This book absolutely blew me away. It's beautifully written, each character was crafted with such care and brought to life, whether they're one of the MCs or a supporting character, and the story was incredibly compelling. I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I finished it and can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

I bought Spells For Forgetting by Adrienne Young when that came out. I still haven't read it. I don't know if this is a sequel or just same world or something. I do genuinely want to try to read these books at some point, it just may take some time.

I adored every moment of this magical realism loveliness! It was very much right up my alley, book-wise. I'm sure it won't be for everyone but it was definitely for me!

I am always a little unsure about a story involving time travel, yet I always give those reads a shot. And with The Unmaking of June Farrow I am so glad that I did. I felt myself getting a little confused in the first section, trying to keep up with what was going on and calculating different numbers based on years and all that but I stuck with it and as soon as we started getting answers I felt myself eager to pick up the book every chance I got.

You get to know June so intimately, it makes you really feel for what she’s going through as she tries to cobble together her family over time and both find and get what she wants most - a family of her own. I loved the different relationships; the ones with the men were important, sure but I found myself most interested in the relationships between the Farrow women (which is really the point of the story anyway). Although, I will say watching the relationship between Amos and his daughter was also so heartwarming I felt myself wanting to reach into the picture and cuddle up with them both.

I felt that this was such a unique take on time travel and each new piece of information we got felt fresh and new… once I was able to connect the dots. For me, it did remain a little tough to keep up with what was going on, which June was which and what family member was where in time but the more I read the more I began to feel familiar on this world and everything began to make sense.

I have to admit, at first I simply didn’t care about the underlining murder plot but, as I got to the last third of the book and we delved more into it I ended up feeling much more interested/invested.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read!

What a riveting read! It's one where you aren't able to put the book down as the story is so captivating. There is a curse to the Farrow women, a mystery, family, love and time travel. Adrienne Young is so descriptive of the landscape in this rural North Carolina setting you feel like you are there. June Farrow is a young woman who is trying to find out what happened to her mother: is she alive or dead? June lives with her Grandmother who is very secretive about June's mother, Susannna. Additionally, June is having dreams and episodes she can't identify. Follow the story and you will be captivated as well. Highly recommended and would give this a 10 star if available.

I would read Adrienne Young's grocery lists.

Another banger from AY - while I prefer her fantasy novels, this one still hit home with me.

Young's adult debut, Spells for Forgetting, absolutely sucked me in. The haunting family secrets, romance that pulls at your heartstrings, and beautiful imagery I loved in that story is just as beautifully woven into The Unmaking of June Farrow. This book had my heart aching and kept me guessing how things would turn out right until the very end. Young uses beautiful imagery and engaging, emotional dialogue that really keeps you hooked!

THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW - Adrienne Young

𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘐'𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦.

⭐️ | 5/5
📖 | 336 pages
📆 | 10/17/2023 (released in a few days!!)
📨 | publisher: Delacorte
🖇️ | swipe for synopsis 👉🏻

THIS BOOK! I was not expecting this. What a breath of fresh air this was. I actually go into most of my books without reading the synopsis - I go off of either recommendations, the title, the author, or let’s be honest - the cover 😂. I really felt like the characters and setting were so well flushed out you felt like you were there and those are my favorite kinds of books!

The interconnections between the characters were amazing - I was so curious how it would wrap up and at one point I put the book down and had a “wow” moment. I won’t give away anything just read it for yourself!!

If you like novels that make you think and leave you feeling all sorts of emotions this one hits it out of the park. June’s resilience and fortitude is the things tough women are made of and I love a strong FMC 💪🏻.

Thank you to @netgalley @adrienneyoungbooks and @delacortepress for my advanced review copy! Check this book out on 10/17/23 when it hits stores!

This is a beautifully written book that really sweeps you into the story. It took me a surprising time to get into it but the writing was exceptional.

I did enjoy the premise of this book however it was a bit slow for me. I’ll be honest, I am a mood reader so I do think I’ll reread this in the future. I would still recommend it. I think the character arcs are were well done.

After Spells for Forgetting, I really expected to love this, but it never fully grabbed me and I found myself getting confused with the timelines. I usually love alternate timelines/time travel/parallel dimension kind of stories so I was bummed this one was a bit too messy for me.

