Holy shit.

HOLY SHIT YALL. I can’t even begin to articulate how unbelievable this book is. Spellbinding. Intensely consuming. It will wrap around your heart and keep hold of it until the very last pages. Adrienne’s ability to do clearly articulate the feelings and emotions of her characters, their surroundings, it’s honestly like watching it unfold in real time. I want to live here forever.

It’s been a long time (honestly, Spells for Forgetting) since I was so completely lost in time and place while reading - I did not move from start to finish. Adrienne has completely outdone herself - this may well be my favorite book of 2023.

<b>˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥3.5/5 stars

read if you like:
♡ second-chance romance (very unconventional)
♡ rich family history
♡ magical realism
♡ small town mysteries</b>

(disclaimer: i'm writing this with a fever so if it makes no sense i'll come back and make it make sense in like a week when i'm off my deathbed)

<b>➸</b> <b>adrienne young</b>’s first wander into the magical realism genre <b>spells for forgetting</b> made it abundantly clear that <b>young</b> had stumbled upon a genre which fit her writing like a well-tailored outfit. with the release of <b>the unmaking of june farrow</b>, it’s beyond a shadow of a doubt that this niche concoction of magical realism, mystery and moody small communities is precisely where she excels.

<b>➸</b> curling up with this novel splayed open in your lap you can feel each stalk of tobacco whisper against your skin, smell the farrow women’s biscuits pressed between the pages and see every beautiful, indelible image <b>young</b> conjures up with intensely musical prose as if each passage were an excerpt from a spell book. as an immersive experience, the languid grace and rich rural atmosphere of <b>the unmaking of june farrow</b> is in a league of its own; it’s a sleepy quiet magic with the exception of the tense murder mystery knifing through the windblown fields of jasper and the stifling shadow cast by june’s downward spiral into madness. my dreamy-eyed attention was utterly arrested.

<b>➸</b> as the ending loomed however, and stray threads were coaxed together in an attempt at neatly packaging and serving a conclusion - i felt myself being physically pulled away from the story. there was something so contrived in the final act, as if it were a puppet show i had lost myself in and now i could see the strings young was pulling and the magic had withered. perhaps some of this sense of contrivance could be attributed to the romance which never once felt very sincere to my mind - but there is more to it which i still can’t quite put my finger on…

<b>➸ conclusion: </b>
certain more fussy takes notwithstanding, <b>young</b> has once again cursed me to be forever enamoured of her jewel-toned words with her twisty, transportive tale, <b>the unmaking of june farrow</b>. perfect for those of us looking for a whisper of wind-borne magic from the comfort of our homes.

All the Farrow woman, and then there’s June. Taught by Gran to weave flower crowns, to read the coming seasons by the “intuition of the trees and predict the weather by the look of the moon”. Haunting and mysterious with generations of secrets, and visions. The wild scents of summer in the mountains, with scenes so perfectly detailed they bloom in your mind. Adrienne Young has crafted an extraordinary story in the Unmaking of June Farrow.

THIS BOOK IS A FREAKING MASTERPIECE. I am speechless.

I could not put this down. Great suspense, character development and growth, mystery, intrigue... etc.

I will recommend this book to everyone!!!!!

4.75⭐️ Where do I even start? This book was a beautiful story about grief, love, new beginnings, a mystery, and motherhood.

As a relatively new mother who has a weird relationship with death I found myself enraptured by this book. I was torn apart and rebuilt by Adrienne Young.

This story was stunningly beautiful and my only negative note is that it was a little hard to keep track of the dates in my head for a minute there but otherwise top notch

Wow this was another beautiful book by Adrienne Young. I loved the setting of this book and felt that I was there in the fields with June.
June fights to break the curse on the women of her family by going through the door and fighting her way back.
A really beautiful read!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

June, June, June! What a very beautiful character that Young has crafted. I liked this story so much and I know it will stay with me for a long time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars.

Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for granting me access to the book in exchange for an honest review!

After reading (and loving) Spells for Forgetting last fall, I was highly anticipating Adrienne's latest release. I knew it wouldn't disappoint, and I had high expectations, yet it still managed to surprise me and exceed my hopes for the novel.

Wow. This is a masterpiece that I thoroughly enjoyed! In this title, you can expect southern charm entwined with magic, mystery, intrigue, and suspense that left me sobbing by the end. What a lovely story, and one I will certainly revisit and read again upon its release!

You MUST add this to your TBR (if you haven't already). It will be on bookshelves near you this October!

*Review to be posted to my Instagram, @acaffeinated_bookworm, prior to its release*

I received a free copy of, The Unmaking of June Farrow, by Adrienne Young, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. June Farrow comes from a family of cursed women, in Jasper, North Carolina. June is seeing things that are not there.I found this to be a weird but intriguing read, what is the truth and what is fiction?

I requested this book on NetGalley because I love everything I've ever touched by Adrienne Young, and this book did not disappoint.

June Farrow is trying to discover how to live her life without her grandmother, whose funeral opens the book. Her life is fully of mysteries, the one that looms largest being her mother's disappearance after leaving her in an alley at 7 months old. But June has no idea where that thread will lead, and before she knows what's happened she's in the middle of a 50 year old murder. That's about all I can say without spoilers...

