Seven Days in June
Ratings140
Average rating4
This is one of my favorite books now like I think it cured my reading slump I've been in for a while. This book really does talk you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I've at places in this book that wasn't even necessary to cry but I did. The characters were just so complex and truly fighting to get better and I think it was just done so well. Like it was like they were actual people going through this trauma in the real world. The characters go through so much from a young age until their adulthood and just try to get better for not only themselves but the people around them. The side characters also had me very invested there were times where I was like do we really need to know what there thinking but then you realize that it really does play an important role. The fact the characters were just black people in America also was amazing. Like they talk about so many things and how wrong and bad black people are treated in this world but it doesn't overwhelm you with that theme. That we as black people acknowledge that but at the end of the day we still are people and we still have our lives to get through. The author did an amazing job putting the real-life struggles and successes black people face. My favorite character would have to be our main character Genevieve out the main female lead. I think she stood out to me the most because she was just a girl who is trying to overcome her past while also creating a new life for her daughter. The emotions throughout this whole book were just raw and amazing. I highly recommend this book to anyone I can because it's just an amazing read. Also, there is a lot of mention of things like suicide + mental health trauma and a lot of other things that can be trigging to people I'm just blanking out on the other things that happened that could be triggering I'm sorry.
I'm having a tough time rating this book. And here's why.
1. Tia Williams CAN WRITE. When she's really in the groove, in one sentence, she is hilarious, keenly observant, and pulling at your heartstrings. The first two pages of the book are worth checking out this book (for adults only!). The next few chapters did a great job of setting up the characters and hinting at the story. Despite what I'm going to lay out in this review, I will most certainly try a few of her other books.
2. Sometimes, additional points-of-view don't add to the story. There are two character featured in single chapters and I think both could have been removed without affecting the story. No stars deducted.
3. Second-chance romances are probably my favorite type of romance (here's looking at you, “Persuasion”). There's so much that can be done with character growth and blending different settings/times/characters. I wouldn't say that “Seven Days in June” qualifies. A week-long bender (and the only time Eva and Shane spend together the first time around) leading to the near-death of Eva doesn't qualify in my mind. Both of them already had serious self-harming behavior, addictions, and lack of family support (that's putting it mildly for Shane), so things in common? Yeah, but do they really establish a relationship? My vote is no. Also, the reason Eva “hated” Shane for leaving didn't make any sense. She knew that they were squatting in a giant house in a room laden with drugs, never mind both of them being super high and her ODing at the end of the week. Did she really think he should have stuck around given his personal situation as a runaway from the orphan's home?
4. Both Shane and Eva use writing, heading in totally different directions, as a way to work out all the feelings they have about themselves and the other person.
5. The current-day romance is underwhelming. Is the chemistry great and sex hot? Yes, but neither character is really open to or easy for a relationship. They're still working on keeping addiction at bay and they turn to co-dependency?
6. The ending was too sappy, but I also get this is what the reading public wants. The almost-ending, where Ewa recognizes she's not ready to start a serious relationship with Shane and follows her family's story, was GREAT. It is a happy ending to choose yourself and a creative idea that had been lurking for months. If Shane was THE GUY, he'd be there for her down the road.
7. It was really brave of the author to let Eva show us what living with ultra chronic migraines is like. Until recently, this is something Tia Williams kept under wraps. I cannot think of another book I've read that went into what life with such a debilitating condition is like.
8. Some other reviews docked this book for including lots of brand references. However, I think they made sense. Shane's running accoutrements were a piece of his sober armor. And Eva's fancier clothes were her armor at public events to both hide her disability and give her the gumption to speak in public. The only reference that hit me wrong was “Windex eyes.“
Review EN/FR
"Seven Days in June" by Tia Williams is an exceptional novel that deserves all five stars. I was deeply moved by how the characters rebuild themselves from the ground up, growing both for each other and apart until they are ready to be truly good to one another.
Williams masterfully portrays the complexity of love, healing, and personal growth through the journey of Eva and Shane. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their individual struggles are depicted with raw honesty and depth. As they navigate their past traumas and present challenges, readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster that is both heart-wrenching and uplifting.
The narrative is beautifully written, with vibrant characters and a compelling plot that kept me hooked from beginning to end. "Seven Days in June" is a profound exploration of love and second chances, reminding us that sometimes, to truly connect with someone else, we first need to heal ourselves. It's a powerful, poignant, and ultimately hopeful story that will stay with you long after the final page.
