How does Adrienne Young do this to me every time? … This book was beautifully written whilst simultaneously being so wildly unique. Another masterpiece of Young’s imagination and a product of her tireless effort to create stories that we can’t help falling head over heels for. I ACHED whilst reading. So profoundly heartbreaking, brilliant and mysterious that I was hooked from beginning to end.

This novel has a really nice pace to it, you are never left feeling bored or wanting (unless of course you count wanting answers because - you will be wanting answers). I also really enjoyed the multiple perspectives woven throughout the story whilst remaining a single perspective narrative (you’ll find out when reading but trust me, it’s worth it!)

I will definitely be purchasing all the special editions of this because it’s a book I’ll be returning to throughout my days reading. Fair warning, it’s not something you can read just once! And you will be left with a considerable book hangover afterwards.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this amazing arc!

“Wow” was literally the only thing I could think when I finished this and had to drag myself back to the real world.

I loved Spells for Forgetting, but Adrienne absolutely took it up a notch with her second foray into adult fiction. It was atmospheric, mysterious, intriguing and unputdownable (that’s a word, right?). I read about 90% of it in one sitting and finished it at 1:15am after not being able to put it down, because I just *needed* to know what was going to happen. I went into it having only skim read the summary (but expecting I’d love it based on Adrienne’s other books), and I’m so glad I just dove straight in without knowing too much.

The Farrows are a matriarchal family, where daughters always have daughters, those daughters take the surname “Farrow” no matter the name of their fathers (if they even know their fathers), and they are doomed to eventually go mad at some point in their lives.

June is 34 years old when the book opens on her burying her Gran, leaving her as the last Farrow alive (her mother having abandoned her when she was 7 months old). Unbeknownst to those closest to her, she has been having hallucinations and hearing voices for the past year, and fears her time to go mad has come. When she shares this with family friend Birdie, Birdie sends her down a path she never expected as she explores the mystery of what happens to Farrow women.

Without spoiling anything, the twists in this book kept me guessing the whole way through and I got completely immersed in June’s journey, and completely invested in the various characters. I’m honestly still processing the story 12 hours later, but I would definitely say this is one of my top reads this year and I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time to come.

There’s a couple of vaguely spoiler-y comparisons below for those who haven’t read it yet!

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This gave me the same vibes as the Netflix shows Dark and 1899, which I absolutely adored (I’m still upset that 1899 was cancelled). The time travel was really well written and although it did make my head hurt at times, it did so in a good way and the various reveals were done so well.

Adrienne Young is the master of weaving deeply atmospheric books that are packed with emotion. The Unmaking of June Farrow is a wonderful fantasy book full of suspense, mystery and love. I've never been overly fond of time travel in books or movies, however, the author managed to win me over with the ambience and the incredibly descriptive and beautiful prose.

I absolutely loved June and thought she was a fantastic main character. She was so brilliantly crafted and I loved that the story was told in first-person since I felt it added to my empathy for her, which in turn made the book even more emotional. My romance loving heart was hoping there would be a bit more of a love story, however, this book was perfect regardless.

I absolutely fell in love with this beautifully intricate story and it's twists and turns. Fans of Adrienne Young's previous works will absolutely adore The Unmaking of June Farrow.

What a brilliant read.

This is like Back to the Future but with a red door instead of a flux capacitor.

As soon as June found herself in 1951 and meeting Eamon for the (not really) first time, I wanted them to be endgame. I hoped and hoped that she would choose to stay with him and Annie because, let's be real, who wouldn't? I know I wouldn't leave.

There's also mystery in the book surrounding Nathaniel Rutherford, a man who died in 1951 and who has connections to June in a way that shouldn't be possible.

June Farrow is cursed.

All the Farrow women have had the same curse, sickness, fraying of time but June doesn’t understand it yet. Her grandmother has just passed away and her friends Mason and Birdie are trying to get her through the grief but June can’t think straight. Her hallucinations, or are they delusions, are becoming more frequent as she tries to make sense of them.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is a wonderful, twisted, emotionally charged tale of love, family and mystery. So well written by Adrienne Young, I was totally absorbed by June’s story and couldn’t put the book down until I’d finished.

This is the sort of book I will go back to again and notice different things each time.

Rating = 3.75.
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to read this as an ARC. The unmaking of June Farrow is the first book I've read by Adrienne Young, and it was a lovely introduction. While reading, I got the same vibes as when I read Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King. It is a real character study of the main character June. She has expectations of her life as a Farrow woman, which has influenced the decisions she's made. Slowly, we are taken along with June as she tries to understand her mother's history and how their lives are more intertwined than she could ever believe.

Despite times of feeling lost and alone, this story does have hope as a thread throughout. I very much enjoyed the narrative style and language as it gave for strong imagery. I could clearly envisage the landscape and buildings, which are the foundation of June's life.

I also appreciated having a main character closer to my own age. With June being in her mid thirties, I had sympathy with her point of view and pressures that come from that stage of life.

This story is a slow pace, which adds to build suspense to the gradual revelations that underpin the Farrow family history.

Quite different to my usual read, I enjoyed this. Recommend.

