I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

I love books with mental health representation and this manages to do that as well as give a realistic love story that deals with a ton of challenges. The story is a gritty, sometimes heartbreaking, but very grounded view of two people with deep-seated issues trying to deal with life and things inside and outside of their control.

This was a really hard book to get into and ulitmately not for me. I think the opening chapters needed to be a lot more engaging than they were.

This was definitely a serious young adult/adult read. The author created a story about two teens desperate to stay together but are dealing with very serious issues like mental illness and criminal behavior. Stanely did a great job writing a story about very difficult topics while maintaining a strong plot. This book is not for people who like lighthearted-happy ending reads but given the chance, it is a story that will open minds, hearts, and tolerance.

I’m not sure what this was lacking. I found it hard to pay attention to this book. I started several times. Just didn’t do it for me. 2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy,

This was sadly a DNF for me. I did not realize the content of the novel when requesting but could not read it because it is triggering for me.

Nick and June Were Here is a great contemporary romance novel about two teens struggling when life throws them many different curve balls. Through the strong foundation they built first through friendship then becoming more, they are able to make it through everything together.

All of their lives June and Bethany have been inseparable, then in 5th grade Nick joins the two and all three become tight friends. Nick and June enter a romantic relationship as they get older and develope feelings for one another.

When June stops sleeping and starts hearing voices no one else does, Nick and Bethany are the only ones she trusts with her secret. But when things get bad Nick and Bethany have no choice, but to get June's parents involved. She is diagnosed with schizophrenia.

With Nick pretty much on his own June was his only source of happiness and her being ill does not work well for him. He promises to quit stealing cars for cash, but on his last gig he gets arrested and is soon facing a sentence he can't escape.

What comes next is a whirlwind of emotions from both Nick and June in their journey on facing what life has thrown at them.

This truly is a book for those who believe true love can conquer all. It tackles hard topics in a concise elegant manner that you will never forget Nick and June Were Here.

This book tackles many difficult subjects, including schizophrenia and teen crime. In fact, it felt a bit too crowded, which is the only reason I deducted a star. Nick and June's story grabbed me from the beginning and I finished in a single day.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I appreciated some parts and the important topics that were treated but BUT. I hate hate when novels romanticize mental illness and especially use them as an excuse to act badly. Mental illness isn't a choice, but it doesn't give you an excuse to treat others like shit. I just didn't like the couple together and that definitey made me choose for a lower rating, it could've been easily a 3 stars without those issues but unfortunately they were there.

With just a few months left of high school, Nick and June should be looking forward to what's to come, but instead things are falling apart for the pair. June's mental health has been unraveling for months. Finally, the situation comes to a head, and she finds herself in the hospital. Nick finally decides he's done stealing cars for his manipulative boss, but he can't convince himself that his fate is not already sealed.

I really liked Shalanda Stanley's debut, Drowning is Inevitable, and I think Nick and June Were Here is even better. This book deals with some really serious and powerful issues: mental illness, poverty, abandonment. The rural South setting is pitch perfect, and Nick and June will break your heart.

This is a great book for a mental health awareness read. I included in a booklist for Mental Health Awareness Month.

Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Nick and June Were Here. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

June has two best friends, although the relationship with one of them is changing. When June asks Bethany and Nick to keep her secret, will the pair be able to keep their promise? When Nick's own secret threatens both his and June's future, will a split second decision change everything?

Author Shalanda Stanley does a good job of highlighting the issue of mental illness, especially in how a disorder often goes undiagnosed until a catastrophic event threatens the life and health of the patient. June is like a typically teenager, in that she turns to her friends for help in keeping her secret. Her story was compelling enough, so I wish that the author had refrained from taking Nick's character in the direction to which he went. Without spoiling too much of the plot, all I can say is that I did not find June's journey in the aftermath to be all that realistic. Her struggles were glossed over and I just did not buy the plot. Overall, Nick and June Were Here was a good read, but there was a missed opportunity by the author to really provide readers with a realistic struggle of a teenager struggling with mental illness.

This book is on the more serious side of YA. It's not just another one of the many books on high school romance or drama, it deals with mature issues.

This month is mental health awareness month, and I feel like Nick and June Were Here is a good YA take on schizophrenia and trying to deal with feeling that your life is no longer completely in your control. The character were more complex than in other stories about teens. Nick has to deal with the mess left by his father and the knowledge that the choices he makes could have serious consequences.

I will admit that I was confused at some points with June's health issues. It came together at the end, but while I was reading it, somethings just felt disjointed. I am also confused about the inclusion of the girl that ran away from home. She was mentioned a few times, but there didn't really seem to be any point in including her. I kept waiting for her to show up, but that was not the case. I understand that part of that was to show June's mental state, but I would have been okay with it being left out.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Shalanda Stanley
Publisher: Random House Children's and Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 12 Feb 2019

<b>TW: Schizophrenia </b>

I really loved this one. June’s confusion and frustration when entering treatment was something that I personally experienced. The portrayal of the struggle of finding a diagnosis and trying different medications and treatments felt very real. Nick was an interesting character. With his sections some things were a bit convenient for sake of the plot but I did enjoy his character growth.

I gave this five starts because the portrayal of entering treatment and all of the confusion that comes with that was excellent.

Shalanda Stanley's DROWNING IS INEVITABLE is one of my top underappreciated books, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of Stanley's sophomore title, NICK AND JUNE WERE HERE. Nick and June have been together for years- first as friends, then as something more. June struggles with schizophrenia, an untreated mental illness she's been trying to pretend isn't a problem. Nick and his aunt struggle with poverty, leading Nick to steal cars for cash to pay the bills. As their issues grow bigger and threaten to force them apart, they start to think the only solution is to run away...

