After falling in love with Spells for Forgetting I knew I needed to read more from Adrienne Young. The Unmaking of June Farrow did not disappoint! The writing is poetic and atmospheric. The author does an amazing job of making you feel like you are there in the Blue Ridge Mountain's (one of my favorite places).
The character development is perfection, I loved the entire Farrow family!
This book is sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism/mystery/romance, really Adrienne Young’s books fall under their own genre! It’s really impressive how she able to make a book feel so cozy and magical.
The beginning was a little slower, but once I got about 30% in I could not put it down. Read the last 70% in one night!
4.5⭐️
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine/Delacorte Press and Netgally for this ARC!

First off, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this arc!

Although this story wasn't for me, I still think plenty of other people will enjoy this book. It has a great opening - which did make me tear up, plot twists, a likable fmc, magical realism, family, and romance! Think Nicholas Sparks meets The Time Traveler's Wife.

What really held me back from loving this book would be the amount of information present that didn't really pertain to the plot/characters. I found it daunting to be met with page after page of dense paragraphs with no dialogue. I was able to fly through this book because of the easy writing style, but still felt it took me a long time because I was unmotivated to continue. I guessed the twist pretty early on, but there was still some surprising factors towards the end.

Again, not a bad book, not quite my taste, but I can see plenty of people falling in love with this story!

This book broke my brain and then my heart. I love Adrienne Young's writing so I had high hopes for this book but it absolutely blew any and all of them out of the water. It was filled with her usual amazing writing, a chilling and thorough storyline and an absolutely beautiful depiction of family. I genuinely don't think I will ever get over this, by the end I was sobbing my eyes out.

Anyone knows if you are a big reader that, sometimes, stories can start to blend together, Similar tropes, Similar themes. Similar characters. But then I picked up this book and read it in a little over a day. THE MAKING OF JUNE FARROW is probably one of my favorite books this year because it tells a story that is unique, while also being engaging and well written.

One of the things that was so special about this book is that it is genre bending, One can't quite place how the story is going to go and what category it should fall into. it has mystery elements. It has some romance. It has some historical aspects. It has magical realism. And with these combined, it created such a fabulous story. I didn't know what was going to happen and I was guessing throughout. I HAD to know, and that is what propelled me though the book. After reading so many books this year, 85 and counting, it was almost refreshing to see this combination of genres because it made the story one of a kind, while bringing in the best part of these different styles.

Part of this enthrallment with this book was also because it was extremely well written, The character development, the vivid descriptions, and the story were immersive. They author does a fabulous job of creating this world, explaining it, and fundamentally sucking the reader into the story.

Overall, I found this book to be such a breath of fresh air story wise. While I can't give too much away because the plot is so intertwined, it is definitively a must read. I hope, like me, you won't be able to put it down.

This book was amazing, and has made me look into other works this author has released. The atmospheric writing and overall concept was done so well. I never found this book lacking, I truly felt every word, every sentence, was needed. The time travel sci-fi twists and the whole concept of overlapping timelines was so unique and well thought out. I will be recommending this book to everyone, one of the best books I read all year.

Wow this book! I think that Adrienne Young has an amazing writing style, and it leads to these complex and excruciatingly detailed stories and The Unmaking of June Farrow was no exception. The setting is a small town, beautiful flower gardens and the writing really paints a picture, following the perspective of June. The pacing of this book is on the slow side, but the plot is so complicated, with such delicate details, that it really needed to take the time to build, or the plot would have unraveled. There were some surprising revels, heartbreaking situations, and undeniable love and determination. I thought June was quiet and kept to herself at first, accepting her fate of the family curse, but as the story moved along her character really started to show so much resilience. Overall, I had a really great time reading this book and think it’s a great fall read.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

4.5 🌟

After falling in love with Spells for Forgetting, I knew I would be picking up Adrienne Young's next book.... and The Unmaking of June Farrow made Young an "auto read" for me.

As June Farrow struggles with the "sickness" her + other Farrow women have in the family, you find out how far they are willing to go to protect one another.

This book was beautifully written with just enough mystery to make me want to keep reading. The relationships June has in this book are both beautiful and heartbreaking.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
1 sentence summary: A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old course, solve her mothers disappearance, and find love.

I’ve only read one Adrienne Young novel (Spells), but after that book, I assumed Young was quickly on her way to being an auto-buy author. After this book, she’s safely cemented her spot!

