Adrienne young is gifted with a writing style that is so evocative, so atmospheric it feels like you are standing right into the worlds she creates. I loved everything about this book. The main character, the little town setting, the family business and the romance.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is an exposing story about love in a bloodline that has a complicated supernatural element. It starts as almost a murder mystery while June tries to solve the mystery of the death of Nathaniel Sutherland the local minister. And in the photograph from 100 years ago is her mother, The concept was interesting and June was a likeable character. However I found it was difficult to follow. How easy the decision was to not go back to her prior life seemed a bit...unrealistic. I mean I know she had a child and a life in the 1940/1950s timeline, but she barely blinked at the thought of leaving behind Mason and her life in 2023. Other than that I enjoyed this book and it was an easy read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. The premise of this gave me Addie LaRue vibes and sounded so unique and interesting.

This is a fantasy novel (more magical realism really) that follows June Farrow, the last in a long line of Farrow women who have been cursed to go mad at some point in their lives. June’s own mother Susanna is now a town legend after her madness caused her to abandon her June as a baby and flee into the woods never to be seen again. When June’s Grandmother, Margaret, dies she discovers cryptic clues left behind by Margaret concerning her mother’s disappearance. As June begins to accept the fate that has been calling to her for a year, she realises that perhaps there might be more to the curse and she sets on a path determined to end it.

The story itself was incredibly beautiful and well thought out. The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene to the point where you almost feel like you are there with the characters and smelling, seeing and hearing everything that they are. The writing itself was also very beautiful but not overly flowery or poetic (in a good way!).

My issue with this book is in the pacing. It was so slow! For most of the book our main character knows NOTHING about what is going on and as we only get her POV we also know nothing. I don’t mind this if information is given at an appropriate pace and the story is being driven along by other plotlines but there just wasn’t anything else going on. It was just chapter after chapter of June being confused, wandering around a bit, maybe getting a vague riddle of an answer and so on and so forth. The ending was completely out of left field and felt very anticlimactic and rushed. I also found the concept of this book extremely hard to understand and no matter how often the author explained it I just could not wrap my head around how it made sense. That might be a me thing to be fair.

Overall I do think this is worth reading but don’t expect an action packed fantasy. This is more of a magical realism/historical/mystery book that is more atmospheric than it is plot heavy. I would definitely class this as a “cosy” book so perfect for the winter. This was released on 17th October so you can check it out now if you’re interested. I will certainly be checking out more of this author’s backlist because her writing was wonderful.

I loved the promise of this tale -but there were quite a few things which didn't quite add up .
June has always been classed as 'special' but just how special she is soon to find out .
I don't want to give too much away -this was a great story -but if I'm being super picky I was left with questions and no answers which spoiled the ending for me

Thankyou NetGalley for an advance ARC in return for an honest review

First of all thankyou to Quercus books for the review copy to this book my gosh I was so excited.

I really love Adrian new writing and her amazing storytelling she just smashes it everytime,
When this book came out for review I couldn't wait to get me hands on it,and I can tell you all now it didn't disappoint it's one of the best books I've read this year,if not the BEST !!
With a brilliant small town mystery and love story which is fantastic that my year made .

I really did find it hard to put the book down sometimes real life calls shame ! I would dream and think about the plot all the time ,it's definitely a story which leaves you wanting more .

I loved how it had time travel and generational curses that always makes a story for me ,

Every character in the book will be pulling on your heart strings I was captivated by each and every one of them .

I hate giving to much away as I know so many will love this Adrienne writing is always wonderful to me .
She has created a masterpiece with the story I think .

I'm giving this five flaming stars

I was enthralled and in love with this novel: dark fantasy, some horror, a gripping plot that makes you read till late in the night, a cast of well plotted characters.
Read it because it's brilliant
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What a very different and interesting read.

I was so invested in the outcome of this book and immediately connected with June and her families sad curse. It took till the end of the book to fully understand the workings of this title and I couldnt wait to see how this story was going pan out.

Beautifully descriptive and captivating. I instantly fell into the world of June's life and often forgot this book was set in the modern day (for the most part) it was so like entering another world entirely.

I adored the direction this book took, no spoilers, and seeing the peeks into the past. The romance aspects of this story was so cute and heartwarming.

And the way the family stories overlapped by the end was just so clever.

One I'll recommend and read again for sure.

4.5 stars

Adrienne Young's second adult novel brings another atmospheric mystery with speculative elements to life.

The first section of the book has a creeping sense of unease about June's episodes and what the door could mean - and what secrets are in her past that others are holding. It establishes the town and its feel (everyone knowing everyone and the sense that the Farrows are on the outside.)

From here the second part is after June has gone through the door and has a mystery of what happened in this timeline. The outsider feel only intensifies as June is not familiar with this world - and yet she is. It's very atmospheric, the place and all its secrets wrapping around you.

These two parts play off each other very well. Even after the first mystery is (mostly) solved, there are still more to solve as stepping through the door only brings more. It's really well done to keep you hooked throughout, wanting to know the answers - and also what choice June will make about her future.

The reason I put such an awkward genre down ("speculative (fantasy)") is because this book, like Adrienne Young's previous adult novel, SPELLS FOR FORGETTING, doesn't sit easily in one genre. I could see this sitting just as well in "General/Literary" as a "high concept literary novel". There are fantastical elements to the book - the crossing timelines thanks to the red door - but it's in some ways mostly a mystery and a tale of lovers rediscovering others. I think the easiest way to describe what it's like is to say if you took out the time travel and swapped it for memory loss, it would sit under general/historical, but there is that time travel element.

I will absolutely be reading her next adult novel as I have thoroughly enjoyed these genre-bending novels so far.

