Even though it has some flaws, The June Boys is a gripping page-turner, full of suspense and action.
The alternation between Thea's and Aulus' POVs added depth to the story and its characters and I loved how the Author orchestrated the mystery and made me suspect, retract, doubt and suspect again more than one character.

Recommended!

A well written mystery that will keep you guessing to the end.. It is listed as a YA, but anyone who enjoys a good puzzler will like this book.

Wow, this book was so raw, and intense. I was completely caught up in the mystery, and couldn't put it down. I loved the complicated, nuanced relationships in the book. I was constantly asking myself who the culprit was, who we were trusting that we shouldn't be, and how and why the crimes were taking place. There were also times I was even asking myself what was real. I feel like I often figure out what's going to happen in the story early on, but I didn't this time, at all. There were moments I was incredibly distressed about what was happening, this isn't a light-hearted story by any means, but I never felt completely hopeless. And I also loved that there were depictions of people with a range of very real, relatable, stances on religion, and faith, but none of them were hateful or self-righteous. One of my favorite aspects of the story was a brother-sister relationship between a couple of side characters that not always easy, but was supportive and loving. I would recommend this YA mystery/thriller for anyone craving a, distracting, engrossing read. (Thanks NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the free eARC to review.)

The premise of The June Boys with boys going missing every year on June 1st by the Gemini Theif, then returning again the following year was really intriguing. Unfortunately, this book just fell flat. Flat in characters, in plot, and in execution. It's a shame, because I really wanted to like this book, and no one wants to give a book they were sent a bad rating, but this book ended up being the worst book I've read so far in 2020. Let's talk about why.

1. The characters. The main POV characters in this are Thea, whose cousin was kidnapped and whose dad is suspected of being the Gemini Theif, and Aulus, the cousin who was kidnapped writing to "Elizabeth" through letters. The characters in this story were flat and boring, all of them. Aulus was the most well-rounded but also his story was one of basic survival. Thea could have had a really interesting story, but we really don't get much sense of who she is, just that she's kind of in the center of a storm of people. She didn't know for YEARS that her dad was building a castle? Or that he had a wife before Thea's mom? I found that incredibly hard to believe. How do you live with someone and not know basic facts about them or their daily activities?

Plus, Thea has SUCH a big family and I found it really hard to keep track of all of them. Who is Uncle Warren, Griff and Ruby, and which one is Aulus' dad? None of them?? I was just so confused about how people were related. Not to mention, Thea's mom is brought up at the beginning of the novel and then swiftly shut down by her dad, so you would think she'd be a big part of the story from this set up but... Thea's mom isn't a part of the story at all. I think that was a missed opportunity for the author.

2. The plot was very weak. This is Courtney C. Steven's first thriller and it really shows. I will say, she sets up some good red herrings. Unfortunately, there is not enough hints throughout for people to guess the Gemini Thief's identity or motives, and that really kills this story. Yeah, thrillers should keep you guessing but you should also be able to look back and be like "oh yeah, I see now!" But no, we don't get any of that. And much of it is because Thea, our main character, is kept in the dark about major life events for her family members. I can understand not knowing things about your aunt or uncle but... we the reader need to know to understand the conclusion. The reveal and identity of the Gemini Thief just did NOT work because there was too little to go on, so it made it seem very unbelievable.

3. Odd details and formatting. This one is admittedly not as big a deal, but there was a LOT of formatting issues in my arc for the letters from Aulus, to the point where many of the pages were a couple words and then half a picture of a piece of notebook paper? I hope that gets fixed in the final addition. Also, Aulus writes to "Elizabeth" which was confusing because... there's no character named Elizabeth. At the end you learn this is meant to be Elizabeth Smart, a real life kidnapping survivor, but I just felt like that was too confusing for this story and didn't really make sense. Is it a nice idea in theory? Sure but I was just so confused about who Elizabeth was the whole time that it really bothered me. If they were written to Thea, they would make SO much more sense and really show the connection between the two. Like, the book keeps saying that they're close but... we never get flashbacks or anything to show us HOW close they are. Another minor detail that bothered me is the names. What high schooler is named Gladys in 2010? Literally none. AND she has high schoolers graduate "summa cum laude" when that DOESN'T HAPPEN IN HIGH SCHOOL. That one little detail bothered me SO MUCH it was unbelievable.

It was really for these reasons that this book did not work for me, as much as I wanted it too. This seemed like a first draft, not a final copy, and that's really disappointing to me. I unfortunately cannot recommend The June Boys to anyone.

The June Boys is an interesting read. It's about The Gemini Thief, a serial kidnapper, who kidnaps three boys and holds them hostage for the month of June, although they are left unharmed. Our main character, Thea, believes her cousin has been abducted, and that's where our story begins.

