Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This novel plunged right into my chest and hooked me. It was a beautiful, gripping, heartbreaking and hopeful story, all wrapped into one.

June Farrow (POV character) will be the last Farrow. She will not marry, nor will she have kids, because the Farrow women are cursed to go mad. June herself is no exception, and her mother, Susanna, is perhaps the most mysterious of all the Farrows. On the Eve of her Gran’s death, June sets in to unravel the mystery of her mother’s disappearance, only to find the secret’s of the Farrow women far more improbable than she could have ever imagined. The deeper she digs, the more June begins to unmake herself.

This book was such an introspective look at love and family and the fear that comes with sacrificing parts of ourselves to let other pathways bloom. Young is a talented writer and is a master at setting. I was immersed in Jasper and felt so vividly the town she created there. The addition of the flowers for imagery and symbolism, as well as the intricacies of the farm life, made a visceral experience as a reader.

And June herself is absolutely vibrant in a quiet sort of way that I appreciate in a heroine. She’s determined and strong, but also allows herself to feel deeply all the loss and pain and fear she encounters. It made her human, and it also made it easy to connect with her plight. I won’t go into detail about the plot or other characters, because anything might give away part of her unraveling, and this is certainly a novel where knowing as little as possible going in will have a HUGE payout.

But that’s also what makes this such a phenomenal mystery, isn’t it? I have to be careful not to say too much. And there are reveals all the way up until the final few chapters, at which point Young begins to create closure for us and for her characters. As someone who tends to guess plot points frequently in mysteries, I was pleasantly surprised by most of the reveals in this novel.

If I were to be nit-picky, there are themes Young could have addressed regarding women and their voices, but I’m not going to be. This story, at its center, is about family. It’s about love and heartache and choosing what garden one will tend to for the future. And it’s about making difficult choices that are all too real and all too terrifying.

When FairyLoot releases their exclusive edition, I will 1000% be purchasing a copy. Adrienne Young is now officially an author where, anything she puts out, I will be picking up.

I Voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced copy of this book. All Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adrienne Young has done it again. This is such a great story. The Unmaking of June Farrow is a heartbreaking and hopeful novel about how love can cross all boundaries, even time

Big thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I received this book, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I'm very much not one to read any kind of fantasy or sci-fi type novels...and to be honest I'm not sure I would have ever picked it up if I hadn't received an ARC. That being said, WOW. I absolutely loved this book.

It is hard not to fall in love with the protagonist and narrator of the story June, as she investigates her memories and past. It was also hard not to like June's Gran, Birdie, Annie and Eamon. The characters were very well developed and I enjoyed all of their quirks and personalities.

What really nailed it for me though was how all of these little, minute things throughout the book all had a purpose, which was later revealed. So many threads and questions that were tied up and answered by the time you were at the last page.

This was a book that was so well written and I truly didn't want to end, even though I desperately wanted to find out what happened to June.

I would recommend this to any mystery, contemporary fiction, romance, and magical realism friends out there. The plot-line and theme of this novel is not something I've seen before either which was incredibly refreshing and interesting. This was a great read and spanned many genres. You should pick it up when it is released in October.

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young-eBook ARC

I am still fairly new to reading Adrienne Young's books. I've yet to read them all. I was exciting about this one in particular because the premise sounded so interesting and you pair the premise with Adrienne's prose??? Say less...

First of all, Adrienne continues her winning streak of a gorgeous writing style. Its lyrical, intelligent, and so engaging. I also think Adrienne develops really endearing atmospheres and the setting of this small town and the family flower business was so vivid in my mind. Before you know it though... you begin to see hints that something is a bit strange, a bit off. It really starts to become apparent after the main FMC, June, losses her grandma. Looking back though, things have been different her whole life, as the story begins with the strange disappearance of her mother. I don't want to say to much because it will spoil the book.

