Currently reading and loving.. ⁣
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Summary⁣
A woman risks everything to end her family's centuries-old curse, solve her mother's disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the author of Spells for Forgetting. In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her..⁣
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This one is a total vibe and I am feeling it. I've never read any of Adrienne Young's books but for whatever reason, I was really looking forward to this one! What isn't there to love -- mystery, romance, and a little magic mixed in?! ⁣
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Have you read any of Adrienne Young's books? I have a feeling I'm going to want to read more by her.⁣

Final rating:
-4 stars

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝. 𝙄𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚.”

Title: The Unmaking of June Farrow
Author: Adrienne Young
Rating: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Release: October 17th, 2023
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller
Format: Ebook 📱, Audiobook 🎧
Length: 320 pages
Start: October 20th, 2023
Finish: October 23rd, 2023
Series: No
Favorite character: June
Would I read again: Yes!

Thoughts:

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I had seen someone call Adrienne Young’s writing “jewel toned” and what a perfect description. I’m pretty sure I cried at the end of this book. It was absolutely lovely and had made it on my favorites list for the year.

Young did amazing in her world building. I LOVE a descriptive writer that basically paints a beautiful in depth setting around you to the point that you are living within the book and no longer reading the book. I highlighted this passage: “The engine groaned as I came to a stop at the only traffic light in Jasper, which hung from a tenuous wire over the main intersection in town”. Soo descriptive, I squealed so much while reading.

I’m also a multiple format girl, so I listened to the audiobook along side the ebook and wow! The narrator, Brittany Pressley is AMAZING! She read and acted so beautifully, it truly brought the story to life. I usually listen to books I’m reading while I do chores and errands, just so I can further progress in the book. But I found myself many times listening to the narration and also picking up the book to read along with her. I am now a HUGE fan of Brittany Pressley and will be looking for her other work as soon as possible.

The concept and plot of this book is gorgeous and heartbreaking. The love story squeezed my heart and was earth shattering. Adrienne Young is QUEEN! Loved this book! I recommend it so so much. Please pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Adrienne Young for the ARC of this life changing book.

my least favorite book by Adrienne Young. It starts out really intreguing but ends up just being waiting for someone to get some memories back. It got really boring.

The Unmaking of June Farrow was the perfect read for fall. I recently finished Adrienne Young's Spells for Forgetting and thought I should follow that up with The Unmaking of June Farrow. This one completely blew Spells out of the water! Once I picked this up I couldn't put it down.

What I loved the most about this book was the family dynamic of the Farrow women. I don't want to go too much into the story as I don't want to give anything away, but it reminded me a bit of Practical Magic, but with some time bending elements of a Black Mirror episode - though definitely not as bleak! June was an incredible main character and I loved getting to know her. She was complex and my heart ached for her as she had to make complicated, life-altering decisions.

If you're looking for a story full of love and family, a bit of mystery and just a hit of sci-fi magic, check out The Unmaking of June Farrow. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy! I can't wait for this author's next work.

This was my first book by Adrienne Young and I definitely really enjoyed it. I don't read very much magical realism but sometimes it just feels so refreshing and unique! It took me a little bit to get into this, but it wasn't slow by any means. This book had small town mystery, family history, and second chance romance. All themes that I enjoy!!

This is really a perfect book for cozying up with during the fall and winter. I thought it was really atmospheric and felt transported into the story. I love Adrienne Youngs writing and I will definitely check out more of her books in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Thank you for the chance to preview this novel! Oh my goodness, it was so incredibly good and I couldn't put it down! I loved the concept, the writing, the characters! Perfect Fall, cozy season read! I can't say enough good things! This novel is definitely in my top 10/90 this year!

I wanted to like this, but it did not hold my attention. Will be a great recommendation for other readers, though.

What a magical story 🥰 I was super excited to get an early copy of this one in my hands after reading and loving Spells For Forgetting last fall. I had high expectations for this one and I’m happy to say that they were definitely met!

Adrienne Young has a gorgeous, atmospheric way of writing that sucks you in from the very beginning. As I’m reading her words I can completely envision myself in the story. In this case, I felt like I was right in the little town of Jasper, North Carolina.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a fantastic example of what magical realism is to me. Everyday characters with situations that are just a bit extraordinary. I fell in love with our FMC June, and her beautiful family of Farrow women.

