A review by nouriareads
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

emotional funny reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved Tia Williams’ writing style. The book is well-paced and there is a good balance between flashbacks and present day. The characters were funny and mostly pretty realistic, and the attraction between Eva and Shane (as adults) was undeniable. I loved the relationship between Eva and Audre, how protective of each other they are and how Eva would do anything to be the parent she didn’t have. It was interesting to see how Eva tackled life with an invisible disability because she is not public about it and has to pretend to be fine most of the time. The peek into the Black literati community was also refreshing. 
While being so passionately “in love” within 7 days as teenagers could make sense, the same feelings and intensity after 15 years with no contact and within the same timeframe seemed a little much and felt very rushed especially given how things ended. “In love” because that week when they were teenagers felt more like co-dependency and them encouraging each other's destructive behaviours. I don’t think the author glamorized that week, but there’s something I can’t quite pinpoint that made me feel like it was still a little romanticized. Maybe it was because it was written from a limited third-person POV and they thought they were in love. My issue was not feeling the stance “this is not love.” 
I didn’t appreciate how Ty was treated as a plot device for the (unnecessary) conflict and Audre had a few unrealistic traits
e.g. she’s read Freud, watched Midsommar and offers therapy sessions at 12
(though this might come from Eva’s parenting because sometimes they’re more friends than mother/daughter). 
Overall I really liked the book, but I recommend checking content/trigger warnings before reading if it’s something you need. 
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