Could you belive I did not have the gut to finish it in one go and I took many many pauses?
Also I was adamant I needed to read it during June, so it took a little over two years!
Really liked it!

in general, I do not like to DNF any book or audiobook but I just couldn't continue with this title. Even if I didn't find the narration monotonous, the story was so difficult to follow. I actually stoped a number of times, thinking that it was me, that I had gotten distracted but even after having re-listened to sections I still couldn't get a grasp. In the end, life is too short to read or listen to books that I don't like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan for providing a free audiobook copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I'm going to be honest, I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I requested this audiobook. What I do know, is that I could never, ever regret it! A crime/thriller was no what I was expecting AT ALL. It was fantastic, to say the least. With characters and bickering that I absolutely adore. Another fave!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This was a good audiobook, the narrator did a good job at keeping me interested in following the story. Overall ok story, not a new favorite but I think it will appeal to a lot of people

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

This book instantly drew me in, I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style. I highly recommend picking this up!

A fantastically performed whodunit. Twists and turns to keep the reader guessing!

5 out of 5 stars.

This book had a very creepy premise - boys who were kidnapped and held for a year before being released back to their families!
The book unfortunately missed the mark for me. I listened on audio and it didn't seem very creepy, but rather depressing. It was a little slow as well. The characters didn't hold my interest and I didn't really care about them.
It was also partially told through some letters, but I found them confusing and they didn't add to the enjoyments of the story. The whole thing about the castle was not clear for me either.
I did finish the book, which was good. I would also try something else by this author. This one was just not for me.

A real interesting concept and storyline.
This is my first book by Court & I'm sure it won't be the last!

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I got the audiobook of this from netgalley for free and listened to this today and though i did like the mystery part i do agree with others that the time/letters could be confusing. This is a book i would consider rereading though

to start off i was kind of lost at start but the pace and the thrill brought me in with a real interest

There is a Gemini thief out there taking three boys and holding them as his captivates from June 1st to the June 31th of the following year. it can be anyone. it can be she/he. Your pervert uncle, your lovely father, your talkative mother, your creepy teacher or the salesman who tried to convince you buy bibles. The thief is smart, never leaving traces, keeping his identity disguised.

I loved balanced, honest, genuine relationships and deep bond between the characters. All of them were well-rounded and relatable characters. I loved Thea, Nick.

But this is brave, dark, unique, gripping book questioning everyone’s motives and confuses the hell of you. This one also killed my spider senses and I couldn’t find the identity of this vicious, terrifying thief.

•Character development- 3.5☆
• Story Plot- 4☆
• Side characters- 3.5☆
• Flow of the story- 4☆
• Overall - 4☆

CAWPILE point: 4.71

I received an audiobook review copy through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

I always promise myself that I won’t read a book that is very badly rated because I’m interested in a lot of books, and of course there’s a chance I’ll enjoy it, but you’re more likely not to. The chances to enjoy the book are higher when I read a book with good ratings. And then I still request books on NetGalley that have very low ratings. For some reason this book's description caught my intrest, but its rating was terribly low. Well, in the end I had to be disappointed, I didn't enjoy the book.

C - Character: 5/10
I didn’t like any of the characters. I didn't know where to put them. Thea, our protagonist, was a little annoying. Her relationship with her father’s ex wife was very strange. But perhaps the most irritating thing is that once she suspects her father that he is the Gemini Thief, the next time she is sure that he is not. I wasn't a fan of Nick either, he was terribly annoying. Aulus was the second point of view though his letters. I didn’t get to know him too much, but it was terribly annoying that his narrator was an old-voiced man while he was an 18-year-old boy. It spoiled the experience a lot.

A - Atmosphere: 5/10
I love dark-atmospheric books, but in this book, I couldn't enjoy it. I didn’t like the atmospheric at all, maybe because it was very depressing instead of dark.

W - Wrinting: 4/10
I wasn't a fan of the writing style. I didn't like how the story was presented, and unfortunately, I didn't like the letters either. It was very hard to understand that the story plays in 2 timeline.

P - Plot: 5/10
The story was also very strange to me. I really didn't like it, I was terribly bored. I didn’t understand the castle-god thing at all. The identity of the robber did not matter for me, and it was very irritating that our protagonist suspected everyone. I didn't understand the letters properly either. There’s a note at the end that these letters were addressed to a true kidnapping survivor, which also made me confused. Why her? Does the content of the letters have anything to do with her? Was the story inspired by her? The note was the only thing in the book that I thought about , other things I didn’t care so much about. Also, there was an interview at the end of the audiobook, but I wasn’t interested, so I skipped it.

I - Intrigue: 6/10
Audiobooks are always a lot easier to “read” because I listen to them. But the book was so boring and the mood of the book repulse me. I didn’t listen to anything for days because I didn’t feel like listening to it, but I didn’t “suffer” either.

