diff --git a/src/GraphQL.Client/Exceptions/GraphQLHttpException.cs b/src/GraphQL.Client/Exceptions/GraphQLHttpException.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e29d0677
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/GraphQL.Client/Exceptions/GraphQLHttpException.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+using System;
+using System.Net.Http;
+
+namespace GraphQL.Client.Exceptions {
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// An exception thrown on unexpected <see cref="System.Net.Http.HttpResponseMessage"/>
+	/// </summary>
+	public class GraphQLHttpException : Exception {
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// The <see cref="System.Net.Http.HttpResponseMessage"/>
+		/// </summary>
+		public HttpResponseMessage HttpResponseMessage { get; }
+
+		/// <summary>
+		/// Creates a new instance of <see cref="GraphQLHttpException"/>
+		/// </summary>
+		/// <param name="httpResponseMessage">The unexpected <see cref="System.Net.Http.HttpResponseMessage"/></param>
+		public GraphQLHttpException(HttpResponseMessage httpResponseMessage) : base($"Unexpected {nameof(System.Net.Http.HttpResponseMessage)} with code: {httpResponseMessage.StatusCode}") {
+			this.HttpResponseMessage = httpResponseMessage ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(httpResponseMessage));
+		}
+
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClient.cs b/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClient.cs
index 008626c7..2f4177a4 100644
--- a/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClient.cs
+++ b/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClient.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 using System;
+using System.IO;
 using System.Net.Http;
 using System.Net.Http.Headers;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using GraphQL.Client.Exceptions;
 using GraphQL.Common.Request;
 using GraphQL.Common.Response;
 using Newtonsoft.Json;
@@ -116,8 +118,9 @@ public async Task<GraphQLResponse> GetAsync(GraphQLRequest request) {
 			var queryParamsBuilder = new StringBuilder($"query={request.Query}", 3);
 			if (request.OperationName != null) { queryParamsBuilder.Append($"&operationName={request.OperationName}"); }
 			if (request.Variables != null) { queryParamsBuilder.Append($"&variables={JsonConvert.SerializeObject(request.Variables)}"); }
-			var httpResponseMessage = await this.httpClient.GetAsync($"{this.Options.EndPoint}?{queryParamsBuilder.ToString()}").ConfigureAwait(false);
-			return await this.ReadHttpResponseMessageAsync(httpResponseMessage).ConfigureAwait(false);
+			using (var httpResponseMessage = await this.httpClient.GetAsync($"{this.Options.EndPoint}?{queryParamsBuilder.ToString()}").ConfigureAwait(false)) {
+				return await this.ReadHttpResponseMessageAsync(httpResponseMessage).ConfigureAwait(false);
+			}
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -141,9 +144,10 @@ public async Task<GraphQLResponse> PostAsync(GraphQLRequest request) {
 			if (request.Query == null) { throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(request.Query)); }
 
 			var graphQLString = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(request, this.Options.JsonSerializerSettings);
-			var httpContent = new StringContent(graphQLString, Encoding.UTF8, this.Options.MediaType.MediaType);
-			var httpResponseMessage = await this.httpClient.PostAsync(this.EndPoint, httpContent).ConfigureAwait(false);
-			return await this.ReadHttpResponseMessageAsync(httpResponseMessage).ConfigureAwait(false);
+			using (var httpContent = new StringContent(graphQLString, Encoding.UTF8, this.Options.MediaType.MediaType))
+			using (var httpResponseMessage = await this.httpClient.PostAsync(this.EndPoint, httpContent).ConfigureAwait(false)) {
+				return await this.ReadHttpResponseMessageAsync(httpResponseMessage).ConfigureAwait(false);
+			}
 		}
 
 		/// <summary>
@@ -158,8 +162,22 @@ public void Dispose() =>
 		/// <param name="httpResponseMessage">The Response</param>
 		/// <returns>The GrahQLResponse</returns>
 		private async Task<GraphQLResponse> ReadHttpResponseMessageAsync(HttpResponseMessage httpResponseMessage) {
-			var resultString = await httpResponseMessage.Content.ReadAsStringAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
-			return JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<GraphQLResponse>(resultString, this.Options.JsonSerializerSettings);
+			using (var stream = await httpResponseMessage.Content.ReadAsStreamAsync().ConfigureAwait(false))
+			using (var streamReader = new StreamReader(stream))
+			using (var jsonTextReader = new JsonTextReader(streamReader)) {
+				var jsonSerializer = new JsonSerializer {
+					ContractResolver = this.Options.JsonSerializerSettings.ContractResolver
+				};
+				try {
+					return jsonSerializer.Deserialize<GraphQLResponse>(jsonTextReader);
+				}
+				catch (JsonReaderException exception) {
+					if (httpResponseMessage.IsSuccessStatusCode) {
+						throw exception;
+					}
+					throw new GraphQLHttpException(httpResponseMessage);
+				}
+			}
 		}
 
 	}
diff --git a/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClientExtensions.cs b/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClientExtensions.cs
index 74741a29..ba6aeb1e 100644
--- a/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClientExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/GraphQL.Client/GraphQLClientExtensions.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-using System.IO;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using GraphQL.Common.Request;
 using GraphQL.Common.Response;
diff --git a/src/GraphQL.Common/Exceptions/GraphQLException.cs b/src/GraphQL.Common/Exceptions/GraphQLException.cs
index db043494..5e03a77a 100644
--- a/src/GraphQL.Common/Exceptions/GraphQLException.cs
+++ b/src/GraphQL.Common/Exceptions/GraphQLException.cs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public class GraphQLException : Exception {
 		/// Constructor for a GraphQLException
 		/// </summary>
 		/// <param name="graphQLError">The GraphQL Error</param>
-		public GraphQLException(GraphQLError graphQLError):base(graphQLError.Message) {
+		public GraphQLException(GraphQLError graphQLError) : base(graphQLError.Message) {
 			this.GraphQLError = graphQLError;
 		}
 
diff --git a/tests/GraphQL.Client.Tests/BaseGraphQLClientTest.cs b/tests/GraphQL.Client.Tests/BaseGraphQLClientTest.cs
index 5fbbd9b0..d7f952cb 100644
--- a/tests/GraphQL.Client.Tests/BaseGraphQLClientTest.cs
+++ b/tests/GraphQL.Client.Tests/BaseGraphQLClientTest.cs
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 namespace GraphQL.Client.Tests {
 
-	public abstract class BaseGraphQLClientTest : IDisposable{
+	public abstract class BaseGraphQLClientTest : IDisposable {
 
-		public GraphQLClient GraphQLClient { get; set; } = new GraphQLClient("https://swapi.apis.guru/");
+		protected GraphQLClient GraphQLClient { get; } = new GraphQLClient("https://swapi.apis.guru/");
 
 		public void Dispose() =>
 			this.GraphQLClient.Dispose();