Gemini Thief? Serial Killer? Man, Woman, or even child?
Well, count me in...
What we do know is our thief is a pro and holds captive these 3 boys for 13 months during June 1-30th.
After a decade this mastermind has taken at least 12 more boys without being caught. The 13th victim may just be a cousin named Aulus of Thea (whose looking for the killer).
Oh, by the way one of those boys died and the culprit may be her very own father?
OH SNAP!!
Since I'm a speed reader the images throughout didn't bother me too much because it was even spaced. What bothers me most is unedited copies without spacing or paragraph indentations.
With this said, this editing issue did cause some minor issues with the flow and ebb of the characters and overall plot.
We (the readers) learn the identity of the killer and it's a shocker!
I love any lodge named Moose Lodge as it's a homey feel for this gal from rural area near the Pocono Mountains.
Needless to say this person named the 'Welder' is one to watch.
However, don't get tongue tied here as everyone is suspect....
Keep your eyes open and your ears peeled to the evidence and you won't get lost in the shuffle.
A great new read by Courtney Stevens

Ok.... no, no, no, no. I tried to read this book... FIVE times! You read that right. First, I received an eARC from NetGalley, but the formatting was messed up on my Kindle. Then, I tried my Kindle app on my phone, then NetGalley finally came out with their own app so I tried that, but the formatting was still annoying, then I also received the audiobook for this one on NetGalley, but the narration is terrible and echos at 2x speed, then I tried reading along with the audio at a slower pace, but I just couldn't do it. At that point, I ended up just skimming the rest of the novel very very quickly. I couldn't do it. And, frankly, after reading through the novel, even quickly, I'm glad I didn't give it much attention because the writing was really rough and the plot was terrible. The twist was not at all exciting or interesting in any aspect to me personally. After all the effort I've put in over the last YEAR to read this book, I'm disappointed and frustrated. All in all, not my type of story. I don't know if the formatting issues and repeat attempts at reading it spoiled the fun for me, or if the novel wasn't the best which made it extra hard to get over bad formatting. Some reviewers I really trust received final copies and still weren't fans for the same reasons I found so who knows. At this point, I'm done with it and counting it over with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for, both, an eARC and audiobook of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There was so much intriguing about The June Boys.  I was first attracted to the idea of someone kidnapping boys for a year and then returning them.  What could be the motive for that?  As I read, I realized that this small Tennessee town had been turned on its head.  Girls walked boys places to keep them safe.  People were worried about their sons.  Strangely, the town itself, nor the FBI, could not seem to realize how much this crime was the opposite of what they were use to dealing with in child abduction.  

The book goes back and fourth in time a little and we jump between what is happening with Thea and what is happening with The June Boys themselves.  What happens to boys when they are held in captivity for a year?  They are not mistreated and they seem to come back OK.  And then a teenager is taken and a boy is found dead.  A ten year pattern is broken.  Thea and her friends try to find out what happened to her cousin and the rest of the boys who have gone missing. 

For the most part we had intriguing characters.  Thea was steadfast in her love for her family, even when she suspected them of possibly being the Genesis Thief.  Her group of friends were faithful and supportive.  Her father was probably a little crazy.  God tells you to build a castle?  OK.  That part was actually my least favorite.  I could have done without divine intervention and castle building.  

This was my first book by this author but it will not be my last.  Thank you to Court Stevens, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, and Netgalley for the audiobook.  See this review and more at my blog: https://readeotw.wordpress.com

I read this book with no idea what it was about I just love some of Stevens other novels. I am glad I read it cause it was a good thriller.
   I enjoyed the dark twist and turns Stevens set into this novel. I enjoyed following along  on this journey to see what exactly happened to the June Boys, not just the who but the why. And this book manged to surprise me which is honestly quite hard to do.
  That being said the constant back and forth did get a little confusing in places. I usually really like that dynamic in a book but it just wasn't done very well in this book. It didn't really help me further the mystery; it just confused me.
  Overall this is a solid solid mystery thriller. It was not the best book or even Stevens best book but it is a solid read.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Part of me almost wished it was not YA because the mystery aspect of it had so much potential to be way more spooky, but the book was a lot more lighthearted because of it and I adored all of the characters. Very nice, or I guess I should say not so nice surprise at the end that I did not expect at all.

