Kentucky boys are disappearing and showing up again 13 months later. The culprit, dubbed the Gemini kidnapper, is causing chaos and suspicions against family, friends and neighbors.

I enjoyed the writing and fluidity if these and found the plot to be intense and original. I was surprised and satisfied by the ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Thomas Nelson and Courtney C. Stevens for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The pretense of this story is fantastic and I enjoyed the main character Thea. She is determined and gritty and doesn’t let her age stand in the way of the answers she’s seeking. However, the story is a bit hard to follow. It is told from multiple POVs and bounces between timelines in a non-linear fashion.
By the time I got all the characters and timeline straight the story began to drag a bit. There were some unnecessary characters and some necessary things left out, like who is Elizabeth? In addition, for me the ending was a bit rushed and pulled together too neatly.

3.43 out of 5 Stars
~ Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

While the formatting of the version I read this in was horrible, The June Boys was fairly good. It wasn't the most thrilling mystery I've ever read, but I was still intrigued enough to see it through. What The June Boys did best was give me strong atmospheric near-summery vibes, but there were moments every now and then that just didn't make logical sense to me. (Would an FBI agent really give the kids that much access, even as a relation?) It was just a little bit creepy. It had great emotional ideas behind it. It had an answer to the mystery that I enjoyed. I just wish I had a little bit more of all those things than what was given in the book.

Spoilers Below

Plot:
Personally, I don't think I'm the best authority as to if this mystery was predictable or not because I just let myself get dragged along for the ride without trying to piece it together. It was a strange way to read a mystery, but I didn't have the brain capacity at the time to try to engage more with the text. That being said, Welder's reveal at the end was a good one. It wasn't something that I saw coming and I enjoyed how it all came together as well as how it was all resolved after Welder dies.

The concept for this book seems unique to me as well. Albeit, I don't read a lot of thrillers or mysteries, so I could be very off on this point. But the structure of the serial kidnappings and then breaking down Welder's psychology at the end are things that I don't think I've come across too frequently in pop culture, let along a YA book. I've maybe seen something like this in an episode of Criminal Minds, so I really enjoyed it because I haven't seen something specifically like this before.

Characters:
Thea: I feel like I couldn't really get a grasp on Thea's character. There were times that I thought she was so incredibly strong, even with the horrible things happening around her. But then there were times that I though she was a complete idiot. And especially given her role in the story as Aulus's cousin and one of the ones really out there constantly trying to find him, this got to be really frustrating at times. It was like I couldn't rely on her to make any decisions.

Nick: I liked Nick. He wasn't the greatest, but he wasn't completely flat either. He and Tank felt a little bit too much like stock characters to me, but I think in Nick's situation, it worked because it was twisted from the kidnappings. I really, really, wish there was a more in depth exploration of his relationship with Thea too because he's a full-time student and I would just love to know what his thoughts were on starting a relationship with someone because a loved one they had in common was kidnapped. I would love to know more of Thea's thoughts on this too.

Aulus: Aulus was easily my favorite character even though we saw him the least out of all the others. My heart hurt for him and his chapters were so sad, yet so hopeful that I couldn't help but feel the strongest about him. He was the tragedy, and even though he lived, his whole arc throughout the story was still horribly horribly tragic, and I think it was really well done.

Writing:
I really enjoyed the two points of view here. The formatting was so incredibly frustrating for Aulus's perspective because there would be random breaks and blank pieces of notebook paper and the images wouldn't line up. . . it wasn't pretty. Hell, it wasn't even readable at times. But I really enjoyed his perspective of things. It was a little confusing when Tank was in both his chapters as well as Thea's, but by around 50-60% of the way through I had figured out what was going on, and it just added to the suspense for me.

