This book made me cry, and books do not usually make my cry. This story broke my heart and filled with me joy at the same time. This book is one that I think should be read by high schoolers. Both Ethan and Juniper remind me of someone I knew in school, or even parts of them remind me of parts of me. I am a so glad I found this book via netgalley and that I was gifted this ARC.

Content Warnings: racism, violence, KKK

"She showed me that people can be good and there can be hope, even when it hurts."

This book. It was so good and so painful. I usually don't like historical fiction that much, as I find it kinda boring but The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones was really captivating. What hurts the most is that it tackles issues that are still prevalent today - issues that shouldn't exist in our society but do because of continued white privilege. Ethan was such a complicated character to follow and his friendship with Juniper was a story that I couldn't stop reading. I loved how their friendship blossomed and this book absolutely broke my heart. Please read it!

A heartbreaking story of an unlikely teenage friendship in pre-Civil Rights Alabama. Juniper, a free-spirited white girl, befriends Ethan, a biracial boy sent to stay with family for the summer after a fight at school. Their friendship flourishes despite the hatred and racism of many in the small town. The writing in this novel is lovely and lush. While there is a bit of a slow start, the story ultimately intensifies and becomes much more profound than it initially seems. A worthwhile read for young adults and adults alike.

I really enjoyed my time reading this novel. I knew this book would be 5 stars three chapters in because it was so captivating!! It's a great debut novel!! You can tell this novel was written on Wattpad since the writing and structure could be better, but overall, this story was very well executed. I do wish we would have seen a bit more of Juniper's story, but Ethan was a fascinating character as well. I'm happy I finished this book during the times we're living in! A novel everyone should read! congratulation, Daven McQueen, on a fantastic novel. I can't wait to be able to purchase it for myself.

At the beginning of this book, the author, Daven McQueen, had some notes. And I feel it's important that I do the same. This book flashes back to the summer of 1955 and the author, rightfully so, chose to keep the language historically accurate. In doing so, it uses the "n-word" to refer to black characters.

This is a hard story, but an important story to tell. It is recommended to ages 12+ and grades 7-9. The main characters are 14-15 and while the writing style is slightly simplistic; I believe this story of what it means to be Black in America is for everyone.

I loved the concept of the story starting in 2015, flashing back to the summer of 1955, and ending again in 2015. It all starts with a letter, Ethan Harper, who is biracial receives. It's time to face the demons of the summer of 1955.

In the summer of 1955, we meet Ethan Harper, who is a biracial teen. He is being dropped off to spend the summer with his white Aunt and Uncle is an all white small town of Alabama - population 793. His white father is upset at Ethan for getting into a fight at school in Acadia, Washington where he is from. In 1955, the South is much different then the West. Ethan's Dad thinks he will spend the Summer "hot & bored" and working in his Uncle's Malt Shop. He has no idea what a problem the town will have with Ethan for simply being Black.

Ethan deals with a lot of pain and confusion. There is so many moments that are just truly heartbreaking. Through all this heartbreak is a one shining bright spot - Juniper Jones. You see she dubbed the town's oddball and free spirit, so as the town's misfits they make a perfect pair. Juniper insists they make a list of fun things to do all Summer long and calls it their Invincible Summer List. Besides having fun, she is determined to show Ethan all of her favorite spots in town and show him that it's not all bad.

This book will show you beauty in the ugliest reality and prove the saying that even on the worst days, you can always find something good.

I urge you to pre-order this book or purchase it when it comes out on June 16th 2020. Thank you to netgalley and wattbooks for the eARC and opportunity to review this book. To the author Daven McQueen, it was an honor to read your book and I look forward to what you publish in the future.

Publication Date: 16 June 2020

5 Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am just completely overwhelmed with emotion after finishing The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones. This book brought me to tears, in fact uncontrollable sobbing would be more precise! What a phenomenal journey of growing up bi-racial in the summer of 1955 with Ethan Harper and his free spirited friend Juniper Jones.

So wonderfully written, I felt like I knew the characters personally. The anger, sadness, vulnerability and fear through Ethan’s eyes and mind were absorbed into me and I completely fell in love with the vibrant, colourful, lovable Juniper Jones instantly.