Nick and June had my heart from the first chapter. Both are trying so hard to make everything okay, to keep their families from worrying. They put immense pressure on themselves to solve everything and feel their options are limited- if options exist at all. Anyone who has struggled with poverty will immediately connect to Nick's dilemma and understand how helpless amounting overdue bills and eviction notices can make you feel. On June's side, knowing something is wrong inside is absolutely terrifying, especially when you don't know what to do or where to go for help.

On the romance side, Stanley does what the best romance writers do: creates a situation that truly seems impossible to result in a positive ending. I was clenching my book so tightly by the last chapter, not knowing what was best for Nick or June or what would come of them. All in all, the conclusion was highly satisfying and also realistic. I may or may not have been tearing up many times throughout their journey.

Combining intense emotion, powerful love, and dramatic odds, NICK AND JUNE WERE HERE is a perfect addition to shelves alongside Katie McGarry and Emery Lord.

This book was hard for me to follow at times.

I really loved that this story focused on a character with mental illness, especially one that's not as talked about such as schizophrenia. I also loved the support network June had, and that her friends pushed for helping her in any way they could even if it was not necessarily the "easy" thing to do.

However, I found the dual perspective in the story a little bit chaotic and messy. Instead of having the different perspectives intertwined, it felt confusing, almost as if there were two different stories happening. I wish the storylines were a bit more clear.

I really did want to like this book more than I did but I had a few issues with it. First off, I love the idea of a main character with a mental illness and see how authors are able to shine a light to the subject that affects thousands of people each year. I love the idea of bringing awareness to mental illnesses and that's one of the main reasons why I requested this book. At first, was all here for June's supportive friends, Nick and Bethany. I really loved how they tried their best to support June even when they don't know what exactly is going on with their friend. Everyone deserves a friend like that especially if someone is going through something.

Another thing I enjoyed was the process of how June was taken care of and during her diagnosis with a psychiatrist. I liked how the psychiatrist explained to June more or less what's going on and what her symptoms mean and how different it is from other types of schizophrenia (for example: the differences between positive and negative symptoms was explained very well).

However, it felt as if there were two different stories happening at the same time and with each point of view change I felt as if I had to shift from one story from another. Another issue is that it took too long to get to the main point in the plot. It was fast paced but at the same time it was not, if that makes sense. For example, there were so many things going on in both of their lives at once, but what was described in the synopsis didn't occur until the second half of the book.

Overall, I have a love/hate relationship with this book, therefore I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. It could be improved for the better and it's about a great topic that should be spoken about more.

“Nick and June were best friends for years, until their relationship suddenly turned into something more. Now, June is coping with a new diagnosis of schizophrenia, a secret she asked Nick to keep for too long. Between managing her symptoms and her parents, June is just trying to keep it together. Nick is a reluctant car thief, supporting his aunt with the money and focusing on his art whenever he can.
But when June's condition sends her to the hospital and Nick's latest crime threatens to land him in prison, the two decide to run away. When the world is trying to tear them apart, can Nick and June find a way to stay together?”
This book was emotional. It really deals with some tough issues. The characters were beautifully imperfect, although they were by no means perfect. The writing style was good. I do feel as though this story moved very fast. It was a fast read but it also was a little slow to start if that makes sense. I did enjoy how the subject of Schizophrenia was handled. I won’t spoil anything.

*I received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange of an honest review.*

I loved this book! I love any books where the main character has some kind of mental illness. I think it is fascinating being in their mind and seeing how they think. This book is a look into June who has schizophrenia but has no idea. She honestly has no idea that she has any kind of mental illness, but she knows that something is going on with her. Nick is the other POV that we follow, and he is June's boyfriend. They have been best friends since the 5th grade, but it turned into something much more than friendship.

I really enjoyed Nick and June's relationship. I think that Shalanda Stanley did an excellent job showing the ups and downs of a relationship where one person has a mental illness and the other person has problems as well. I loved that we got to see both of their POV's and both of their struggles. This book was an emotional rollercoaster. I had soo many different feelings while reading it.

I thought that the pacing of the book was well done. We start out with Nick and June already in a relationship but with the use of flashbacks we get to see how their relationship blossomed and we also get to look into their past. I really loved how much faith they had in one another to succeed and be better.

You can tell that Stanley crafted this story with so much care and emotion. The way everything was handled with schizophrenia was so well done. This was a very intense book, at a lot of the time I was so scared of what was going to happen to these characters. I fell in love with both June and Nick and their other close friend Bethany so easily. Stanley did a wonderful job with these characters and their development. While reading this I felt like this was such a genuine story.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves stories like these. You won't be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this YA read about 17 yr old June, who suffered most of the book with undiagnosed schizophrenia and her boyfriend Nick who was heading down the wrong path in life.

The insight into June’s disease and how she was coping was very well done. The symptoms and experiences she was suffering from were authentic and true.

I enjoyed how much of the read focused on Nick and June but you also got to become acquainted with June’s best friend and parents.

While the ending was left open ended, I felt like the story was wrapped up well in the last few chapters.

There are some interesting comparisons happening in this book. We have Nick who feels like his life is out of his control, like he has no choice in his fate. Yet it is his choices that lead to events that he genuinely can't control, to where he has no good choices left. He is the epitome of a self-fulfilling prophecy. June, on the other hand, has lost control. In spite of doing everything "right" her life is thrown out of control by schizophrenia. Yet she still feels like she can control thing.s Nick must admit to his responsibility in his fate. June has to admit that some things can't be controlled, that sometimes life turns in ways we didn't expect and certainly never wanted and we have to find ways to move on. It's a sort of melancholy story, resolution that is compelete with hints of hope even if its not what we wanted.