June Farrow was born into a line of women who were cursed. Standing apart from their small North Carolina community, one by one, they’ve gone mad. Caring for her declining grandmother, June keeps the onset of her hallucinations to herself. Until one day she can’t any more- and suddenly, she discovers that everything she thought she knew- and everything she feared- was wrong.

This is an absolutely beautiful story. It took me a bit to really get into it, but then suddenly, I was enthralled, wishing that all those pesky life things wouldn’t force me to put this book down for any length of time. Filled with magic and love and mystery and lots to think about, I will definitely be rereading this again in the future, if only to spend more time with these wonderfully rendered characters.

Thank you Adrienne Young, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book kept me up way too late last night. What a lovely story, amidst all the twists and turns. It was beautifully told and I was absorbed in the story from the first chapter. I only wish there were more books like this!

**swoon** 😌 This book was magic. Absolutely beautifully written. Breathtaking descriptions. Great characters. I was invested from the start.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is pure beauty. It makes my heart so happy. It’s been quite a while since these sorts of feelings have been evoked within me when reading a book.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a journey of love and hope that crosses all bounds. It shows us that where there is love there is hope and not even time can steal memories for they are etched into the very fabric of ourselves and in our DNA.

This is a time traveling novel but it is so much more than that. It’s a mystery, a beautiful romance and the story of a young woman who must cross time to find herself. Every aspect of this novel sang to my heart.

I love the way Adrienne Young writes her fantasy. Cosy yet mundane worlds with elements of magical realism sprinkled through. The small town and atmospheric settings added so much magic and cosiness to the story and June Farrow as a protagonist perfected it all.

There are not many books that give me the feel of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman but if you want anything close this is it dear readers. Prepare to have your heart and soul completely engulfed by this beautiful book and its characters.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this beautiful book!

This unbelievably beautiful novel was a top five read for me this year. The story of June Farrow ripped out my heart and pieced it back together again. In such a way, I never knew my heart could feel so whole and complete. THIS BOOK UGH. I cried. It’s been years since a book made me cry.

My heart physically aches just thinking about how good this book is. How is that even possible? I don’t know but I’ll be rereading this novel until the end of time.

Junes heroic story of ending the century old curse that plagues the Farrow women, will end up being her salvation. Getting a chance at soul shattering love. Solving her mothers disappearance. Mourning and rediscovering family ties that will make you weep.

This book will open your eyes and heart and you’ll never be the same. I can’t wait to gift this book to everyone I know, because something so good should never be kept.

The writing, PERFECT. The Farrow women, PERFECT. The atmospheric town of Jasper, North Carolina, PERFECT. The love, PERFECT. The unmaking and remaking of June Farrow… just utterly PERFECT.

I will be posting my social media reviews in the next few days, I will come back to add the link. THANK YOU Delacorte Press for the advanced copy!

Adrienne can do no wrong!
I have loved all of her books and this one is no exception.
This book is perfect for anyone who was a fan of The Time Traveler's Wife.
It is so easy to get lost in this book and realize its coming to an end before you know it.
The vibes in this were perfect for fall and it was just a great read.

Wow, I do think this is @adrienneyoung ‘s best work yet. She takes us on a magical realism journey into June Farrow’s life that is just chef’s kiss perfect for a fall/October read.

Thank you to@delacourtepress for my early copy and to @prhaudio for my audio copy, the narration was so perfect for the characters!

This is a story of mothers and daughters, of love and sacrifice, of the past and the future, of tough decisions and the beauty of love. Don’t think of this as romance though, because it isn’t, even despite the love within. It is however magical realism in that it involves the folds within time, traveling between doors of the past and the present/future.

Set in a small town in North Carolina in the Appalachian mountains, I could feel the wind blowing through the fields, hear the rushing of the river waters, and Young made it feel as if I was stepping back in time with June as she worked to piece the mysterious puzzle of her life together.