I liked the idea of the book, but was a little bored throughout. I didn’t enjoy the Elizabeth letters. They were pretty confusing until you get some background at the very end. I liked the main narrator, but the letter narrator sounded too old. 

Thea was a great lead and I enjoyed her relationships with everyone. Overall this book was a 3 star read for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Every June, on the first day of the month, a boy is taken. Every June, on the last day of the month and a whole year later, a boy is given back.

This concept intrigued me and yet I remained a little underwhelmed by its execution. The finger was pointed at the correct perpetrator a little under halfway into this book, which led the focus to remain upon his capture. I would have preferred more mystery to feature as I found the early fear of the unknown to keep this an engaging and atmospheric read.

Protagonist, Thea, is at the heart of both this small town society and the investigation. I liked her character's fearlessness in the face of the accusations flung in her direction. Her grit and determination resulted in the revelation of truth and she was my favourite aspect about this book.

I actually liked the basic story - however, the constant references to the “size” of Ruby made the ending less surprising. I found following some of the characters and plot lines a little confusing, and the “Elizabeth Letters” sections were ridiculous. I had no idea what they were supposed to be - and you never find out, except in the Epilogue. They were clearly a gimmick to give the reader “outside the story” information, but I think there were surely better ways to do that. Also, the voice actor reading those sections was completely inappropriate. I thought the boys were supposed to be kids but the narrator was a gravely voiced middle-aged man. Too jarring and completely miscast. 
I’m still confused about what happened to the two other little boys ... Chris was found dead but the other two weren’t? Were they imaginary or did they drown too? Why didn’t ruby go down to feed them for the last 2 weeks? 
I liked Thea, but wished she had a bit more depth... the details we are given aren’t very endearing and each time I started to feel connected the plot switched. I actually liked most of the supporting characters and wished I’d known more about them. I HATED the stupid sudden uber religious twist near the end. The boys were down there for 10 days without food or water and survived? And only Thea thought to look for them? Clearly I missed something, but I think my attention wavered when the crazy religious plot set it. 
The “extra” chapters were, again, a stupid gimmick and actually changed my opinion of the book in a very negative way. I hated the stereotyped voices and the religious aspect went WAAAAAAYY over the top. I honestly didn’t even finish listening because I found them offensive.  
I think if I were to recommend this to someone, I would steer them away from the audiobook and towards the print version. Better to avoid the intrusion of the “Elizabeth “ actor, and easy to ignore the added chapters. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of the audiobook, which I was given in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thanks to Netgalley.  This sounded like a great story.  I enjoyed it but it was a bit hard to follow sometimes.  The transition between POV didn't always flow well and I really didn't care about the characters too much.  Lots of information at the start and then it started to drag a bit in the middle for me and I lost interest until the last part.

Thea is just your typical teen- a sweet boyfriend, a slightly nuts dad, a couple of best friends, and adults who love her dearly. Oh, and there's that castle her dad is building, too. 

But the Gemini Thief also exists, A serial kidnapper who takes a group of boys and holds them captive from June 1st to June 30th the following year. They call them the June Boys, and the Gemini Thief is a pro, having alluded authorities for nearly a decade. 

Now Thea's cousin is one of the June Boys and she's determined to find him.- but she has reason to believe someone in her life is the Gemini Thief, and the further she looks into it, the closer to home it hits. 

"Careful with that hope,” he said.
"Careful with that doubt,” I retorted.

The June Boys is a compulsively readable mystery, with captivating prose and a twisty plot that will have you second guessing everything you know. 

The audiobook was such a quick, easy listen that had me on the edge of my seat.

