I thought it would be better. Not very interesting to me. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book had it alllllll…..fantasy, romance, mystery and I loved it. I recommend it!! Near the end of the book I couldn’t put it down.

I'm a sucker for any & all time travel stories, so falling in love with the Farrow women was easy. This book was SO good! Its an easy 5 stars, and I can't wait to read more of Young's adult works.

“The Unmaking of June Farrow” by Adrienne Young - (4.5 Stars) (Pub Date:10/17/2023) was a surprisingly fresh and generally satisfying contribution to the magical realism genre, about “special” women and the choices that mothers, daughters, and grandaughters make generation over generation to be who and what they are ‘meant’ to be.

Good Things: Time travel in novels is sometimes overdone, over simplified, over complicated, or unnecessary. This story managed to take familiar territory, make it unique, believable, and thought-provoking, all while making the logistics of the time travel of parallel importance to the characters' growth and depth. The balance is what set this book apart, in that it was equal parts ‘interesting time travel theory’ AND “amazing self-discovery / love story”. Also, I loved the initial perception of being a Farrow as inevitable mental health problems, rather than inevitable magic. This “of course I’m just going crazy” treatment felt way more real then “oh, it’s the family curse/gift!” and made the “OMG, it’s really real” moment so satisfying.

Opportunities: The pace just barely slowed in the middle portion of the novel and I would have liked a little less internal growth and self-reflection and more verbal/action-based relationship - building. I also was interrupted a ton in my reading of the middle parts, so that could be part of it. Did not detract from the 4.5 rating, just a heads up to readers to keep going because…GREAT ending!

Final Thoughts: As I’ve been reading more “serious” books lately, this book felt a little ‘out of my norm’. It had a romance, it was not dark, or sad, and it was ‘easy-to-consume’ magical realism at its very best. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in a long time and outside of the warm and fuzzy, I’ve been left with a little puzzle in my head about what would happen generationally if I could live or love like the Farrow women. It’s a fascinating reflection.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read of this story by netgalley and Random House/Delacorte Press. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #theunmakingofjunefarrow #junefarrow #adrienneyoung #randomhouse #randomhouseballantine #delacortepress @adrienneyoungooks #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs #bookaesthetic

Details
Review Shared on Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/leah_cyphert_butidigressbookclub
Publishing Review 11/1/2023

Gorgeous ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beautiful. Sentimental. Atmospheric. Unique. These are the words to describe this novel. Yes, the time travel can get a little confusing, but the lyrical prose makes up for it. While I admit it did take me a beat to get into the story, the rest swept me away. I won’t soon forget this exquisite story of June Farrow.

The Unmaking of June Farrow definitely drew me in with the first ⅓ of the book. I was excited to read another of Adrienne Young’s books and I can confidently say magical realism is definitely her strong suit. I could not get enough of the mystery behind the Farrow women and why they seem to not be quite present. The pacing at the beginning of the book was very good. It was the appropriate amount of intrigue and action that kept me hooked. However, towards the end, the pacing got a little slow. I found myself not enjoying the parts where she was settling down in her new life due to lack of action. With that said, I’m really glad to see that Adrienne Young has found a genre that works for her.

4.75

This is a perfect fall read! The setting it so atmospheric and magical. I loved Adrienne Young’s writing and she just keeps getting better and better. Her transition to the adult fiction world is going splendidly and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Adrienne Young has done it again! She has a way of capturing her readers and transporting them into a world of her making that feels absolutely real even with the hints of magic and other fanciful happenings. This time it is the element of time travel.

Our main character is June whose family tree seems to be cursed as the female members all appear to eventually have mental illness. Living with that kind of "time bomb" and watching other family members succumb to this tragedy is heartbreaking. June has made the choice to never get attached or fully live her life as she takes care of her grandmother while waiting for her own time of demise to come.

After her grandmother's passing is when the true story unfolds. There is mystery, twists and turns, romance, time travel, suspense...so much happens that you can't wait to flip to the next page to see where the story will lead.

5 stars

Currently reading and loving.. ⁣
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Summary⁣
A woman risks everything to end her family's centuries-old curse, solve her mother's disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the author of Spells for Forgetting. In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her..⁣
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This one is a total vibe and I am feeling it. I've never read any of Adrienne Young's books but for whatever reason, I was really looking forward to this one! What isn't there to love -- mystery, romance, and a little magic mixed in?! ⁣
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Have you read any of Adrienne Young's books? I have a feeling I'm going to want to read more by her.⁣

Final rating:
-4 stars

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛𝙞𝙨𝙝. 𝙄𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚.”

Title: The Unmaking of June Farrow
Author: Adrienne Young
Rating: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️
Release: October 17th, 2023
Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller
Format: Ebook 📱, Audiobook 🎧
Length: 320 pages
Start: October 20th, 2023
Finish: October 23rd, 2023
Series: No
Favorite character: June
Would I read again: Yes!

Thoughts:

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I had seen someone call Adrienne Young’s writing “jewel toned” and what a perfect description. I’m pretty sure I cried at the end of this book. It was absolutely lovely and had made it on my favorites list for the year.

Young did amazing in her world building. I LOVE a descriptive writer that basically paints a beautiful in depth setting around you to the point that you are living within the book and no longer reading the book. I highlighted this passage: “The engine groaned as I came to a stop at the only traffic light in Jasper, which hung from a tenuous wire over the main intersection in town”. Soo descriptive, I squealed so much while reading.