In Thea's chapters, I wish the writing brought us closer to the characters. There are clearly strong emotional ties between the characters driving the story forward, but it was all kept at a distance from me as a reader. I don't think this is necessarily because it was third person, but the narration in Thea's chapters was almost clinical at times. Her relationship with Nick, for example, I really wanted more from, and not just because I'm a sucker for a romance. There are glimpses of the bond that they've formed out of this tragedy but they're so random and objectively portrayed that it was hard to attach onto that emotion. This connection though ends up being important because they go through their own doubts about their relationship and need to completely trust each other at the end to find Aulus and Tank. It is an interesting relationship that was born out the loss of Aulus, and yet, it was deeply explored at all because the reader is kept so distant from the characters.

The June Boys was a nice mystery to break up my reading patterns. Despite the things that I couldn't suspend my disbelief about, I enjoyed myself while reading it. It was a great atmospheric book for a rainy day, I just wished I could connect to the characters some more.

Thanks for reading!

This was??? So good??? I'm thrilled????

I haven't read a whole lot of YA thrillers lately, since I'm more of a fantasy kinda girl, but something about the cover and premise of THE JUNE BOYS caught my attention. Oftentimes, this is a recipe for disappointment, but Court Stevens did NOT let me down. This is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.

For starters, the writing is *painfully* good. Each sentence is so well crafted, yet it never dipped into purple prose territory. The tension is introduced immediately with the first June Boy death, and it doesn't stop --- I read the last half with my heart in my mouth. Thea Delacroix is a fascinating protagonist, managing to be relatable despite the wildness of her situation. She has a castle-building dad who may-or-may-not be abducting boys every June, a missing cousin, a boyfriend with FBI connections, and a town of people who either have her back .... or are lying through their teeth. The scattering of the Elizabeth Letters from one of the boys' perspectives were absolutely haunting (although I understand why the time jump might be offputting to some readers) and I could feel their visceral desperation as the situation got more and more desperate.

I won't say much more in fear of spoilers, but gah, trust me on this: it's an extremely well-done thriller. High recommend for YA readers of all ages & tastes. I'm so excited to read Court Stevens' next books! 5/5.

Even if I think there's a lot of potential I found the plot a bit confusing and couldn't connect to the characters.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the characters, all opinions are mine.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is super confusing. I felt like I couldn't connect with any of the characters or the plot really. I felt there was wayyy too much back and forth. The story wasn't the only confusing part. It felt like the book was written by two different people. The writing style kept changing back and forth. Overall, it was a good read.. But not something I would rant and rave about.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Overall, the plot of this book is super fun and exiting. However, this was VERY confusing. Looking into other people's reviews I can see it is not just me that feels this way. I never connected to any of the characters making it feel like the stakes were never really that high. I guess I'm just not sure what point the author was trying to convey with this story. Probably won't pick up a book by this author again.

3.5/5 stars
This one was very interesting! I really liked the plot and the concept was very interesting. However, parts of this were a bit confusing. I will say, I started reading this via e-arc and the format was very hard to follow, but when I picked up the physical book I began to understand more. I’m honestly not sure if that’s because of the format change or being more familiar with the story, though. There were parts of this I definitely didn’t see coming and threw me for a loop. Overall, I enjoyed it!
TW: kidnapping, death, violence

The concept of this story was amazing. It was well thought out and unique. The story line alone would rate 5 stars. I found there were a few to many “main” players in the game which took away from the story. Also (no fault of the story itself) but it was really glitchy on my Kindle especially were there were supposed to be drawings, it caused chunks of writing to be missing or in the wrong place.
It was also a little long and dragged out.
However because I liked the story line so much I am giving it a solid 4 stars

I'm excited to be a part of the THE JUNE BOYS blog tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club from March 3rd - March 9th, 2020!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! In no way does this affect my rating or review.

All included quotes have been taken from an ARC and may not match the finished publication.

Content Warning: Kidnapping, Death of a minor, Imprisonment, Abandonment, Shooting by gun, Survival

"We live in a strange world where women walk men to their vehicles, where we are worried their safety might be compromised before our own."