What I will say is that this book gives you a little bit of everything, romance, mystery, magic, and book is whimsical and wonderful. I loved it so much. I love books like this for so many reasons, but one of the main reasons I love books like this???? They almost feel like they could happen... it blooms a sort of hope in me for magic and whimsy. Reminds me of the times when I was little reading Chronicles of Narnia and Secret Garden, where I would check the back of every closet and look for a fairy door in every garden... lol. Such a beautiful read and will continue to read Adrienne Young's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book! What a gem1

June is the last of the Farrow woman, an ancestral line that has been cursed with madness. June’s mother went mad and left her alone as a baby, and June just witnessed her grandmother’s death after she fully succumbed to the madness. And now June is next. She knows what’s in store for her, but that doesn’t make her any more prepared when she starts seeing objects that aren’t real and hearing people talk who were never there. June’s slow descent into madness makes her quite the unreliable narrator—you can never be sure if what she’s experiencing is real or not. But I still loved her. I thought the characterization in this novel was done well. Magical realism doesn’t usually work for me: I want something either realistic or fantastical, not somewhere in between. Yet I have loved both of Adrienne Young’s magical realism novels that I’ve read. Her writing style is really suited to this subgenre, and the small town setting with a mysterious history and some soft magic makes her stories work rather well. It also probably helps that her stories lean more toward the magical side than the realism side, which I enjoy. I was really drawn into this narrative and had a hard time putting the book down. I found it easy to connect to the characters and fall in love with Jasper, North Carolina as I was drawn deeper and deeper into its history. I really can’t say any more about this novel, though, as I don’t want to spoil anything, and I feel like adding any other details about the setting or the characters or the madness would be a potential spoiler. I went into this book blind, having read only the words on the cover of the book before picking it up, and that’s what I would recommend. The more you know, the less exciting the reveals in the story will be, in my opinion. I’m a fan of Young’s adult novels and will read any she writes in the future.

A curse, a murder, a mystery, and time is running out.

"The Unmaking of June Farrow" by Adrienne Young weaves a spellbinding tale set in the picturesque mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina. June Farrow, determined to break her family's centuries-old curse and solve the riddle of her mother's disappearance, sets off on a captivating adventure. With mysterious wind chimes, a haunting voice, and a mysterious door, this novel offers a magical blend of mystery, romance, a hint of magic, and the quest for answers.

As always, I love Adrienne's writing style and how she weaves her stories together. I would consider this one a slower burn but I might have stayed up till 1 a.m. to finish the book!

Words cannot express how much I loved this book!

From the beginning I was intrigued, engaged and ready to unravel the mystery. Adrienne writes in such a way that you become immersed in the story and I was feeling all the feels by the end. The story follows June, who shortly after the death of her grandma starts having frequent visions. The Farrow women have been cursed for centuries and June realises her time has come to give into the madness and step through the door she keeps seeing.

I devoured this book whilst on vacation. It is the perfect Fall read that will transport people back in time, be touched by magical elements and ponder the impact of true love.

Adrienne Young's 'The Unmaking of June Farrow' gripped me in a way that few other books have. From the secret of her mother's disappearance to the slow-burning passion that she develops in her search for answers, this book combines compelling elements of fantasy, mystery, and romance. Young weaves these threads together with an atmospheric writing style that immerses you in the world of the Appalachian South so fully that you can practically hear the buzzing of cicadas and feel the weight of humid air on your skin as you read it.

We meet June at the moment that she's saying a final farewell to her last living relative: her grandmother. As she's wrestling with the pain of her loss, she realizes that she is likely suffering from the same mental illness that ended her grandmother's life. She finds herself questioning how she will live out her own final days when she is confronted with a possible solution and a hand-written plea: "Trust me."

This book delicately touches on the experiences of loss, grief, and the enduring ties that bind a loving family. The Farrow women are deeply connected, and while they have their fair share of disagreements, their lives and stories are braided together in a way that makes them resilient and strong.

