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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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Pregnancy, Death, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Mental illness, and Violence
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.
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
annamay1021's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
veni_vidi_legi's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Blood, Cursing, and Abandonment
elizabeth_lepore's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence
jg34's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Confusing at first but ended up really liking it! The love story was my favorite part probably because romance is like a comfort genre and I’m pretty new to fantasy and magical realism. Very thoughtful and well written. Does have my least favorite topic which is child abandonment (not a spoiler it’s mentioned right away) but that was just like a fact? It wasn’t explored much on an emotional level it’s just like it is what it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Bullying
bbmckibben's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Suicide, Abandonment, Blood, Death, and Mental illness
downtown_kb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
5.0
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
Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Grief
jcrawford31's review
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
Graphic: Murder and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment and Grief
kari_f's review
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
Moderate: Abandonment and Murder