YA Story Teller: Blog Tour (Book review): The Truth About Air and Water by katherine Owen

Book details:

The Truth About Air & Water by Katherine Owen
(Truth in Lies #2)
Publication date: August 25th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

The Truth In Lies Series. READ This Much Is True, book 1 first, although it’s been written as a standalone. Readers say, don’t do that.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway ~ A Farewell To Arms
They share an epic love but one moment changes everything. A life together that seemed certain is shattered. One learns you never love the same way twice; the other learns what it means to come home. You only think you know how this love story goes, but do you really know how an epic love can end?
“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
She is living color, and I’ve been in a black-and-white world for far too long without her.
Powerful stuff. It surrounds me. I’ve felt it since I first arrived. The forcefield of her. The magnetism of her. The power she wields over me. I’m alive again because of her, like a dying plant that finally gets some water. I’ve got it bad for this girl.
Reality dawns.
The light comes through the darkness and shines on me.
She’s my water.
-Lincoln Presley
The truth is I breathe with him. He is my air. Raison d’etre.
-Tally Landon
Author’s note: This novel is part of the Truth In Lies series. It can be read as standalone, however, fans of my fiction already are highly recommending that those new to my work, READ This Much Is True book 1 FIRST.
As Lincoln Presley would say, “do as you must, Princess.”

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21849155-the-truth-about-air-water?ac=1

Purchase:

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Water-Lies-book-ebook/dp/B00N0NQJY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412352658&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Truth+About+Air+%26+Water

--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-truth-about-air-water-katherine-owen/1120196581?ean=9780983570783

--Kobo: www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Truth-About-Air-Water/book-axpwqav8fU6LbrV_ZE3U_Q/page1.html?s=WwGCE1hkbEydqnvymWPSjQ&r=1

--Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-truth-about-air-water/id916207424?mt=11

Purchase book 1, This Much Is True:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/This-Much-True-Truth-Lies-ebook/dp/B00EH9HUNA

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-much-is-true-katherine-owen/1116395071?ean=9780983570769

Book Depository: www.bookdepository.com/This-Much-Is-True-Katherine-Clare-Owen/9780983570769/?a_aid=everyfreechance

Apple: www.bookdepository.com/This-Much-Is-True-Katherine-Clare-Owen/9780983570769/?a_aid=everyfreechance

My review:

NOTE: I received this book as a part of the blog tour organized by Xpresso Book Tours.

To be quite honest, I dreaded picking up The Truth. Why? Well, I read and loved the prequel. It was amazing. So, just like any sane reader, I feared that The Truth could turn out to be inferior. Meet my surprised face when I devoured the book in equal doses of tears and laughter, with a pinch of mouth hanging open.
I am more than happy to say that unlike other series' sequels, The Truth actually made sense. Sure, we didn't have to know how Linc and Tally's story continued, but I was all too happy to read it anyway. Their world made so much sense, it was scary at times.

Writing style:
I like Ms. Owen's way with words. She knows how to dip them in just enough sauce so they're not soaked through, but perfectly blended with the overall taste of the story.

Story line:
With much effort not to spoil anything for y'all, I'll say that this story's development was both unnecessary and crucial at the same time. Unnecessary, because This Much Is True could've been left as a stand alone. Crucial because so much was explained and developed in The Truth, that now that I've read it, I'm beginning to think that it was actually a much needed conclusion.

Themes:
-circumstances - do you give in to them or do you fight for yourself and the ones you love
-love - does it really last or could you throw it away when the next hardship comes around
-trust - it's difficult to build, but even more difficult to keep.
-children need their parents.

Characters:
Needless to say, the main twosome here, Tally and Lincoln, will be my main focus.

What I can say about Tally is that she was very unsure of herself and of Linc. Sure they loved each other. Sure they went to hell together and came back. But something wasn't quite right in their love nest. Tally wasn't happy with Linc's constant absences, with his father's constant meddling in their wedding plans, with her own body's betrayal and with a bunch of other things that she couldn't find a way to control. She wanted to give her love to Lincoln, but in the process she sort of gave up on her own dreams and desires.
Tally complained a lot, which at one point made me want to shake her thoroughly and put her back where she belonged. Then there was that accident and I just saw her giving up on that super powerful love that not many people find in life. At that point, I wanted to slap her and pour some sense in her mind.
But, even with all that, by the end of the story Tally actually grew up. She really grew up to be a woman to be proud of. She fought for what she wanted and she was graceful about it.

Now Linc... was a selfish bastard in the beginning. He didn't seem to care about Tally's wishes at all. There seemed to be only baseball, and to hell with everything else, even his family. I sort of despised him for that behavior.
I didn't wish him much good, but I had no idea he'd get what he deserved. To a point. When he was miserable, I just wanted to hug him. When he messed up, there was nothing else I wanted to do but strangle him.
Yet, I was proud of how much he grew and developed into the role of a father and caring fiance/husband. What I loved more was that after everything, Link was actually able to figure out exactly what was most important to him.

In conclusion:
The Truth is a story of love and hate and memories. It's beautiful and heart-breaking and heart-mending. It's like a sweet and sour sauce. You can't not love it.

My rating is:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Owen writes contemporary edgy fiction, which translates to: she writes love stories that are contemporary in setting and both edgy and dark. Some readers term her books emotional roller coasters. With her writing, Owen admits she has a fondness for angst, likes to play with a little drama, and essentially toys around with the unintentional complications of love. She contends this began early on when she won a poetry contest at the age of fourteen and appears to be without end. Owen has an avid love of coffee, books, and writing, but not necessarily in that order. She writes both Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction which includes her bestselling TRUTH IN LIES Series (a series despite despising 'series') beginning with This Much Is True and her latest release, The Truth About Air & Water. The TRUTH IN LIES series is fan-driven. So. There will be a third book about Linc and Tally released in 2015 titled Tell Me Something True.

About Owen's fiction...This is NOT the light trope stuff. She travels a unique, writerly path and enjoys writing dark and angsty (a "non-word" she is fond of) emotional love stories. She often warns readers to be prepared with: time, tissues, wine, Advil or your drug of choice. And, as her most favored character, Lincoln Presley, would say, "do what you must, Princess."