This book was beautiful and tragic. The characters were real and had such depth. I appreciated the growth of some of the characters, as well as the true nature of other characters revealed over time. The supernatural elements not only amplified the story, but also seemed to pay homage to some of the traditions that have been erased over time. I also appreciated the authors note and felt this truly rounded out the story.

This story was so well done and I really enjoyed it. I enjoy reading from this author and I'm looking forward to the next book. The plot was really well explored and I enjoyed the overall story. The characters were great and I was able to dive myself into this book. It was well done and I highly recommend.

Overall this one did not work for me. The magical realism element ended up taking me out of the historical context of the story rather than making me feel more a part of it. I know so many people really loved this one, and I seem to be in the minority. If you love magical realism and historical fiction, I think this could work for a lot of readers.

Such warm storytelling! The author’s love for these characters is absolutely contagious. It’s not often that I fly through the pages of a historical fiction, but this book had me hooked. The pacing is spot on. There was always an unanswered question or mini mystery compelling me to keep reading.

The portrayal of slavery felt a little off at first. It seemed rosy to the point of being unrealistic. As I continued to read, I realized that the depiction of slavery changes as Junie matures. Junie is young and, in some ways, sheltered. The book becomes darker as she more fully understands the reality of her situation. Because Junie is so young, the novel sometimes skewed a little YA for me, especially in the beginning. That said, one of the more interesting aspects became watching the storytelling grow up alongside Junie.

The author’s note really put words to much of what I was feeling as I read. She intended to show the enslaved characters as complete people with loves, interests, ambitions, etc. Therefore, she makes a point to give them some joy even in hard times. I think she 100% nailed what she set out to do. This is both a heartfelt and entertaining debut.

Junie is 16-years-old and enslaved by the McQueen family on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama. She serves Violet, reads voraciously, and explores the nearby forest. Junie also grieves the death of her older sister Minnie. So, when Minnie's spirit asks Junie to complete three tasks, Junie must decide if she'll comply. She also must decide what she will do with Caleb, the slave of Violet's beau. Is Junie able and willing to uncover truths, open her heart to love and pursue liberation at all costs?
The author wrote this book as a tribute to her ancestors. It's partially a biography but also speculative fiction. Her goal is to give readers a look at the life of an enslaved person who considers pursuing freedom. As Junie and Minnie discuss, “And who says I wanted to be free? That I wanted to go off from the plantation with you forever?” “Everybody wants to be free, Junie. Nobody deserves to live their life like we do.”
I enjoyed the book for the most part. I didn't care for the fantasy parts at times. And some of the "happy" ending is too sweet for my preference.
The book does tell an important story and is a valuable asset to the literary world.

5 engaging stars
“Junie squeezes Violet’s hands, the same pale, soft hands she’s held as long as she can remember. There’s an untold story in their grasp, one that takes them in wagons and on steamboats to the unknown. They’d hear the great music, see the great sights, maybe even make it all the way to France like Violet has always wanted. They’d be the adventurers in the books they’d grown up reading together. It is a good story. But… she knows it isn’t hers.”

I immediately became invested in this book’s nuanced characters who had strong emotional relationships. The dramatic plot always moved along. At times it was sad, but as Eckstine writes in the end notes, “That’s the beautiful thing about fiction; sometimes you get to create hope where it doesn’t always exist.” Often one can guess where the book is going. I loved that the author surprised me a few times. Even at the end of the book I noted, “Oh no. I did not see this coming…Exciting. It’s been a long time since I read such a gripping book.”

I appreciated that different perspectives were shared. Some enslaved people had too many ties to their home to try to escape.

Make sure you read the Author’s Note at the end of the book. Erin Crosby Eckstine writes that she wrote Junie “intending to create a well-rounded and human portrayal of an enslaved characters, someone I felt I’d rarely seen in literature.” She succeeds. The author “spent a lot of time with this story, thinking about the reality that people had lived their entire lives as slaves, meaning they experienced a full spectrum of human emotion and conditions under these horrific circumstances.” Junie herself is based on Eckstine’s great-great-great grandmother, Jane Cotton.

Junie would make an excellent movie. It deserves a wide audience. “See all the beauty you can, my sweet sister.” Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was definitely a slow burn, but worth it! There were quite a few twists in the last half of the book, that put a past and present into perspective for both the characters and the readers. I was pleased with the character development, as I really did not like Junie in the beginning. Her entire family continued to call her carefree (careless) and I agreed with them. I found myself questioning if Junie fully understood the risks she was taking or if she was just selfish. However, a lot happens during the year this book takes place and this forces her to grew as a woman, friend, granddaughter, cousin, and sister.

