Utterly captivating and beautifully written. I cannot get these characters and this story out of my head. I only finish it 5 days ago and I am constantly fighting the urge to immediately reread it.

One of the best books I’ve read in a very long time!! And definitely a new all time favourite that I will go back to multiple times!

June Farrow is the last in a long line of cursed Farrow women, who all slowly start to lose their minds with an unknown alignment that has plagued their family line. When June starts to see and hear things that aren’t there, she worries her time is coming to an end, that the curse has finally set in for her too. Then see she’s the red door. A red door that could change everything when she finally decides to walk through it and risk everything to attempt to end her family’s curse.

Every time I had to put this book down, I immediately wanted to pick it back up! It works a slow, captivating charm upon you, until you find yourself so deeply intwined with the story and characters, unable to look away.

This book truly engages your mind and I found myself excitedly theorising and attempting to spot any foreshadowing for clues of what was to come. From this, I did guess the ending, but not in a this-book-is-predictable kind of way, rather in a I’m-constantly-thinking-about-it-and-OMG-I-was-right-and-I-love-this-so-much kind of way.

Adrienne Young is one of my favourite authors and has been for a long while. Yet this book not only shot to the top of all of her books for me (something I wasn’t sure was possible - Sky in the Deep had been solidly number one for a long while) but also an absolute favourite book of all time for me!! I love it so much and cannot wait to reread it!! (I’m desperately trying to hold off starting it again right now, not sure how long I will hold out honestly! I love it so much and I just want to experience it all over again!)

Adrienne Young is officially an auto-buy author for me from now on. The mood, the vibes, the storytelling across generations, and the twists – it all adds up to an unforgettable read that stays with you. Thrills and chills galore, twists and turns and intrigue – I couldn’t put it down. Read this on a day when you have no plans, because you’ll want to read it in one go.

*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

"The Unmaking of June Farrow" by Adrienne Young is a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and the supernatural. Set in the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, the story follows June Farrow as she grapples with her family's cursed history and her mother's unexplained disappearance. Young's evocative writing keeps the plot moving at a quick pace, drawing readers into a world filled with mystery, love, and sacrifice. The atmospheric setting of Jasper adds depth to the narrative, and the exploration of familial legacy and the enduring power of love resonates on a deeply human level. While some readers might desire further exploration of certain plot elements, the novel's strengths lie in its compelling storytelling and emotional resonance. Overall, "The Unmaking of June Farrow" is a captivating and unforgettable journey that showcases Adrienne Young's talent as a storyteller.

4/5

4-4.25 stars

This book was the perfect blend of magical realism, romance and mystery, with a heart-warming and heart-wrenching multi-generational story at its core.

Adrienne Young’s writing is absolutely stunning, and immediately hooked me. The setting was so atmospheric, and I was entranced by the unravelling of June’s story right up until the final page.

I feel like I can’t say too much about this book in fear of spoiling it, but it had some unexpected twists, and the while the ending was satisfying and felt “right”, it was also a little bittersweet. I loved the emphasis on family relationships and the sacrifices we make for the ones we love.

I do wish this book had been a little longer, though. 50-100 extra pages would have allowed for more character and relationship development. I also couldn’t quite wrap my head around some of the fantasy elements and would like to have known the origin of them, which could have potentially been explored if the book was longer.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Unmaking of June Farrow, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the most gorgeous, bittersweet story of grief and finding your place in the world. I loved every single second of it. Adrienne Young does such an incredible job of weaving a beautiful atmosphere, an exciting mystery, and a heartwrenching romance into this book, and it quickly became a new favorite for me.

I absolutely loved this book! There’s just something so whimsical and atmospheric about Young’s writing.

The plot gave me some real “Time Traveler’s Wife” vibes and I really loved the magic realism aspects of this story. I thought the plot was engaging, complex, layered and moreish - I didn’t want to put it down.

I thought the murder mystery interwoven into the storyline added an extra dimension to the story - overall a beautifully composed atmospheric and immersive masterpiece.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book

Firstly, a gigantic thank you to Quercus Books for providing me an advanced copy of the masterpiece that is The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young.

Wow I don’t even know where to begin; I am not confident that my words can do the magic of this book justice. The book follows June Farrow who lives on a flower farm with her grandmother, who their small town of Jasper would whisper is, “losing her mind to madness”, a hereditary fate that every Farrow matriarch shares. When June starts seeing people, hearing voices, and smelling scents that don’t exist, we join June search for answers about this fate and the mysterious absence of her mother, all while being haunted by an elusive red door that may point her directly to the truth she is so desperate for.

Filled to the brim with atmospheric and whimsical prose, Young constructs an unforgettably beautiful tale of the importance of family and how far each of the Farrow Women will go to protect their loved ones. I definitely ended off my 2023 reading year with a bang. I can’t wait to catch up on Young’s catalogue and highly anticipate her upcoming works.

This was an interesting portal fantasy.
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The Farrow Women are all fated to an illness no one can understand or cure. June's mother left her as a baby in an alley and disappeared. Now June has lost her Gran the women who raised her.
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Both women had started to see and hear things. What the town of Jasper has called the madness.
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It has been a year since June has started to hear and see things, On the day she loses her Gran she finds a letter address to her in her grandmothers writing, the letter just has an address. What she finds at the address will change everything. It will give her the answers she has been looking for and some she didn't even know she was looking for.
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A Beautifully written, whimsical story of romance, Mystery and a touch of magic.

