I finished it, and immediately said to myself “I am so glad I read this book.” All books should make us feel that way!
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The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen has been on my TBR since it was published two summers ago. Being a mood reader, I mistakenly thought it would be best for me to read during the summertime. It needs to be read ANYTIME because everyone needs a little Juniper Jones in their life.
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Set in Alabama in the 1950’s, racism is prevalent and sometimes tough to read, tough because it still happens today although not always so blatantly. When a biracial boy spends the summer in this small Alabama town, he experiences hate like he has never known. He also experiences the best type of friendship, love and optimism he has ever known.
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Wow. This book really got to me and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I could have been telling people about it for two years now. Well, I am starting today, go read it then read it again. Get a mindset like Juniper’s, be kind and accepting. See the light in darkness, and the beauty in the ugly.
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I have seen it said before, and couldn’t agree more. This poignant story of friendship, racism, adventure, history and growth is invincible, unforgettable and one not to be missed.
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Read it and you can say to yourself, too, that you are glad you read this book!
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This book is a beautifully written story about friendship between Ethan and Juniper in the summer of 1955. While reading this book you'll find yourself in the historical background of the deep south during a time when racism was at the forefront of the times. It his heartbreaking to read this book in 2022 and see the parallels to 1955 society. This book was well written, emotional, and all around one that everyone should be reading.

I picked up the audiobook to this one and enjoyed it. The narrator did a great job in providing a voice to Ethan and Juniper that felt authentic. I definitely recommend this format for other audiobook lovers.

100% would recommend.

I was very intrigued from the gorgeous cover of this book as well as the description. The book did a wonderful job discussing racial issues. I would definitely recommend this book to older high school students and lovers of YA.

I was quite interesting in this book when I requested it, so I was expected it to be good. And it delivered. It was so interesting to read, so heartbreaking and sad at times, but I am so happy that I've read it.

Read but was not terribly memorable. I am clearing out the books published in 2020 from my "to review" shelf!

This was a DNF for me. It started out too slow for me and felt a little immature at times. I do think YA and historical fiction lovers will like this book.

It was interesting to follow Ethan and Juniper in this story. This story was not my favorite, but i really liked it anyway.

This was such a heartbreaking story. The ending had me in tears. The plot being about 1950s racism and finding friends during that time. Had heavy moments and sad moments but happy ones as well.

I'm going to be completely honest; I kept putting off reading this book because I wasn't super excited about it anymore. I had had it on my NetGalley shelf for over a year, so I didn't see the harm in letting it continue to sit there for a while. I finally picked it up because it fulfilled a readathon prompt, and I'm mad at myself for not reading it sooner.

The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones is a beautiful and raw exploration of friendships and racism in the 1950s. It follows Ethan, a bi-racial teenager, as he spends the summer in Ellison, Alabama, as a "lesson" from his dad for getting suspended from his school back home. He struggles to fit in because no one in the town accepts people who are different from them, until he meets Juniper. Juniper is a whirlwind of happiness and excitement, and she and Ethan embark on an invincible summer.

I loved this book. It was important and heartbreaking; I couldn't put it down. I cried for the last 10 or 15% of the book, full on tears that just kept falling. Ethan and Juniper were both amazing characters, and their friendship was beautiful. I got angry at the stuff Ethan went through, and I was happy when they were happy together. This book was not as lighthearted as I thought it would be, but I am still so happy I picked it up. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time, and I would highly recommend it.

Content warnings for racism, death, bullying, divorce.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the ARC of The Invincible Summer of Juniper Jones by Daven McQueen.

Holy emotions. I am still not over this one and feel emotional just thinking about it. It's one I will be thinking of for a LONG time

Fairly predictable. I mean, we have a small southern town in the 50s, a biracial kid new to town, and a quirky white girl determined to be his friend. This was only going to end one of a few ways..The intent is clear but the execution is tired.

Wow! This story depicts the reality of well meaning white people being colorblind. Ethan must learn to navigate a world that doesn’t want him while living with people who are unwilling to recognize his reality.

The story is beautifully written and the plot is full of emotions and keeps you hooked. However, I felt that it was not my cup of tea since the target audience seemed to middle school readers. I had expected a bit more from the writing as an adult. But this was a brilliant story regardless.
Definitely would recommend to middle school readers!

I have no words for this book. This book is amazing, beautiful, and heartwarming! The historical spices of this book got me on the hook. It was an enjoyable read and a fast paced one. It is an attention seeker since I put on a lot of my attention as well as my emotions in this book. It is brilliant and exceptional. Thank you for the e-arc.

This book was truly amazing. It’s was so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Ethan, a mixed boy from Washington, is sent to a white town in Alabama after he got into some trouble at home. His parents are separated and his father sends him to spend the summer with his white aunt and uncle to teach him a lesson. This is an absolutely wonderful book. The kind that makes you feel every emotion the characters feel and care about their futures.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC (even though I have clearly reviewed it very late).

This story and beautiful and beautifully written. As an adult reader of a middle grades book, I unfortunately spent most of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop. You can't just write a story set in 1955 about a mixed race boy and his white girl best friend in Alabama without expecting something to go wrong. It eventually gets there, and this really is a book about black pain, but for kids. I can imagine for middle grade readers, that they may not be expecting the main turn of events and it could lead to valuable conversations for them (as long as they have an informed adult to talk to). But as an adult reader, this one just hurt.

There's a lot of feeling right now about how if we need more books about black pain, and instead a shift towards normalizing black authors writing just about black life, or sci-fi/fantasy, and for adult fiction, I feel like that it's getting to be time for that. But seeing as how American society still has so many people that are openly hateful towards black people, it is still very important to have informative fiction like this for young readers.

I read so many reviews about this book warning me that it would be a heart-breaking and magnificent story and that it would make me cry. But somehow I still wasn't expecting this beautiful, tragic, meaningful portrait of friendship and the sob fest that would come along with it. McQueen's characters are wonderful, interesting, and nuanced, and the writing brings the reader directly into their experiences. I highly recommend this book (with content warnings below)!
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CW: death of parents, death of a child, hate speech, gaslighting, use of the n-word, antisemitism, drowning, white supremacy, the KKK

This was a powerful YA book on racism- what it was like to be a young, black boy, initially innocent to the world’s terrors, but after spending a summer in the South, in the 1950s, his eyes are opened to the truth. Ethan realizes that life has quickly become very different for him in this small town, but that summer is made easier by his new best friend, a young, spirited girl, named Juniper Jones. You can feel the love and excitement in their friendship and adventures, and the pain in their difficult experiences. You hope and your heart breaks. I would not normally think that a YA book would be so powerful, but this one certainly was.

What a beautiful, important and wonderful story that tackles so many important issues. A must-read for everyone! Beautifully written and very memorable

This book broke my heart.
Ethan and Juniper were such sweet friends. I loved how much they cared about each other. Juniper may not have fully understood what Ethan goes through. But she did know what it's like to be judged for something you are born with.
This book was so heavy. I don't usually read historical fiction, but I'm glad I read this one. Reading it was hard at times and at one point I was even sobbing.
Throughout this book I was all kinds of angry.
I know my privilege as a lighter skinned person, but my heart was still aching for my ancestors and for everyone who is facing racism every day.
After I closed this book I had to sit in silence and let it all sink in.

Books like this one are so necessary and I hope that everyone picks it up. No matter how old you are.
It's a read I'll never forget.
Read this book!
I really hope to read more of Daven McQueen's work in the future.