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dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
After years of hearing about this book, I imagined it to be a slow, sad, brooding romance. It is definitely some of those things (check the content warnings!), but the tone is also light and readable, which came as a surprise. I honestly felt like it maybe could have gone deeper and taken a bit more time? Like the content was definitely heavy, but the way it was addressed wasn't super lived-in. I really really liked the ending and the overall themes of self-discovery and not having to be perfect to be loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know that there's any one thing that makes a book "good", but I do know that I didn't enjoy myself while reading this, and I have no idea why its readers are so insistent about others knowing this story. Shane and Eva's love scared me in maybe a really good way, but coupled with all the pain and trauma it grew in? This was tough. Emotionally I was exhausted on page 65, but I didn't know the content warnings beforehand so that could be part of it. There are a lot of good parts of this book (Audre's entire character, Eva's honesty with herself about her relationship with her mother) that give me glimpses of why it's so popular, but I just won't condone the abundance of triggering content for the sake of the narrative. The arc of Ty's character was not okay. So let's just say that with the dark twists and romanticizing of self harm, it was a long seven days reading this.
The syntax was gorgeous, though. I felt everything.
The syntax was gorgeous, though. I felt everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm
Moderate: Child death, Violence
Minor: Rape
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Girls are given the weight of the world, but nowhere to put it down. The power and magic born in that struggle? It’s so terrifying to men that we invented reasons to burn y’all at the stake, just to keep our dicks hard."
Seven Days In June is about two writers. They had an intense week-long relationship in their teens, and have been using each other as muses for their writing ever since.
I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was written beautifully and I truly felt the intensity of their relationship. I really liked how the story was revealed one a day at a time, flicking between past and present.
It also raised some interesting topics such as disability, generational trauma, positive co-parenting, and online fan culture.
The only reason that this wasn't a 5* for me was just because I felt the ending was a little rushed. Minor spoilers:
I'd really recommend this one, but maybe check out content warnings first.
"I had to teach myself how to breathe again, in a world without you in it."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely love this author. The timeline and narrator jumping never felt confusing at ALL. It just made the story more vibrant and detailed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Such a beautiful book! I was fully immersed in these characters’ lives and wellbeing. I couldn’t help but root for them. Just a well-written romance that was time well spent to read. And even though it touched on some difficult topics, it never felt too exploitative or graphic (in my opinion as someone who is very sensitive to that kind of thing.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Rape, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Two writers writing to each other in the form of books over the course of years after their 7 brief days together, IS the single most romantic notion I’ve heard of.
I found myself laughing, tearing up, raging, and holding my breath while speeding through the pages. This is not a surface level romance. This book has layers upon layers like an onion with the most profound yet also hilarious dialogue I’ve come across. The story is told in a non linear fashion, jumping from perspective to perspective and to different timelines disguised as flashbacks. Some perspectives I’m not 100% (like the random Principal lady?) sure were necessary or central to the message of the book, with the almost comical not so subtle foreshadowings following after.
This is a second chance romance with raw portrait of life. The characters felt so real and tortured. I also love reading mature characters in romance. 7 days in June also is Kinda the perfect epitome of a writer romance. Williams even had the pretentiousness of the literary/fandom world in there and it didn’t fail the hype or expectations. Also what this book did very well was moments: Like when Shane and Eva meet again it REALLY felt like time slowed. That’s an insane effect to have as a reader.
I’m soooo checking out what else this author has because her writing is addictive!!
I found myself laughing, tearing up, raging, and holding my breath while speeding through the pages. This is not a surface level romance. This book has layers upon layers like an onion with the most profound yet also hilarious dialogue I’ve come across. The story is told in a non linear fashion, jumping from perspective to perspective and to different timelines disguised as flashbacks. Some perspectives I’m not 100% (like the random Principal lady?) sure were necessary or central to the message of the book, with the almost comical not so subtle foreshadowings following after.
This is a second chance romance with raw portrait of life. The characters felt so real and tortured. I also love reading mature characters in romance. 7 days in June also is Kinda the perfect epitome of a writer romance. Williams even had the pretentiousness of the literary/fandom world in there and it didn’t fail the hype or expectations. Also what this book did very well was moments: Like when Shane and Eva meet again it REALLY felt like time slowed. That’s an insane effect to have as a reader.
I’m soooo checking out what else this author has because her writing is addictive!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Suicide attempt
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Car accident, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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
Thank you Tia Williams for writing the first book club book I adored.
Seven Days in June is a story about Black love. It was poignant, humorous, and hot all at the same time. In this book, we follow Eva, an erotica writer, who is summoned to speak as a panelist at a book event where she unexpectedly runs into her high school fling? boyfriend? situationship? Shane, from fifteen years ago. As she rediscovers what actually happened between them all those years ago, recognizes that they've actually been writing about and to one another for all these years through their books, learns about the man he has become, and about her family's historical curse, she learns about who she is and how everything fits together.
This book did exactly what it needed to do. Each character was fully fleshed out and individualized. In Eva and Shane's partnership, they became the best versions of themselves for and through each other, without sacrificing their core values. Seven Days in June was indeed a romance, but it was so much bigger than just-another-fluffy-romcom (and I love me a fluffy romcom). In this book we explored the effects of chronic pain, substance abuse, domestic abuse and negligence, trauma, and racism on relationships.
Rumaan Alam got it right when he said, "The result isn't escapism (though the book is a delight) but a vision of life as it truly is: complications and difficulties punctuated by profound joy."
Seven Days in June is a story about Black love. It was poignant, humorous, and hot all at the same time. In this book, we follow Eva, an erotica writer, who is summoned to speak as a panelist at a book event where she unexpectedly runs into her high school fling? boyfriend? situationship? Shane, from fifteen years ago. As she rediscovers what actually happened between them all those years ago, recognizes that they've actually been writing about and to one another for all these years through their books, learns about the man he has become, and about her family's historical curse, she learns about who she is and how everything fits together.
This book did exactly what it needed to do. Each character was fully fleshed out and individualized. In Eva and Shane's partnership, they became the best versions of themselves for and through each other, without sacrificing their core values. Seven Days in June was indeed a romance, but it was so much bigger than just-another-fluffy-romcom (and I love me a fluffy romcom). In this book we explored the effects of chronic pain, substance abuse, domestic abuse and negligence, trauma, and racism on relationships.
Rumaan Alam got it right when he said, "The result isn't escapism (though the book is a delight) but a vision of life as it truly is: complications and difficulties punctuated by profound joy."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Rape, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Suicidal thoughts