* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I requested this book because I really enjoyed Spells for Forgetting last year. It took a little while for me to get into this book though, and I think that’s a combination of just not having enough time to read and the beginning being a little slow. Once it picked up, I really enjoyed it! It was all a bit of a mystery so once you figure out what’s going on it’s easier to get into. I did like Spells for Forgetting better.

Would recommend.

I was so excited to be approved for this ARC and to start reading! The beginning of this book is mysterious. The writing was very pleasant. I love the style and the imagery the author uses. The concept of this story is very fresh and intriguing and hooked me immediately. The author has come up with something really special and it was hard to put down. I'm a huge fan of magical realism and this was done really nicely. I've been searching for a time travel type romance for a while and this was something I didn't realize I needed. It hit a lot of spots and was my first but will not be the last book I read by this author. I was very pleasantly surprised and find myself wanting to buy it and read it again. I have already recommended it to a friend and I hope the author continues this style if not making it into some kind of series. I honestly don't have any complaints!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC!!

Mystery, romance, time-travel. This book has it all. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. I loved it and couldn't stop reading. I was sorry when I finished. Although I found a few of the time-travel elements regarding the years and events confusing, the characters were well-depicted, and the writing was excellent.

Abandoned by her mother at seven-months old, June Farrow is raised by her grandmother. When she's an adult, she learns that the women in her family all go mad. After her grandmother dies, having exhibited the strange behavior that signals the Farrow women's mental illness, she receives a letter her grandmother sent before her death. In the letter is a photo of her mother and father, but the year it was taken is 1912. Thus follows June's journey back through time via a red door, the opportunity to learn what really happened to her mother, and the chance to choose her own destiny. 

There are many twists along the way. A wonderful read. This was my first by this author, and I hope to read many more.

All the stars. This is what I want all books to feel like.

I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The perfect amount of mystery and suspense woven into a gorgeous and atmospheric story of self discovery, womanhood, family, love, choice… I was so invested and felt a visceral connection to these characters!!

Unique magical realism. The romance of the book was not the main focus, but it was stunning.

I don’t want to say too much because it’s such an intricate story that I want people to experience without any spoilers!!

This is a book that will stay with me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review an advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley, Adrienne Young, and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for my review.

I went into this one blind, so I wasn't sure what I was expecting. However, I read Spells for Forgetting (her previous novel) and loved it, so I felt like I was going to love this one too. Which I was definitely right. This one is a bit slower paced, which usually I don't like, however this time I think it worked to set the tone for the book. The first 75% of the book is slow, and then the last 25% the book really comes together perfectly. I loved the small town setting, the beautiful and atmospheric writing, and all of the characters.
This book crossed so many different genres: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and mystery, but was done so well. I loved the mystery aspect and being confused during most of the book, to then have the ending that it did.

The Unmaking of June Farrow was a much different experience than I anticipated. There was an element to this book that I didn’t think would show up but did! I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else, but it’s an element that many authors try to use and it doesn’t always go well. However, I feel like this is a very solid attempt. Did I have to reread certain sections to make sure I was following along correctly, sure. Did I end up with unanswered questions at the end, yes. Did I enjoy myself, YES. I really loved this story. June and the characters were so easy to love and root for. I’m happy with how everything turned out and I will definitely be reading this again in the future.

The story follows June in her journey through the grief of losing her grandmother, the only mother she’s ever known, and figuring out the insane history of her family. After receiving a mysterious photo in the mail from her dead grandmother of her missing mother, June begins her journey to learning about her mother’s disappearance. While doing so June learns more than she bargained for.

I don’t think it’s a surprise, but I have been a huge fan of Young’s since I read her YA debut Sky in the Deep! I loved her adult debut last year, Spells, and I was definitely not left feeling disappointed with June! I will say I felt the beginning was a little slow, but it quickly picked up and had me never wanting to put it down! One of my favorite parts of Young’s books is her imagery. The way she describes things makes me see the whole scene in my mind.
Go in to the book as blind as you can! It won’t leave you disappointed! There’s magic, intrigue, mystery, and murder!

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Adrienne Young. I am usually a fan of novels with time travel however with this book the plot was not very interesting. The pacing is incredibly slow throughout the whole book. I was waiting for something big to happen and that never came. The whole book is just about an ‘unexplainable curse’. The main character was kept in the dark the whole time, which I found extremely frustrating as a reader. I really don’t have the patience for this kind of story telling. I would not recommend this book.

