What a gem. I will never get over Adrienne Young's ability to create a world that really pulls the reader into the story. Her writing is beautiful and compelling in a way that always makes me excited to get back to reading. The Unmaking of June Farrow is no exception. I think it's best to go into this one with as little information as possible so I don't want to say too much but I do want to emphasize that I haven't had this much fun reading in a long time. I never wanted to put it down.

June's story is a complicated one that is layered in love, self discovery, and strength. It's everything from mysterious to devastating to hopeful and I loved getting to meet her. Young also created a supporting cast who's passion and charm are equal to June's and I found myself desperate to learn where all of the story's twists were going to lead them.

I highly recommend making room for this book in your fall TBR. It is a perfect not-so-spooky read for spooky season!

Extremely readable, with writing that pulls you into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

I usually read more “turn up” Sci-Fi/Fantasy books (you know where you feel really messed up afterward and you don’t even know who you are anymore), but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was so scared it was going to be cheesy and cringe but it was none of that. Even though I never really connected to the main character, I still felt really invested in the story from start to finish.

I thought the pacing was immaculate- which I think is pretty hard to do with this type of story where we don’t have overtly insane events to keep us entertained. I also felt the relationships between the main characters were extremely well done. I am not a romantic at all but even I was anxiously waiting to see what would happen with certain relationships. I think it just goes to show just how talented Adrienne Young is as a writer.

Although I am personally into more of the high-stakes, heart-racing type of stories, I have to give this 5/5 for the writing and the pacing. I cannot overstate how difficult it is to pace like this and I was extremely impressed.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

*My social media review will be done on Oct 17.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a mind-bending, time travel story of June Farrow, who, at age 34, is the last surviving woman of her family. The novel is beautifully written, and weaves together elements of suspense, romance, and mystery. The story is mesmerizing, utterly unpredictable, and full of raw, charged emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance e-reader copy of this book!

This was such a good read! I was fully sucked into the story right away and I really enjoyed the characters. The journey the author took these characters on was exciting and unique which is something I am really interested in with books now. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

June has always known that the women in her family are cursed to fall into madness. None of them know when it will come about, but they all know it's coming. After her grandmother dies, however, she realizes that she wasn't told the whole truth. Now she is unraveling the mysteries of the women who came before her, as well as her own.

I absolutely adored this book. The way Adrienne Young addresses something as dark and heavy as generational trauma in a way that intertwines it with magic and wonder is beautiful. The imagery she uses makes you feel like you're on this journey with June. The pace is slower in parts, but there's enough mystery and intrigue that I never felt like the story was dragging. And even though some of the content is a little dark and heavy, the book overall has a warm and cozy feel. It's perfect that it's coming out in October.

The Unmaking of Jane Farrow is one heck of a twisty story! I had a difficult time putting it down. I was actively a bit sad whenever I had to put my copy of thr book down because I wanted to find out what would happen next.

It blends multiple genres together very well. I highly, highly recommend going into this book with as little knowledge as possible.

The romance was very sweet and felt real. Young is a new author to me, and I'm very excited to read more of her work!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is Adrienne Young's adult standalone follow-up to last year's Spells for Forgetting. I found Spells truly magical and was so excited to dive into this book.

June Farrow is the last in her line of women destined to eventually lose their minds, and their sense of reality. She is determined to always be the last and has decided to live a life alone, with no lover or children, after helping her Gran Margaret in her last years of life, she knows first-hand what the "curse" on Farrow women will bring and she wants to be the last. The Farrow women have lived in Jasper, NC for several generations, making their lives as flower farmers. June may be single, but she is not alone, as she has friends in her neighbors, people who look out for her and know about the curse as well. After the death of her Gran, June receives a cryptic piece of mail, a photo of her mother with a man from a time that would be impossible. From there, June dives into trying to figure out what is real and what isn't, all while those around her seem to know more than they let on.

I feel that I can't really say more about the plot without potential spoilers. I will say the mystery slowly unfurls and is plotted and paced really well, slowly the pieces fit together, and June begins to understand the Farrow curse, and how to resolve it. For me, this book didn't quite feel as good as Spells for Forgetting, primarily because I felt there were threads of the story left unexplored, and it ended up being a few too many loose ends for me. That said, it certainly fits that autumnal cozy magical realism slot I was looking for, and will absolutely recommend this book to others, especially those who enjoyed Spells last year.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Such an amazing story! The curse on the Farrow women was not exactly what it seemed to June. She put little pieces together here and there enough to really hook you into the story. The love story between June and Eamon is one for the books When you add in Annie your just sunk wondering what June will choose when that door returns ❤️
Ends beautifully 👨‍👩‍👦 Read this book, you won't be Disappointed

This book was amazing! Full of twists and turns and puzzle solving. I had such a fun time navigating through this mystery with June!