I have enjoyed reading Adrienne Young’s books, and enjoyed too this her latest fictional story. A book that to me intentionally makes you feel uneasy from the beginning. June Farrow has an interesting future and past. Will she survive the twisted unravelling of her life? Read this haunting fairytale feel story and find out. Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Such a hauntingly beautiful and emotional story, I was hooked from the start and read the book in one sitting. The setting was described beautifully and in detail, i could clearly picture it. The twists and turns in this story were excellent and it had the perfect ending.

Simply fantastic, I can see this book breaking into all the best-selling lists. Being taught about in literature classes in the future when they study the age of bookstagram and booktok, when in the overflowing of stories some were bright stars. This one is definitely a bright star.

It is such a beautiful story. So full of feelings, I wasn't sure my heart was going to be able to cope with it. For a few hours while reading, I was sure it wouldn't. So much was the pain of not knowing and loneliness. But I made it, and it was so worth it. I cried a lot with this one, and my heart was overflowing with love. The ending was perfect. The mystery, the murder, the suspense, the “what the hell is happening” everything is balanced to perfection. 

It blew my mind in the way every well-written story about time travel does. It is a theme I am very picky about, and I obsess over unhealthily

I really loved Young’s writing and storytelling, the prose captivated me and kept me hooked in to the story, invested to see where June goes and why she made the decisions that she did.

Young is brilliant at describing a setting. I could so clearly picture the houses, the fields, the town, the time period. No detail was spared, yet I never felt fogged down under them. Young managed to balance giving the reader enough information while letting the reader do the rest with their imagination well.

The only ‘issues’ I’d say is have with this book is that I wish we knew more, and that’s probably because I’ve never really liked open endings. I wish we got to know more about the door and the time travel, and why the Farrows were cursed with this to begin with. I really felt the absence of that answer within the story, and it left part of it feeling incomplete. Then again, to argue with myself, I suppose this does place the reader in the shows of the Farrow’s and the why wasn’t necessarily as important as exploring the consequences. However, it seemed strange that the Farrows weren’t more concerned with this. If it were me I’d be wanting to get to the bottom of why this happened to my family and myself, and to my knowledge no one else!

The twists and turns this book took was excellent. I teared up at several points when reveals were made and loudly went “oooo that makes sense”. I love how everything came together and you could see all the various plot points placed throughout time and the course of the novel come together.

Overall, I did really enjoy this! I loved the prose and the plot. I do wish we got to explore more in to the Farrow family lore, and I think this could’ve spent more time building relationships (just because we are told they are in love doesn’t mean we believe it) and the mourning of lost ones (the whole Mason thing felt brushed by way too quickly and easily).

This was a beautiful book. It wasn't exactly what I expected after Adrienne Young's "Fable" series, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised. "The Unmaking of June Farrow" was a rich, intricate story of time travel, love, and family, and I enjoyed every second of it.

"Was I becoming someone else, or was I just finally becoming myself? I couldn't tell."

One thing that this novel had in droves was powerful characters. They were so realistic and well-written, and June was a wonderful MC. For one, she was in her mid-30's, which was so refreshing (I'm not in my 30's but I am a little scared by how half the books I read nowadays have characters younger than me), and she also had beautiful growth. June's relationship with her family was beautifully written, and the fantasy aspects of the novel didn't take away from that in any way - if anything, they added to it, which I really appreciated.

"You may have ruined my life, June. But first, you gave me one."

The romance was perhaps... less prominent than I expected? To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was certainly different to the YA fantasy romance of "Fable" - however that certainly didn't make it lesser! I found it a beautiful tale of comfort and belonging, and Adrienne Young's writing for the relationship between both characters was truly phenomenal.

"But this aching love that was breaking ground inside of me didn't feel selfish. It felt brave."

I will admit that some of the fantasy aspects didn't make perfect sense to me, but I didn't even mind, because they weren't truly the central plot. I really enjoyed this gorgeous adult novel, full of so many twists and turns and fascinating characters, and I highly recommend it for those looking for their next read with aspects of mystery, fantasy, romance, and family.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for the ARC copy!

It's giving atmosphere. It's giving practical magic. It's giving Taylor Swift's 'Timeless'.

If you enjoyed 'Spells for forgetting', you'll enjoy this, though this has a more melancholy tone to it. It's a perfect autumn book, despite being set in june. I think this is probably AY's most accomplished work (I've read all of her full length novels.)

I enjoyed June as a main character, and I definitely felt her pain and confusion. I will say her relationship with Eamon, whilst I really like it, felt a little underdeveloped - But I can't say why without spoiling the book. Safe to say, it does make sense. But also I just wanted a bit more from it. Also the ending leaves something for me that needed to be explained a little bit more.

But despite that, this is definitely a great novel. I really feel that AY is growing into the adult genre and she will only continue to get better with each book. I'm excited to read more from her, as always.

The beautiful, atmospheric writing drew me into the small town life of Jasper, North Carolina. I could see the fields, the small church, the flower farm and feel the heat. June's emotions as she slipped towards what she thought was the family curse of madness were heart-breaking and all too believable. But then the story turns and the magical realism/sci-fi element comes in and this is when it kept me reading until the early hours of the morning. I can't say any more without giving things away but I can say that you absolutely must read this book. It's fantastic and I'll be searching out more books from Adrienne Young!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is Adrienne Youngs second adult novel.