If I didn’t love Adrienne Young’s writing already, this book would have sold it for me. Genuinely blew my mind. It had mystery, it had interesting magic that kept me on my toes, it had complex characters that I absolutely adore and twists that I really didn’t see coming! Loved this one so much and once you read it it’s so easy to see why it’s already had a plethora of raving reviews!

The unmaking of June Farrow felt like something I hadn't read before. The unique story is hard not to discuss without giving much away, but safe to say, the mystery and concepts kept pulling me back in. I have this a 4 stars, only because I like my books a little quicker paced, and I felt the drawn out nature of the book, perhaps wasn’t for me, but I can certainly see how it would be for other readers. Otherwise Adrienne Young’s writing is beautiful, and the setting of the story is really what draw me in!

Having already read and enjoyed, Spells for Forgetting and loving the writing style. World building and Mystery. I didn't read the blurb for this book. I was going to love it, right!
Right! I had no idea, it was a time travelling master piece
Like Spells, the Title only comes to fruitation towards the end of the book, but what a book.
If you liked the Time Traveller's Wife, but want an easier read, then this book is for you. The story, just flows so smoothly and cosy.
I fell in love with the characters, and love that June got to re live her life.
Adrienne Young, this book was amazing. I can't wait for more of the same warm, cosy loveable stories

I can't describe this book in any way that will do it justice. I simply don't have the words to capture the feeling of magic and emotion conjured on every page. I feel scooped out after reading as though I was taking the same journey as June. The exploration of identity and belonging was beautifully handled and unique in its portrayal. I don't want to go into any details as I think this is one of those books the reader appreciates more by going into it without any knowledge of the story. Adrienne Young's adult books are in a class of their own and this will definitely be in my top 5 books of the year.

Another amazing book! Everything about it I loved. I really love Adrienne Youngs voice when she writes. I was a fan of her other book and this one was just as good!

This beautifully written and atmospheric novel intricately weaved themes of fate and destiny into an absorbing time travel story. It moved along at a gentle pace, but June’s determination to uncover the truth behind her family’s curse and what really happened to her mother ensured that the story was still compelling.

June was a good main character. She was brave and kind, yet I couldn’t help but feel everything was happening TO her. I didn’t understand why no one gave her even a hint of a warning for all she was about to face.

The mystery at the heart of the novel – what really happened to June’s mother Susanna – gradually unfolded throughout. As more clues were dropped, new questions started to pop up. Admittedly, I was slightly confused on a few occasions but the ending wrapped up well and helped explain most things.

Overall, despite its gentle pace, this atmospheric novel was a captivating read. The magical mystery at its heart kept me turning the page as I was as desperate as the heroine to uncover the truth.

4⭐️

My first book by this author, I’d seen a few rave reviews, so the FOMO was kicking in.

The Farrow women are different, their family line is cursed.
The main character in the story is June, we have a delightful story with a bit of the impossible.

Book points
📕 Endearing characters
📕Engaging storyline
📕 A mystery
📕Romance
📕Incorporates something different.
📕Complex time frames

I found June very endearing, as well as Mason, Eamon, her grandma and Birdie.

A lot of Junes experience is through reliving her fleeting memories.

I really enjoyed the book, the relationships and the mystery at the heart of the story.

The time frames are complex and I got a bit bamboozled at times.

I would have loved to have this one as an audiobook.
It’s a lovely enjoyable read, the only downside for me is it’s a slow story in the telling.

This is a really enjoyable read. If you like a time travelling, murder mystery with a bit of romance, this will be right up your street.
In the present, June Farrow is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother, but is also having moments of “madness”; seeing and hearing things which aren’t there. There appears to be a family curse, which afflicted June’s mother, who disappeared, leaving baby June behind. Then a mysterious door appears, and June steps through it. She finds herself in a previous time, where she has been before.
This is a great premise for a book. It’s got a bit of everything- thoughts about life choices, identity and romance, as well as a good sense of place in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

DNF at 54%

If you're looking for a cosy slow paced mystery book, this novel is for you. Young is fantastic at building beautiful worlds that you can immerse yourself into, and this book has two different settings to sink into.

However, for me this book missed the mark. The pacing just didn't work for me. The initial 20% I flew through, the mystery of the family curse propelled me through it. Once we learned about the curse, it just seems to really slow down and the cause of the curse was kind of unexpected and disappointing. After that I just didn't really have the inclination to pick it up again as I couldn't get invested in the characters and it was just a bit boring.

I'm definitely in the minority for this book and there's no denying that Young is fantastic at building these immersive worlds, but for me that was the only major positive.

An enjoyable novel to read, a little pampering.
I found the writing fluid and engaging.
Compared to Fable, you can see how much the author has matured.
In fact, I enjoyed this novel much more!

An interesting but sometimes confusing tale of a family of women who travel back and forth in time. By thr end I had managed to piece who everyone was in different times. I really enjoyed it and thought there was a good mixof characters.

Synopsis:

Living in the small town of Jasper, North Carolina, the Farrow women are known not only for their thriving flower farm, but for their oddness. They have been cursed, each having only one daughter and often going mad. This was true of June’s mother Susannah, who mysteriously disappears and leaves June to be raised by her grandmother.

However, when her grandmother’s mind begins to unravel, so too do the secrets of the Farrow family and the town of Jasper. Dark secrets have been hidden, and the truth must be found across time and through a mysterious red door.

My thoughts:

There’s a quiet mystery to The Unmaking of June Farrow that I really enjoyed, and while I’m not quite sure what I expected with this book, it really surprised me. As always Adrienne Young’s writing is atmospheric and immersive. I loved that the fantasy elements of this novel were background to June’s family relationships, and although I did see some things coming I was completely surprised by others. If you enjoy time travel, small town mystery and second chance romances, pick this one up.