The Unmaking of June Farrow
Ratings86
Average rating4.1
One of my favorite time travel magical realism books of the year hands down. The unraveling and the characters were soo soo good the story telling amazing. Could not put this one down.
★ ★ ★ ★
I realllyyyy liked this book. To describe it in three words, I'd say unique, whimsical, and a little bit twisted. The first half did take me like 2 days to get through, but I just read the second half in one sitting and didn't even realize it. I love me some time travel, and I felt like this was an original take / story on it. I feel like this book definitely blends genres—and it does it really well. It's the perfect mixture of mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Like any good multiverse story, it obviously left me with some logistical questions. What happened to the June that went back to 2022? Did she just cease to exist?? Did she just fold into that time's June? Also with the infinite loop of events at the end—this was talked about but I'm still confused?? How does that work?? But the main thing this book left me thinking about was what makes someone unique and/or themselves. The June who had made a life in 1945 was technically the same one who returned, obvious, in 1951. But she also wasn't. Different paths and choices had let them to that moment, and they had different experiences to some extent. So when Eamon and her re-meet and re-fall in love, is he falling in love with his wife, or someone else? Because the woman he married is someone he had shared life and unique experiences with. This new June is not her. But she also is. Because eventually their timelines merge and new June becomes old June. But hypothetically, if old June was to return the day after new June and Eamon rekindled, would that be cheating?? What does Eamon do? What does either June do?? Do they just all choose to ignore this, and pretend like they're the same person? I know at first Eamon feels and treats her as a different person, but the end is just happily ever after. I chose the word twisted because some parts really made me sad for everyone involved. Mainly when June was struggling to make sense of everything, and everyone was keeping her in the dark, but they also were struggling with her return. She felt that love for her daughter, and somewhere else that love for her husband, but she couldn't do anything about it, because she wasn't the woman who had created that life. Also!! I really thought Mason would be a bigger part of this. I think that was a missed opportunity—or perhaps a setup for a second book? Although it felt pretty final. That idea felt half baked, and also really tragic because he just got left behind, and it was barely covered. Everyone else close to her (literally just Birdie I guess) knew what was coming and what happened to her. I feel like there could've been a bigger romance there where she struggled to choose or something idk. And then she was just fine leaving him behind? Anyway. Despite some (what I will call) plot holes (more like underdeveloped points), I found this book refreshing and new and anyone who likes any of the many genres it crosses into would probably enjoy this.
Sometimes a book is just a good book until you get closer to the end, and then it becomes an all-consuming work of art.
Idk there's something beautiful about different generations of women taking care of each other across time
This book grips you from the start and keeps you hooked. You follow along with June trying to discover what is going on right along with her. Falling in love with each character and hoping that it all works out. Will read this again in the future
3.5
I didn't really understand the explanation on how they fixed the curse but I like the story overall.
A spellbinding read. I liked the magical realism and the time travel aspect was interesting and helped with the mysterious aspects of the story. I liked the big reveal of who Birdie is to her especially.
Amazing storytelling about a family that Time Travels as an inherited gift I guess. Great book to escape, with my heart aches and is happy all at one.
I finished this book last night via audio and I cannot stop thinking about it. Adrienne Young creates these amazing immersive worlds that are truly captivating! This story and the characters and the magic were all so unique. The narrators southern accent was perfect and didn't feel forced, and it was great for the setting of the story. This book follows June Farrow as she copes with the death of her grandmother who had many secrets. When she begins digging into her past, she walks through a door that changes her life. There is a second chance romantic subplot, and I loved the way it was written. My biggest take-away was the story of a mother's love and how moms will do anything for their children and to keep them safe. It absolutely hit me in the feels! There's also a bit of mystery and some suspense. It was just so incredible, and Adrienne Young continues to be an auto-buy author for me. The Unmaking of June Farrow is adult magical realism, 16+
Everything Everywhere All at Once. One thing about memories is that if it comes rushing back to you, it never lies. I enjoyed this book, I didn't even notice it was coming to an end.
6/5 !!!!!!!!!!
This is one of my new favorite books of all time. This is a perfect book. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about it. This book is why I love reading.
I thought this was just okay, but it was interesting and engaging. It got a little frustrating how much could've been explained because people were keeping secrets (even though that was also explained) and the pacing was a little slow at parts. Overall interesting though and way better than Addie LaRue (the writing style very much reminded me of it).
Finished! And it feels like one of my many reluctant 5 star reads!! (I will just be typing all the thoughts that pop into my mind)
But I have to give it 5 stars since it was beautiful. It was a mystery-romance with a twist and they are my soft spots, just look at A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid and you'll understand it a bit more.
I'm so upset that the book has ended, it should have been longer. Like way longer. But then again it was beautifully fast-paced, a longer book would have been a drag.
This book will have me malfunctioning if I don't think about the 5 stars
This was a great book to read and I read it very quickly, however my brain doesn't understand the timeline at allllll (time travel). Lol. Someone help.
4.5 ⭐️
Magical Realism, such a heartfelt story. I loved it. The generations of women at different ages. It was so sweet. The love June has for her grandmother, friends, Annie and Eamon. Kind of a slow burn but really interesting backwards love story.
“And then I spoke my vows into the summer wind. that I'd love him forever. That I would always, always come back. That no matter what, I would find him.”
I wanted to pick this up after reading Spells for Forgetting and loving it and The Unmaking of June Farrow did not disappoint at all. It was an incredible book with shocking plot twists, amazing characters and a lot of feelings. The writing style is beautiful and it will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to find out what really happens to the Farrow women.
This was captivating. There are so many different layers to the mystery but it's still satisfyingly tied up at the end. Rich with details and borderline cinematic in some scenes.
It has romance, mystery, a little sci-fi, and strong themes of love and family.
I loved it. 10/10.
Huge thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.
This was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2023 and it did not disappoint.
We follow June Farrow, a 30s woman born to a line of women suffering from a terrible curse: they all go mad.
We watch as June's last living relative passes and she descends into the curse she's known was coming her entire life.
When a mystery starts to unfold, we are transported to a time of new beginnings and second chances.
I highly recommend The Unmaking of June Farrow be added to the top of your TBR.