June and the woman in her family are all cursed - doomed to travel back and forward in time. I won’t spoil the plot, but this is a darkly enchanting novel. Adrienne pulls you into their world quickly, and keeps you reading the whole way through.

An intriguing mystery. I read it in one go. Atmospheric, enchanting, heartbreaking, but also heartwarming. Can you change your fate? And if so… at what cost? Get comfy and follow June on her journey. Highly recommend!

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I am unmade. My heart has unravelled with the rending beauty of this book.

I was already pretty convinced that I was always going to enjoy Adrienne Young’s writing, but this book has just cemented her as a permanent favourite author of mine.

The Farrow women have long been cursed, and June is determined not to carry on the illness that seems to seep through the generations. When her own mind begins to fray and she starts to see glimpses of a world that isn’t there, June does all she can to prevent it from getting worse until echoes she can’t ignore the call to her from another time.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is time-travel magical realism that you’ll find yourself drifting through, untethered and twisting. The mystery was intriguing, the heartache palpable. I might have been sobbing by the end of the book, but every tear was worth the joy I got from these pages.

This story is so haunting beautiful and has such an original and layered plot. Each layer is intricately and seamlessly woven together. As the plot grows and changes it becomes both emotional and suspenseful. I was so desperate to uncover the answers with June that I couldn’t put it down.
I loved the setting of the flower farm and the blue ridge mountains, it was all so atmospheric.
This is the perfect autumn read, perfect for those who love romance with big intricate plots that pulls at the heartstrings.

Thankyou to Netgalley for the ARC!

It's difficult to write a review without spoilers but a very enjoyable book as long as you don't overthink the plot or try to work out the logistics!
If you like fantasy/time slip novels then you'll enjoy this!

— 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 | 336 pages
👤 | author Adrienne Young
🏢 | publisher Quercus Books
📅 | release date 17 October 2023

What you can expect:
— First-person POV
— Small-town murder mystery
— Second-chance romance
— Time travel
— Magical realism

Trigger warnings include: grief, violence, death, death of a parent, murder, memory loss.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is an hauntingly immersive and captivating standalone by author Adrienne Young. The Farrow women are cursed. Forced to await for the Farrow sickness to strike at any time, June Farrow knows she is living on borrowed time. After burying her grandmother, the woman who raised her after the mysterious disappearance of her mother, June is the last of the Farrow line. A secret that June had been harbouring is that her curse has already started and had manifested the year before. June has been seeing and hearing things that aren't really there which include a mysterious red door. The day after her grandmother's funeral June receives a letter from her grandmother which has been posted prior to her death. This letter contains a photograph taken more than a century ago... which shows a picture of her very own mother. This photograph triggers a story that spans over decades as June ultimately travels back in time in search of answers surrounding not only her mother but also herself. We follow June as 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.

This book. I am at a loss for words at the sheer magnitude that this book has impacted on my very soul. The Unmaking of June Farrow is a first for me by author Adrienne Young, and it will absolutely not be the last. Young's writing was exquisite as it took us on a journey filled with love, loss and mystery. Each of the Farrow women were written to perfection with their own distinguished personalities and quirks. June's voice was captivating to follow as we unravelled the mysteries of the past from her point-of-view, and I truly never saw the twists and turns that were flung my way. I loved that the magical aspect wasn't something that I've come across before. It was woven into the story in a subtle way that made it seem more realistic and less far-fetched than you would expect to see in Fantasy. The only thing I wish we could have seen was the origin of the Farrow curse. How did it begin? And why was the Farrow line only ever women? It's not something that's necessary to the story where you feel like it's lacking, however I would've appreciated that information being included as a means to tie everything together.

I was a bit worried going into this story as time-travel within books is something I can often find confusing and difficult to keep track of, however the author integrated the different timelines in a seamless manner that made them easy to differentiate. When June steps back into the older timeline she is faced with heartbreak and distrust. I felt for June as she tried to navigate this unknown timeline with familiar faces she struggled to remember. The murder-mystery element was a fun conflict in the story as June ultimately finds herself as a suspect in the murder for a man she has no recollection of ever knowing, and the answers that unravel from that fateful night are jaw-dropping. The way the characters came together as a family was inspiring and I could truly feel the love and devotion through the page.

The Unmaking of June Farrow focuses heavily on the themes of loss and acceptance, family, love and identity. I have not experienced the level of connection that I felt for these characters in a very long time. This book was entirely unexpected in the best possible way, and is a story that I will carry and treasure for the rest of my life. If you're looking for something new to read as we near the end of 2023... this is it. I could not recommend it more if I tried.

Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I was not sure what I made of this book. It took me a while to get into the story and I struggled with the time travelling aspect. However I was intrigued with how June resolved the Farrow curse. She goes back in time to solve her mother’s disappearance and understand her connection to the murder of Nathaniel Rutherford.

She learns about her own past and finds a way to find love.

An interesting book even if for me it did not entirely work.