What I loved:
- The atmosphere. I was fully immersed in this story!
- The slow-burn romance
- The mystery at the heart of the novel
- The supporting cast
- Young’s writing style

What some might not love:
- I found the time travel slight confusing, but I think that's a me thing. I find most media that includes time travel confusing. Ultimately, I didn't focus on the plot point or the rules around it too closely (which may have led to the confusion) so it really didn't impact my enjoyment in a positive or negative way.

Rating: An easy five stars!

I don’t know what it is, but Young’s writing and stories work so well for me. I’m transported and fully immersed in anything she writes. I recommend this for everyone but especially those who are fans of slow-burn romance, light fantasy, magical realism (which I’m normally not a fan of), or anyone looking for a good Fall read.

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

I requested this book because I really enjoyed Spells for Forgetting last year. It took a little while for me to get into this book though, and I think that’s a combination of just not having enough time to read and the beginning being a little slow. Once it picked up, I really enjoyed it! It was all a bit of a mystery so once you figure out what’s going on it’s easier to get into. I did like Spells for Forgetting better.

Would recommend.

I was so excited to be approved for this ARC and to start reading! The beginning of this book is mysterious. The writing was very pleasant. I love the style and the imagery the author uses. The concept of this story is very fresh and intriguing and hooked me immediately. The author has come up with something really special and it was hard to put down. I'm a huge fan of magical realism and this was done really nicely. I've been searching for a time travel type romance for a while and this was something I didn't realize I needed. It hit a lot of spots and was my first but will not be the last book I read by this author. I was very pleasantly surprised and find myself wanting to buy it and read it again. I have already recommended it to a friend and I hope the author continues this style if not making it into some kind of series. I honestly don't have any complaints!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC!!

Mystery, romance, time-travel. This book has it all. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. I loved it and couldn't stop reading. I was sorry when I finished. Although I found a few of the time-travel elements regarding the years and events confusing, the characters were well-depicted, and the writing was excellent.

Abandoned by her mother at seven-months old, June Farrow is raised by her grandmother. When she's an adult, she learns that the women in her family all go mad. After her grandmother dies, having exhibited the strange behavior that signals the Farrow women's mental illness, she receives a letter her grandmother sent before her death. In the letter is a photo of her mother and father, but the year it was taken is 1912. Thus follows June's journey back through time via a red door, the opportunity to learn what really happened to her mother, and the chance to choose her own destiny. 

There are many twists along the way. A wonderful read. This was my first by this author, and I hope to read many more.

All the stars. This is what I want all books to feel like.

I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The perfect amount of mystery and suspense woven into a gorgeous and atmospheric story of self discovery, womanhood, family, love, choice… I was so invested and felt a visceral connection to these characters!!

Unique magical realism. The romance of the book was not the main focus, but it was stunning.

I don’t want to say too much because it’s such an intricate story that I want people to experience without any spoilers!!

This is a book that will stay with me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the chance to review an advance copy.

Thank you Netgalley, Adrienne Young, and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for my review.

I went into this one blind, so I wasn't sure what I was expecting. However, I read Spells for Forgetting (her previous novel) and loved it, so I felt like I was going to love this one too. Which I was definitely right. This one is a bit slower paced, which usually I don't like, however this time I think it worked to set the tone for the book. The first 75% of the book is slow, and then the last 25% the book really comes together perfectly. I loved the small town setting, the beautiful and atmospheric writing, and all of the characters.
This book crossed so many different genres: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and mystery, but was done so well. I loved the mystery aspect and being confused during most of the book, to then have the ending that it did.

The Unmaking of June Farrow was a much different experience than I anticipated. There was an element to this book that I didn’t think would show up but did! I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else, but it’s an element that many authors try to use and it doesn’t always go well. However, I feel like this is a very solid attempt. Did I have to reread certain sections to make sure I was following along correctly, sure. Did I end up with unanswered questions at the end, yes. Did I enjoy myself, YES. I really loved this story. June and the characters were so easy to love and root for. I’m happy with how everything turned out and I will definitely be reading this again in the future.

The story follows June in her journey through the grief of losing her grandmother, the only mother she’s ever known, and figuring out the insane history of her family. After receiving a mysterious photo in the mail from her dead grandmother of her missing mother, June begins her journey to learning about her mother’s disappearance. While doing so June learns more than she bargained for.

I don’t think it’s a surprise, but I have been a huge fan of Young’s since I read her YA debut Sky in the Deep! I loved her adult debut last year, Spells, and I was definitely not left feeling disappointed with June! I will say I felt the beginning was a little slow, but it quickly picked up and had me never wanting to put it down! One of my favorite parts of Young’s books is her imagery. The way she describes things makes me see the whole scene in my mind.
Go in to the book as blind as you can! It won’t leave you disappointed! There’s magic, intrigue, mystery, and murder!

