I gave Junie five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House and Net Galley for this ARC. These are my honest opinions.

This book was so good! I will admit, I thought it starred a little slow, but by about the 10%-15% mark, I was fully involved in reading it.

Set in Alabama in 1860-1861, just before the Civil War starts, this story is about Junie, an enslaved 16 year old girl. We are taken through all of Junie’s emotions as she struggle to find peace and beauty….and love, even though she wasn’t looking for it. Her feelings of guilt and hope and desperation and being carefree are everything that defines her.

Junie takes us on a journey of self discovery that we will never forget.

Junie was an absolutely fantastic read. Set in Alabama during the 1800s, and based off of the author’s own ancestor’s story, we follow the titular main character. Junie is a 16 year old enslaved girl, and the Bellreigne Plantation is all she knows. When we’re introduced to her, she is still mourning the loss of her sister, who passed from a fever a year prior, feeling guilt and grief.

Working as a maid inside the main house, she’s able to stay by her best friend and the master’s daughter, Violet, who taught her how to read and started Junie’s love for poetry. But when Minnie’s ghost and a suitor come to call, Junie is faced with a mystery to solve, and the increasing danger of what Violet marries her means. Along with that, we’re introduced to Caleb, the enslaved valet of Mr. Taylor, who seems determined to get under Junie’s skin.

While our main character and her family may have it easier than most slaves did, this book does not by any means gloss over the horrors these people faced. There is some violence, as well as implied SA, and if you’re squeamish when it comes to hearing about whipping, there’s your trigger warning.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley! Junie releases on February 4th, 2025!

As a native of Alabama, I found the story to be very interesting in that it highlights and sad and unfortunately, true part of the state's history. To say I enjoyed the story would be difficult but I liked the story and found that the book held my interest. Much like reading about WWII, it's just sad to read. I liked the characters and the development of the story. I will read more books my Ms. Eckstine

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced reading copy of Junie.
Junie is the story of a sixteen year old girl enslaved on an antebellum plantation in Alabama dealing with the death of her sister. Junie’s story does justice in painting the picture of the untold way of life for those in slavery, enduring all forms of horrific abuse on a daily basis. More stories like this need to be told.

Beautifully done! Junie, by Erin Crosby Eckstine, is the kind of book that draws me to historical fiction. This novel has realistic characters, is historically sound, and is a story peppered with fiction to make it interesting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I have sometimes been hesitant to read books on the topic of chattel slavery in the US South as there are plenty of books out there which rely on stereotypes and two dimensional characterization, however Junie was none of that. I found it particularly meaningful that while some artistic liberties are taken, this story is based on the actual lived experience of one of the author's ancestors.

Junie is about a teenage girl, Junie or Deliah June, who has spent her whole life on a plantation in rural Alabama. The white family that has enslaved Junie's family is socially isolated with Junie being the closest companion to Violet, the daughter of the family. Junie's family has been separated due to the cruelty of some of her family members being sold, so she has been raised by relatives along with her sister who recently died. All of their lives abruptly change when Mr. McQueen, the white family's patriarch, brings the Taylors to the home with the purpose of marrying Violet off. All of this occurs on the eve of the Civil War although that largely remains in the background (partly to highlight how white people withheld information from the Black people they enslaved).

This story contains many layers of secrets that each character learns about each other and themselves. The method that some of this is revealed to Junie is through the spirit of her deceased sister Minnie who only Junie sees in the form of a haunt as the term Junie uses. I appreciated the element of magical realism that this book used and I wish that there had been more exploration of Minnie's character.

Junie and her extended family are fully fleshed out characters with rich inner lives (particularly Junie as we are seeing her perspective) and I appreciated that they were written with complex motivations and reactions that appeared to come from real people, not an idealized or stereotyped viewpoint of how enslaved people may have lived their lives and made decisions about their options given what they themselves knew in the moment.

The white enslavers are also depicted in various ways of being evil which vividly depicts the insidious way in which white supremacy and racial hierarchies worked. Even the "nice" white people are shown to have secrets and behaviors which indicate absolutely how deeply their white supremacy is ingrained even if they are in denial.

Along with these detailed and complex viewpoints, the story also has a realistic depiction of colorism amongst the Black characters as well as a depiction of how it really must have been like for an enslaved Black family to live very intimately with a white family that has enslaved them.

Junie is an excellent debut novel and I would absolutely read more work by Erin Crosby Eckstine.

Many thanks to Random House and Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion

Thank you very much to NetGalley, Ballantine Books/ Random House Publishing and Erin Crosby Eckstine for this arc.