It is the summer of 1955 and Ethan, a 15 year old bi-racial boy has been sent to spend the summer with his Aunt and Uncle to teach him a lesson after being suspended from school for fighting.
Ellison, Alabama is 2500 miles away from Ethan’s hometown and is a small town of white people that do not take kindly to ‘his kind’ and are not too shy in making it known he is not welcome there. But.. Then there is Juniper Jones!

Juniper is a beaming ray of light! So loving, kind hearted and full of energy, Juniper befriends Ethan instantly, taking him under her wing and enlisting him to join her in her plans of an invincible summer. Juniper brings so much light and hope to Ethan’s life and we are taken on a fun summer adventure with a strong focus on family life, friendships, love and the challenges of racism.

Thank you Netgalley and WattPad for the review eARC in return for my honest review.

I cannot begin to describe how much I whole-heartedly adore this book. I laughed. I cried. I was enraged, frustrated, heartbroken, and completely in love. The story that that Daven McQueen has crafted will no doubt suck you in from the very beginning and will stay with you long after the last sentence.

All I can say is this is a book every single person must read. I will never forget the lovely and indescribable Juniper Jones....”in her muddy skirt, wearing paint on her cheeks like a badge of honor and spinning through the grass with her arms wide enough to embrace the moon.”

“She showed me that people can be good and there can be hope, even when it hurts.”

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher, Wattpad Books, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This story deals heavily with racism in 1955. It concludes in 2015 and shows how Ellison, Alabama, has changed. Unfortunately, the storyline strongly hits home right now since the nation is currently going through protests and riots because of George Floyd’s death by a police officer.

In the book, Ethan, a “mixed breed”, is the protagonist of the story. He is sent by his white father to Ellison, Alabama, after getting into a fight at school in Arcadia, Washington. Ethan’s black mother lives in Montgomery a few hours away from Ellison. In Ellison, Ethan befriends a girl, Juniper, “who breezed into his life with confidence and wonder, who took one look at him and knew he was the friend she needed.” Juniper and Ethan have challenges but become close friends during tough times. A key point is around the prejudices in Ellison: “… the people here, and the way they think, and I feel like – like I can’t ever belong here.” The reader’s heart is wrenched numerous times while reading this book. Ellison feels that his mother’s “blood… was poison” and the “shame” Ethan experiences because of the treatment he receives since he is black.

The summer with Juniper gives Ethan adventures and a positive life in a town who was very unwelcoming. Ethan learned valuable lessons through Juniper. The crux of the story is surrounded with family, racism, and prejudice. There are both good and sad aspects in the book. While it is difficult to read at times, it very much raises the points from a black person’s perspective. Strong emotions for a young person. Juniper is an exceptional person and we can all learn lessons from her. She is a true friend to a person who everyone in the town ostracized.

I recommend everyone read this book. Its not just another book about prejudices.

This book gave me ALL the feelings! Moving, heartbreaking, poignant, inspiring, and oh so beautiful. Ethan, a biracial boy living in Washington in the 1950s, is sent to Ellison, Alabama to live with his aunt and uncle after punching one of his classmates in reaction to a racist remark. While working at his uncle’s malt shop in Alabama, Ethan’s world is changed when in walks Juniper Jones, a fiery young red-head who immediately befriends Ethan and promises him an adventure-filled summer. Living in Alabama, Ethan endures extreme prejudice and discrimination like he has never experienced before but manages to find joy and light as he and Juniper fulfill their invincible summer to-do list. Although it is primarily set on the 1950s, this book is incredibly timely and is a must read, especially for teenagers and young adults. I cried many cleansing tears throughout this story. It is truly one of the best young adult novels I have ever read. Thank you to Wattpad Books and NetGalley for providing me with e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful coming of age story of friendship and race in America, The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones follows two young kids and the summer of 1955 in Alabama. We have two main characters: Ethan, a biracial boy sent to Alabama for the summer, who explains so clearly to us the racial injustice we see in the world (both in 1956 and today) and his firsthand experience, and Juniper, a free-spirited white girl, who tries her hardest to lift Ethan up, make changes, and relearn all that has been ingrained in her since birth. Together, Ethan and Juniper create an invincible summer for themselves full of adventure and exploration. This novel was all parts funny, heartbreaking, angering, and hopeful.
This is a YA novel that really goes deep into the imperative topic of race. I wish I had a book like this when I was younger, that was accessible and easy to read, yet still addressing something important. Particularly now with all of the racial injustice we are dealing with, this book feels so important.

