this is the fifth book i’ve read by Adrienne Young and i’ve enjoyed all of them. I really enjoyed this book too! I had no idea what was going on for so long in the book, but that was the whole point, and the plot and the characters made me want to devour the book to figure out what was going on. The characters and the situations are so complex and it’s one of those books where you sit with it for a while afterwards and question how the book actually made you feel. it is not a clear happy ending but also so clearly a happy ending- which shouldn’t make sense, but it does.

there were two tiny things that made it that this book is 4 stars instead of 5.
1. I noticed that people’s skin color wasn’t talked about unless they were Black and that felt kind of strange to me. I don’t know why I hyper fixated on it but I did.
2. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!
I did not understand the ending. does june live forever? does she continue to follow this cycle over and over again? i don’t know. I felt like that last portion was a little rushed or maybe I just missed something obvious.

This is a very wierd book. It is time travel with a twist. It wasn't for me. Too trippy. I kept wishing I was reading a Fable book in the Narrows.

WOW! This book was such an unexpected win for me! I haven't read anything by Adrienne Young before (even though SPELLS FOR FORGETTING has been on my TBR for a long time), so I wasn't sure what to expect and went in with an open mind!

I don't even know which genre category BEST describes this book, but I would really just describe it as a GREAT STORY. It almost transcends your typical genres because of how much is going on: time travel, multi-generational family drama, second-chance romance, magic/spells, mysteries left and right, etc. etc.

Young is a master storyteller and I think almost everyone would really enjoy this book!

4.5 Stars rounded up! I'm only taking a half star off because I was sometimes confused by the timelines (and the math to get there), but I think it was more of a ME issue. I think I would appreciate it even more during a reread!

Thank you so much to PRH Ballantine/Delacorte Press for the gifted ARC! This will be available for purchase on 10/17.

I’m trying to come up with the right words to express how much I loved this book, and whatever I write keeps falling short so I keep deleting and starting over! It was everything magical all at once, and absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year. Two enthusiastic thumbs up. Five glittering gold stars.

Thirty-four year old June Farrow was raised by her grandmother in the small Appalachian mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, after being abandoned as a baby. Her mother was never seen again. Although June has done some research into what may have happened and to try to discover if her mother is still alive, it is June’s grandmother’s death that kicks off a chain of events that leads June to finally discover the truth about the female members of the Farrow family.

This is one of those books that you can’t quit thinking about when you have to put it down to deal with actual real life stuff (rude) and long after you’ve finished it. The threads of the story are all woven together so tightly. The characters are consistently human, and never get close to the edge of being fantastical or mystical. The characters are what continually ground the reader to focus on the novel’s themes, which include the sacrifices required of true love and patriarchy.

This is a mystery novel, and Adrienne Young absolutely kept her contract with the reader. I loved that I wasn’t able to predict the end. I sat back when I finished it, feeling happy in the afterglow of a great book and thinking BRAVO. For those readers who know the author through her YA fiction, be prepared to find what I felt was an impressive depth of maturity in terms of content and writing style. I think Adrienne Young really demonstrated her ability to craft compelling adult fiction with this novel.

And finally, because I cannot end this review without mentioning EAMON. I have no notes. *CHEF’S KISS*

Thank you NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload it to Amazon when the book is released.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Adrienne Young for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Unmaking of June Farrow coming out October 17, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In a little mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow feels like she’s always waiting for something big to happen in her life. The Farrow women have their prosperous flower farm, but there is the curse that has plagued their family line threatening June’s future. The whole town knows about the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be brought up by her grandmother.

It’s been a year since June started having visions of things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing. But June is determined to find out why her family is cursed, even if she must sacrifice love and a family of her own.

After her grandma dies, June finds clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more unsolved mysteries. Could the mysterious door be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she begins a journey that will not only change the outcome of her life but also unmask the mysteries of her small town and tangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors! I was so excited to get this book. I knew it would be right up my alley. I’m obsessed with her writing! Everything is so poetic and lyrical. I don’t want to give anything away, but I loved the historical aspect and plot of this book. It was a lovely, heartbreaking story. I loved everything about it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ordinary small town stories with a bigger picture!

This book is hard to describe--a mixture of contemporary and historical with fantasy twining through them, a story of a woman and her family who don't quite fit in in their small town. It reminds me a lot of Susanna Kearsley novels, with a touch of history and romance and magic and wistfulness all rolled together. I found myself thinking of this one for several days after I read it. If you're at all a fan of heartfelt fantasy stories, in whatever subgenre, you should pick this one up!