My only qualm with this book (and why it’s a 4 star read for me) is because one element of the story (discussed in more detail at the end) confused me and I was a little lost. But if you have any questions, please feel free to DM me!

I went into this story blind and I’m so glad I did. I don’t want to delve into much detail in my review for fear of giving anything away. Just know I loved this story SO much and I haven’t been able to stop thinking of the characters since I finished it.

I enjoyed this. I think it was writing-wise better than Spells for Forgetting, even if the story was a bit slower. I honestly don’t feel like I completely understood this - I can’t say too much without giving things away, but a lot about this was too complicated for my pregnancy-addled brain 😅 I also don’t feel like we got enough development of Eamon and June’s relationship to feel invested enough in them. overall, this was a lovely story with perfect moody vibes for fall. thanks to @netgalley for this gifted digital copy!

A cross between The Time Travelers Wife and Outlander, I did not feel like I got a good well-rounded feel for the characters. I would have liked to read more backstory on how they met and been given more of a chance to feel connected to them. Also, the big reveal at the end of the book was pretty predictable.

I absolutely loved this.

I felt similarly after finishing this book as I did when I read THE SECRET LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE -- I felt changed and utterly captivated. I just knew I'd be thinking about the story for a long time.

THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW is a story of a genealogical curse, the uncovering of family secrets, and the impact of our choices. Not only is this story expertly written, it's also breathtakingly spellbinding. As the story weaved through time and characters, I almost felt like I was holding my breath -- and I didn't want the journey to end. It was heart-achingly beautiful, thought-provoking, and worth every bit of hype.

A huge thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW is out now -- and it's a captivating must-read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this advanced copy.

If you enjoy magical realism with twists and turns that leave your mind blown, then look no further. This story contains time travel, alternate realities, and sliding doors. I’m not sure I truly understand what happened, but I enjoyed the ride immensely! lol 😝

I read this on my kindle and I think I may have followed the timelines a little better if I could flip the pages back and forth more easily to double-check dates. An infographic with the timelines and dates with notes would have been helpful as well.

I think this is one of those books that you just read without worrying too much about “getting it” the first time, then when re-reading it, the pieces will fall into place. I look forward to testing this theory next time I pick this one up.

This is a lovely, twisty novel, in the vein of 'Practical Magic' but with way more plot and layered speculative elements. It's the perfect summer/early Fall read, to me.

Adrienne Young has knocked it out of the ballpark again! I adored the Fable series as well as last year’s Spells for Forgetting, so I definitely did a happy dance when I got my hands on this latest release.

Expect generational timelines, a bit of mystery and romance, and strong female characters.

The familial love is this novel’s shining point, as well as its exploration of mental health.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are entirely my own.

✨ Review ✨ The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, Narrated by Britney Presley

Even though this book takes place in the summer, it felt like the perfect fall read. The women in June's family have always suffered from hallucinations...and with June, it's just beginning. Her grandma, who had raised her, has just passed away and June's grappling with the start of her own decline.

But then, the mystery she's investigating about the disappearance of her mother seems to be generating some new clues. What if there's more to this mental unmaking than June previously thought?

Things have a slow start but the story truly evolves in the middle of this book. Once I got to the middle I could barely put it down. Family, rural NC life, and a series of mysteries dominate this book, in which the Farrow women do what's necessary to protect each other.

I LOVED the audio. Britney Presley does a brilliant job narrating, and while I felt a little bit of a drag while reading, the audio felt better paced for me. Her accent also is fabulous and really brought the story to life!

Minor spoiler & critique below:

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

The time travel component of this was super fascinating but also kind of confusing? I think I understood it all in the end but not without some confusion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary fiction, magical realism
Setting: rural NC
Reminds me of: her first book but better!
Pub Date:

Read this if you like:
⭕️ multigenerational family stories
⭕️ flower farms & rural settings
⭕️ mysteries in history
⭕️ Fall ambience

Thanks to PRHaudio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Adrienne Young does it again. This book is filled with time travel, adventure, and mystery. A great quick read!