The author took great care when threading magical elements through the story, and she brings them together in a beautiful and satisfying way.

Adrienne Young's lyrical writing and soulful storytelling have made this one of my top books of 2023. I absolutely loved it.

True confession – despite the fact that I’ve heard nothing but praise for Adrienne Young’s last book, Spells for Forgetting, it’s been on my TBR pile for months for no other reason than I have a small library’s worth of books to get through and there are only so many hours in the day.  But her new book, The Unmaking of June Farrow had such an intriguing description, I dove right into it as soon as I received it – and I’m so glad that I did.

The book starts in the present day by introducing us to June Farrow, one of a long line of Farrow women who have been whispered and gossiped about in their small town of Jasper, North Carolina because of their strange behavior.  Everyone believes that the Farrow women are cursed.  June has been raised by her beloved grandmother because her mother disappeared after leaving an infant June in an alley – never to be seen again.  The story begins with the death of June’s grandmother and the reveal that June herself has spent the last year experiencing the same symptoms and presumed descent into mental illness that all of the rest of the women in her family have suffered from.  I really loved the setup to the story and the way it was written.  You know that something is wrong with June – it’s obviously not normal to see things and hear people who aren’t there – but you’re not quite sure what’s going on.  It immediately makes you root for her as she explains that knowing she suffers from this affliction has stopped her from pursuing a romance with her best friend, Mason, despite being in love with him for years, because she doesn’t want to end up a burden on him, and she knows that no matter how much she wants to, she can’t have children with him for the same reason.  A star-crossed love story will get me every time!

The story really kicks into high gear when shortly after her grandmother’s funeral, June receives a photograph from her sent before she died.  The picture was taken in 1911 and is of Nathaniel Rutherford, the well known town minister who was murdered in 1950, a crime that has never been solved and that has captured the attention of the residents ever since.  The twist?  Standing next to him is his wife, June’s mother – decades before she would even have been born!  This was the point where I started to get excited and turn pages as quickly as possible.  I love a good time travel story (as evidenced by my obsession with the Outlander series!) and I was immediately hooked.

June tries to tell Mason, but she knows she sounds ridiculous.  Still, she begins to investigate her discovery and only gets more confused when she finds evidence that she might’ve been born – and died – in 1912.  But how is that possible?  She has no idea what to think or if she truly is losing her mind until her grandmother’s oldest friend, Birdie, reveals that she isn’t going crazy – but won’t tell her anything more except that the next time June sees a door appear out of thin air in front of her, she should walk through it.  Intriguing, right?

Despite her hesitancy, June takes Birdie’s advice and goes through the door.  And that’s when the story kicks into high gear.  June suddenly finds herself in the past, the year 1951, a time she has obviously never been before, except… people seem to know her.  A lot of people.  Including a mysterious man and young girl that she seems to be having memories about herself.   Who are they to her and why won’t the other Farrow women she meets there tell her more about what’s going on?  I’m struggling a bit here with how much to give away because I think the book will be much more enjoyable the less detail I give – the reader should get to experience it all for themself without knowing what’s coming next.

What I can say is I loved this book.  It’s such an interesting mix of genres and stories.  There’s time travel and swoon-inducing romance and June discovering who she is and deciding who she was meant to be.  All of the Farrow women are forces to be reckoned with – strong women who support each other through everything – and I enjoyed getting to know all of them.  (Just don’t think too deeply about the details of the time travel aspect of it because it can get very confusing.  Accept it all at face value and move on).  The book also contains several mysteries – why is June starting to forget her life in 2023?  What happened to June’s mother?  Who murdered Nathaniel Rutherford?  The police chief seems to think it was June, but she’s not a murderer.  Or is she?  By the time all of the stories converged at the end, I was holding my breath and praying that June would figure it all out and find her way to a happy ending.  And in the sign of a truly good book, I was torn about what exactly that happy ending should be!

