A review by astoriareader
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • June is grieving the loss of her grandmother, Margaret. Margaret raised June with the help of a few folks (Birdie & Mason), after June’s own mother, Susanna, abandoned her & disappeared without a trace. Over the last year, June has been experiencing hallucinations, including a red door.
  • June investigates what happened to her mother, and after a series of revelations, June is faced with a decision to walk through the red door.
  • Can’t really say much else without spoiling it :) 

MY THOUGHTS
  • Involves time travel + magical realism. Also, has suspense/mystery + romance.
  • Lots of strong female characters.
  • Interesting premise & well-plotted story.
  • A good Fall read.
  • A little slow in some parts.
  • Set in Jasper, NC.
  • Young adeptly paints the setting, as well as emotions & body language. While reading, your mind automatically forms a picture with the words.
  • As with all time travel stories, it is easy to find some logical inconsistencies & confusion. With these types of read, I find overthinking it isn’t worth it.
  • I enjoyed Young’s clever references to women’s legitimate issues timelessly being deemed “hysteria” or mental illness by medical professionals and society.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Read if you enjoy time travel with a mix of other genres (romance, mystery/suspense, magical realism).

Thanks to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on October 17, 2023.
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