Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

34 reviews

redhead_reader's review

dark 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

5.0

All of the stars. This book was perfection.
I loved it so much. I think it was my favorite read of 2023. 
This was my second Adrienne Young book, Spells for Forgetting was my first (which I also loved), and she has easily become an auto-buy author and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading her other books.
Her prose is some of the most beautiful, atmospheric writing I’ve ever read.
This book feels like a breezy summer’s day at the golden hour. I can’t really explain it. I already know I’m going to have the biggest book hangover from this one. 

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the copy of this eARC!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Suicide

ec_holland's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

After living and growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, there is an immediate nostalgia that sets me into this very atmospheric story.

I found the plot to be a bit too predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. The magical realism that this book sits in isn’t as rich or unique as other stories. The ending felt very womp womp for as well thought out as the mystery was set up. The final reveal happened and then it was just all over in what felt like a forced happy ending?

Because of how it ended, the mood of the book changed for me.

Otherwise it was really well laced in atmosphere, family relationships, just enough romance, and mystery!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, and Murder

mandi_lea's review

challenging reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Pregnancy, Death, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Mental illness, and Violence

daylajane's review

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Dementia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Mental illness

whatbeccareadnext's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

Adrienne Young writes the most beautiful prose. I adored this novel. It was a little bit outside of my usual genre, but I was absolutely captivated by the mystery and magic of June's life. I read Adrienne's other adult novel 'Spells for Forgetting' when it came out last year and, although I did enjoy it, it wasn't something I found myself thinking about or wanting to read again. This story, however, had me hooked all the way through. It is relatively short, which helped keep the story moving at a good pace, and it is full of intrigue and mystery and just a dash of romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Blood, Police brutality, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Death, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Gun violence, Police brutality, Gore, and Violence

vchetty's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

rambling_willow's review

mysterious medium-paced

4.5

Love this book. It was unique, I don't think I've seen anything with a plot like this before. 
There was a good sense of mystery that good be hooked from the beginning. Although the story was rather predictable, there were a few plot twist that got me shifting in my seat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

ctara2123's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Domestic abuse and Child death

theespressoedition's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Stalking, and Gun violence

writingcaia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Super Interesting plot with a superb and evocative writing, but the romance part fell a little short for me.
It’s hard no to compare it to Spells since it was one of my fave books and my fave from Adrienne, and because of that I can’t in all honesty give this one the same rating as Spells was, for me, superior. Which is totally personal.
Again, this book is lyrical and beautiful and has a very intricate and mysterious plot, with a satisfying finale that doesn’t leave any loose threads.
I may review it better soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Death