L - Logic: 5/10
I didn’t understand many things, they weren’t explained properly. A lot of question marks left in me, and I was thinking about how realistic certain things were.

E - Enjoyment: 3/10
I couldn’t give more than 2 stars, which translated into 3 points (10 means favourite, 9 means 5 stars, ..).

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Thomas Nelson and Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.
The June Boys is the story of Thea, a girl whose father is accused of a terrible crime when there are an occurrence of several kidnappings in a town. Every year, three boys are taken on the 1st June and held captive for a month before being released. This so-called Gemini Thief has never been caught and Thea, along with her boyfriend Nick, have become involved in investigating ever since Thea's cousin was taken by the thief. Suspicion falls on her father and she must come to terms with the fact that the Thief might be someone close to home.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book and I went in fairly blind. It is definitely a thriller in terms of plot but the style is quite laid-back and at least for me, it didn't have a strong sense of tension the way a traditional thriller usually does. Having said that, I was very intrigued and engaged with the premise of this book. I found Thea to be a very interesting character and I felt I could both sympathise and understand the personal dilemmas she went through. My favourite sections by far though were the 'Elizabeth Letters' written by Aulus while he is in captivity, and these added that much-welcomed sense of danger and tension to the story.

As an audiobook, I found both the narrators were great. I will say that the Elizabeth Letters section does lose a little of the detail in audio format as the physical book has little doodles, asides and other comments with the way the letters are presented. However, this is a very minor thing.

In terms of the mystery, I wasn't necessarily shocked by anything that happened in this book. I think that was down to the more laid-back style. There were also some strong religious undertones to the whole thing which I didn't personally connect to much. Overall though, the June Boys is an intriguing YA thriller with a very unique premise and setting which was a breath of fresh air in the genre. I think it deals with the subject of kidnapping well and has some interesting exploration surrounding that topic. It is definitely worth checking out if you're sick of being disappointed by YA thrillers and want something with a bit more meat to it.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

This was wonder and dark and mysterious. I thought the characters were so well written and i loved the bonds between them. Some parts were a tad confusing when it was bouncing back and forth and i had to check back to make sure i was getting things right. But i didn’t guess who it was which is quite refreshing! It had me going throughout! I thought this was different and new and i really enjoyed it! I’m not typically a YA person but this was refreshing and so well written!
I also loved the narration! It added to the story nicely

The key difference between a mystery and a thriller: what we the readers know. Because the identity of the kidnapper is as much a question mark to us as it is to Thea, this book is firmly in the mystery category. Now, a good mystery should present us with an assortment of reasonable suspects. We should be constantly changing our minds about the criminal's identity. Personally, I had a guess pretty early on that didn't waver much and I was close to right. Honestly, the weakest part of this book was the supposed motivations for the various suspects. It does have it's strong points. Consider the investigation. Thea and Nick aren't succeeding where the police fail. We see the police and the FBI actively investigating at every turn. It's just that Thea and her friends are obsessing over details and find themselves privy to information that the authorities do not have. They only keep things to themselves until they are able to confirm it, and then they hand it over. Yes they are investigating but the ultimate responsibility always belongs to the authorities. That makes this plot less one of chasing after criminals and more of discovering secrets and questioning what you know about the people closest to you. This makes it more contemplative than the standard mystery. Stevens asks us to reflect upon the difference between fact and truth, between what we know and what we believe. This is compelling enough to keep us reading and leaves us with ideas to chew on after the fact.

**I received a galley of the audiobook from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Court Stevens tells the story of The June Boys through her story about the investigation into the criminal known as the Gemini Thief. On June 1, boys are taken from somewhere in Tennessee. They are kept for a year and the following June 30, they are released. They are typically unharmed, with no knowledge of who took them or where they had been kept. When Thea's cousin is one of the year's June boys, Thea decides to do her own investigation. This only becomes more urgent when one of that year's June boys shows up dead.

Stevens tells the story primarily from Thea's perspective, though letters from one of the June Boys are also featured. This choice is interesting considering how Thea is tied to so many suspects and to some of the victims as well. Stevens manages to keep solid tension while still dropping clues for the reader and for Thea along the way. This skill is absolutely necessary for me to enjoy a thriller, but particularly for a YA thriller.

There were multiple audiobook narrators for each character's perspective, and I always enjoy full cast audiobooks. I feel that this choice makes the story so much more accessible and also making it clear when perspectives are shifting. The various perspectives are useful in building and maintaining tension.

As this book is a thriller, I find it difficult to discuss the actual content without spoiling anything and fully believe that this book should be gone into with knowing as little as possible.