This is a Young Adult Suspense Mystery. I listen to the audiobook, and the narrator was good. The mystery/suspense parts of this book was good, and I always felt the characters where developed. I just felt the police or FBI could have solve the serial kidnapper before all this got this bad. The twist and turn did get me, and I did not see it coming. I felt the answer was just to easy, but I guess sometimes the sample cases is the hardest ones to solve for the police/FBI. I did enjoy reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-audiobook of this book by the publisher (Thomas Nelson and Zondervan) or author (Courtney C. Stevens) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Thea has spent the last several months trying to solve the mystery of her cousin Aulus' disappearance. Although the police have determined that Aulus ran away, Thea knows he is the 13th victim of the Gemini Thief. This serial kidnapper has been terrorizing their town for nearly 10 years. Every year or so, the Gemini Thief kidnaps three boys on June 1st. The boys are held captive for 13 months, when they are returned on June 30th. No one knows who the Gemini Thief is, but Thea and her friends are sure they can solve the mystery. When the clues start leading toward her eccentric father, Thea isn't sure who she can believe.

The June Boys has a really good premise for a mystery, and the whole idea of the Gemini Thief is extremely well done. The letters that Aulus writes from captivity give added depth to the story. The problem lies in the idea of the Castle. This pervasive plot element is confusing and detracts from the actual story of the kidnapped boys. While this will appeal to some readers of "missing person" mysteries, I think that there are elements that will cause students to lose interest. The audio was well done, but the "interview" after the epilogue was strange.

Wow!! This book is just so....much. Complicated and heartbreaking, exciting and emotional, complete and leaving you with some longing to understand.

I fell in love with the author with her first words in "Sage Advice" at the beginning of the book. The initial chapters took some concentration, just becoming familiar with all of the characters and the setting. Everything meshed quickly though, and the characters endear themselves to the reader and the Wildwood setting becomes another character in itself, as does the entire concept of trauma. 

Stick it out if the beginning feels complicated. The rest of the book is worth it, for sure. If possible grab the audio book too, for (I think) additional content that speaks of pain and healing and the future of the June Boys.

Amazing story. Truly..

The June Boys is a gripping mystery. One where I thought I'd figured out the "whodunnit" element time & time again, and time & time again I was turned around to start reassessing! A solid 4+ stars book for me (my personal definition of 4* is "a book that gripped me & that I am going to be actively recommending")

The Gemini Thief kidnaps 3 boys on June 1st, holds them for 13 months, and then releases them back to the community. Then the following year, they do it again. 2009 one of the boys taken is Thea's cousin Aulus. Aulus is her best friend - more like a brother than a cousin - and Thea, along with 3 of Aulus' other friends, become consumed with trying to crack the case & find the missing boys.

The cast of characters is littered with people with secrets - anyone of them could be the Gemini Thief. Should Thea be looking close to home to find the culprit? Wouldn't she KNOW if her father or one of her uncles or her godfather was capable of such a crime? Maybe, maybe not.

The story is told primarily from Thea's point of view, but is interspersed with letters from Aulus while he is held captive. The non-linear timeline between the two points of view caught me off guard initially but once I worked it out it was fine. 

The twists & revelations kept me hooked, and I truly didn't see the identity of the kidnapper coming, or the final harrowing twist right before the end. The writing style was brilliant & didn't have the feeling of 'dumbing down' that can sometimes come with a book pitched as a YA novel. This was the first book by Court Stevens I have read but I will be looking out for her others.

I listened to the audiobook & loved McKenzie Fetters narration, I did feel that Gabe Wicks' voice felt a little "old" to be the voice of teenaged Aulus, but he conveyed the sadness, lack of energy, & loss of hope that Aulus was feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for this eAudio download in return for my honest review.

This was a great book. A wonderful suspense novel. 
I loved this storyline. The plot. Its very good. 
I enjoyed the narration. Easy to follow along and listen to. 
Overall wonderful