I am Juniper Jones.
I am Ethan Harper
I am Andy Harper
I am Lydia Phillips
I am Cara Shay
I am Robert Shay.
I am Aunt Annabelle.
I am Gus.
I am Samuel Hill
I am Noah O'Neil.
I am Courtney.

I strongly believe that we could all recognize ourselves in one of the characters of this book. It is very important for all of us to read it as it might help us understand why we think the way we the think, act the way we do, and say the things we say. This book could not have been released at a better time. It is a heart-wrenching story about racism, friendship, family dynamics, and of coming of age that will stay with me for many years narrated with a dual timeline. Racism is an extremely intricate subject and the book features just that; the many different shades of racism and how it affects everyone's lives. Ethan and Juniper are extraordinary characters. I will never forget them. They have moved me beyond words. I want to let this read settle, but I am already feeling changed.

I want to praise author Daven McQueen as this is one hell of a debut! I look forward to read more of her work. I am officially a fan <3

Thank you Net Galley and Wattpad Books for e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones is beautiful and emotional tale of friendship and coming-of-age set in the summer of 1950s Albama. More importantly, it is a book on race, and what it means to be colored in a world where racism is not only the norm, but a law.

I loved this book...I felt such a tangled mess of emotions reading it that it is hard to convey my actual reading experience. I devoured it in two days and went through an emotional roller coaster of joy, grief, rage, nostalgia and pain. Reading it in light of the very recent George Floyd experience made it all the more meaningful.

I commend the way that such a sensitive and emotionally heavy subject has been handled in the book. The book is of the perfect length, long enough to convey the well-written plot but not so long that the reader looses interest. Written through the eyes of a biracial teenager grappling with the realities of what the color of his skin could entail, the tale struck the right balance between innocence and grim realities of racism.

As the title conveys, Juniper Jones was the very life of the story. Innocent to the core and full of passion for life, she is a ball of sunshine. She loves passionately, lives fully and there is never a dull moment with her. She befriends and loves Ethan with all her heart and together they plan to have cram a lifetime's worth of adventures in the 3 months of summer. While Ethan struggles with the realities of racism, she proves herself a loyal friend and supports and encourages him wholeheartedly.

Another aspect of The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones was the varying and evolving points of view of the whites in this story. Ethan's arrival in Ellison exposes the white privilege that his own family and changes them for better. While things are far from okay even now, McQueen's debut ends on a hopeful note.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

Ethan is sent to stay with his aunt and uncle in a town that has no black people living there. This is a problem for Ethan because he is black. Ethan is subjected to stares and sneers and desperately wants to leave. Until he meets Juniper who is also an outcast for being different. During the summer Ethan and Juniper go on adventures and experiences until one night Ethan hits the town bully who vows that Ethan would pay for what he had done. Although Ethan is concerned about the threat even he did not think it would be as bad as it was.
What can I say, I loved this book and the story it told. The beautiful friendship that unfolded as well as the heartbreak made me laugh and cry. Beautifully told and one that I could not put down until the last page

This book, one of race, friendship and growing up, was fantastic and so powerful. It will make you laugh with the antics of Ethan and Juniper and it will make you cry and be angry with the injustice he experiences.The writing was beautiful in this book and the characters were so lovable.

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones is the most perfectly timed book for what is going on right now in this country. If you have been searching for a story of what it’s like being black in America and why change is needed, this is it.

The book had a lot of great writing and an interesting premise. For me, it lacked a little bit when it came to the execution. This book is timely and definitely deserves a place with others shedding light on racism and the past.

Publishers Synopsis:

It’s the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he’s sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his Blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he’s not welcome there. Except for Juniper Jones. The town’s resident oddball and free spirit, she’s everything the townspeople aren’t—open, kind, and full of acceptance. Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that’s bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be Black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer.
Daven McQueen’s Juniper Jones is a character for all ages in this sweet coming of age story set in 1950s Alabama.

