I'm going to be the really odd one out on this-because I dnf. I tried twice to finish it, the second time after reading all the positive reviews. I was so so confused and then June's grandmother (?) Esther explained what happens to women in the Farrow family and it made absolutely no sense to me. The basic idea- that the women exist in more than one space and that they can go back and forth in time by walking through a red door that appears in the middle of a field (woods, etc) isn't hard to comprehend. It was the other stuff, the idea that the women can cross only so many times and that June had- I just got lost in the explanation. If June had been better fleshed out in the early pages it might have been different but she wasn't. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I know others think this is terrific but it didn't captivate, entrance, or engage only annoyed.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Spells for Forgetting, but this wasn't my favorite.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is an adult magical realism novel. In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors. It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own. After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

I think it's safe to say that Young is good at writing books with magical realism, as it perfectly matches her bejewled writing style. But at time, it was a little too over the top and caused confusion in what exactly was happening. Which is what caused me to be pulled out of the story when all of the story's strings were supposed to be tied up at the end. I think I just wasn't in the right mood for this, but it was still a solid read.

Have you ever read a book and felt completely satisfied? The Unmaking of June Farrow was like that for me. It is magically created, with strong characters, and an astonishing story. That will grab your attention and rivet you to your reading spot. Not allowing you to stop no matter what is occurring around you. The descriptions and the details allow your imagination to fly. Taking in the smell of the dark, rich earth, the sunlight bouncing off blonde hair, the scent of flowers filling your nose, the rushing water reaching your ears. Adrienne Young is a wizard with her pen, and I am here for all of it.

June Farrow has just lost her Gran. It is a crushing blow that has led her to push through the days. Her friends and family are there for her. But something is missing and something has been occurring that she has hidden. The Farrow women are cursed. They go mad, and June believes her time has come. She keeps hearing and seeing things that are not there. What is going on with her? Is this what happened to her mother before she disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again? There is a red door that appears out of nothing. What is with the door?

I do not want to tell you too much, just know that you need to read this book! You must read this book. It will fill you up with so much love. The mystery of what is occurring will have your mind whirling a million miles an hour. You will be transported to Jasper, North Carolina. You will be able to take in the trees blowing in the wind, the ladybug's slow walk, the smell of smoke gently on the breeze. Thank you to Adrienne Young and Delacorte Press for this phenomenal read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. And boy am I beyond glad that I got to have this ARC--the Unmaking of June Farrow is one of the best books I've read this fall. While it has a bit of a slow start, once the ball on the mystery gets rolling the plot is propulsive. Young's hand at moving through timelines is unparalleled, and the relationships between characters are beautifully rendered. An absolutely fantastic October read!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young is one of the most whimsical time travel stories I've ever read.

Set in the small town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is the last of her family name, or so she hopes. For generations, the Farrow women have been plagued by madness and she knows it's only a matter of time before she joins her ancestors in the cemetery on the hill. We meet June in 2023 at the end of her Gran's life. Her Gran raised her and ultimately succumbed to the family illness. When June starts to feel her own grip on reality slip away, she gets a package from her Gran that quite literally begins (or undoes?) her unmaking.

Without giving too much away, June follows a metaphorical trail of breadcrumbs across space and time to uncover who she really is and where she really comes from. She'll have to answer for the sins of the past before she can figure out what comes next. And which side of the century she stands on may determine the future of the entire Farrow line.

I absolutely LOVE a time travel story. Throw in a little romance, a little danger and a lot of mystery and you've really got me. This book captured all of that -- and more. June was such a complete character. Her relationships with the many women in the Farrow family were deep and often searing. Her love interest(s) only deepen our understanding of June as a person both then and now (though what really is "now"). For me, this story comes down to choices.

There were so many twists and turns and I must admit I lost the thread of the time travel more than once. I started to write down a little time line for myself because I was getting lost in time myself. Again, without the risk of spoiling things, the ending felt a little murky to me. I'm not entirely sure if timelines end or merge or fray forever -- and maybe that's ok!