Haunting, magical, and beautifully written. Adrienne Young's second adult novel is like Spells For Forgetting, magical realism at its best. I really related to all of the characters and the complexity of their life. The jumping back and forth between the present day and the past and different timelines can be a bit confusing, so it's best to write it down to filter through it all. I loved the unraveling of June's life and the constant surprises towards the end of the book. My heart ached at the loss filtered throughout, especially for Mason and Birdie in the end.Thank you, NetGalley and Adrienne Young, for this book that spoke volumes to me.

I am going to have a hard time explaining just how much I loved this book! This is easily one of my favorite books of the year! I was sucked in from the very beginning, and never once did I lose interest in the story. If you like magical realism, suspense, and romance, I think this would be a great book for you.
June has lived with the knowledge that every woman in her family will eventually fall victim to the “curse” of losing their mind, and she is just waiting for fate to find her. The hallucinations have started and she is hearing things that aren’t there, but June is determined to find a way to end this curse as well as solve her mother’s mysterious disappearance. After her grandmother passes away, a series of clues start to tell her the story she’s been searching for, but she is only left with so many more questions. When faced with the fact that a red door she has always believed to be one of her hallucinations may actually be real, she decides to open it and finds there is definitely way more to her story than she ever thought possible.
This story had me so wrapped up in the world that I would forget I was reading. I wish someone would make this into a movie so I could relive it and see the magic come to life. This story has heartbreak that had me tearing up. There is longing, the strong love of family, and time travel! But, it is also so full of suspense and I couldn’t wait to get all the answers. I am so glad that I picked this up!

Adrienne Young’s ability to create such beautifully atmospheric scenery in her books astounds me. It’s been a year since I read Spells for Forgetting, and I still regularly flash back to the island of Saoirse. I think part of my mind will be in Jasper for a long while as well.

A little magical realism; a little love; a little murder. The Unmaking of June Farrow was just the perfect, quiet, fall read.

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy to review.

Thank you Delcorte Press for the advance copy.

After reading Spells for Forgetting, I was super pumped to read Adrienne Young’s next adult book, The Unmaking of June Farrow.

Maybe my enthusiasm is too high. Maybe I am super picky regarding time travel books. Maybe I should not have gone in blind. Whatever the reason, I am so bored that I am DNFing at 42%.

June, a 34-year old flower farmer, has just lain her beloved grandmother to rest. When a photo that just can’t be real, she starts research and asking questions she may not want the answers to. When the answers begin to make themselves known, June will have life-changing decisions to make.

I have a deep rooted love for Adrienne Young’s books. My first read from her was Fable and from then on I knew I had to read everything of hers. I did and I continue to. When I received The Unmaking of June Farrow via NetGalley I wish I could say I did something graceful and relatively adult like…nope, that was absolutely not the case. I screamed at the top of my lungs and started bouncing up and down like an absolute loon. My excitement was not something to be bottled up. And once I began reading, I knew my reaction wasn’t for nothing.

I went in blind for June Farrow, as I tend to do with each of my auto-buy authors, and Adrienne did not disappoint. But this writing? Woah. It took me completely by surprise. As Young has moved out of young adult lit, her writing gained a more whimsical feel. And now, in her second adult lit novel, she has built an amazingly beautiful story that has you bewitched from the first couple pages.

I loved the way the reader feels everything with June, we don’t even get hints on what is coming up or where the story could go. We are as in the dark as she is. While reading, it had me confused, frustrated, gutted, doubtful, and so close to throwing my kindle. But wow, to go on this journey, to fall in love, to gain trust, and to want to read the rest of June’s life while we’re at it, what an absolute experience. This is easily one of my top reads of the year but also one of my top reads ever. This book will stay with me.

Adrienne Young, you are a mastermind, and you did the damn thing with this book.

Thank you to Ballantine-Delacorte Press, Random House Publishing for the early NetGalley copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is very challenging to put into words how amazing this novel is! I have really enjoyed Adrienne Young's other novels, but this one is my absolute favorite. I was sucked in from page one. This novel is brilliant and beautifully written story about family, love, heartbreak, and self-discovery! I was on an emotional and mind-boggling roller coaster for all 336 pages of this well-crafted novel. I have never needed to know the end of a book as this one, and I developed "book hangover" once I finished it. If I could reread a book again for the first time, it would definitely be The Unmaking of June Farrow. Please read this novel - it is truly amazing!

5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Adrienne Young for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

June Farrow was born into a curse that stretched back through several generations of women in her family. While trying to solve her mother’s disappearance, June uncovers the mystery that will either cure or destroy her.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is the best work of fiction that I have read this year. It’s difficult to even categorize this book because it has a little bit of everything - mystery, magic, romance, and more. Adrienne Young’s writing is the true magic! The emotion and suspense had me burning through the pages while never wanting it to end. The relief and desperation are palpable.