I truly enjoyed reading this novel and highly recommend it.  In fact, I loved it so much, I moved Spells for Forgetting to my nightstand and plan on starting it tonight before bed!

this review is by Stacey Pulwer

The Unmaking of June Farrow is such a perfect Fall read! The atmosphere, the mystery, the bit of spookiness and anticipation, the romance, and the time traveling magical realism. I had a hard time putting this book down, and even when I put it down to go to bed at night, I found myself tossing & turning thinking about it, trying to work out the mystery. It was just soo good!

This is the perfect fall read! I love everything that Adrienne Young writes, and I knew this would be no exception. Her writing is beautiful, lyrical, and atmospheric. It takes you away and makes the perfect escapist read.

This book was part mystery with the small town murder that needs to be solved. It was part fantasy with the time traveling magical realism elements. It was also part romance and coming of age with the epic love story contained in these pages. This book reminded me of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Seven Year Slip, and both of these were 5💫 reads for me.

June, the main character, and her ancestors were strong and just very well-written. This book explores the importance of family relationships and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love. Such an amazing story. 😍

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Delacorte Press for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💕

I’m not sure I have the words to describe how much I absolutely ADORED this!!!

Seriously. Talk about the most enchanting, spell binding, mystical, and enthralling story. The list of everything I loved about this is very, very long but I just feel the need to say everything I can. To start, I loved the atmosphere of this. It is the most perfect Autumn read. It felt so eerie and I loved how it had all of these suspenseful and moody undertones. I love when stories make me feel nervous and like I can’t read the pages fast enough. I also loved how unique it was. It felt very singular and even though I guessed one of the plot twists pretty early on, I was still so happy to finally get to that part of the story and experience being right. I’m not sure how predictable this part of the story will feel to others, but it didn’t take anything away from the reading experience for me. I also loved the writing style, Adrienne Young has some of the most beautiful way of writing I’ve ever seen. It’s enchanting and haunting and brings you in. It’s cozy and feels like fall, if that makes any sense at all. I also just loved the characters. I loved the timelines and how intertwined they all were. There was something so tragic about them, and I loved seeing their stories come together. I think Young did a wonderful job at creating all of these timelines and connections.

So, all of this to say. This story deserves all the 5 stars it’s been getting. I was HOOKED on this. It captured me and kept me interested the whole way through. It was beautifully written. I think it was just the right amount of twisted, complex, layered, and heartwarming. I loved how many breadcrumbs there were throughout the story where you felt just confused enough to stay invested, but not like you were totally in the dark about things. It was kind of like we were going through things along with June and I felt a connection with her the entire time because of it.

I seriously could go on. I’ll probably be able to extend this review as the days go on and more comes back to me. But seriously. READ THIS WHEN IT COMES OUT. And if you haven’t read Spells for Forgetting yet, read it in the meantime while you wait for this. It’s everything and more. I had such a great time reading this. It was such a beautiful, captivating, and atmospheric story, and I need everyone to experience it the way I did.

So allll of the stars to this beauty! 5 stars and more! What an incredibly story! Adrienne Young, you are a marvel!

As always, thank you to Ballantine, Delacorte Press for the chance to give a review! I absolutely adored this and will be recommending it to everyone, especially during this fall season! Can’t wait for this to come out!!!!!!!!

I know I’m in the minority but this one didn’t click for me. I enjoyed the beginning which I felt was lovely and mysterious and promising and then went downhill because I couldn’t buy into the magical realism elements that took over. The sentiment and thread through of love and family was nice but it felt a bit rushed and shoved together for me. Bah! This was a miss.

This book!! This is everything I love about magical realism, an atmospheric setting, and a solid plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. I went into this book fairly blind having read the synopsis months before reading the actual book and I think this is the best way to do it. Young's writing kept me on the edge of my seat. Not only is it engaging from the very first page, but the mystery that June is solving is intricate and well laid out with twists until the last few pages.