June 1st is a feared date for young men. The Gemini Thief has kidnapped boys for a decade--always on June 1st. After his disappearance, Thea believes that her cousin, Aulus McClaghen, had become one of the Thief’s captives. The boys are always returned home the following year on June 31st. That is, until one of the kidnapped boy’s body is found along the notorious highway where the kidnappings take place.

The Gemini Thief is very good at what they do. They never leave tracks. They kidnap without a hitch. They do it all for…? Why would someone kidnap boys only to return them thirteen months later, for the most-part, unharmed? This mystery employs all matters of investigation when it comes down to uncovering the truth of their identity. Unfortunately for Thea Delacroix, she believes the kidnapper may be her father.

"You meet Noah after the flood, you think, That brave, faith-filled, visionary man. You meet him before and you’re like, What a nut job. Perspective and timing matter. Sometimes you have to accept that you might not be able to see the truth from here."

As Thea partners up with her boyfriend Nick to uncover the truth behind the kidnappings, they also uncover strange secrets that Thea’s father has been keeping from Thea for years. Abandoned by her mother long ago, Thea’s father and his eccentricities has left her somewhat abandoned by him as well. The secrets and obsessions all begin to point to the true question, could he be the kidnapper?

The June Boys reads like one big conversation--but not a pleasant one due to the content discussed. In truth, the e-ARC was not very reader-friendly, which hopefully won’t be the case with the completed Ebook (which I can’t imagine that won’t be formatted differently). The story is written in third person and alternates between the main character Thea, and “Dear Elizabeth” letters written by Aulus, Thea’s kidnapped cousin.

The June Boys ultimately touches on several important aspects, but focuses on desires that emerge from past hurts combined with mental health, and how those desires can turn into something dangerous. Several important discussion starters are brought up throughout the entire investigation of this story, that I wish overall were delved into more deeply. When the kidnapper is revealed, the motivation behind the kidnapping is heart-wrenching and much more complex than someone looking for a twisted “thrill.” The discussion questions at the conclusion do offer the opportunity for deeper personal examination on some of the points touched on throughout the story.

Overall, this riveting read offers a complex look at some of the most difficult scenarios life can throw at unsuspecting individuals.

Vulgarity: None.
Sexual content: Kissing.
Violence: Minimal to Moderate considering the nature of the story.

My Rating: ★★★

True story, I have never read a Courtney Stevens book I didn't love. That's it, that's the review.

I jest. Seriously though, this was another hit in a long line of fabulous books. The June Boys is a gripping mystery, but it's also a lot more. It's such a love letter to friendship and family bonds, and asks the really hard questions. Like what would you do if you thought your family member might be capable of kidnapping boys every few Junes?

This, along with her own cousin/close friend Aulus being potentially one of the kidnapped, has Thea in a real bad spot. Not only is she absolutely freaking out over her missing cousin, but her own father has been listed as a suspect. And there's the rub: He has been lying to Thea all over the place, so she has no idea who she can trust at this point.

So this book was, like I said, far more than just a whodunit. Thea has such a deep and complex story to tell, and we get to see her story develop with her best friends and boyfriend, too. They support her so much through this, and are great characters in their own right.

There were a few points in the middle that seemed maybe a little long? But for the most part, it moved along nicely, and I was constantly trying to guess who the baddie was. For a few minutes, I was sure I had the culprit. (Spoiler: I was wrong. So wrong.) But I was engaged throughout, and couldn't wait to read the outcome.

We even get little glimpses into Aulus's traumatic time in captivity, as he writes letters to Elizabeth Smart. Now, if you are reading an eARC like I was, these will look like mushy rubbish that you cannot decipher. Good news, when I got a physical ARC, they are readable, and I definitely think they add something to the story- especially if you know Elizabeth's story, as Aulus does, and commiserates with. (I assume that obviously finished copies will be fine, I don't know about finished ebooks though?)