I'll say that I think the bare bones of this story had good stuff - time-crossed lovers, a family curse (if you want to call it that), strong family bonds, a murder. It also posed the interesting question of whether you should protect time as it is (i.e. prevent the grandfather paradox) or if you should accept the time jumping as part of your life and live it how you would choose. The idea that these Farrow women had 3 jumps before permanence made for a thought-provoking ultimatum.

This one wasn't a total miss for me, but I am disappointed that I didn't love it as much as Spells for Forgetting. She really has some interesting ideas though so I know I'll continue to pick up Adrienne Young to see what she comes up with next.

Young's The Unmaking of June Farrow is fantastic. If you like Practical Magic, this one is for you. It deals with familial curses, romance, mystery. It's very different from a lot of what is coming out right now and I found that aspect of it to be quite compelling. I also want to call out the beautiful writing of the setting--I was fully absorbed in that and it was a major factor in my enjoyment of the book.

I thought this was very sweet and interesting. I would recommended this to anyone who enjoys light science fiction and romance.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is a beautiful story about a girl who is part of a cursed family. The Farrow women have been known to have issues as they get older, and now June has started seeing and hearing things that aren't there. But what is really going on here? Can June solve the mystery of what happened to her grandmother and mother? This story is so beautifully written and very unique. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Adrienne Young's "The Unmaking of June Farrow" is a spellbinding tale of mystery, romance, and the supernatural set in the picturesque town of Jasper, North Carolina. The story follows June Farrow as she confronts her family's ancient curse, searches for her missing mother, and embarks on a journey filled with cryptic clues and unexpected revelations. Young's narrative seamlessly weaves together elements of romance and the paranormal, creating a captivating and unforgettable reading experience.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is a small-town murder mystery with a time-traveling twist. The book follows June Farrow as she uncovers the mystery behind the curse that befalls the women in her family and how it affects her decision to be the last of the Farrow women.

Plot

The Magical Realism of this book really drew me in. I knew going in that it was going to have the small-town mystery feel of Young’s previous book, The Spells For Forgetting, but I didn’t know just how much more the plot of this book would nestle into my heart. I don’t want to give too much away but if you love books that have plots of small-town murder, romance, curses, and fantastical elements then I highly suggest picking up this book.

Characters

The Matriarchal storyline brought the feelings out for me in this book. I connected to June and I enjoyed reading about a character who is around the same age as me and is having some of the same thoughts and ideas for what she thought she would want in her life and that inner dilemma when what she thought she wanted changes with new experiences. I feel like a broken record in these reviews but connecting with a character in the smallest way is important to me and how much I enjoy a book and with June I got that connection.

Setting

The setting! I think one of my favorite things about the magical realism genre is that it brings magic into the real world and I believe that there is magic in our world you just have to find it. The beautiful setting of rolling hills, mountains, and farmland of North Carolina with the small mystical elements was the perfect juxtaposition for this story.

In Conclusion

The Unmaking of June Farrow was a five-star read for me! For those who enjoy Adrienne Young's writing and her style of storytelling, you do not want to miss this small-town magical mystery. For those of you new to Young give this one a whirl, I hope you enjoy it.

Kimberly

*Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of The Unmaking of June Farrow*

This book ruined me in the best way. It's beautiful and haunting. The mystery unfolds beautifully throughout the narrative and the author does an incredible job making you care about the characters and understand all of their motivations. Absolutely phenomenal, her best book yet.

This book has it all, magic, mystery, romance. I loved this story and the easy to love characters. It’s a magical story that felt very real.

I'm actually heartbroken that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Her first adult novel Spells For Forgetting is one of my favorite books of all time so I was beyond excited to read this book. Sadly this book took me 3 months to finally finish and it was a mediocre story for me. The amount of times I got confused and lost in this book was sad and I wasn't connecting to anything in this story like I did her first book. I did enjoy the creativity behind it and of course the writing was absolutely gorgeous but I just couldn't immerse myself enough to actually enjoy it. Most of my questions and confusion was addressed at the end and I did enjoy the ending but a lot of this story I'm sad to say I skimmed through.

SO GOOD. Adrienne Young has such a beautiful and magical way of writing. I always feel instantly enveloped in any world she creates. I didn’t like this *quite* as much as I loved Spells, but I really enjoyed June’s POV and the mystery and romance aspects!