The supporting characters make the novel as endearing and my love for June Farrow; from Birdie to Esther and Margaret, Eamon to Nathaniel and Susanna, such beautifully written characters!

Highly recommend it, of course! There may be a couple of triggers, so reach out if you have questions!

Wow! This book is simply stunning. It is a story of family, motherhood, and the choices we make. June's beloved grandmother recently died and she believes she's next. Her grandmother slowly loses her mind. Her mother is believed to have done so as well around the time she disappeared. And now, June is seeing and hearing things that aren't there. She believes it's an inevitable part of the curse the Farrow women carry with them. After finding a cryptic message from her grandmother, mailed just days before her death, June decides to take a chance and lean into the visions she's having. She opens a door leading to what she never could have imagined.

June's story is heart wrenching at times as she grapples with her own mother's disappearance as well as the discoveries she makes beyond that door. I loved the almost lyrical quality to Young's writing of June's story. The intergenerational relationships that are shown through June and her family were so poignant. I loved the quiet love story that June experiences. The setting is perfect and the mystery kept me turning the pages desperate to know what choices June would make.

Young has outdone herself with this novel. It is imaginative, beautiful, and entertaining all in one. I highly recommend for fans of Alice Hoffman, espeically those looking for a new fall read to immerse themselves in.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a beautifully written novel that blends magical realism, mystery, and romance. The story is both cozy and suspenseful at times, giving off major Practical Magic vibes. Young’s writing is gorgeous, as always, and will transport you to the sleepy, small town of Jasper, NC.

Read if you enjoy:
-time travel
-small town mysteries
-themes of motherhood
-found family
-generational curses
-atmospheric writing

I can't sing the praises of Adrienne Young and her writing enough. Much like Spells for Forgetting, The Unmaking of June Farrow utterly enchanted. The atmosphere, the characters, the writing style, all of it was so perfect. Try your best to avoid spoilers for this one - you'll thank yourself later for going into it blind.

I have enjoyed all of Adrienne’s books. So it’s no surprise that I enjoyed this one too. I have enjoyed many books over the years, and given many five star ratings but, this book is not just enjoyable it is absolutely special. This book is not only incredibly well written but it tugs at the fibers of my soul with every word. I could not put this book down. I went in blind and recommend it for anyone wanting to read it to go in blind because it captured a piece of me. It was like Adrienne knew some magic to weave these words and these time lines and these lives to truly matter and drag you into every single mystery. Not only did I hang on every word but the book was amazing all the way through to the very last word. This book is beautiful and so incredibly authentic feeling. I felt like I was right there. I felt like I was June and every question she had was my own. I can’t even fathom how Adrienne managed to make me feel everything but she did. If I could give more than five stars I would. This is art. A true masterpiece.

4.5

I know many people absolutely love Adrienne Young’s adventure-filled YA books, but I have to be honest in saying that I prefer the subtler slow-burn of her adult novels. Spells for Forgetting was among my favorites last year, and The Unmaking of June Farrow hit that same sweet spot for me. It had some similar vibes to it, with a small town setting, mysterious circumstances that are slowly woven together, a magical element, and characters with deep inner lives.

I thought the story was compelling, the characters were layered and authentically flawed, and the way everything connected at the end was perfection.

I wrote in my review for Spells for Forgetting that I hoped Young would continue to write adult novels with creeping dread, ominous tones, and slow-burn plots… and I’m so happy that this one fit that description beautifully!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this tale! It’s quickly added to my shelf of favorites! The woven threads of lyrical notes throughout the pages was just what I was looking for and I highly recommend!

This book was excellent! The only reason that I can't give it 5 stars is that I still don't understand time travel! But that's really a me problem. I was completely enamored with these characters. It was such a creative way to tell a multigenerational story! I loved the mystery and the high-stakes decision making. The writing was beautiful and the love story was passionate! I will say that I felt like the author did Mason dirty a little bit, but every other part of this I absolutely loved! I almost feel like going back and immediately starting it again just to see what I missed the first time around!

