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kstring's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.0
Some of the themes are reminiscent of The Ten Thousand Doors of January, so if you enjoyed that one, you might enjoy this one
littlepoet18's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
porshajunes's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cecilie23715's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
maddiebills's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
loriluo's review
3.0
This is my first foray with Adrienne Young's writing, so I admittedly went in a little blind. "The Unmaking of June Farrow" is a unique blend of time travel fantasy/magical realism mixed in elements of mystery and romance.
In present day, June Farrow is coming to terms with the recent passing of her grandmother, Margaret. For June, who was abandoned by her mother Susanna as an infant and raised by her grandmother, it's a particularly heavy blow, even with the support of the community around her, including her good friend Birdie and childhood friend Mason. Adding to the complication is the fact that June is beginning to see and hear hallucinations - strange figures, voices, a door - over the past year, a "madness" that she knows has inflicted the women in her family for decades. However, June learns this is not just her imagination and comes to learn the truth about her mother thanks to a photo of her from over a century back, coupled with some shocking revelations from Birdie. When June finally steps through the door that has been appearing, she realizes that there is a completely different timeline that she once existed in and must make a difficult decision about her own path forward.
Young's writing is compelling and atmospheric, especially given the different time periods she takes June (and readers) through. I'm not a typical reader of the fantasy genre however, so felt that the extent of world-building and the seemingly random rules about time travel (setting the hands of a locket watch to the year you want to travel to, having a limit to the times one can enter the door, etc.) to be more of a nuisance. The story is written from June's first person perspective as well, and while I think this benefitted the novel in the first half, I struggled to empathize with her later on as there didn't seem to be much character development or additional depth. The additional elements of romance felt forced and unnecessary as well although, again, it's not a genre I typically gravitate towards.
I feel like there was a lot of potential in the initial premise - expanding the themes to showcase how overlooked/unheard women's voices are, mental health, the impact of generational trauma, etc. - that didn't get fully realized throughout this story.
Thank you Delacorte Press for the advance copy of this novel!
In present day, June Farrow is coming to terms with the recent passing of her grandmother, Margaret. For June, who was abandoned by her mother Susanna as an infant and raised by her grandmother, it's a particularly heavy blow, even with the support of the community around her, including her good friend Birdie and childhood friend Mason. Adding to the complication is the fact that June is beginning to see and hear hallucinations - strange figures, voices, a door - over the past year, a "madness" that she knows has inflicted the women in her family for decades. However, June learns this is not just her imagination and comes to learn the truth about her mother thanks to a photo of her from over a century back, coupled with some shocking revelations from Birdie. When June finally steps through the door that has been appearing, she realizes that there is a completely different timeline that she once existed in and must make a difficult decision about her own path forward.
Young's writing is compelling and atmospheric, especially given the different time periods she takes June (and readers) through. I'm not a typical reader of the fantasy genre however, so felt that the extent of world-building and the seemingly random rules about time travel (setting the hands of a locket watch to the year you want to travel to, having a limit to the times one can enter the door, etc.) to be more of a nuisance. The story is written from June's first person perspective as well, and while I think this benefitted the novel in the first half, I struggled to empathize with her later on as there didn't seem to be much character development or additional depth. The additional elements of romance felt forced and unnecessary as well although, again, it's not a genre I typically gravitate towards.
I feel like there was a lot of potential in the initial premise - expanding the themes to showcase how overlooked/unheard women's voices are, mental health, the impact of generational trauma, etc. - that didn't get fully realized throughout this story.
Thank you Delacorte Press for the advance copy of this novel!
jbenhamji87's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5