Wow! What a powerful and moving read. I absolutely loved this book and was captivated from the very first page. Junie is amazing! She felt so real and so alone to me. She’s 16 years old in the story but we see her mature and age as she realizes the boundaries of her enslavement.

I also loved the characters Violet and Caleb. They didn’t just feel like side characters to me. I felt their emotions just as much as I felt Junie’s, and that’s doesn’t happen often in a book.

This book definitely kept me on edge and I was emersed so deeply in the uncertainty and injustice of the 19th century. I’ve never read a book about slavery from this perspective before, or any perspective for that matter. I especially love the authors note. I don’t even want to give a spoiler to that as well. But this was truly very inspiring and such an amazing read.

And can we talk about how beautiful this book cover is too? This publishes 2/4/2025 I’m going to pick up a physical copy asap!

Junie is a young girl who is the slave of a plantation owner in Alabama. Junie herself is the personal maid of the McQueen's daughter, Violet. Junie and Violet have a special relationship. Violet treats Junie like her friend and even teaches her to read. As the story unfolds, Junie is able to speak to the ghost of her dead sister who helps her slowly realize that things aren't what they seem on this plantation. When Violet is betrothed to an abusive man, Junie has to decide if she will stay with her family, or try to escape. This was a powerful story of not only the physical but also the psychological and emotional terrors that slaves had to endure at the hands of their captors. The story builds slowly and kept me guessing about the ghost character, Minnie, but I'm so glad that I stuck with it because the end was captivating. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me an advanced copy of this book. I would LOVE to read more books by Erin Crosby Eckstine in the future!

I do not do this lightly, but unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I was so extremely excited to read it but nowhere in the description does it reference that the majority of the book includes a paranormal elements. That is a line for me that I do not cross. I absolutely adored so much of the writing and the story. But I can’t keep reading due to that. I DNFed at 52%.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ballentine books for the opportunity.

I greatly enjoyed this historical fiction. It is a story of pre-Civil War slavery, focused on house and stable slaves rather than those working in the fields. As with any story related to slavery, there is some violence but it’s not a regular occurrence throughout the book. Instead, there is more focus of the family dynamics of both slaves and owners as well as the relationship between the main character, Junie, and her mistress. At times it reminded me of “The Kitchen House”, which I absolutely loved. This wasn’t quite up to par with that book, so I had to give it a 4 instead of a 5 but I did enjoy it and definitely recommend it.

Please make sure to read the Author’s Note at the back of the book once you finish reading it for an insight into her inspiration for writing it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own. The book will be released on 2/4/25.

I really loved JUNIE! I went to sleep reading it and woke up each morning ready to read more before I started my day. Erin Crosby Eckstine does an incredible job of building well-rounded and complicated characters you fall in love with in this coming-of-age story loosly based on her great-great-great-grandmother's escape to freedom shortly before the Civil War. An incredible story with surprises throughout.

4.25 🌟

This book is everything I love about historical fiction.

Junie is a book that is packed full of emotion. Told from the POV of an enslaved girl, we watch her wrestle with losing her parents, losing her sister and having a complex relationship with the white girl she grew up along side. And can we talk about the ending of the book?! 😭 (... no, no we cannot because we don't give away any spoilers).

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Junie is a character I will be thinking about for a long time. The author did an incredible job of creating a truly multi-dimensional young woman. The ending of this book almost killed me. I appreciate that the author didn’t wrap everything up perfectly, but I wanted Junie and Caleb to have that happy ending so badly. Overall, this is probably my favorite book of the year so far and I can’t wait to see what Crosby Eckstine writes next.

I think I pride myself most on being a lifelong reader and learner. I'm also look for books to either teach me something new or teach me something about myself. Although, this genre and style of books isn't something I always gravitate towards, I'm glad I took the chance and requested this ARC because
1. the cover is absolutely stunning! it's bold, vibrant, and somehow perfectly captures the essence of the book before even reading a single page. and,
2. Erin Crosby Eckstine's debut was deeply moving and I really enjoyed this style of story-telling (the author's note can/should not be missed!!!)

I instantly recognize that it's a privilege to be able to read a book like this, a historical fiction novel about an enslaved teenage girl living in the south during the 1860's and be somewhat removed from it.. It's a common thing to say that reading is an "escape", but the themes in this book are very much real and I think I really appreciated how the author didn't romanticize or glorify slavery, and didn't shy away from the very real, harsh realities of our country's ugly roots.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine for the chance to read this one early. ❤️

I found this to be just okay.

Ultimately this would work better as a young adult novel as the coming of age angle, language, and tone read very YA.
Solid characters. Quirky use of magical realism. Interesting plot turns, albeit some rather surprising...