Thanks to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Adrienne Young. I am usually a fan of novels with time travel however with this book the plot was not very interesting. The pacing is incredibly slow throughout the whole book. I was waiting for something big to happen and that never came. The whole book is just about an ‘unexplainable curse’. The main character was kept in the dark the whole time, which I found extremely frustrating as a reader. I really don’t have the patience for this kind of story telling. I would not recommend this book.

My mind is broken in the absolute best possible way…

My recommendation is to go into this one blind… let yourself be surprised but what unfolds on these pages.

If you’re a Young fan you know you are in good hands and I do have to say that this is possibly my new favorite from her. One I don’t think I will be forgetting anytime soon… I can also see myself reading this over and over in future years.

This one gave me The Ten Thousand Doors of January meets Alice Hoffman vibes. A seamlessly mix of fantasy, SciFi, romance and mystery. I haven’t read anything quite like it…

CONTENT WARNING: death of a loved one, parental abandonment, grief, on-page panic attack, violence, blood, murder
I was thrilled to buddy read this with Julie @ One Book More not just because our chats are endlessly entertaining, but because I always get so much more out of a book when I buddy read it with her (or my other buddy read partners). We were both looking forward to it, and I’m honestly so glad that I had her to read this with, or I probably would have thrown my Kindle multiple times.

To start with, readers are plunked into a teensy town. This book doesn’t give small-town vibes. It gives claustrophobic, one-light town vibes. And Young’s writing is beautiful and atmospheric, making us really feel like we’re right there with June. She’s spent her whole life living in this dying farming town, nurturing a family flower farm that has been there for generations. But she’s got a family curse hanging over her head, and the clock is ticking for her.

This is one of those genre-crossing books, which involves a mystery, a family saga, and a romance. And each of the aspects of the genres are superbly handled. There’s a lot of foreshadowing in the beginning of the story, and at the start, all we know is that the women in the Farrow family start to hallucinate and seem to experience some time of severe mental illness at some point in their lives. It happened early in June’s mother’s life, and as a result, she abandoned June as a newborn to be raised by her grandmother.

But the questions just seem to pile up, and when June starts experiencing her own hallucinations, the story really takes off. We had a lot more questions as things start to pick up, and it drove me bonkers. The romance builds throughout the story even as everything else was getting confusing, and at least I had that to hang onto as a kind of anchor. I was completely rooting for the romance, even as I was dying to figure out the mystery as well as figuring out what the heck was actually going on.

Overall, this turned out to be the fantastic and intriguing story that I was expecting from Young. My high standards are maintained once again! Julie and I spent so much of the book confused yet hopeful, and it wasn’t until the last quarter of the story that we weren’t confused anymore. But it was so worth the wait! I was a bit concerned about how mental illness would be treated in the story, since it’s often used as a plot point and portrayed negatively, but it was handled well. This is the kind of book that you can’t put down, and if you have to, you’ll be thinking about it when you do. Don’t miss out on this gem.

Wow! What did I just read?! This book was excellent, but be prepared to be a little confused and asking yourself questions almost the entire time… but like, in the best possible way!

I really enjoyed this story! It kept me at the edge of my seat & I continuously found myself being surprised. This isn’t one of those books where you can call the ending 5 pages in! It takes some time to really make progress to weave this story together and understand the Farrows… I was 70% in and still a little confused until all the pieces really started coming together! But this makes it all the more compelling!

All in all this was a great, atmospheric read. 4.5⭐️ would absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

I almost DNFed this book and I’m so glad I didn’t. For about 70% of the book, I just wasn’t feeling it. I’ve read two of Young’s books and I’ve really enjoyed both. She’s such an atmospheric writer and you feel completely enveloped in the worlds she creates and connected to her characters. I honestly can’t put my finger on it, but with this book, the pull just wasn’t there. I wasn’t bored, but I was waiting for that moment of emotion to overtake me. Just when I thought it just wasn’t going to happen, it finally did. The last 20% was so beautiful. It reminded me of how I felt reading The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman which is my absolute favorite. That’s not to say that the first 80% is bad by any means. It is a slow burn, still a very atmospheric read, but there wasn’t a lot of action with this one. The Magic system took me a while to fully understand and I’m honestly still not sure I do, but that’s most likely a me problem. I feel like a lot of readers will love this one, start to finish. Like I said, I’m certainly glad I kept going for that beautiful ending. Being honest though, it was overall a pretty middle of the pack book for me.


Thank you to NetGalley and Delacourte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.