I questioned the Minnie/haint potion of the book, thinking perhaps it was all in Junie's head, but it turns out it was not deeper than what it was. Sometimes, I think ghosts/magic realism can be a cop out to wrap up a plot, but think this was well done and not overused. I also really enjoyed some of the characters, especially Caleb and Muh/Granddaddy. The book is left slightly open-ended to the point where a sequel could fit in quite easily and wonder if the author intentionally did that.

Finished Junie this morning & really enjoyed the time I spent reading this story 🩷

@erincrosbyeckstine thank you for writing & sharing such an important story 👏🏻 the author’s note too 🥺 & the book’s stunning cover 🫶🏻

4.5 stars rated up
Junie had been in my NetGalley approvals for quite some time, but I am a moody reader and for some reason, I kept passing it up. Our book club selected it for our May pick. Unfortunately I had issues and didn’t read the book in time or go to the discussion but I’m really glad I read the book. Despite our book club having mixed feelings, I enjoyed this book.

Junie is 16 years old, living in the south before the civil war. She has been a slave since she was born. Her sister has recently passed away and Junie is struggling with becoming a woman, the loss of her sister and other family members and her own future. She is the personal maid to the estate’s daughter Violet. She believes her and Violet are truly friends. The master brings a young man and his family to the home to court his daughter. Junie and the coachman, Caleb, begin a friendship that transitions into more. In the meantime, things at the estate are heating up. Junie is being visited by the ghost of her sister, she brings up horrid things that have happened to her family at the estate. Junie is unsure of her future and longs to set her family free.

This book was based loosely on the authors ancestry. I could feel so many emotions in this book. This is a beautifully written debut book. The characters, specifically Junie, but even some of the other characters had depth, emotions and personality. I looooved Junie, she was headstrong, compassionate and kind. I gave off half a star because I wasn’t particularly fond of the ending. I wanted so much more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since hearing the author speak last summer....I had been anxious to read this one. Will recommend to most of my readers because it is a powerful story. The book has it all, characters you won't forget, a storyline that will pull at your heartstrings, and even some magical realism. All of that combined makes it a book that transcends genres and appeals to many different readers!

Description
Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?

Junie is a powerful and emotional story.
Junie is a teen girl who is enslaved on the Bellereine plantation in Alabama. She becomes friends with the masters daughter Violet.
Junie has a sister who passed away, Minnie, and she believes it was her fault. Junie talks to Minnies spirit throughout the novel.

There are a lot of elements to this powerful story. Definitely recommend if you like historical novels and even if you don’t (I typically don’t.)

Also the cover is absolutely beautiful!

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine's. Junie herself was definitely the highlight for me - she felt real and complex in a way that kept me invested throughout the story. I was also pleasantly surprised by how well the ghost elements were incorporated. Instead of feeling tacked on, the supernatural aspects genuinely enhanced the emotional journey and added this perfect layer of atmosphere that kept me turning pages.
The middle of the book did lose me a bit, though. There was just SO much happening all at once. New characters, additional plotlines, unexpected twists - individually interesting, but together it was a lot to keep track of. I found myself having to backtrack occasionally to figure out how everything connected, and the main narrative thread sometimes got buried under all the extra stuff going on.
By the end, though, Eckstine pulls it all together in a way that felt satisfying. The conclusion circled back to what I loved about Junie as a character and delivered the emotional payoff I was hoping for. While not perfect, this book definitely deserves four stars for its memorable protagonist and the skillful way it blends ghostly elements with genuine human drama. If you enjoy character-driven stories with a supernatural twist, Junie is definitely worth picking up!

Somehow this was an uplifting beautiful story of a young girl enslaved and serving a rich family in Alabama. Told through Junies voice, you see her grow up adjacent to her master’s young daughter Violet. Through reading and poetry they find beauty in their young lives. Junie is also grieving the loss of her sister and begins seeing her ghost in odd places, as though she is asking Junie to finish some mysterious quest. Deeply moving book about a young woman surviving of a life of slavery during a civil war and uproar with the ability to read, write, love, honor, and remember those she loved.

A soon to be classic, mark my words. This will never leave my mind.

A beautiful story of redemption, forbidden love, friendship, family, and freedom. Nothing connects with my old soul like historical fiction, and this one exceeded expectations.

Truthfully, my expectations were not very high at the beginning, and I almost wanted to DNF… but I’m so glad I didn’t. This has got to be one of the most painfully raw stories I have ever read.

