The Unmaking of June Farrow

After finishing The Unmaking of June Farrow - my first Adrienne Young book, I’m left with two major thoughts:

Wow, this woman can write a beautiful, emotionally compelling story … and … boy do I need someone to explain the time travel thread in this one! 

June Farrow comes from a long line of women who, at some point in their lives, succumb to madness. She was left in tiny Jasper, North Carolina, as a baby wearing a strange locket around her neck by her mother, who then disappeared. Now June is sensing her own mind beginning to unravel. How else can she explain seeing things that aren’t there or hearing the man’s voice that sometimes whispers to her, and what is the mysterious red door that randomly appears to her every so often?

Furthermore, why does she have a photo of a man whose unsolved murder is still the talk of Jasper standing with her mother? Did they know each other?

All these mysteries bubble under the surface as June and her best friend Mason prepare for the end of her life as she’s known it. What she doesn’t know is that in many ways her story has just begun, and it’s even MORE complicated than she ever imagined! She finds out just how true that is after her Gran dies and Gran’s best friend Birdie hands June a letter and offers an urgent word of advice:  “The next time you see the door, open it.”

What follows is a story of mystery, unexpected peril and suspense but, more importantly, a story of new beginnings, hope, family and true love.  Young’s prose is gorgeous, vividly painting the scenes of the farmland, small town, historical details and characters in a way that transported me there in my mind. There’s nothing better than feeling like you’re part of the story, instead of passively watching it!

I read this on my Kindle while listening to the audio, wonderfully narrated by Brittany Pressley.  Her ability to tap into the emotions of the characters had me completely invested in how things played out for each of the characters. It’s a quiet book at times and has its slower moments as June works through the confusion of her situation, but it was well-worth the patience.

My one issue with the book, and this is a “me” problem - the story involves a time travel aspect that I just could NOT wrap my brain around, no matter how many times it was explained. The fact that I never quite made sense of it didn’t ruin my enjoyment, but I do think it was more complicated than it needed to be, and I suspect some may find it confusing as well. 

The bottom line: if you love a beautifully written, immersive, atmospheric story with mystery, magical realism, a touch of romance and a time travel element, you may want to give this a try!

★★★★ ½ 

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press, NetGalley, and author Adrienne Young for the DRC to honestly review, and Libby and my local library for the audiobook. It's now available.