a slow, lovely way that it's kind of surprising, and though it never goes too far, it's nice to see that Charlotte could let herself trust someone and it was great that Cam didn't just give up and say goodbye!

verdict

Cut Me Free is one of the most amazing books I've read during 2014. I raced through it in one sitting, and I barely wanted it to end, although it did, with a bang! I was on the edge of my seat for the vast majority of the novel, because I felt as safe as Charlotte did, which was not very much at all. JR Johansson has written an amazing novel, with such compelling characaters and one of the most surprising storylines I've ever read. Despite knowing Charlotte's history, I still never felt anything other than admiration for her, because it takes guts to do what she did, and the way she rescued Sanda was the greatest and kindest thing anyone could ever do.

This is one 2015 release you must get your hands on, because it is simply that good. It's all I want in a novel - it's thrilling, the chemistry between Charlotte and Cam was aweeeeeeeeeeeeeesome, and I loved getting to know Charlotte, Cam and Sanda. It was simply amazing. ...more

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Nov 05, 2015 Abby Wigglesworth rated it it was amazing

Personal Response
This book is absolutely incredible, I have not heard of J.R. Johansson. Now that I have I am definitely thinking about trying to find more books written by her. This book was definitely a page turner, and I wanted more after every page. I was disappointed when I finished such an outstanding book,also it gave me insight on what some kids and teenagers go through. She described the fear that was so far embedded into a person after being locked up and abused for years. The author a Personal Response
This book is absolutely incredible, I have not heard of J.R. Johansson. Now that I have I am definitely thinking about trying to find more books written by her. This book was definitely a page turner, and I wanted more after every page. I was disappointed when I finished such an outstanding book,also it gave me insight on what some kids and teenagers go through. She described the fear that was so far embedded into a person after being locked up and abused for years. The author also did a wonderful job at portraying the story, and how difficult it is to live with the guilt from the past. In addition the author may not have meant to choose a girl but I am very glad she did, it shows me that girls are just as capable of getting out of a bad situation. That girls do not always have to be the damsel in distress, it definitely shows a lot of empowerment towards girls and women in abusive situations.

Plot
The plot begins to unfold when Piper, escapes from the Parents. Piper never refers to them as her parents or calls them by their names, she never thought they were her parents. Finally after years of Piper being abused by the Parents, she escapes from the house located in Greenville, Wyoming at age 17. Piper then continues to keep running from different states and different cities until she found herself in New York City. Once Piper knows she needs to cover her tracks and become someone new. That is when she enlists Cam for help, he is able to make Piper turn into someone completely different, that is when she becomes Charolette Thompson. Cam also helps her with the corresponding paperwork and help her get an apartment.

Impacts of the setting
Although the author never takes me to the attic where Piper was locked up she writes how Piper had panic attacks and flashbacks about her past. The setting takes very little place in Wyoming, all of the story takes place in different parts of New York City. It takes us to the slumps, suburbs and into the high business area. The attic had a very big impact on Piper, she was “raised” there, that is all she really knew. She watched her little brother die and she blames herself for not being able to save him. This affects Piper by not being able to trust anyone beyond a business relationship. I am able to tell that this is in present day because they have phones, computers and modern day medicines.

Thematic connection
I truly believe that the thematic connection in this book is that although the past has been hard and not the best it does not mean that you can not make yourself into a better person. I think this because Piper always blamed herself for not being able to save her little brother but in the end she was able to save three people that were very close to her heart. That is why I think that is the thematic connection in this book.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to people that like a suspenseful book. Also whoever reads this has to be mature, this book covers very real and very sensitive topics. I would recommend this to any junior or senior high school student, also anyone who is older. I would also consider a woman empowerment book since it is a young lady in this situation and not a young male.

...more

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Aug 05, 2014 Jillyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: blog, requested, owned

4.5/5

This book, y'all. It gave me so many feelings that I don't know where to start. I was really annoyed that real life things like "school" and "sleeping" had to get in my way of reading this book. I was hooked early on and remained fascinated until I was out of pages and unsure of what to do with my life from that point onward.

This book is written in such a manor that there is this really creepy undertone the entire time. Think of old horror movies where there's that weird blue lighting effec 4.5/5

This book, y'all. It gave me so many feelings that I don't know where to start. I was really annoyed that real life things like "school" and "sleeping" had to get in my way of reading this book. I was hooked early on and remained fascinated until I was out of pages and unsure of what to do with my life from that point onward.

This book is written in such a manor that there is this really creepy undertone the entire time. Think of old horror movies where there's that weird blue lighting effect and randomly dripping water and that unsettling quiet music before the storm. Got it in mind? That's kind of how I felt while reading this book. There were so many ups and downs and my emotions were not ready for such twists. Most of them I saw coming, but one however I did not. This prompted me to shout profanely on Twitter, and thankfully the author sees it as a compliment (which is exactly how I meant it).

