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The Truth About Us Janet Gurtler Books

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The Truth About Us Janet Gurtler Books

Janet Gurtler, this book is simply amazing! I loved everything from beginning to end. The main characters Jess and Flynn are adorable, Flynn is the perfect danger boy who has a heart of gold. Jess goes through a complete 180 transformation and I love how she truly puts her heart on the line and fights for Flynn in the end.


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The Truth About Us Janet Gurtler Books Reviews

Jess is from the rich side of town. From the outside, her life may look perfect so she does her best to uphold that image. On the inside, she knows that it's definitely not. She lost her best friend a few years ago and now she spends all her time with Nance, a girl who drinks a lot and doesn't mind Skyping and flashing boys all the time. Nance even gets Jess to join in with her, even though Jess knows she shouldn't. After buying a $9,999 dress online, Jess is forced by her father to work at the volunteer shelter for the entire summer.

At the shelter, Jess runs into Flynn, who just happened to have given her a ride with his buddy after her drunk walk of shame home after flashing guys with Nance. By Jess's father's standards, Flynn is definitely someone she should stay away from because he's not rich and lives in the run-down side of town. Before they know it, the two of them are falling in love with each other.

As soon as I started reading The Truth About Us, I had a feeling that it would be a new favorite, and I was right. I felt so bad for Jess and wanted to know what was wrong with her family, and I liked how Gurtler didn't tell us about what happened until a bit of a ways in. I wasn't too impressed with some of the choices that Jess had made, though she definitely grew and became a better person throughout the book and I loved witnessing that. I really liked how she went against her dad's orders and I hate how stuck up he was when he kept judging Flynn. What a person has doesn't contribute in any way to what kind of person they are.

Flynn has a 5 year old brother Kyle who constantly pulled on my heartstrings; he was the most adorable little child who was obsessed with Thomas the Train and loved helping out at the shelter by cutting cakes. The relationship between Flynn and Jess was one of the most real relationships that I've ever read about. They had actual struggles like a real couple does and I didn't think that it seemed like insta-love at all. I also really loved Wilf, the old guy who ran the greenhouse at the shelter. He became such a good friend to Jess, which I liked because it's not often that young teenagers will have a friendship with a much older person. It was touching because they both had a connection through plants, as they both loved growing them. Wilf always talked about his deceased wife, Rhea, and how he always fought for her, which was something that I think really helped Jess fight for Flynn. This book is one that I'll definitely be recommending to others and I will be reading Janet Gurtler's other books!
Few YA novels are able to grasp the difficulties and injustices of teenhood while still remaining light and age-appropriate. The Truth About Us tackles painful and sometimes dark real-world struggles—this is no Twilight or Pretty Little Liars—but is still a clean read for younger audiences. Despite its "gripping" content claim, I actually found this a pretty light read. I breezed through it effortlessly; it's one of those books I didn't have to think too deeply about, which is perfect for lounging around with in the upcoming summer months.

There are a few things that just didn't click with me, though. My main issue is that I couldn't really connect with the characters, namely Jess (the narrator) and Flynn (the love interest). It isn't that they're necessarily unlikable, but they just seem too flat, too two-dimensional. Gurtler attempts to add emotional complexity and first-world flaws to Jess's ignorant, rather foolish persona, but it seemed rather forced. There are times her compelling vulnerabilities really shine through, but for the most part, her shallow character is randomly peppered with unrelated "insecurities." Half the time, I was irritated by her depressing, undeservedly bleak outlook on life, considering most of her problems could be easily solved if she would just step it up in the maturity game.

Jess's past remains a mystery throughout the majority of the first half of the book, which would normally be suspenseful, but quickly became annoying. Throughout, she alludes to two prominent tragedies frequently the loss of her mother and her best friend (figuratively, not literally)—but when these moments are actually finally revealed, they're very much told, rather than shown! I feel like this rendered the entire conflict void; there was no emotional value or imagery connected to what she kept from readers for so long... an anti-suspense, of sorts.

That being said, The Truth About Us isn't completely lacking in redeeming qualities. Many teen romance novels feature a bad boy hero from the "wrong side of the tracks," but with Flynn, it doesn't feel like a YA trope. While his character is also only described on the surface level, I'm definitely impressed with the depth and conviction Gurtler uses to convey the very relevant and very real socioeconomic divide between him and Jess. I also enjoyed how both characters have their own hardships in their lives—whether in the past or present—that raise the stakes in the plot.

I have to admit I was disappointed by the romance aspect of this book, but that's because I'm a bit of a romance fanatic. If you're looking for a love story that'll knock you off your feet... The Truth About Us is definitely not the answer. Keep on searching. However, if you want a contemporary teen novel that deals with bigger issues than just the wobbly knees and stomach butterflies, I think you'll get something out of this one.

Pros An easy read; quick to get through // Surprisingly sentimental (in a good way!) and emotional for a light YA novel // Interesting synopsis regarding romance obstructed by class difference

Cons Didn't blow me away stylistically // Some unrealistic, "too fast, too easy" bits, particularly the underdeveloped insta-love // Jess and Flynn both fall flat as characters // Jess's past isn't explored as much as I would have liked // Rushed, stilted ending—overall unsatisfying

Verdict Younger teen audiences will be intrigued by this chaste romance story about what happens when a girl who has everything (at least on the outside), meets a guy who lives the kind of poverty-stricken life she didn't even realize existed. While I had some issues with the superficially characterized protagonists and rather plain writing style, I did appreciate the overall conflict that faces real-life problems about social class, friends, and family, that is accented by tender moments of affection and teen love in between.

Rating 6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars) Decent for a first read, but I'm not going back; this book is decidedly average (whatever that means!).

FTC Disclosure Complimentary copy provided by publisher via tour publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Sourcebooks and Jean BookNerd!).
It was a decent book, I like the author'a writing style.
The Truth About Us, was heartbreaking and real and beautiful. Real people with real problems and a real happy ending.
I love the book! It is so great for teens to read! Such a wonderful book to have on !
Sad, real and makes you feel 17 again.
Janet Gurtler, this book is simply amazing! I loved everything from beginning to end. The main characters Jess and Flynn are adorable, Flynn is the perfect danger boy who has a heart of gold. Jess goes through a complete 180 transformation and I love how she truly puts her heart on the line and fights for Flynn in the end.