Bottom Line: The June Boys is thought provoking, full of love and mystery and intrigue, full of what we lose and what we have yet to find.

I enjoyed The June Boys by Court Stevens. This is my first time reading a Court Stevens books and I am definitely interested in reading more from this author.

The June Boys is an astonishing, intriguing, dark and gritty story. It was a really fast paced but slightly confusing read but once it all connected together it made a hell of a more sense.

The main part that caused me confusion was that a side character was in two different places at the same time. Anytime that I put the book down I had no compelling reason to pick it back up so I did have to forced myself to sit down and finish this story.

The end reveal came very quickly and out of nowhere but I didn't see who was the Gemini Thief hence why I gave it a three star read instead of a two star read.

All in all this was a good book and I believe a lot of people will enjoy this novel.

Well, that was a ride. I saw a review stating how confusing this was with the different timelines and how they didn't notice it until the end of the book, so I was glad to have that tidbit in my head throughout. I still managed to get confused though because of the characters included in each section.

I realized later, when putting in the publisher for this book, that this is kind of under a Christian fiction umbrella? There were some weird religious elements starting around the middle that were not my favorite. It's no secret I don't enjoy books with major religious themes and some of them here were just too much out of my wheelhouse, like people having signs from God to cover for their actions? It was not for me.

I honestly didn't take a lot of time to develop theories for this book because it was really hard for me to keep all of the characters straight. There were SO many because they introduced a lot of adults (uncles, aunts, family friends, parents of friends, etc.) as well as the teenagers. I just couldn't remember if Gladys was a friend or an aunt? What was the name of Aulus's dad again? Idk, it was hard for me!

I think the ending of this one took it to a better spot for me! I wasn't sure how things were going to shake out and definitely didn't see it coming. The castle element to the story was weird and added some intrigue (in terms of the suspect list, to keep it simple/spoiler-free) but I didn't really understand the point, aside from the aforementioned "God told me to do it" plot element that felt super out of place. 

Overall, I was pretty addicted to this throughout. The writing style was pretty good and the mystery was intriguing; for once I didn't figure out the culprit or have any inkling really come true. There were multiple surprises/twists at the end that got to me and I definitely appreciate that! However, I'm not sure how long this book will stick with me? I didn't LOVE the writing and think it was a little too basic at times. I've seen a mixed bag of reviews for this one, so I'm honestly not sure how to recommend it!

trigger warning
<spoiler> kidnapping, child neglect, mental illness, trauma, grief. gun violence</spoiler>

The Gemini Thief snatchehes three boys in June, holds them for 13 months and then releases them.
Last year, Thea's cousin Aulus went missing, but the police are not linking him to the case. He would be the fourth person, he disappeared a day too late to fit into this.
Then a body is found. It appear the Gemini Thief changed his MO and now kills the boys.

To get it out of the way: I had some issues with the ebook file. My eReader didn't like it so I read on my netbook, which is why it took me so long to finally get around to it. The parts that contain the Elizabeth letters didn't load properly, and it took a ridiculous long time to read it.
I mention this because this might influence my opinion of the book and you can take my review with a grain of salt.

Also, the version I read looked not finished and I don't know how big the difference between what I've read and what you'd get if you'd buy the finished book are.

So, we have two plots: Thea's story that begins the day they found the body of one of the snatched children and something called the Elizabeth letters, written by Aulus and adressed to a Elizabeth. An author's note at the back tells us that Elizabeth was kidnapped and rescued a few months after that. There seems to be no further connection.
Having never before heard of this case, I don't think it's a good idea to take a real case and avoid making an in-plot connection to the recipient of the letters. A simple side note to someone remembering listening to news about this case would have been enough.