All in all, this book has my own timeline looking a little less certain. When will my red door appear and who (or what) is waiting for me on the other side?!

I loved this book! This was my first Adrienne Young novel, and it was phenomenal. I was immediately invested in June and her family’s story of the Farrow women’s curse. It was a beautifully crafted story full of tension, love, time travel, family, and mystery. It was woven together so well. Every twist and turn had me wishing I could read faster to learn more about what happened and if/when June will remember it. I keep trying to figure out the right word to describe this book, and I keep coming back to the word romantic. I was enthralled to the story of Eamon and June with Annie, Margaret, etc. All of the familial love and ties. All of the longing and tethering together of June and Eamon. All of the connections. All of the mystery around the murder of Nathaniel. All of it. Stunning.

Wow am I so thankful I received an ARC of this novel! When I say I was enthralled by this spellbinding tale—I mean ENTHRALLED! Young has the most captivating way of bringing you into a story and flowing through a woven tale in a beautiful way. The mystery of the Farrow women, the secrets that slowly unravel, the revelations, and the beauty that comes from it all was just lovely, mysterious, and captivating. I enjoyed every minute of this book, trying to figure out the truth along with June, and, without any spoilers—absolutely falling in love just as she did. A wondrous tale I believe I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Well done!

This was my first book by this author and I am honestly so impressed by it. The way she took romance, mystery, magical realism and some thriller and wove them all together to work seamlessly was just amazing. I’ve never read a book quite like this- with multiple time loops involving only the females of the Farrow family. I wasn’t sure about it at first, I honestly thought June was just delusional and grieving her Gran’s death. But once I got around the 40% mark, I was hooked and needed to know what happened. So much is explained and the ending does not disappoint. This was a great fall read.

I was lucky enough to be able to read an advance copy of this book.

It had all of the elements I love in a book and kept me interested from the first page. Mystery, sci-fi, and romance.

The way you have to keep reading, because you can’t wait to figure out what’s happening and how it happened.

This book is a perfect fall book to snuggle down with if you’re looking for a great read!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t even fully read the synopsis before starting this book. I had really enjoyed Spells For Forgetting last year and was excited to jump into Young’s 2nd adult book. Because I went in completely blind, the plot really shocked me (in a good way!) This book WENT THERE with the impossible and I really encourage others to go in blind as well.

I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, but I really like how this played out. It was a little messy and confusing but so so fun. There’s a mystery, some romance, and memories play their part as well.

At first, I was feeling a little bit the same about this book as I did about Spells For Forgetting - that it felt YA and I had a hard time believing the character was as old as they are stated to be. But once the big shift in the story happens, those feelings vanished and I was able to sink into the story.

A great, unique, entry into this in-between genre of light fantasy in a real world setting, mystery, and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel. This was the first book by this author that I read and I absolutely loved it. Young's writing is very evocative. Every time an author makes me feel like I am inside the book (smelling, seeing and touching the same things the characters are), it is a mark of an incredible writer. Young is such an author. I was also amazed by the level of detail that she uses in describing the life on a farm in the 1950s - from farming techniques to the daily life of a family. It was fascinating. I also really liked the main character. Oftentimes, when a novel is written from the point of view of one character, I get frustrated with the decisions they make (or their indecision), and this was not the case for me with June Farrow - she was very relatable, and I could understand her choices in every single instance.

In terms of the overall plot, this is part historical fiction, part fantasy, part murder mystery and part romance. So I think it will appeal to a lot of readers. We follow June Farrow who lives on a flower farm in North Carolina. Everyone in town knows that there is something not quite right about Farrow women. First of all, each woman always has just one daughter, and all the Farrow women eventually succumb to some sort of "madness" or mental illness where they see and hear things that are not there. Now, I do want to give a trigger warming, if someone in your family suffers from a mental illness such as dementia, schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder, in the beginning of the book, it very much looks like this is what is going on. However, the plot quickly makes a turn into the fantastical and we realize that it is not a mental illness that we are dealing with.