I grew surprisingly attached to these characters. I wasn't really all that "into" the relationship that forms between Charlotte and Cam, but at some point my dislike of the pair disappeared and I was hoping that they got the chance to try to make it work. Charlotte, quite understandably, is sometimes hard to read, harsh, blunt, and emotionally distant. Maybe it's because I'm not a stranger to abuse (though nowhere on this scale, thank you any god that will listen), but I found that really relatable. And then there's the children, Sam and Sanda, who add a whole different level of heartbreak and hope to the book. I wasn't sure what directions it was going to take in the beginning, but it was one helluva ride for everyone involved.

I feel weird saying I loved this book, because it very, very heavily focuses on extreme cases of abuse, murder, and child trafficking. So in lieu of that, I will say that Johansson successfully wrote about topics that are hard to address, hard to choke down, and hard to focus on (when there's so much good you can use to ignore the bad things) in a way that feels gritty, realistic, and honest. It feels educated, from the sociopathic behaviors from various characters to the defenses taken against them, it just felt so real. It was almost scary.

This book will appeal to those who enjoy dark young adult fiction, books dealing with abuse, murder, thrillers, mysteries and I'll throw in contemporaries for good measures. This isn't a book that I'm likely to forget in the near future, and served as a reminder that this shit doesn't just happen in books but every day here in the US and elsewhere. Be warned, as I mentioned before, that this book has a lot of gory physical and mental abuse and death, so do not go into this for a light fluffy read or if these are triggers for you Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose. ...more

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Jan 03, 2015 Brandi Kosiner rated it liked it

3.5 liked it a lot
I wanted to read Cut Me Free because abuse and then emotional healing are issues that I love to read about. The messages are important for everyone to read, and the emotion is what I seek when reading contemporaries.

I enjoyed getting to know Piper aka Charlotte. She had such a rough childhood but she managed to escape and she harbors a lot of guilt because her little brother Sam didn't make it, and she wishes that she could have done more for him. She was abused badly, leav

3.5 liked it a lot
I wanted to read Cut Me Free because abuse and then emotional healing are issues that I love to read about. The messages are important for everyone to read, and the emotion is what I seek when reading contemporaries.

I enjoyed getting to know Piper aka Charlotte. She had such a rough childhood but she managed to escape and she harbors a lot of guilt because her little brother Sam didn't make it, and she wishes that she could have done more for him. She was abused badly, leaving scars all over, and kept a secret, locked in the attic. Her Nana came to live there and she taught her so many things, but couldn't get the police to believe her because she had cancer and was on all sorts of meds.

She refers to her conscious or her racing thoughts as Sam, and its not in a crazy way. I think that is her way of keeping his memory alive and she will attribute her thoughts of danger or of suggestions of what to do next or in response to his voice.

She meets Cameron as she is trying to get a new identity in a new city, and you can tell right away that he is attracted to her but she is nowhere ready to be in a relationship, she can barely even stand to be touched because it causes flashback type things. She almost doesn't start working with him because he is so young and he asks a lot of questions, but he is the best.

Cameron helps her get settled, new id, an apartment and even a job. He keeps showing up and trying to help her, but Charlotte is one tough and stubborn gal. But she kinda is rightly so because of the way she grew up.

She sees a little girl that is being abused and she steps in and rescues her. She brings her home with her because she is illegal, and apparently a victim of sex trafficking. The poor girl has scars and fresh wounds and Charlotte can't just stand back and do nothing. But I will say while its brave and I can understand why she never wanted to get the cops involved, it is also sad for me that her parents might never know what happened to her, and if she needed adults in her life no matter how much Charlotte cares for her. But its just a story so I will try to suspend belief where that is concerned.

When Charlotte starts getting threats it goes more into mystery mode, and honestly I skimmed over a lot of that. I figured who it was pretty easily and I am not usually that person. But I didn't keep reading for the mystery, but for the character development of Charlotte, to see Sanda get to experience things like going to school, and laughing and being carefree, and to see if the romance with Cam and Charlotte would ever go anywhere.

It was a pretty quick read, and it wrapped up to my satisfaction, but not without testing and putting more on the character's shoulders. But I like the hope of the end, that things might just be okay for them and seeing them begin to get themselves together and figuring out how to heal and live the best life they can have.

Bottom Line: Unique twist on the escaped abused child. ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 J. Greene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Okay, so I really liked this book. I didn't think I could find such a dark novel so endearing. Here's why, Cam.

Although Cam is not the main character, he was everything for me. I loved everything about his character, he was strong where the others were weak, and he was determined when everyone else wanted to give up. He knew when to push and when to pull away. I fell for him from his first entrance into the story. He seemed out of place but he fit perfectly.

The MC, Charlotte, a sixteen year old ...more

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About J.R. Johansson

J.R. Johansson

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J.R. JOHANSSON is the author of the Night Walkers Series (INSOMNIA, PARANOIA and MANIA) as well as standalone novels, CUT ME FREE, THE ROW and TO THE BONE. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and more than twenty countries worldwide. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her char ...more