Spells for Forgetting is one of my favorite reads from last year so I had high hopes for this one. The Unmaking of June Farrow blew away all of my expectations. I haven’t felt this emotionally wrung out by a book since The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (V.E. Schwab). Adrienne Young deserves all the praise for this masterpiece. I’m excited to see what she has next for her readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine (Delacorte Press)!

5 ⭐️ — This is for the southern small town girlies who have a love/hate relationships with their towns but also want more from it! I was blown away by the plot, characters, and worldbuilding of the world of Jasper, NC and the Farrow women curse.

I kept saying one more chapter to myself and then before I knew it I had read the last page. This book will not be for everyone but it *was* for me. I think I will be re-read this. Some of the twists I did expect, others I didn’t see, and I just think this is for the book girlies who like to feel a lot of emotions while reading. Want to laugh? Want to cry? Want to pine? It’s for you!

I’ve seriously been having such a good past two months of reading, almost all of the books I’ve read and LOVED. This one squarely fits into the loved category!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital advanced readers copy. This did not affect my review in any way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an arc copy of this book.

The Farrow women are very well known in their small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina because of their flower farm and the curse that has affected them for generations. June Farrow has been raised by her grandmother her whole life after her mother mysteriously disappears. For a year before her grandmother dies, June has been seeing and hearing things that weren't there. She keeps these "hallucinations" a secret from those closest to her so that they don't worry for her as well. As June struggles with this secret she's keeping, she begins investigating her mother's disappearance, which brings more questions than answers. With more truths coming to light, a mysterious red door appears and she crosses through to a journey that may lead her to the answers she seeks.

Spectacular. This book was an amazing journey from start to finish. It is a book that will stick in my mind for many years to come. I loved the determination and love June has for her family and also for discovering the truth. June, along with all the women in her family, are very fierce and independent. The interactions she has with her family are a great blend of comfortable banter and awkward tenseness, which is perfect for the circumstances. There were so so many great characters throughout this story that I cannot explain without ruining some of the best parts. It's best to just be experienced.

This story kept me on my toes the entire time. Every time I thought that I had figured out the mystery, a new obstacle or piece of information was introduced. The little bit of magical realism mixed with a mysterious murder and disappearance added to the twists and turns of the book. This book drew me in so quickly that it was very difficult to put it down. Be sure to add this to your TBR.

A new favorite! This is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read ✨ This book is like the warmth of a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter day! It’s a beautifully written and touching story full of mystery, magic, and love. I felt so connected with the characters in this story that I couldn’t help but find myself quite emotional several times throughout my reading experience. I absolutely and utterly adored everything about this one and it’s most definitely going to stay with me for awhile 💛 June Farrow, you are officially one of my new favorites!

If you get the chance to read this one, I can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you to NETGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

5⭐️ WOW this book took me completely by surprise! I did not know what to expect going in, but I was completely invested in the plot and the characters the entire book. This book has so many elements that it cannot be fit into one box. There are elements of romance, fantasy, mystery, and thriller which makes the story extremely unique and interesting.

The story has you on the edge of your seat and on pins and needles the entire book. It had me questioning what was going on and what was real and what was not. The book is filled with unpredictable plot twists that will have your jaw on the floor. The book is also filled with a beautiful romance that brought me to tears as well as beautiful relationships between family members. The books has almost no spice, but it honestly doesn’t even need it because it is THAT good!

If you are feeling that the book is a little slow to start, please push through because at about 30% to 40% you will become completely invested in the story and the characters. This is such a bingeable read. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait to read more of Adrienne Young’s books!

Adrienne Young does it again! Her adult novels have been fantastic and this is no exception! I went it not having read a synopsis and it was just such a magical story with a wonderful romance! Perfect fall read!



I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow has just buried her grandmother. She is trying to keep busy on the flower farm that her family has owned for generations, but she can't help worrying about the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. Every single female has been driven to madness with the curse. Her own mother, Susanna, even abandoned June and disappeared because of it, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. For the past year, June has been seeing and hearing things that weren’t there, and a mysterious door has been appearing out of nowhere. June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own. When June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, it only leaves her with more questions. The next time the door appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

This book was so good. It was mind-blowing, and wonderful and my head is still reeling. I loved the setting of the small town in the 1950's , as well as the current timeline of present day in Jasper, North Carolina. I am not usually a fan of time travel books, but this one was absolutely magical - it had me from the very first page. I will admit the last chapter kind of lost me as she tied up all of the loose ends. I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Regardless, this was an incredible read, and I highly recommend it.

Magical realism and small town mystery, second chance romance story of DREAMS. Atmospheric with the most strong plot and character development, absolutely blown away by this book!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.