Review: *exhales* This is the most beautiful book I have ever read. I desperately needed a solid five star read after reviewing a couple of shockers recently and my god, this took my breath away. The most informative and educational, yet beautiful and heartbreaking book i’ve ever read about race. I am downright angry that I wasn’t given anything like this to read as a teen. McQueen’s writing will have you so entranced that you’ll forget the world even exists, sucking you deep into the story (and I always say that only the best books can do this). This book is so well written that honestly you wouldn’t even KNOW the target age group because it is suited for everybody over the age of 12. Give it to you sons and daughters but give it to your parents and your girlfriends. Make the world know about this book. Request it in your library. Suggest it for your curriculum. Everybody needs to read this book.

I acknowledge that I will never know what it is like to be a black person in America (or anywhere in the world) but McQueen’s writing is just so perfect, and historically accurate that you feel exactly what Ethan is feeling. You hurt with him, you’re angry with him, you’re accountable with him, you cry with him and you want a revolution with him. Grab the tissues because this one is sure to have you feeling every emotion.

I’d also like to take a moment to mention how stunning the cover is. I’m one of those readers that does judge a book by it’s cover and this one had me begging the Netgalley gods for approval. Beautiful and unpredictable this book pulls on your heart strings and is a must read for any age.

My sincerest thanks to Netgalley and Wattpad books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

5/5 Stars

What a beautiful story! This book had me ugly crying. A powerful message for today of how ugly racism can be, and how important it is to speak up. Juniper and Ethan were beautiful characters, and I loved seeing the others around them grow as the story progressed. Stories that ignite a passion for change are so important, and this book does that! Highly recommend!

Ethan is a mixed race high schooler sent to spend the summer of 1955 in Ellison, Alabaman. When he arrives he finds things are very different compared to his home up north. He soon meets Juniper Starfish Jones whom is known as the town looney. She is determined to have an invincible summer and Ethan must be a part of it.

The two develop such a beautiful friendship and partake is so many joyful adventures. Along the way Ethan has to battle racism and discrimination and find his own strength. Juniper helps Ethan through this trying summer and teaches the reader what it means to stand up for those you love. A tragic event happens towards the end of the story and Ethan must find a way to move forward.

I really enjoyed this story of friendship and even more so the lessons on racism and acceptance. My heart broke several times for Ethan and Juniper and all the things they learned that summer. Even though this book is set in the 1960's and the south, we are still struggling with these issues today. It is important that we continue to listen and learn from people of color and read outside our comfort zone. These voices need to be heard and and supported.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This YA novel is set primarily in Ellison, Alabama during the summer of 1955 where Ethan Harper experiences emotions that black people across America are still experiencing in the year 2020. Confusion, discouragement, anger, fear and frustration are all feelings that Ethan battles when the residents of the small southern town make it clear that he isn't welcome there because of the color of his skin. During his time in Ellison, Ethan befriends one individual - the quirky but charming redhead named Juniper Jones.

I'll be honest...initially I found myself a bit frustrated with Juniper's character. Although she had great intentions and was determined to make Ethan's summer in Ellison enjoyable, she often seemed to view the world through rose-colored lenses. However, some of her redeeming qualities were her willingness to acknowledge her shortcomings, be more empathetic toward Ethan's situation, and become proactive about standing up and speaking out against the injustices that her friend faced on a daily basis. This is exactly what the world needs more of today. Although sometimes overly optimistic, Juniper's bubbly personality and positive outlook on life was very admirable and is undoubtedly why the characters of the book cherished her presence in their lives.

Overall, I think this is a very relevant read for individuals of all ages, but especially for younger people who may not understand what it's really like to be black in America, both historically and presently. Just as Daven said in her author's note at the beginning of the book, more teens and younger readers should be exposed to this type of content so that they are made aware of the reality of antiblackness.

I am reading this at a time in our nation's history that makes it even more poignant. I am eager to share this book with my two daughters because the way that McQueen writes the main and supporting characters has such a genuine, loving, authentic ring to them. I feel like they will help expand hope, sympathy, and understanding. I know my girls see with that innocence that Ethan's dad has and that is how we have raised them, but see better now how I need to spend more time helping them cultivate their heart to be a champion for the oppressed. In the past, we have done from the lens of poverty or disability, but now is the time to focus on those harder questions of race and how we help each other and our nation move forward in all of this.
I love this book and I love that I can share it with my kids and have hard conversations about how this is set in the past yet the battle of inequality still rages on.