Thank you Adrienne Young for writing such a stunning book full of magical realism and told in such a beautiful, lyrical way.

As the story unfolded, I was completely drawn into June’s life and the mysteries surrounding her. This is such a clever book. You must read it!

Such a beautiful story. The writing is so soothing & the love between June & Eamon is soul deep.

Will read again & again when life is busy, to settle my mind & reflect on family generations' lines & what life would be if we could go back in time.

I really liked Adrienne Young's writing from Spells for Forgetting, and this book only made that love 10x greater. You will love this book if you like second chance romances and small town mysteries.

This book was another great read from this author. I really enjoy her writing style and find that it always flows perfectly.
The book does start off a little slow due to building up the story but once you get about a third of the way through your hooked and don’t want to stop reading. I love how the authors words can bring forth so many different emotions with her writing.
This book has magical realism as well as mystery, a little romance and more.
The book follows June Farrow who is lives in a small town and starts to experience her family’s curse which has affected every woman in her family for generations and now a mysterious red door ?
I don’t want to divulge any of the plot as I feel it would spoil it but I definitely recommend reading this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love magical realism so much because with it you can do something like this! I loved the plot and idea behind it, how June was having to deal with such a mysteries and trying to get away from the curse that plagues her family.

June's character was so great. I loved her determination and stubbornness, how determined she was to end this curse once and for all, but the best thing about this story was the mysteries and how it all came together in the end. It was so many things but at it's heart was the murder mystery. It fit so well with the rest of the plot.

The ending of this was so clever. It all fitted together so neatly. I guess one plot point and there's a bit more that is hinted at from the start, but the way it all worked out was unexpected and thrilling.

I don't normally read magical realism, but I absolutely loved The Unmaking of June Farrow. I adore Adrienne Young's writing style and this has become a favourite read of mine. This book is centered around a mystery and sprinkled with a bit of romance. The story is also an incredible family/intergenerational saga. This unforgettable tale touches on the sacrifices we make as women, and the Enduring power of love.

In the quiet mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow patiently awaits the hand of fate. The Farrow women are renowned for their flourishing flower farm but carry the weight of a mysterious curse that has haunted their family for generations.

The madness that led to Susanna Farrow's vanishing left her daughter, June, to be raised by her grandmother. In Jasper, it's widely believed that June is destined to meet a similar fate, yet she harbours a secret—her unravelling has already commenced.

Following her grandmother's passing, June delves into clues connecting her mother's disappearance to the town's dark history, leading her to a mysterious door. Beyond it may lie the answers to the long-standing mysteries that have cast a shadow over Jasper. Upon crossing the threshold, June embarks on a journey that not only has the power to alter the past and the future but also entangles her fate and heart in a star-crossed love.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if it were in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This took me a while to get into, but around the 25% mark, I was so hooked that I couldn't put it down. There's such a tender, beautiful and heartbreaking story here and I was so impressed by the way Adrienne Young's writing established tension and history on the page between characters – this was completely enveloping. When it finished I had to go back to the beginning and this was so rewarding. I did find some aspects of this puzzling, (the timelines, the rules of the world, the ending) but ultimately I loved June and her family's story at the heart of this.

4 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
I have never read a book of this genre before, where magic and realism are so blurred. Reading the first quarter of the book, there was no mention of magic, but then as the story progresses, elements begin to trickle in.
June Farrow comes from a long line of Farrow women, all of whom suffer from madness. They begin to see and hear things that are not there, her mother disappears as the madness began to set in. As June looking into her disappearance, there are things that don't make sense and stories that don't add up. Before you know it, you are on a mind-boggling sci-fi/ fantasy rollercoaster!
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

4.5 stars

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I wasn’t sure if I’d like it when I first started it, but my mind was changed as soon as June stepped through the red door. This book kept me on my toes and trying to unravel the mystery along with June had me hooked. 10/10 recommend if you want a mystery that feels like fantasy at the same time.

After loving Spells for Forgetting last year I was really excited for this one and it didn’t disappoint!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with The Unmaking of June Farrow and honestly I’m glad I didn’t know much about it as it takes a turn about 30% of the way through that I really hadn’t anticipated. I thought the story was very compelling, it did take me a little way to get fully invested, but once I was into it I needed to know what was going to happen.

This book was heartbreaking and beautiful and did make me cry at a particular reveal which I hadn’t seen coming.

Pick this one up If you like magical realism, mystery, stories about family and a touch of romance.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I absolutely love Adrienne Young, and I find myself so invested in each of her works! Her books are so compelling, and The Unmaking of June Farrow was no different. There's a really strong familial bond woven throughout this book, connecting all of the Farrow women, which was so beautiful. I also really enjoyed the small town atmosphere, and Adrienne Young does such a wonderful job setting the scene, I felt completely immersed in the lives of those living in Jasper.

The mystery of the Farrow curse was very intriguing, although I have to admit that I still don't really understand what happened or the resolution; time travel is a lot to wrap your head around and while I loved Adrienne Young's approach to it, it was very confusing. It might have been because I somehow ended up reading two books dealing with time travel at the same time, but the resolution of the time travel situation felt very dense, so I was left not entirely comprehending how the book even ended. That does not go to say that it wasn't well explained - it might have just been my headspace at the time of reading.

Overall, I did love the characters, particularly June, and I will always read an Adrienne Young book! I can't wait to see what she comes out with next, and I commend her for tackling the difficult topic of time travel!