My mind is broken in the absolute best possible way…

My recommendation is to go into this one blind… let yourself be surprised but what unfolds on these pages.

If you’re a Young fan you know you are in good hands and I do have to say that this is possibly my new favorite from her. One I don’t think I will be forgetting anytime soon… I can also see myself reading this over and over in future years.

This one gave me The Ten Thousand Doors of January meets Alice Hoffman vibes. A seamlessly mix of fantasy, SciFi, romance and mystery. I haven’t read anything quite like it…

CONTENT WARNING: death of a loved one, parental abandonment, grief, on-page panic attack, violence, blood, murder
I was thrilled to buddy read this with Julie @ One Book More not just because our chats are endlessly entertaining, but because I always get so much more out of a book when I buddy read it with her (or my other buddy read partners). We were both looking forward to it, and I’m honestly so glad that I had her to read this with, or I probably would have thrown my Kindle multiple times.

To start with, readers are plunked into a teensy town. This book doesn’t give small-town vibes. It gives claustrophobic, one-light town vibes. And Young’s writing is beautiful and atmospheric, making us really feel like we’re right there with June. She’s spent her whole life living in this dying farming town, nurturing a family flower farm that has been there for generations. But she’s got a family curse hanging over her head, and the clock is ticking for her.

This is one of those genre-crossing books, which involves a mystery, a family saga, and a romance. And each of the aspects of the genres are superbly handled. There’s a lot of foreshadowing in the beginning of the story, and at the start, all we know is that the women in the Farrow family start to hallucinate and seem to experience some time of severe mental illness at some point in their lives. It happened early in June’s mother’s life, and as a result, she abandoned June as a newborn to be raised by her grandmother.

But the questions just seem to pile up, and when June starts experiencing her own hallucinations, the story really takes off. We had a lot more questions as things start to pick up, and it drove me bonkers. The romance builds throughout the story even as everything else was getting confusing, and at least I had that to hang onto as a kind of anchor. I was completely rooting for the romance, even as I was dying to figure out the mystery as well as figuring out what the heck was actually going on.

Overall, this turned out to be the fantastic and intriguing story that I was expecting from Young. My high standards are maintained once again! Julie and I spent so much of the book confused yet hopeful, and it wasn’t until the last quarter of the story that we weren’t confused anymore. But it was so worth the wait! I was a bit concerned about how mental illness would be treated in the story, since it’s often used as a plot point and portrayed negatively, but it was handled well. This is the kind of book that you can’t put down, and if you have to, you’ll be thinking about it when you do. Don’t miss out on this gem.

Wow! What did I just read?! This book was excellent, but be prepared to be a little confused and asking yourself questions almost the entire time… but like, in the best possible way!

I really enjoyed this story! It kept me at the edge of my seat & I continuously found myself being surprised. This isn’t one of those books where you can call the ending 5 pages in! It takes some time to really make progress to weave this story together and understand the Farrows… I was 70% in and still a little confused until all the pieces really started coming together! But this makes it all the more compelling!

All in all this was a great, atmospheric read. 4.5⭐️ would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

I almost DNFed this book and I’m so glad I didn’t. For about 70% of the book, I just wasn’t feeling it. I’ve read two of Young’s books and I’ve really enjoyed both. She’s such an atmospheric writer and you feel completely enveloped in the worlds she creates and connected to her characters. I honestly can’t put my finger on it, but with this book, the pull just wasn’t there. I wasn’t bored, but I was waiting for that moment of emotion to overtake me. Just when I thought it just wasn’t going to happen, it finally did. The last 20% was so beautiful. It reminded me of how I felt reading The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman which is my absolute favorite. That’s not to say that the first 80% is bad by any means. It is a slow burn, still a very atmospheric read, but there wasn’t a lot of action with this one. The Magic system took me a while to fully understand and I’m honestly still not sure I do, but that’s most likely a me problem. I feel like a lot of readers will love this one, start to finish. Like I said, I’m certainly glad I kept going for that beautiful ending. Being honest though, it was overall a pretty middle of the pack book for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am *always* ready for magical realism once autumn hits.

