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jessicapinn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
“‘We all have to make a choice,’ she said softly, ‘and it’s different for each of us. Yours will be different from mine.’”
Can we just agree that huge adult fiction hits are more than likely not going to be a hit with me? Can I admit that and stop trying to get myself to love the big titles in adult fiction?
To be clear, I didn’t hate this book. Not at all. But this book confused the heck out of me. You see, there’s time travel but you can only travel through time three times. (I don’t make the rules here). June traveled through time once when she was a baby, once in 2023 (the plot line we see and follow) and then presumably twice more? NO. Just no. The whole passing through the door thing was explained to me multiple times in a variety of ways and it just never made sense to me in a way that I was able to look past and just enjoy the book. Honestly, this was my biggest hang up with the book. I didn’t understand how the time travel worked, especially when it seemed June broke the rules and traveled through time more than three times. I even had the “rules” of time travel (as it related to this book) explained to me multiple times and I’m not sure they made sense even once.
I also felt very disjointed moving from one timeline to another one so quickly. It’s like we had all this beautiful character development in the 2023 storyline and then that just abruptly ended. What happened to June’s close friends in the 2023 storyline? Did they ever find out what really happened to her or were they left wondering how she disappeared into thin air?
There were too many unanswered questions and plot lines that made it difficult for me to want to rate this book anything higher than 3 stars. I think for the right type of reader, this book will be the perfect read for them. Unfortunately, I am not that person.
I also felt very disjointed moving from one timeline to another one so quickly. It’s like we had all this beautiful character development in the 2023 storyline and then that just abruptly ended. What happened to June’s close friends in the 2023 storyline? Did they ever find out what really happened to her or were they left wondering how she disappeared into thin air?
There were too many unanswered questions and plot lines that made it difficult for me to want to rate this book anything higher than 3 stars. I think for the right type of reader, this book will be the perfect read for them. Unfortunately, I am not that person.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
willow_witch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Dementia, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Vomit
shlymiller's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
jkmh's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Suicide and Abandonment
chelseainthesky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
sierrajhansen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was such an interesting concept! i got a little lost on the mechanics of the time traveling piece and didn’t connect with the characters as much as i wanted to, but this was a pretty entertaining fall read. it was also a little slower paced for me, but the twists throughout and especially at the end kept me going. i would have loved to see a better explanation of how the curse started and how june was able to “break” it, and the end felt a little abrupt and too tidily wrapped up. i think the author could have further explored some of the historical and small town factors of this story regarding the violent male characters at its center as well. overall though, i was entertained and it kept me wondering what would happen next
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence
journeying_homeward's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
otakatoe3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
mmccombs's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
Okay listen, this book was incredibly engrossing but also equally irritating!! I leave this book mildly angry!! The vibes were great, very autumnal and kind of cozy, a good mix of magic and mystery and a pinch of romance. I thought the sense of place in North Carolina was nicely done (though the distinction between 1951 and 2023 did not feel clear enough). I always love stories about women and what they pass down to their daughters, so that element was a real plus.
But for a book that heavily relies on time travel as a central and important plot point, the rules of the time travel were so inconsistent and indecipherable as to be frustrating. I’m a person who easily buys into things and throws logic to the wind if a book asks me to do that, but the book has to earn my buy in first. And truly nothing about this made any sense to me!! The rule of three trips?? So confusing and random!June remembering things from a version of her that happened to future her in the past? Wait, what?! Her being alive when her mother is born, and then her mother birthing her again? Huh? Wouldn’t this whole plot then happen again as a result? Why does this curse exist in the first place? When did it start?
I also found the fact that June was totally kept in the dark for the majority of this book when everyone around her knew what was up fairly strange. Like they did explain why they didn’t tell her things and that it was purposeful, but mostly this withholding of information just didn’t make sense and I didn’t get their motivations.
And very tiny, but I thought the authors note about the legacy of slavery in the state was very strange considering that topic didn’t come up throughout the book (which I noticed and was wondering if it was a deliberate choice to just… pretend that wasn’t a thing that could impact the plot or setting). Like either mention it or don’t, unclear what the author’s motivations were there.
I could probably keep going with my questions and complaints so I’ll just cut myself off now. Very interesting premise, just way too convoluted and complicated for me to fully immerse myself in. I think lovers of Addie LaRue and Practical Magic would enjoy this book, but I am just overthinking this one into oblivion.
But for a book that heavily relies on time travel as a central and important plot point, the rules of the time travel were so inconsistent and indecipherable as to be frustrating. I’m a person who easily buys into things and throws logic to the wind if a book asks me to do that, but the book has to earn my buy in first. And truly nothing about this made any sense to me!! The rule of three trips?? So confusing and random!
I also found the fact that June was totally kept in the dark for the majority of this book when everyone around her knew what was up fairly strange. Like they did explain why they didn’t tell her things and that it was purposeful, but mostly this withholding of information just didn’t make sense and I didn’t get their motivations.
And very tiny, but I thought the authors note about the legacy of slavery in the state was very strange considering that topic didn’t come up throughout the book (which I noticed and was wondering if it was a deliberate choice to just… pretend that wasn’t a thing that could impact the plot or setting). Like either mention it or don’t, unclear what the author’s motivations were there.
I could probably keep going with my questions and complaints so I’ll just cut myself off now. Very interesting premise, just way too convoluted and complicated for me to fully immerse myself in. I think lovers of Addie LaRue and Practical Magic would enjoy this book, but I am just overthinking this one into oblivion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death of parent
Moderate: Mental illness