I found the characters to be realistic and the writing easy to read, but at times I was confused about the plot. I'm not generally a fan of non-linear storytelling. And maybe it was because I'm reading an e-ARC, but the letters from Thea's cousin seemed not be formatted correctly. I assume this will be fixed in the final copy.

This story was intense at times, and quite a good mystery!

This book was a highly anticipated read of mine. I was intrigued by the synopsis and it definitely lived up to it. I was captured and immersed in the dark storyline. The thief is smart and terrifying and the mystery of it. You begin to question the motives of the suspects unable to clearly tell who is the Gemini Thief that takes boys? I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships with one another. It was a wonderful, flowing book that was unique and thrilling in its own way. I definitely recommend giving this book a chance.
FIVE STARS

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The June Boys had a strong and thrilling start but over the chapters I kind of got lost in it... A girl named Thea's cousin Aulus has gone missing and there is a crazy kidnapper around town called The Gemini Thief, on June 1st they kidnap 3 boys and hide them for 13 months and release them unharmed. Thea thinks it might be her dad, but also has a very shady uncle that it could also be from the descriptions of the kidnapper having a hair tie on the wrist. There was a lot of back and fourth with characters which was a little confusing and the arc that I have received all the letters were jumbled so it was a bit hard to follow the story properly.

Thankyou netgally and publishers for this early release in exchange for a review.

Last year I read Dress Codes for Small Towns and it was a revelation. I was desperately hoping to see a repeat performance here from Courtney Stevens with The June Boys despite the difference in genre. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

I don't have some horrible issue with this book. It didn't commit any egregious literary crime, I just honestly haven't the faintest clue what it was trying to do. And it was trying to do something, that much is clear.

The nonlinear timeline does not read well, and this isn't a spoiler but the way the letters were addressed just...why? What did that add to the story? Also the speculative aspect, if you can even call it that, seriously lacked nuance and finesse in my opinion. I really didn't enjoy it or find it neccessary to the plot. I feel like there were so many other things the author could have done instead of that?

Conceptually, the Gemini Thief was very interesting and I wanted to see the mystery solved, but the plotting was clunky and amateur and the conclusion was not really satisfying to me. It felt very much like one of those rushed, here's a bunch of clues you could not have possibly recognized thriller endings to me and I HATE those.

Of course the argument can be made that I'm not the target audience for this book and that's true. And honestly whilst reading it I didn't hate it, I didn't love it it either but y'know.

From a critical standpoint I wouldn't say this was particularly good, but on the basis of did it distract me from the craziness going on in world right now and was it decently enjoyable in the moment it gets a 3. I think if I was like 14 I would have really loved it.

I don't think I would recommend this to almost anyone except maybe an actual teenager, but I think the one thing that really shone through, the saving grace of this book, is Courtney Stevens's writing. I don't want to read this book or anything like it ever again but I am excited to see what Courtney Stevens does in the future.

Yeah, I enjoyed reading this book so much! The idea that your parent could be a serial thief of boys-who is holding your cousin captive, that's pretty scary. Then there's the back and forth between Thea and Aul's perspective, which confused me a bit until I realized that they were on different timelines. Yeah.

So the idea that her dad is the Gemini Thief was a bit one in this book. I kinda thought that it'd just be her and her friend group investigating him, but nope, law enforcement gets involved. But since Nick's sister is with the law, well, it gets complicated! Given that he hid he was building a castle from her, well, there is some trust issues there!

So Aul was writing notes to an Elizabeth, which puzzled me, since I had no idea who she was and how he knew her. At the end, there was a note that the Elizabeth was Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted as a child, and later came home. I did a little search, and it turns out that this was a real life case. And it makes sense that he was writing to her.

When we find out who the killer is, well, that's a pretty tense moment, given all the factors. It brought all the clues together quite nicely, and it made sense. I felt a bit bad, because it's just one hit after another, for everyone involved.

This book was an enjoyable read, I enjoyed the mystery and the characters, and all around great read!

The June Boys captivated me until the end. Once I was hooked to the story and mystery, I couldn't put it down! I needed to know what was going on. And now that I've finished it, I can't say the "who did it" really surprised me but this book was one wild journey and I just loved it.

If you're wondering, The June Boys is a story about three boys being kidnapped on June 1st every year (or every couple of years) and are being released after a year of captivity by "the Gemina thief". We don't know who is doing it or why but after the abduction of her cousin, Thea is determined to get to the bottom of it. When all proof is pointing toward people she loves, she doesn't know who to trust.