Another beautiful novel from Adrienne Young! I've enjoyed all of Young's YA novels and was also a big fan of her adult debut, Spells for Forgetting. The Unmaking of June Farrow will check a lot of the same boxes for those who enjoyed Spells—female protagonist trying to find her place in the world, a strange mystery to unravel, and some magic woven throughout. Young's characters always feel so real, and the relationships between her characters are the true stars of her stories.

hat a mind-bender of impeccable perfection. Adrienne Young blew me away with this one. It is no secret I am a huge fan of her books, however, The Unmaking of June Farrow was not what I was expecting and I loved it even more because of that. It is small-town, witchy, time-traveling, mystery, and thrilling all wrapped up into one and I needed to binge-read to unravel things while June did.

Yes, June Farrow is our MC and we follow the story through her but all the characters truly make up this book. Margaret, Eamon, Ester, plus others all help build this story into one perfect thrilling tether. Also, the way Adrienne Young crafted the world-building and time travel was so meticulously thought out. I really enjoyed the way she made my brain twist while trying to figure it all out.

“You may have ruined my life, June. But first, you gave me one.”
Adrienne Young. The Unmaking of June Farrow (Kindle Location 3965). Kindle Edition.

It is funny because I say I wasn’t expecting the story that unfolded, but I also am not sure what I actually expected. However, I was not expecting to be SO invested in what June was going through and what she was trying to solve. I simply could not put it down. I won’t say much more because I do not want to spoil anything, but please do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. I promise it’s worth it.

The premise of this book is such an interesting take. We have a woman who is grappling with a family curse and trying to keep the madness away so she can live a normal life. She hears things, she sees things, and a red door seems to be haunting her every step. What happens when she is prompted to go into the door? Lots of unraveling.

Okay, based on my previous comments you would think this book would be a slam dunk for me. Unfortunately there were some aspects where I felt like this story struggled. Mainly with developing the characters and the setting.

I never really felt like I connected with any of the characters in this story. June is telling us what is happening and she feels those connections but I never felt like they translated to me. I wanted to feel the bond between her, Eamon, and Annie but I never felt her motivations for being around them besides “she was supposed to”. None of them really jumped off the page and made me feel anything for them, which is a shame.

The setting for the story was written really atmospheric but if she didn’t say the story was set in the 1950’s I’m not really sure I would have picked up on it. I wanted to imagine and create it all in my head but the details on the location (mainly the town but also the farm) left a lot to be desired and I wanted a lot more information here.

Lastly, the ending was rather abrupt. There was this really tense buildup happening and it just dwindled away over the course of a few pages. Again, I could have done with a lot more going on there to help me really immerse myself in the story.

While I had quite a few criticisms for the book it was still an enjoyable read. I definitely preferred her first foray into adult fantasy writing but this is still a book I would recommend to someone looking for a fall read without gore. I could see this being really popular in all the book club books.

3 stars

I honestly don't know what to make of this one. I love Adrienne Young's style of descriptive writing and her ability to weave a fall-style tale. Spells of Forgetting was to die for and that was a five-star read for me. This one kind of fell a little flat.

The beginning had me intrigued at the mysterious illness that affects all the women in the Farrow family and the disappearance of her mother was even more interesting. Once June realizes she is getting the same illness and is seeing things that aren't there she goes on a hunt to find out what happened to her mother.

Well then things start to unravel bit by bit and we discover this whole time-traveling style plot that takes us back in time to the 1950s when we find out June had a whole different life and has been there before. Honestly, the whole aspect of the traveling had me entirely confused - I felt like there were SOOO many plot holes when it came to this.

But I did enjoy hearing about her life and watching it unfold as her memories returned of her husband and daughter. The mystery was pretty straightforward in this one and I pretty much knew what had happened once things started going. I was actually more interested in her relationships in the past and how she was going to fix things. The whole Mason sub-plot seemed so irrelevant in the end. I hoped for a reunion of some sorts with them just so she could clear things up.

Overall, it was a 3-star read for me. It kept me interested but the plot was just okay. Maybe this isn't the Young book for me since I am not a fan of time-traveling stories. I will still continue to pick up her newer works though!