Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Unmaking of June Farrow

June Farrow grew up knowing that one day she would start to see things that weren’t there and when that happened it would be the beginning of the end. The same was true for every woman in her family. When her grandmother dies after her own battle with dementia, June is left a strange photograph that can’t be explained. However, when she starts to search for the answers to her questions, she finds the truth along with so many secrets no one ever told her.

This story swept me away. I love Adrienne Young’s beautiful atmospheric writing and this was no exception. I’m always going be a sucker for books set in Appalachia. This story is about June discovering herself and her purpose in life through her history and a lot of that revolves around the relationship between a mother and a daughter. The romance in this one was a bit angsty and borderline subplot/chicklit level but I love a prickly man who is sad and lonely on the inside. There was pretty vague steam but I still found it hot. This book was hard to “trope” bc it doesn’t quite fit a mold and I don’t want to spoil the plot but it has a mystery that at times borders on suspense/thriller and it had me turning the page as fast as I could. I am tempted to start it over from the beginning now that I know what happens. I think this one will stick with me for a while. Great on audio by Brittany Pressley.

The only thing I’m dying to know:

What happened to make her start things with Mason and then go through the door? I chose to believe that Mason just saw her as a sister, Birdie told him the full truth after a time, and then he fell madly in love with that intern!

Content Warnings

jcrawford31's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

kari_f's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I know many people absolutely love Adrienne Young’s adventure-filled YA books, but I have to be honest in saying that I prefer the subtler slow-burn of her adult novels. Spells for Forgetting was among my favorites last year, and The Unmaking of June Farrow hit that same sweet spot for me. It had some similar vibes to it, with a small town setting, mysterious circumstances that are slowly woven together, a magical element, and characters with deep inner lives.

I thought the story was compelling, the characters were layered and authentically flawed, and the way everything connected at the end was perfection.

I wrote in my review for Spells for Forgetting that I hoped Young would continue to write adult novels with creeping dread, ominous tones, and slow-burn plots… and I’m so happy that this one fit that description beautifully!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced copy!

Content Warnings

hanahf's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

lex_is_bookish's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

loved loved LOVED Young's second adult title 🥹 this book gave me chest pains and honestly kept me guessing!

the love scene between june and eamon was BEAUTIFUL and sexy and shredded me

Content Warnings

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

mjscooke's review against another edition

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mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

If you aren't afraid of any content warnings and are willing to go in fairly blind then I recommend doing so as this book is especially delightful when you experience it without any expectations. If you want to know more - which you probably do if you are reading reviews - then let's step through the red door.

June Farrow comes from a line of women who are cursed. A curse that leads to madness and when her grandmother dies her world begins to unravel just as those of the women before her. Then when she crosses the threshold of the mysterious red door everything begins to fall into place.

Adrienne Young weaves the magical elements throughout the real world North Carolina setting in a way that had me challenging my own skepticism as I related to June. The small town vibes with big emotional stakes are Young's forte and I felt completely swept away in this beautiful story, So much so that despite having the privilege of receiving a digital advanced reading copy I plan to purchase the special edition of this special book as I enjoyed it so much.

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