"Seven Days in June" de Tia Williams est un roman exceptionnel qui mérite amplement ses cinq étoiles. J'ai été profondément touchée par la manière dont les personnages se reconstruisent à partir de zéro, grandissant à la fois pour eux-mêmes et l'un pour l'autre, jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient prêts à être vraiment bienveillants l'un envers l'autre.
Williams dépeint magistralement la complexité de l'amour, de la guérison et de la croissance personnelle à travers le parcours d'Eva et Shane. Leur alchimie est indéniable, et leurs luttes individuelles sont décrites avec une honnêteté et une profondeur brutes. Alors qu'ils naviguent à travers leurs traumatismes passés et les défis présents, les lecteurs sont emmenés dans une montagne russe émotionnelle à la fois déchirante et exaltante.
La narration est magnifiquement écrite, avec des personnages vibrants et une intrigue captivante qui m'a tenue en haleine du début à la fin. "Seven Days in June" est une exploration profonde de l'amour et des secondes chances, nous rappelant que parfois, pour se connecter vraiment avec quelqu'un d'autre, il faut d'abord se guérir soi-même. C'est une histoire puissante, poignante et finalement pleine d'espoir qui vous marquera longtemps après la dernière page.
I know I am late to the party, but I just read Seven Days in June and I was hoping for Shane and Eva to reconcile. Not every story deserves a second chapter but I think theirs does. Very emotional and written beautifully.
Well, I go into books blind and has no idea what this one was about, but I absolutely loved it.
They say Tia wrote about want and love and relationships of all sorts was wonderful and she drew you in.
It was so easy to visualize this, as a movie in my mind as I read. The characters are so vibrant and you want them all to find a happy ending.
The tension??? The pining????? The chemistry??????? This is how you do second chance romance. Ending was rushed but I still loved this so much
4.75
The only thing I didn't like is how the book starts. Everything else was amazing and perfect and I loved every second I spent with this book and its characters.
I am a little conflicted on this one.
I listened to the audio book while, still, recovering from eye surgery, and I think that is the best way to go with it. I was not a fan of the flash backs, but that usually is not my cup of tea anyway as the details of those flashbacks are kept clumsily vague until details are revealed to the audience, then are brought up in present day. But I might be getting ahead of myself.
There was a conflict between the mother and the daughter that never felt properly resolved. Miscommunication is all over the place, and certain threads I thought were going to be resolved were brought up and then never touched again. There are major scenes with SH that I personally feel like were not properly warned about, or I would have picked up this book at a different time. Also, the death of a character I really like was relegated to a paragraph.
With all that being said, the audiobook saves this from being a three-star read. Melanie Lee does an amazing job with giving each character their own voice throughout, the daughter being my favorite. I hear a little Kikkimora in there! She gives every word meaning and weight, and you just want to hang onto each of them
Maybe I'll reread/relisten while not recovering from surgery and might like it better.
3,5/5⭐️
Prima en echt grappig boek. Sommige zinnen heb ik echt hardop van moeten lachen. Wel een prima love story...
I'm definitely in the minority here but this one really didn't work for me.
I just found nearly everything about it grating - the over done dialogue, the try hard references, the over explanation, it was just too much.
Eva as a character was okay and I liked her and I liked the depiction of her dealing with her chronic illness and being a single parent, but that was pretty much it for the pros. So a bit disappointing overall.
Written in the most stunning way imaginable. This book both broke and healed my heart.
2/5
they literally only knew each other for 7 days and spent the whole time zooted on drugs
This was a riveting read. Reading about two souls finally come together and experience love and acceptance, something they both desperately crave but had in short supply all their lives, felt poignant and heartwarming but most importantly this book was also honest as well as heartwarming. that's a difficult line to toe but it was done superbly well in this.
This story was such a good love story. I was engaged by Eva and Shane the entire time. I was definitely tearing up in part of the novel.
this book literally is everything i want in a contemporary romance. this is raw and gritty and real. it deals with real human issues especially those that effect black communities without making it feel like it's a trauma dumping. its realistic. sophisticated, and heartbreakingly beautiful. i love including the aspect of them as authors and them knowing each other as teenagers. this is what colleen hoover wishes it ends with us was. i said what i said.