The modern language is jarring at first. The first half feels like an almost sanitized version of slavery, while the second half is utterly dramatic (yet somewhat more realistic), which also kind of threw off this read for me. The author makes note that she wanted well rounded characters, but felt like a slight disservice to somewhat simplify the experience.

Oh my gosh! This was a solid 5 star read for me. I loved how poetic this story was. It was beautifully written! Also, Junie had such a big personality, I just loved her! I will be recommending this to all my friends!

Sixteen years has passed and Junie has lived on the Bellereine Plantation all of her life. It is just off the Alabama River. The McQueen family owns this property and the slaves. It starts with the Summer of 1860. Junie's family is enslaved on this property and there is talk of the Civil War beginning. She is the maid to the white master's daughter, who is named Violet. You also works in the kitchen helping with the meals served to the white folk of the home. Years of being with Violet, she has learned to read and write. Her love is really poetry. But she also likes to roam in the wooded area near the river.

When Violet becomes of age to marry, at age 17, guest arrive at the plantation. Many things change and not for the better either. A rich man named Beau Taylor and his sister Bea come to be guest of the McQueen's for awhile. They come from the big city of New Orleans, never being out in the country before. Mr. Taylor has a slave, who is the coachman and his name is Caleb. Junie and Caleb become more than just friends. Many things happening which she has no control over and she wishes another life then slavery. We journey into the story till the Spring of 1861.

The reason I wanted to read the book is I love Civil War/Slavery era novels. It was very difficult for me to put the book down each night and morning that I read. I know the stories are only fiction but it takes me back into a time of history, which I like learning about. To Erin Crosby Eckstine, you did a remarkable job in your writing of this book. I would love to read more book that you may write in the future. You did an amazing job with your research of this time era. I want to thank Ballantine Books and to Net Galley for giving the pleasure in this read before its publishing.

This is a great YA novel about an enslaved teenager named Junie who lives in Alabama around 1860. She is a housemaid to a girl named Violet who she grew up with and sees almost as a sister, but as they both get older and face the expectations that come with their ages, Junie starts to realize how dark her life is and feels unable to accept the way things are, all the while she's being haunted by the ghost of her recently deceased sister who wants Junie to get the freedom she couldn't have for herself.

This was a very strong story, I've not read a book about slavery from this perspective before, but to be fair I haven't read very many books that take place during this time in American history. I really liked how all the characters felt fleshed out and not like side characters, you could feel sympathy for Violet and Bea without excusing their racism and acceptance of the status quo, it's not easy to make a character sympathetic without excusing their bad behaviour, so this is something I always appreciate.

I do wish that there'd been more than a brief mention of the slaves who didn't work in the house, but with the author's note at the end, I understood why she made that decision.

I really appreciate when publishers send me books like this, because it's not something I would have picked up on my own but it was a very good book and I'm glad to have read it. So thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Junie is an emotional ride from beginning to end as Crosby crafts a story of teenager trying to carve out her own life (despite the confines of society). As Crosby states in her author note she wanted to shining a light on the individual humanity of enslaved people which this novel does. It does not shy away from the atrocities and horrors of slavery but manages to weave a strong narrative of hope through the viewpoint of the main character Junie. Most importantly it’s a story about healing and dealing with grief which is discussed throughout the novel in scenes such as this:

‘Looking for comfort in the past is like looking for a needle in a haystack; you can search forever and see a whole bunch of things that almost look like that needle you’re missing, but the truth is, you’re never going to find it and you’ll drive yourself mad trying. Best to leave that old needle and get on with the needles you got.’ You understand?”

Crosby has a lyrical way with words in this novel especially seeing as Junie, is literate and has a penchant for romantic poets. This is reflected in Junie’s speech but the overall poetic word flow from descriptions of how she views the world. The effect is a powerful narrative that is deeply layered with many poignant themes. I’m a reader that that often struggles with magic realism featured within novels and it can diminish my reading experience. In this novel this elements was described as “haunts” in the story, and the way the concept was woven into the story was easy for me to grasp and added to the overall plot.

Junie juggles her role as an enslaved woman with her role as a strong-willed, and heartfelt human. She’s a character who manages to see the best in people even though her family may have different opinions. She is a strong character who I admired and her story touched me deeply. This is a debut was written thoughtfully and beautifully. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction narratives.

"A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister's ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.

Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master's daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie.

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie's life, she commits a desperate act - one that rouses Minnie's spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests' coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored.

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind?"

Plantations have the worst ghosts.