I mean, who doesn't want a tiny bit of magic in their lives in the fall?

I was captivated by the cover, title, and premise of this book. However, I was underwhelmed by the execution of the story.

I appreciated the overall themes and storylines, but the plotting felt clunky and confusing.

I have now read four books by Adrienne Young and not one has disappointed me. The Unmaking of June Farrow is my second favorite after Spells for Forgetting.

The Farrows have an ability to go through a red door and pick a different time to go to. No one knows when or why the door appears but the main rule is you cannot go to a time where you already exist. It has been long known the Farrows are just different. June’s mother (who vanished without a trace) and grandmother have been known to be living in two timelines and it’s only a matter of time before June falls to the same maddness.

Anytime time travel is involved I have to be careful. I find myself looking for plot holes and start questioning everything and it ends up making my head hurt. I think in the end it all works out- my reasoning will stay in my head to avoid potential spoilers.

Once I got out of my head with technicalities I loved June’s story. The beginning June is grieving her grandmother and still trying to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. She’s told by her grandmother's friend to go through the red door when it appears. Although I had a ton of questions throughout it was easy to be patient because of the writing. I definitely recommend The Unmaking of June Farrow ESPECIALLY if you liked Spells for Forgetting.

This was my 1st Adrienne Young read, and will definitely not be my last. I picked this as my BOTM and I'm excited to get a physical copy.

The Unmaking of June Farrow wasn't something I was ready for. It was absolutely breathtaking and different. A different I didn't know I needed in my life.

It follows June Farrow and the Farrow woman. The Farrows knew they were different and every woman has a choice to make when the red door arrives.

I was blown away with how Adrienne Young spun this story. It unfolded before my eyes in the right amount of time. I cried, I laughed, it warmed my heart. It's been a long time since a book has touched me so completely. This book is a must read. It has an amazing fantasy element that seems so real.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (@adrienneyoungbooks )
4.5 stars ⭐️
Publication Date: 10/17/23

This was such a perfect fall read! I have never read a book by Adrienne Young before, but this certainly won’t be my last. I am so excited to dive into more of her stories, because her writing was so beautiful, captivating, and atmospheric. It truly takes you far away and submerges you deep into the story.

This book is part murder mystery, part fantasy, part romance. I have never read anything liked it. And I loved it so much. The characters were strong, the story was beautiful, the writing was incredible. Read this book if you like:

✨Magical Realism
✨Time Travel
✨Romance
✨Family Stories/Curses
✨Murder Mysteries
✨Beautiful, Atmospheric Writing

I highly recommend adding this book to your fall TBR – and to make it easier, its an October selection on @bookofthemonth (use the link in my bio to sign up and get your first book for $5!)

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @randomhouse for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Unmaking of June Farrow
Thank you to both NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had been waiting on a 5 star read to come into my life since July, and when June Farrow showed up she brought that 5 star home!

I went into this book very blind, based on the fact that I absolutely LOVED Adrienne Young’s adult debut, Spells for Forgetting, last fall. And that trust was well placed! Going in blind made it feel like I was trying to figure out what was going along right with June, it upped the suspense in the first half of the book as well. I suggest taking a similar approach if you trust me, but I will provide you with some vibes!

✨a family curse that causes madness, passed through generations with no cure
✨a twisty turny timeline
✨an unsolved small town murder with repercussions decades later
✨the cost of family secrets
✨underlying feelings of mystery, suspense, suspicion, and romance
✨the lengths we will go to for the people we love 🥺

This book is absolutely unique and had me enthralled the entire time. It’s the perfect addition to your fall lineup, the story is beautiful and kept me guessing the entire time. Be sure to grab it on October 17! Maybe grab Spells for Forgetting too if you haven’t yet, they are both so gorgeous!

I'm speechless. This book tore me right in two. How AY can create such magical characters is truly beyond my comprehension.

4*

Young has found herself in the sweet spot of magical realism. Her literary craft was made for this genre and the beauty with which she builds these worlds is second to none.

The mystery of June and the Farrow women is one that is captivating and heart breaking and I loved watching the way they interacted with each other.

I did feel that Mason, overall, was a superfluous character and really did nothing to serve the story and was essentially forgotten about, by both the author and June. In fact, the story overall leaned away from how I'd envisioned it from the synopsis, though that's not necessarily a bad thing.