The characters in this book weave together to create a true family, one with secrets, but ultimately full of love. June sets out to stop the curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations and the journey this takes her on is nothing short of amazing. She's a character you really connect with and when she's faced with choices you feel the push and pull that she feels. The love of Eamon is almost palpable and you can visualize the small town of Jasper.

This is the perfect book for fall. While the actual storyline takes place in the summer, the immersive writing, the cozy mystery, and the unravelling of family secrets has me wanting to binge this with a warm cup of coffee in front of the fire.

The Unmaking of June Farrow; an unconventional romance, a tiny bit of spookiness, murder and mystery, magical realism, and beautiful imagery all wrapped up into one novel for a wonderful
autumn read.
The strength of this novel is in the mystery surrounding the plot. I’m always more invested in the story when we’re going on the same journey as the main character - knowing what they know and figuring things out with them. Whenever time travel is an aspect, I always find myself questioning the things I know to be true, just like our MC, June Farrow. June was a fun character to get to know, and her defining characteristics (selfless, brave and self confident to name a few) made it very easy to root for her.
Coming in at 4.5 stars, this is a cozy and beautiful story about love defying all odds, even the pesky reality of time travel.
(PS this book reminded me so much of This Love by Taylor Swift so if you read with music playing, that’s my rec)

I absolutely loved this.
All of the heart and the twists, I wasn’t ever bored reading this.
I’ve been thinking about this the past couple of days trying to wrap my head around everything. I do think this is one that you can read multiple times and pick up something new each time.
Such a good idea. I’m still trying to work out parts. When I get thinking about it I still get goosebumps.

No explicit spice. There are some intimate scenes but nothing descriptive. More emotional aspects than sexual. I’ll be buying the book so my mom can read it.

There are some loose ends that I’m curious about. But I understand the reasoning behind the open endedness of it (Mason).

Special thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this digital ARC.

“In the small town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her.”

In this book, we follow June Farrow as she tries to break the mysterious centuries-old curse on her family, the one that has causes mysterious disappearances, hallucinations, seeing and hearing things that aren’t there, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere. But as she gets deeper into looking for answers surrounding her mother’s disappearance, it only leads her to more questions.

This book was so good. I’m not sure how I’m even supposed to write a review for this because I’m still living the high of finishing it almost a week later. Adrienne does such a good job with the mystery and intrigue in this story that you just can’t stop reading. The twists and turns keep you locked in and it’s the perfect balance of not being predictable but also not being so confusing that you have no idea what’s going on. And I loved it!

Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors, by far, and this book has definitely made it into my favorite books of this year.

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a fantasy/sci-fi novel with mystery and romance and a story you’ll still be thinking about long after you’ve finished reading.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group/ Ballantine Delacorte Press for providing me with this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Spells for Forgetting, so I was thrilled to see a new book by Adrienne Young. I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved this one more! The author writes such beautiful magical realism. All the stars for this lovely story!

Another amazing story , loving the way Adrienne is doing this books, definitely recommend to all my friends , the story was amazingly done and enjoyable

The unmaking of June farrow - 5⭐️3🌶️

Fantasy
Murder mystery/suspense
romance
Generational curse
Witches
30’s FMC
Past/present
Magical realism

Adrienne Young has become an auto-read author for me. I’m always blown away by her vivid storytelling. She is able to pull you into whatever world she has created. Her books are always so heartbreaking and mystical. I adored stepping through this door with the June Farrow and watching this story unfold.

I think that the way the plot lines melded together was well done. While the overarching plot was a little predictable, the attention to small details and amazing character arcs made it such a joy to read. The magic was cozy while the plot had me trying to work it all out from the very beginning.

The romance?! It was swoon worthy. The tension and chemistry was everything I wanted from this book. My heart melted for this couple.

Thank you Random House Publishing- Ballantine and NetGalley for and advanced ereader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.