I cried toward the end and the twist revealed concerning Aulus was heartbreaking and I just wanted to take him in my arms to give him a hug. The poor guy clearly needed one after everything that happened.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

I found this super confusing and convoluted and was not interested enough in the actual plot to try to push through unfortunately. I'm sure there are many people who will love this book, but I'm unfortunately just not one of them.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. The Gemini thief had so much potential but it wasn’t very well executed. The copy I received had so many formatting issues. The sections where a certain character is writing letters was all over the place and the drawings were separated into various sections. Also some of the things that happened in the book weren’t explained at all. God tells the dad to build a castle so he does it. Why? She has a vision of ringing the bells. Why? Just so the ending can happen? It was one of my most anticipated of the year but fell very short of my expectations.

2.5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely mine.

I was immersed in this story. I was loving the emotional response I got from the obsessed family member trying to find her "brother" and the letters were terrifying and gross at parts and were my favorite part. However, the two parts did not work together well. Furthermore, I liked the letters but the letters were the sole cause of the confusion. These letters are to an Elizabeth and as readers, we do not know who this person is but the 'brother' definitely has an emotional connection besides both being taken. Then after we finish the story we get a note clarifying who she was. I wish we would have got that at the beginning instead.

My biggest critique is that mysteries always have multiple suspects but I like it when the question of their innocence is at similar/same timeline. I have never liked it when it's supposedly someone and just as suddenly there is proof it not so now its this other character. Essentially all characters have a singular/ one-track mind and it frustrates me.

A note for my reading experience is because I had the E arc the downloaded format had some errors of the notes, drawings, etc were weirdly jumbled in the document I read from. I just did not get the full experience. I will probably give the finished book a reread eventually to see if my thoughts change.

This was different then my normal read. Very suspenseful with twists and turns you will not see coming. Definitely recommend this to mystery and suspense lovers.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stevens, I was hoping to love her new foray into YA murder mystery. The premise had me hooked: a serial kidnapper takes 3 boys every June 1st only to release them the following June 30th, repeatedly, never being caught. One year, one of the boys shows up dead, changing everything.

I wanted to love this, but it just fell short. Not only was the formatting a literal nightmare, but there were frankly too many characters to keep track of (and they weren't differentiated enough) and a plot that just sort of meandered. My favorite part were the letters from captivity (even though formatting was the worst on those) as they helped to break up the story and offer context for what was going on above-ground.

I feel like this is going to work for a lot of people but it just didn't for me. I'll continue to check out Stevens' future work because even if the story itself didn't blow me away I still enjoyed the author's voice.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The June Boys was a wild ass ride. Beyond crazy and I honestly didn't know who was the actual suspect until the very end. Heck, my mind is still blown from it all. The Gemini Thief definitely kept my on my freaking toes/sitting on the edge of my seat throughout the entire thing.

Ugh, it was so freaking good. I loved getting to meet all the characters throughout this book. Then there's the twists and turns in each chapter. Seriously, don't fall into the convenient trap because I almost did multiple times. It was slowly starting to kill me because I was second guessing myself and everyone in this damn book.

In the end, definitely enjoyed everything about this! So happy I got the opportunity to read this book and I look forward to another book by this author!

If you are confused, just keep reading.

♥ Courtney Stevens is a beautiful writer. Four Three Two One was a big hit for me, and The Lies About Truth landed on my “best books I’ve ever read” Goodreads list back in 2015 before I even started blogging. I remember filling page after page with quotes from her gorgeous prose, and this book is full of more. There’s a flowy, almost dreamlike quality that her novels often take on while still staying firmly rooted in reality.

“They sigh precisely the same way and I miss Aul all over again. You need people in your life who breathe the same way you do.”

♥ I was so confused for a lot of the book, but because I enjoyed the writing and characters and because I trust the author, I just kept going. I haven’t seen many other reviews saying they had any issues, so maybe it was just me! I generally actively try not to figure out twists and answers to mysteries, and I didn’t for this one either. I was totally surprised by several things at the end! But there was one niggling detail that I just COULD NOT PLACE in my head concerning the character of Tank, and it was driving me crazy. I knew conceptually what the answer had to be but it just would not make sense in my brain until I got there in the book. But Court got us there! So if you, too, are confused–just keep reading! I promise the answer will present itself!

♥ This book is also about something that comes up a lot for me when I read–how well do we really know our parents, and the agonizing realization that they, too, are just people with their own motives and their own shortcomings. Thea stays calm while facing the question of the Gemini Thief, and if it really could be her father, thanks in part to her boyfriend Nick. He acts as a touchstone for her, a place to go and a person to trust when she begins to doubt many of the men who have acted as parental figures to her.

“Every man in my life sat on a throne of lies.”