The tag line of this novel is that everybody could be the Gemini Thief. You might think you know your friends and relatives, but do you?
On this thought, for most of the book you think Thea's father is responsible for everything. It doesn't help that he lied to his daughter for nine years about taking solo camping trips and building a castle instead - because he had a vision and God told him to.
This feels forced to me, based on my experiences with delusional parents it would be more logical to convince your kid of your mission than hiding something this big. It feels like a thing the plot needed, not a natural decision the characters would make.

Because the Gemini Thief has been active for a decade, Thea thinks she can trust her friends, who, like her, are teenagers and would have been to young at the start of all of this.
The confusion coming with the fear you can't trust any of the adult people in your life was made quite real for me, and the irrational behavior Thea showed also felt like something that would happen.
I really hate it when irrational behaviour of protagonists is shrugged off with"well it's YA and teenagers are stupid".

The sister of Thea's boyfriend, Dana, kind of remembered me of Deborah from Dexter, or at least the version at the start of the series. Admittedly with less cussing, because you know, YA novel.

A YA thriller is nothing I read for a perfect plot, I come here for the atmosphere and a thrilling read, and I got that. The ending and especially the motivation for the Gemini Thief fell flat for me, and I think that if there are major differences between the edition I read and the finished version would be there. It really felt rushed.
Or it might be done on purpose to show how quickly things can change, what do I know?

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There was something enchanting and intriguing about The June Boys. There was also something dull and disappointing.

The concept of a mysterious person religiously kidnapping children is something that immediately had me interested in this new release by Court Stevens. It spoke to a dark and ongoing story - something with depth and background and suspense. But the execution just wasn't there.

Our main characters, Thea, her friends and her family were overall pretty dull. Yes, her father had this weird quirky thing with a castle. Which, I honestly still don't get. But, there was no depth to the odd father-figure, or any other, character.

The story itself was interesting. I enjoyed the twists and the conjecture of whodunnit. But the story was nowhere close to a thrilling story. Even the sections of the story where we encounter the perspective of the captive boys was - underwhelming.

And then there was the ending. Which honestly, while I didn't straight-up hate it, just felt incredibly out-of-left-field.

Thank you FFBC for letting me be a part of the book tour. Thank you Netgalley and FFBC tours for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The June Boys was an emotional rollercoaster for me. The book was masterfully crafted keeping you at the edge of your seats. It was a fantastic thriller with the mystery of the identity of the kidnapper a secret until the end. The book is in a non-linear format with the POVs of Thea and Aulus mixed together. It is confusing in the beginning but after continuing for a while it started making more sense. I was hooked from the beginning, a lot of strange characters who all are likely candidates for the kidnapper. The story is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. Aulus broke my heart, his letters were sad and sometimes hopeless. It makes you wonder how he managed to survive the ordeals. The twists and turns will keep you hooked and surprise you when the climax happens. I was unable to figure out who the kidnapper was and there were a lot of choices that were possible. Overall I think readers should give it a chance and once you get past the format you will be intrigued by the story. The characters were interesting mix and the way Thea dedicated her life and how she put on hold her dreams to find Aulus is truly admirable. Her doubts and questions regarding the people around her make things even more interesting. I gave the book 5 stars. I think the mystery and the thriller aspect of the book were on point. The writing is good, keeps you guessing till the end. The psychological impact of the kidnapping of the victims and the family were well described. The dark and twisted nature of the crime is so well crafted. I definitely recommend checking the book out and give the book a chance to tell you the story with its unconventional format. I enjoyed the format immensely and I think it makes the story stand out more.

This was an interesting read. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was slightly disappointed by the lack of character development in side characters. I kept wanting to know more about Tank and Gladys.

I did enjoy the last 20% of the book more as the pace ramped up and the stakes were much higher.

The ending was slightly less believable than I’d hoped but a good surprise.

One thing I wish had been addressed was how Tank (a high school student and valedictorian) could smoke so freely. It seemed very...odd. And there was no mention of the dangers of that etc. for a YA novel I think we have to be careful what it looks like we’re endorsing.