I fell in love with Adrienne Young's story telling with Fable, and this new book did not disappoint. I was kept guessing for so much of this story. What a different idea, with fantastic world building. There were so many twists and unexpected revelations.
This is a new-to-me take on time travel, centering around June Farrow and the women in her family.

wow wow wow- this one really took me by surprise. i loved this. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. The Farrow women are known for two things: their flowers and a mysterious curse that has followed generations. Presently, June is being raised by her grandmother after her mother, Susanna's, disappearance. For the past year, June has been hearing and seeing bizarre things like a door appearing or hearing chimes. June knew this was all coming, but desperately wants to end the curse even if it means making her own sacrifices regarding her own family and even love. Once June's grandmother dies, June discovers clues about her mother's disappearance, which only serve to confuse her even more. June decides to re-visit the door that appeared to her, and learns that it is real and that she can go past it. In going through the door, June learns that she can change all sorts of things, find answers to age old questions, and find love - but in the end, she has to make a decision to stay or go back through the door.

This was a book that checked a lot of boxes for me, so if you love fantasy, magical realism, and time travel, definitely pick this book up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Unmaking of June Farrow
By Adrienne Young
Pub Date: October 17, 2023
Delacorte Press
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
* magical realism
I would recommend this for readers who like: small town mysteries, magical realism, rich family history and second chance romances.
Great book! I read it in one day,
4 stars

The writing in this is undeniably beautiful. Its the kind of writing that puts you immediately in the time and place, and yet you get lost in it and never feel like you're reading.
The start of the book is so atmospheric and honestly a little creepy. Adrienne nails the unsettling vibe of June trying to figure out what is happening to her and what is real.
Once the plot starts to pick up, you lose a little of that atmosphere, but there is plenty to keep interest. I wouldn't say the mystery element is particularly difficult to guess in advance, although I don't know if the wrap-up is completely satisfying.
I think for me, the biggest challenge of this book is that it is a romance where we don't see any of the portions where the characters meet and fall in love. It is all told in memories and "visions" and so I just never connected with their story. If you don't view the romance as central, and can enjoy it for more of a magical realism mystery, I think you'll be more satisfied.
I have loved so many of Adrienne's YA and now adult books, and I continue to look forward to what she will do next.

Wow! Kudos to Young because this is simply a master class in genre bending. A little mystery, a little romance, and a lot of magical realism. If there’s ever a book to go into blind, it’s absolutely this one. I had an idea of what to expect after reading the synopsis but I was way off! I didn’t feel completely invested until the 25% mark but I urge you to pay close attention to the beginning because there’s so many easter eggs that reveal themself by the end of the book. The prose is absolutely beautiful and the book is so atmospheric. Spells for Forgetting wasn’t my favorite, though the writing was equally great, and this one just exceeded all my expectations. I think the only think keeping this from being a 5 star read was that I wanted a bit more of certain characters or storylines. Had it been a little longer, maybe I would’ve gotten the answers/closure I needed. But honestly it’s just a really great, unique read. I’m sending Young my therapy bills for all the stress and heartache this gave me. Highly recommend if you enjoy magical realism, slow burn mysteries, family curses/secrets, strong female characters, and the star-crossed lovers trope.

4.5 ⭐️

Even though I’m sitting here thinking “what the heck did I just read” I’m also thinking about how wonderfully beautiful and amazing this story was.

It took a bit for it he story to fully click in my brain but I also could not put this book down as I turned pages just to try and learn more about what was happening.

Young has amazing story telling skills and they are in full effect here!

Can’t wait to put this one on my bookshelf!

This book was very slow but it read just like a movie! I wish I could read more about what their lives were like after June made her decision and I know that I’ll be thinking about this book for days!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young follows June, the last living Farrow woman, who is determined to be the end of her family’s curse - all the Farrow women before her have slowly lost themselves to madness.
This was an excellent read, intertwining a murder mystery with magical realism. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, and the story was beautifully written.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was SO EXCITED when I was granted this ARC: Adrienne Young is one of those writers who tells a story about a character but also builds the world they live in so completely that you are fully immersed before you realize it.

She is easily one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with June Farrow!!