Oh man, it’s so hard to talk about why I loved this book without giving any spoilers. Suffice it to say that I found this book to be propulsive and unexpectedly beautiful. It’s a story of family, love, secrets, and sacrifice.

The magical realism in this story hit exactly right for me and the way she sets the scene makes you feel like you are right there with the characters. I’m not sure what exactly I was expecting when I went in, but this story surprised me several times with twists and reveals I did not see coming which made for a really fun ride. I also loved the ending and was impressed with the way the author wrapped up all the different things that were going on in a satisfying way but without being too saccharine or tidy.

I gave The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young five stars and highly recommend it to anyone who likes a little magic, mystery, and romance.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me an ecopy for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book came out on October 17, 2023.

This is my second book by Adrienne Young, having read Spells For Forgetting recently.

Upon starting this book, I knew immediately that I would once again be transported by Young’s lyrical prose. Her talent for atmospheric world-building is unmatched, in my opinion. This time, instead of a misty island town in the PNW, I found myself in the sun-soaked flower fields of rural North Carolina. This book is on a lot of fall TBR lists, however, it would be a perfect read for the height of summer. Once again, as was the case with SFF, I found myself nostalgic for a place I’ve never been.

Another of Young’s strengths is genre-weaving: she nails the perfect blend of mystery, historical fiction, and magical realism. For those who want both an intriguing plot AND transportive vibes: this is your author.

One note: if you aren’t into books that deal with time travel, this might not be up your street. For me, this necessitated a certain amount of mental capacity which made early-morning and late-night reading difficult. I recommend having caffeine nearby if that’s your thing.

Keeping this spoiler-free: once you can see where the story is headed and the potential choices characters must face, this was hard to put down. Adrienne Young has solidified herself on my auto-read list.

This book had me drawn in deep by the end of the first chapter, I knew I would not be able to put it down! It is my favorite book of 2023!

The story takes place in a small town in North Carolina. June Farrow runs the flower farm that the women before her ran and she recently took over after the death of her grandmother. The flower farm isn’t the only thing the Farrow women have in common, they are also cursed with a slow descent into madness, a madness that led to the death of Junes mother and now June has begun to see and hear things that are not there. But June is determined to end the curse that has affected so many of the women in her family. To break the family curse, June risks a lot!

This story is filled with rich characters, multiple time lines and brain bending events that made this story just so good!!!

I loved this book SO much! It was so atmospheric and perfect for the fall. I loved learning about June's life all through the different lives she was in. It got a tiny bit confusing at parts trying to fully understand the time travel and the way it all worked, but once I got it figured out I was completely in to the story. I also just LOVE Adrienne Young's writing. It's so detailed and just really helps me imagine the world that she builds. This really made me want to read Spells for Forgetting just because I want to read more of her adult books, so I'll definitely be grabbing that one soon!

Wow, this book was amazing. This is a very well written genre-bending novel, with sci-fi and magical realism elements. The addition of the murder mystery also gave it a thriller vibe which I think really made this time travel story stand out. You are finding out things and piecing the story together the same time as our lead woman June and makes it un-put-downable, after the 60% I could not put this book down until I found out what happened. There truly was no part of this book where I was certain what had or was going to happen until the reveal at the end! This story will stick with me for a long time and is a new five star read for me! Will be recommending to everyone.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Adrienne Young for providing this beautiful book for my honest review. Oh my goodness! What did I just read? This is my favorite book of the year! I love the time travel aspect, the romance, the mystery, and the family drama. It’s so twisty and atmospheric. I couldn’t put this down! If you love magic, romance, mystery, and time travel then I highly recommend this one! I love how atmospheric this is! Adrienne Young’s writing style pulls the reader right into this world and I didn’t want it to end. Thank you again for providing this wonderful book for my honest review.