My heartstrings were pulled at continuously. This is such a phenomenal story, a true masterpiece. There’s not nearly enough words to describe the love I have for this story. I will never stop recommending!

Highly recommend reading along with the audiobook—it’s fantastic and makes everything impossibly better!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

Stunning, heartbreaking, and beautifully written.! This is a novel I won’t soon forget. I loved Junie and Violet’s relationship. While this time period is hard to read about, Junie is a heroine who shines through. I love her love of family, her ghostly sister Minnie, and the way everything comes together in the end. So satisfying!

While the plot has merit, I found the character development lacking, especially with Juni herself. I wanted more background, more emotional layering, and more insight into her family and inner world. Caleb, her love interest, was a bright spot—a strong, grounded character who served as a much-needed voice of reason. His warnings to Juni about misplaced trust in her “masters” felt especially resonant.

One major critique: Juni remains angry and bitter throughout the novel, and while that reaction is valid given her losses and trauma, her arc felt stagnant. There was little sense of redemption or healing, and that left me wanting more from her journey. By the end, she still seemed consumed by bitterness, which made the conclusion feel emotionally unresolved.

In the end, this was a decent read. I think it might have worked better as a young adult coming-of-age novel, given its themes and tone. Still, I appreciate what the author tried to do, especially in highlighting a lesser-seen dynamic within a very familiar historical context.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I hope to pick it up again in the future for a full review.

A fast read, but felt a little young. Makes me think that this would have worked better as a YA book.

Special thanks to the author & @ballantinebooks @randomhouse for my gifted copy‼️

This book was so good Junie is a compelling historical fiction novel that follows a 16 year old enslaved girl born on the Bellereine Plantation in Alabama. After the sudden death of her sister Minnie, Junie is burdened with grief and can’t shake the thought of her sister dying or feeling as though it were her fault. When Junie learns that she could be torn from her family one night she does the unthinkable raising Minnie’s spirit from the dead. Doing so would soon reveal dark secrets harboring Bellereine forcing Junie to take matters into her own hands.

Junie was such a strong character but so stubborn and rebellious at times. If she was told not to do something she had her mind made up to do it anyway. Miscommunication and withholding information was the cause of Junie’s strained relationship with Minnie. I loved Caleb’s character and the wisdom he tried dropping on Junie about her role in Violet’s life. Funny how Violet turned out to be exactly who I thought she was. Junie giving her a taste of her own medicine was priceless and unexpected. And Mrs. McQueen that woman was so slick and evil . . .

Overall, I enjoyed this book‼️ I especially loved how the author incorporated the magical realism elements, it was perfectly executed. It also didn’t take long for me to connect with the characters. The pacing was perfect and the writing was so layered and immersive. If this isn’t on your TBR I highly recommend you add it.

“I just think you deserve more than a pretty view, Delilah June. You deserve to take all the beauty of this world and hold it in your hands. You deserve to bite it like a peach and let the juice drip ’til your fingers get sticky.” -Erin Crosby Eckstine, Junie

This debut novel had a fierce grip on me like none other. Its haunting elements, forbidden romance, dramatic writing, and soul-stirring storyline held me fast to the end.

Junie has been enslaved since she was born in Alabama. Serving as a maid to her best childhood friend, Violet, Junie is often weighed down with grief over the recent death of her sister, Minnie. Often known for being too carefree, Junie nightly steals away to the woods to find solace. One night, she sees the ghost of her sister roaming. Minnie soon tasks Junie with a way to save her soul and their family. However, when guests arrive from New Orleans, Junie's task may prove more difficult than she realizes. She eventually ends up enlisting the help of the guests' footman, Caleb, to help her in exchange for reading lessons. As their deal progresses, Junie suddenly feels more for Caleb than she bargained for. Between not wanting to give her heart away, figuring out Minnie's puzzle of a plan, and possibly having to go wherever Violet goes, Junie is faced with a difficult choice. What must she sacrifice for freedom?

These characters haunted me for several days. I found Eckstine's ability to focus on the joy and everyday lives of Junie, Caleb, Minnie, and her family admirable. Of course, the elephant of slavery in the room was not ignored in the story. In the author's notes, Eckstine enlightens the reader by sharing her intention to steer clear from the brutality of slavery and focus on the depth of characters and great storytelling. She achieved her goal. The theme of Minnie's ghost playing a part in Junie's character arc was a beautiful storytelling choice. The mixture of forbidden romance and the looming puzzle of a quest for Junie brought depth, adventure, and urgency to the plot.

Thank you, Netgalley, Erin Crosby Eckstine, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this incredible eARC in exchange for my honest review.