This book is realistic fiction mixed with time travel mixed with historical fiction, all set in the beauty of the North Carolina mountains. While a few of the plot points were pretty clear to me early on, there were enough surprised and webs that took a little more effort to untangle that it kept me hooked. And, even though I saw parts of it coming, it didn't keep me from crying. This story is about the strength of family, the power of secrets, and learning to trust yourself. It was a fabulous read that I enjoyed from start to finish.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I will be buying a hard copy when this comes out.

The plot was fantastic. The main character was so lovable. I don't think I could like this book more than I do.

Adrienne Young is now an auto buy author for me!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Such a unique and beautifully written story! A story about grief, loss, love, and finding a part of yourself. Adrienne Young has managed to create another page turner full of magical realism with a sweet southern romance thrown in!

In the small town of Jasper, NC., after the death of her grandmother, June Farrow discovers some cryptic clues left behind that may help her learn about the disappearance of her mother when she was a baby, along with the history of the curse that follows the Farrow women.

I did not see this book coming! Even with the blurb, this book went in a direction I did not expect and yet I loved it. I think it’s best to go in blind but pay attention because it can get confusing. This was a beautifully told story that was both compelling and moving. Young has created a cast of complex characters in the small rural southern town so perfectly you’re just drawn into this story! The pacing isn’t slow but it’s not fast either, however, Adrienne weaves the story well enough to keep you interested throughout with the best slow burn romance. Another well written story from the mind of Adrienne Young.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars

When I tell you that I literally screamed and jumped for joy when I saw that Young was writing another adult book, know that it actually happened. I can’t express in words how much I loved Spells for Forgetting and how excited I was to be blessed with an early copy of her next adult novel.

This book has me in an existential crisis, wondering if I’m the problem. Seriously, I’m apparently having the biggest slump right now. Because if I’m not enjoying an Adrienne Young book, whose every book I have loved, then something is very, very wrong with me. Please, send help. I am DNFing this for the time being. I refuse to not like it. For the sake of my sanity, I am putting this one down for now and picking it up again later when I’m out of whatever funk is happening to me. I am about 20% in and I care about nothing. I am completely unmotivated to continue, not feeling any connection with the main character, and it feels blandly plotless. Why am I bored? Why am I experiencing so many flops this year from authors that I adore? Y’all… I don’t even know.

As always though, her prose and lyrical writing is impeccable. She has such a unique way with words and crafting her voice that could never be replicated. I love the setting. This is one of many new books I’ve read recently that feature the Blue Ridge Mountains (where I also live) and I am loving this trend. Obsessed with it. And I can tell you that it is as stunningly beautiful, steeped in history, and at times haunting as everyone writes.

I’m not leaving a star rating yet. I’m determined to come back to this book again. (And, of course, I will be updating my review when I do.) But I had to share my honest, early thoughts on it for now. Don’t let me put you off. And, please, someone out there tell me to stick with it and try again, please tell me it’s worth it as much as I want it to be. I am tragically discovering that I need the motivation. There’s still time, as this doesn’t publish until October. Pray for me, while I make a promise to return to this before then, in hopefully better spirits.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is a beautiful story full of love, mystery, with a little bit of family 'magic' set in a small town with a lot of history.
We follow June as she's tries to navigate the 'curse' of the farrow women and learn about what happened to her mother, She soon learns it is a much bigger story.

*I cant wait to read this again to see all of the things i missed now that i know the full story!

I think this is my favorite book yet by this Author. Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to receive an E-Arc of this.

I've loved every book I've read by Adrienne Young and this was no exception. What an amazing story. I don't even know what to say that won't give away any plot points. She did an amazing job weaving this story. Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to receive an ARC.

This story has a Southern Gothic feel to it. The Farrow women are cursed; they all slowly lose their minds. June Farrow doesn't want to continue the curse so she decides never to marry and never to have children. But there are things she doesn't understand and secrets she knows nothing about. How does a murder 70 years ago have anything to do with it? Can June really avoid love & is that what she really wants to do? I enjoyed this beautifully written novel, though at times, it moved more slowly than I would have liked. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

This book may be my new favorite that Adrienne has EVER written.

I am undone.

Set in the picturesque town of Jasper NC, the unmaking of June Farrow takes place. Across the strings of time the Farrow women are cursed to be in two places at once. This is a journey of finding oneself when time threatens to pull you away.

Adrienne truly captured the essence of rural small southern towns and added her original charm & magical elements to create a story that left me sobbing.

Thank you so much Penguin Random House for providing me with the e-arc.

What an interesting story of time-travel! June Farrow is caught between two lives in the same town - one she's very familiar with and another in a different time. June must figure out the connection between all of the pieces in her life before she unravels. I really enjoyed the writing in this book - it was beautiful and haunting. Definitely a fast-paced story that I couldn't put down! A solid 4-star book!

I'm not sure I fully understood the time travel overlap but I did enjoy the overall story and characters. Looking forward to seeing what this author writes next!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Adrienne Young's writing is dreamy and atmospheric, and the book is romantic, mysterious, emotional, and compelling. Its Southern Gothic inspiration is obvious but it's more optimistic than books of that genre usually are. Highly recommend it!