“The FBI found a body in Baxter, Tennessee, this morning. Juvenile. Male. Dumped on the side of the highway and phones in by a motorist who had to pee and couldn’t wait.” Could it be the first death among The June Boys? Could it also be narrator Thea’s cousin Aulus?

Called the Thief, a kidnapper snatches three boys in Tennessee on June 1st every other year. The victims are held for 13 months in an underground bunker. Then, they are left alive on the side of the highway. This year, four boys are taken and one is murdered...so far. Why is the Thief changing his m.o. and why now, eight years and 14 kidnapped boys later?

The pacing of The June Boys seemed odd. The conclusion was rather farfetched. Unfortunately, not one of my favorites and not recommended. 2 stars.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper who has been holding three boys captive for one month, from June 1 to June 30 of the following year, for ten years. These boys are called the June Boys, for thirteen months they are observed, fed, hidden and generally released alive without anything having happened to them.

The problem is that the kidnapping thief this year, took one more boy, Aulus, who is the cousin of Thea our heroine who will do everything to find the culprit and save the June Boys.

I really liked that plot very much. Thea is afraid to ask herself some questions but despite everything she tries and sometimes she discovers that those around her are not necessarily honest with her.

Nick is the first to ask her the disturbing question.

“Could the Gemini Thief be your father?

I really like Thea a lot, I find her a remarkable strength of character. She also discovers herself because her world is turned upside down by the absence of Aulus but thanks to that she was able to meet Nick, her boyfriend.

Gladys, Tank, Aulus and Thea form a team, so the three remaining characters became even more united after the disappearance of Aulus.

I liked the investigation of Nick and Thea, seeing the workings of their brains and trying to find the culprit myself.

I confess that I succeeded before them, it just missed the motive.

I love Courtney Stevens’ books and this one is no exception. The characters are interesting, the plot is thrilling and the ending is full of…

Quick word: A thrilling thriller to read urgently.

<b><i>“The Gemini Thief could be anyone.”</b></i>

<b>representation: black side characters, ermmm i think that's it

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]</b>

✧·ﾟ: ✧·ﾟ: 2 . 5 s t a r s :·ﾟ✧:·ﾟ✧

I received an e-arc from netgalley, but since hearing that the arc is quite different to the finished copy, I decided to wait and listen to the audiobook and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed the female narrator, but the male narrator who was supposed to be narrating a teenagers voice sounded like a 45 year old man, which was weird. I also can't imagine how reading the ARC would have gone, seeing people having so many issues with the formatting of it and how jumbled the content seemed to be, however, the finished copy was still super confusing because of one main thing. There's two parts to the story, the first part being the main character Thea's narration of what happens when her and her friends try to investigate the kidnappings and find her missing cousin, and then there's letters placed sporadically throughout the novel from the perspective of her missing cousin, and in these letters, a character called Tank appears and he's also in the main story as well, so it seems that he's in two places at once which is impossible and hard to comprehend. Basically, even though we see letters throughout the entire book, these letters only take place towards the end of the main story, if that makes sense. So Tank isn't actually in two places at once. He's in the main story in the beginning, and then involved in the letters towards the end of the story. I have no idea if what I just wrote made any sense at all haha but hopefully that clears things up for some readers who are currently super confused like I was!

The mystery itself of who the Gemini Thief actually was, I thought was done really well! It had me on the edge of my seat and constantly guessing and I kept changing my mind on who I thought it was!

Buuuuuut that's where the positives end for me unfortunately. I didn't really enjoy any other aspect of it. It was confusing, the characters overall seemed quite flat and one-dimensional and I found myself not really connecting to any aspect of the story. Quite disappointing, but A+ for the mystery aspect!

<b>trigger warnings: captivity, starvation, kidnapping, guns, gunshot wounds, blood, family members being imprisoned. </b>

<i>Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for the review copy!</i>