Without giving any spoilers, I thought the plot was great, I also liked how the book ended. It is a bit mind-bending at times. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to reading more from Adrienne Young.

I loved this book which surprised me. But every now and then, a book is written with a little bit of magic that defies what we know and makes us question the possibilities. This is that book. All the Farrow women are a little bit different than others given to "hysterics" and spells that is how it is described during their time periods. June Farrow has vowed never to marry or have children. She wants to stop the curse that she and others feel the Farrow women are born with. Raised by her grandmother in a very small town, she was deserted by her mother as an infant who has become a mystery for her and she just wanted to know why.. But as she tries to unravel that mystery, she discovers a greater mystery about herself. June has never confided in anyone that the "illness" has already taken ahold of her for as long as a year before her grandmother died and that she was having episodes of seeing that which wasn't there. Her mother had this, her grandmother too. However, her grandmother had stated that she wasn't crazy only that she lived in two worlds. June soon discovers exactly what her Grandmother meant, after being giving a note following her grandmother's passing, as she decides to go through the red door. June must make a difficult choice, what do you give up for happiness for yourself and those you love? Well written, I loved the puzzle and putting all the pieces together. This would generate a great discussion for book clubs. many thanks to #netgalley, #theunmakingofjunefarrow #adrienneyoung for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Adrienne Young has crafted a novel that completely transports the reader and holds you on the edge of your seat gripping the book tighter as you try to puzzle your way through the clues and circumstance with June Farrow. A family curse, dark secrets, mysterious disappearances, and enduring love stories. Touching on grief and the lengths people will go to protect those they love this novel draws you in from the very first chapter and twists it's way around your heart.

Small Town, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Protective MMC, Time Travel

I was very excited to read this book because I loved Spells for Forgetting and was excited to see what kind of book Adrienne Young would write next! This is another great example of magical realism and this book is all about a family of women who can travel through a door that appears to them to them three times in their lifetime. The author does a good job with the conundrum of time travel which can sometimes be convoluted and confusing. I would definitely recommend giving this one a read especially if you’re a fan of magical realism and authors such as Alice Hoffman or Sarah Addison Allen.

I love all things Adrienne Young and this book did not disappoint. It was raw and emotional, coaxing me along through the twists and turns of the book. I felt like I was June Farrow.

Young is the QUEEN of atmospheric fall reads - after loving Spells last year, this one was highly anticipated for me. And it totally lived up! This was both unputdownable and deliciously slow-build - I loved it. Adrienne Young is officially an auto-buy author for me!

This was my first book by Adrienne Young, but it won't be my last. I went into this one blind and I think that is the best way to read it. I was so pleasantly surprised by the story, writing, and mix of genres. Young did an amazing job brining all of the characters to life and I felt like I was right beside them as everything unfolded on the pages. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but I was so invested once I got past the first few chapters and had a hard time putting it down. A beautiful story about difficult choices, second chances, and family.

In true Adrienne Young fashion, this was an achingly beautiful book.

The story has a purposeful, slow-build mystery with a subtle but strong romance. June's family curse played out very differently than I thought it would, and I can't say that I'm mad about the journey this story takes the reader on.

If you are planning on reading this one, I hope no other reviewer spoils the narrative elements that make this story so unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc for early review. All thoughts are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery with Magical Realism
Age Level: Adult
Content: some violence, 1 vague open-door

I had to sit and gather my thoughts for a bit after finishing this. The story is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains and follows June, who sets out to make sense of the curse that has haunted the females in her family for a century. I loved this book. It had a suspenseful, dark and witchy vibe but also involves a second chance romance. There were several parts in which I had to sit and let my brain grasp what was going on. I really fell in love with some of the characters, especially Eamon and I found myself rooting for him throughout.

Thank you for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I could not get into this book. I am not sure if it was the writing style or what but I got to about a quarter through and felt apathetic. I didn't care about the storyline.

DO NOT let my apathy deter you though. Please give it a try yourself.