Overall, I feel that Stevens was successful in having a solid YA thriller and feel confident recommending the audiobook as a way to consume the book.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I have always been an absolute sucker for true crime and serial killer novels. When I got approved for the ebook of this book, I totally forgot about it amidst everything going on with the global pandemic and it fell into the void of my Kindle library.

Then I got approved for the audiobook on NetGalley and I didn't waste this second chance.

The June Boys is one of this books that struggles with bipolar book disorder (BBD). Some parts of this story, I was staying up way past my bedtime with my speakers on full volume, enamored with every word from the narrator's lips. Other bits? I was confused and bored.

The Gemini Thief part of this book was well done and I really like the Elizabeth letters. The setting of Appalachia made my West Virginia soul sing and I adored the representation of mountain people and their lives. That was one of the highlights for me; the casually Appalachian parts of the story.

The biggest struggle for me was the whole castle situation and religious bits. While the epilogue was well done (if a bit preachy) and I understand that it's hard to write a book about Appalachia without touching on religion, it felt disconnected from the Gemini Thief plot and a wee bit like a side tangent.

Overall, a well written love letter to Appalachia and true crime with a dash too much of religion. If you can get past the religious side plot (or you're really into that), this might be a good fit for you.

I had heard some conflicting reviews of this book, and I wanted to see what I thought about it. This book felt more than a little messy though.

The characters were so boring to me. They didn't feel like "real" people. I listened to the author's interview at the end of the audiobook, and it seems like there was a lot of thought about what experiences she wanted the characters to go through and some general struggles she wanted them to have, but nothing about them felt right.

The plot was the thing I was most excited about, but it was a bit of let down in the end. I really wanted to enjoy this book, and the story seemed like it was going to be a solid "Criminal Minds"-esque kidnapping mystery, but the biggest disappointments for me and what kept me from enjoying it was the writing and the overall feeling or atmosphere of the book. At no point was I hooked or on the edge of my seat. I almost DNF'd the book after the reveal since I was like "Well, I guess I know whodunit," but I decided to stick it out through the resolution. I wanted more mysterious vibes. I wanted a cohesive plot and some investigative skills. This just didn't do it for me.

The June Boy has a very interesting unique plot to it. I Just couldn't get in to the audio. Those who are into young adult mystery, this book is for you.

he June Boys is a young adult mystery thriller about a series of kidnappings of boys that takes place over a decade only to see the boys released each June mostly physically unharmed (hence the name The June Boys). The book is told between two points of view: Thea, a high school senior who is desperate to find her missing cousin Aulus and Aulus as he writes his “Elizabeth letters” describing the day to day trials of captivity.

The book opens with the first death related to the June Boys and Thea’s fear for both the well-being of Aulus and a new concern that the kidnapper (nicknamed the Gemini Thief) could be her own father. The reader follows amateur detective Thea through a series of false leads, red herrings and dead ends as she tries to solve the crime herself, find Aulus and clear her father’s name. Meanwhile Aulus describes the dire state of the June Boys as food water become scarce.

The June Boys is an engaging and twisty thriller that I highly recommend to readers of all ages. The audiobook is narrated beautifully and both Thea and Aulus’s voice come through clearly. There is a underlying theme of hope and being called to a higher purpose which adds an extra nuance to the story that many current YA thrillers lack. I was concerned that because this came from a Christian publisher that there would be a strong pro-religious undercurrent but it was subtle and acceptable to this agnostic reader.

4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

* a copy of the audiobook of The June Boys was provided for review purposes by the publisher and Netgalley

The Gemini Thief is a serial kidnapper. Three boys are taken every year for the past decade; the June Boys. A year later the boys are released. When the body of one of the missing boys is discovered, the detectives and citizens assume the kidnapper has escalated. The boys are kidnapped, but never harmed or murdered.

Thea Delacroix is a teenage girl who's cousin, Aulus McClaghen, has disappeared. She believes he was taken by the Gemini Thief. Ever since Aulus's disappearance, Thea has been investigating the identity of the Gemini Thief. Together with her boyfriend Nick and her best friends, Thea is determined to find the Gemini Thief and the remaining boys before it’s too late.

The Gemini Thief could be anyone. Thea begins to suspect her own father. He is eclectic and he has secrets, but could he be the Gemini Thief? It is unbelievable, yet not impossible.

The book also includes letters written by Aulus during his captivity; The Elizabeth Letters. He writes about the condition in which the June Boys are kept.

I enjoyed the audiobook and it's a good YA mystery thriller. I had some issues with it though.. The story is confusing and I had a hard time getting into it. The characters feel quite one-dimensional and lack depth, which made it difficult to connect with them. The FBI agent working the Gemini Thief case is sharing information with the underaged and highly involved group of friends who are investigating the case for themselves. The ending came out of nowhere. There are a lot of questions unanswered at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for sharing this audiobook ARC in exchange my honest review.