Nick is tied tightly to things as well–Aulus is his best friend, and his sister is a detective on the Gemini Thief case. But he strives to stay neutral for Thea, even when it’s obvious he has an opinion on something, and tries hard to be there for her.

“Crazy doesn’t make him guilty. Build your case,” I say.

And Nick, knowing me, says, “I’d be angry at me too if I were you, but you’ll be angrier later if you don’t force yourself to do this. You can’t come this far and stop at the hard place.” Then, “It’s smarter for you to build the case.”

Final Thoughts: Haunting, dark, shocking, and alluring with compelling, complex characters and deep emotional arcs–it’s the best that a YA thriller/mystery can hope to be.

“I hope my goodbye nod means Thank you the way his means I’m here if you need me. Nodding can be the whole dictionary if you know the person.”

I received an ARC in change of an honest review through NetGalley, all the opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
I was delighted to receive this book as an ARC and to read it earlier than its release date, unfortunately I feel like I had too high expectations and ended up being a bit disappointing.

The book read like an episode from the TV show Criminal Minds but instead of following a team of adults that know what they're doing we were stuck with teenagers.
We follow Thea, Nick, Gladys and Tank while they try to find their friend (and Thea's cousin) Aulus that had been kidnapped by the Gemini Thief.
I think my major problem was the writing, it was definitely not for me as I found myself most of the times lost and also had a hard time to memorize who was who and what role they played in the story, therefore having a hard time trying to connect with the characters.
Though I must say the book started to get way more interesting half-way through it, the pace started to pick up and I was actually curious and enthralled on what was happening, unlike in the beginning that I found myself quite bored by it.
I didn't find the reveal of who the Gemini Thief was that far-fetched as it had crossed my mind once. I just thought that it was a couple thing and Griff and Ruby were on it together. I like what the author did with it and how she decided to play it out. I would say I was shocked by the reveal that Aul and Tank were alone in the bunker and that Zared and Rufus were all inside Aul's head (as they had died in the flood of their previous bunker).
If I had to choose a favourite "thing" from this book it would have to be <u>The Elizabeth Letters</u> that Aul wrote in case they were found dead or never found. I really enjoyed the format as it was something new to me and how it gave the reader the insight of what the June Boys were doing and going through.

This was so twisty and kept me wondering until the end! I loved that there were several suspects and misdirection. The letters Aulus wrote were a great insight into what was going on with the boys being held and how it affected their psyches. Thea was a good main character, she wasn't perfect but she cared about Aulus and dedicated herself to finding him. Having someone close to you be accused of something horrible and a lot of evidence against them was a great plot point. You think you know someone and that they would never do that, but it can be hard to keep defending them and eventually you begin to question things.
Fun, intriguing story with a couple great surprises!

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions in this review are completely my own.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper who has been plaguing Tennessee for the past decade. Every year, three boys are taken, kept for a year and then released. When one of the currently kidnapped boy's body is discovered, however, it is assumed the Thief has escalated. He has never killed before. Was it an accident?

Either way, authorities and citizens alike become desperate to get the bottom of the mystery. Thea Delacroix has been seriously hunting the Thief ever since her cousin, Aulus, disappeared. Not everyone believes she is correct when she says he was one of the Thief's victims, but she knows it's true.

Unfortunately for Thea, she begins to suspect her own father may be responsible. His eccentricities definitely make it possible for him to be the culprit everyone is searching for.

What should she do?

The story follows Thea and her closest friends as they investigate her father and follow leads in an effort to find the missing boys.

Interspersed throughout the narrative are letters written from her cousin, Aulus, during his captivity. These are penned, The Elizabeth Letters. Through the letters we get a glimpse of how dire the situation is for the boys remaining in the Thief's grasp.

A couple of things, there were some pretty series formatting issues with the copy of the e-ARC that I read. Particularly during The Elizabeth Letters things were so jumbled, it was hard to tell what was supposed to go where. With this being said, it made this one a little hard to rate. I am positive that these issues have been cleared up in the final copy.

Therefore, I am basing my rating on what I know this story to be: well written and intense. I thought the writing was great. The intensity was high throughout the whole story. There are aspects of this that are hard to read. It is dark and the author doesn't shy away from showing how desperate the boys in captivity are.

I also wouldn't say it was uplifting, however, there is a message of hope, higher power and meaning. In my opinion, it was a solid YA Mystery/Thriller, best enjoyed by individuals who like their stories to go dark and stay there.

While not for everyone, I personally enjoyed this. I have a feeling if I would have read a finished copy, as opposed to the ARC, I would have ended up giving this a solid 4-stars. Thank you so much to the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Regardless of the formatting issues, I did have a good time reading this!