Jeffry W. Johnston

While a very fast read, there's plenty to ponder in here. Chase was the lone survivor of a car crash. His ability to remember the details are close to nil when the story begins, but bits and pieces return at unexpected times, mixed in with things he remembers about his older brother. How many are what actually happened, and which are ones his mind has changed to protect his sanity, constitute the bulk of the story. With the help of a crusty, but caring therapist, Chase begins to put his mental jigsaw puzzle back together. While at least one aspect is pretty easy to figure out early on, why that piece is the way it is will surprise some readers.
This is an excellent story about guilt, families that pretend until it hurts too much to ignore reality, and coming to grips with what was never your fault.… (mere)

The Truth by Jeffry W. Johnston is a suspense-laden young adult mystery about a teenager kidnapped and forced to recount the events of the night he shot and killed an intruder.

Eight days after killing thirteen year old Caleb Brannick, Chris Russo is kidnapped by Caleb's older brother Derek who just wants the truth about what happened the night Caleb died. Convinced the police planted evidence, Derek threatens to cut off Chris's finger with garden shears if he does not fully co-operate with his demands. Over the course of several hours, Chris recounts the details from the night he and his ten year old brother Devon confronted an armed assailant in the kitchen of their home.

By all appearances, Chris is a devoted older brother who stepped in and became the "man of the house" after his policeman father was killed in the line of duty three years earlier. He takes care of Devon while their mother is working and the boys are extremely close. Although not a sports fan, Chris helps Devon with baseball practice and he, along with their mother, cheer the youngster on during his baseball games. Chris is quiet and unassuming but after he shoots Caleb, he becomes a bit of a local hero although he tries his best to remain out of the spotlight.

A year older than Chris, Derek has had few brushes with the law and he has, in fact, been recently released from a stint in juvie. While still serving his sentence, Caleb ran away from home despite Derek's pleas to him to stay put until his release. Their home life was incredibly dysfunctional and Derek is still trying to move past the abuse inflicted by their parents. His motives for demanding the truth about the night of Caleb's death remain a little murky and Chris (along with the reader) cannot help but wonder what will happen when/if Derek is satisfied that Chris has been completely honest with him.

The events of the preceding days are revealed through flashbacks from Chris's point of view. The transitions from present to past are clearly marked and easy to follow. Derek pushes for honesty about all areas of Chris's life and although reluctant, Chris is forced to discuss the events surrounding his father's death which in turn leads to some very probing questions (and reluctant admissions) about his relationship with his dad. Chris also pushes Derek to be honest about his relationship with his own family and he, too, is forced to admit some very uncomfortable truths of his own.

The Truth is an extremely fast-paced and enthralling young adult novel with an unusual but fascinating storyline. Jeffry W. Johnston does an excellent job keeping readers off balance with unexpected plot twists and surprising confessions from both Chris and Derek. The novel comes to a pulse-pounding and dramatic conclusion that is, for the most part, satisfying. An excellent novel that I recommended to readers of all ages.… (mere)

This was an interesting book. It's all about making decisions, especially hard decisions, to protect the ones you love.

Chris is a normal 16 year old high school boy who has been dealt a tough hand. After his police officer father is killed in the line of duty, he is left to take care of his younger brother since now his mom is the only parent. Devon, his younger brother, idolizes Chris and looks up to him as the father figure in his life now that dad is gone. Chris goes to all of Devon's baseball games and even rubs his back until he falls asleep at night. He is the perfect big brother.

One night, Chris wakes up to a noise in the kitchen. After checking on Devon, he grabs a gun from his mom's bedside table and goes to check on the noise. Chris discovers someone in their kitchen burglarizing their house. One thing leads to another and Chris ends up firing the gun and killing the intruder. Once again, he is regaled as an all-star big brother for doing whatever it takes to take care of Devon..... That is until it comes out that the intruder was a thirteen year old. Just a kid himself.

Now Chris wakes up in a room bound to a chair with the older brother of the boy he killed wanting answers. With the threat of his fingers being cut off by garden shears, Chris has to tell the truth about what really happened that night.

I go back and forth a lot with my rating. Overall, it is a really good book. I enjoyed the unique plot, and I think the author did a great job writing the "Then" and "Now" scenes without it being confusing for the reader. However, the big plot twist was a bit predictable for me. You know something is up from the beginning. Chris isn't telling the how truth about his story and if you are able to put the clues together, the answer is right in front of your face.

I think this would be a great middle grade or young high school book because of the issues it covers.… (mere)

Rating: 3.75 (Somehow my exact rating did not transfer, but I have a vague feeling that it was a 3.75. I think I shed at least a tear.)

This is the first book I've read like this, and I loved it. The pacing was awesome, the mood was a bit dark, and the characters were believable. There are also a few plot twists I wasn't expecting.

The reveal at the end was totally worth the wait. I'm still shocked. I had a feeling we weren't getting the whole story, and once the interrogator caught on to something the Chris said, I suspected what wound up being the truth. I didn't think things would end the way they did though.

It's interesting. This book really went there and explored the inner workings of the characters. The complexities are amazing. One is your average Joe with responsibilities, one is screwed up and trying to escape his past, and the other is clearly a psychopath in the making (a sort of Dexter, really). Figuring that out was a bit scary. Including the "psychopath" allowed us to see unconditional love in it's truest form. I almost want to read a bit more to see if Chris will try to get him help.

I know I'm being quite vague in this review. I want to avoid spoilers. However, you can check out my YouTube review where I go into more detail here:
https://youtu.be/u3lfk4Hn7HY… (mere)