I’m also a multiple format girl, so I listened to the audiobook along side the ebook and wow! The narrator, Brittany Pressley is AMAZING! She read and acted so beautifully, it truly brought the story to life. I usually listen to books I’m reading while I do chores and errands, just so I can further progress in the book. But I found myself many times listening to the narration and also picking up the book to read along with her. I am now a HUGE fan of Brittany Pressley and will be looking for her other work as soon as possible.

The concept and plot of this book is gorgeous and heartbreaking. The love story squeezed my heart and was earth shattering. Adrienne Young is QUEEN! Loved this book! I recommend it so so much. Please pick this one up!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Adrienne Young for the ARC of this life changing book.

my least favorite book by Adrienne Young. It starts out really intreguing but ends up just being waiting for someone to get some memories back. It got really boring.

The Unmaking of June Farrow was the perfect read for fall. I recently finished Adrienne Young's Spells for Forgetting and thought I should follow that up with The Unmaking of June Farrow. This one completely blew Spells out of the water! Once I picked this up I couldn't put it down.

What I loved the most about this book was the family dynamic of the Farrow women. I don't want to go too much into the story as I don't want to give anything away, but it reminded me a bit of Practical Magic, but with some time bending elements of a Black Mirror episode - though definitely not as bleak! June was an incredible main character and I loved getting to know her. She was complex and my heart ached for her as she had to make complicated, life-altering decisions.

If you're looking for a story full of love and family, a bit of mystery and just a hit of sci-fi magic, check out The Unmaking of June Farrow. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a review copy! I can't wait for this author's next work.

This was my first book by Adrienne Young and I definitely really enjoyed it. I don't read very much magical realism but sometimes it just feels so refreshing and unique! It took me a little bit to get into this, but it wasn't slow by any means. This book had small town mystery, family history, and second chance romance. All themes that I enjoy!!

This is really a perfect book for cozying up with during the fall and winter. I thought it was really atmospheric and felt transported into the story. I love Adrienne Youngs writing and I will definitely check out more of her books in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Thank you for the chance to preview this novel! Oh my goodness, it was so incredibly good and I couldn't put it down! I loved the concept, the writing, the characters! Perfect Fall, cozy season read! I can't say enough good things! This novel is definitely in my top 10/90 this year!

I wanted to like this, but it did not hold my attention. Will be a great recommendation for other readers, though.

What a magical story 🥰 I was super excited to get an early copy of this one in my hands after reading and loving Spells For Forgetting last fall. I had high expectations for this one and I’m happy to say that they were definitely met!

Adrienne Young has a gorgeous, atmospheric way of writing that sucks you in from the very beginning. As I’m reading her words I can completely envision myself in the story. In this case, I felt like I was right in the little town of Jasper, North Carolina.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a fantastic example of what magical realism is to me. Everyday characters with situations that are just a bit extraordinary. I fell in love with our FMC June, and her beautiful family of Farrow women.

My only qualm with this book (and why it’s a 4 star read for me) is because one element of the story (discussed in more detail at the end) confused me and I was a little lost. But if you have any questions, please feel free to DM me!

I went into this story blind and I’m so glad I did. I don’t want to delve into much detail in my review for fear of giving anything away. Just know I loved this story SO much and I haven’t been able to stop thinking of the characters since I finished it.

I enjoyed this. I think it was writing-wise better than Spells for Forgetting, even if the story was a bit slower. I honestly don’t feel like I completely understood this - I can’t say too much without giving things away, but a lot about this was too complicated for my pregnancy-addled brain 😅 I also don’t feel like we got enough development of Eamon and June’s relationship to feel invested enough in them. overall, this was a lovely story with perfect moody vibes for fall. thanks to @netgalley for this gifted digital copy!

A cross between The Time Travelers Wife and Outlander, I did not feel like I got a good well-rounded feel for the characters. I would have liked to read more backstory on how they met and been given more of a chance to feel connected to them. Also, the big reveal at the end of the book was pretty predictable.

I absolutely loved this.

I felt similarly after finishing this book as I did when I read THE SECRET LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE -- I felt changed and utterly captivated. I just knew I'd be thinking about the story for a long time.

THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW is a story of a genealogical curse, the uncovering of family secrets, and the impact of our choices. Not only is this story expertly written, it's also breathtakingly spellbinding. As the story weaved through time and characters, I almost felt like I was holding my breath -- and I didn't want the journey to end. It was heart-achingly beautiful, thought-provoking, and worth every bit of hype.

A huge thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW is out now -- and it's a captivating must-read.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this advanced copy.

If you enjoy magical realism with twists and turns that leave your mind blown, then look no further. This story contains time travel, alternate realities, and sliding doors. I’m not sure I truly understand what happened, but I enjoyed the ride immensely! lol 😝

I read this on my kindle and I think I may have followed the timelines a little better if I could flip the pages back and forth more easily to double-check dates. An infographic with the timelines and dates with notes would have been helpful as well.

I think this is one of those books that you just read without worrying too much about “getting it” the first time, then when re-reading it, the pieces will fall into place. I look forward to testing this theory next time I pick this one up.