Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

10 reviews

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. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

leshalea30's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

The ending was just.... jaw dropping and beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

ellenwm's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

3.5

I definitely enjoyed the pacing, descriptions and concept of this novel! Magical realism that flirts with Southern gothic on a flower farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains with a smattering of endearing characters is lovely. The central mysteries of family secrets that bend time kept me guessing and making notes on theories. I’m not 100% sure it stuck the landing as far as the explanation and exposition go, but I am pretty partial to a particular model of time travel and this book got a bit creative. I’m willing to overlook a couple plot holes for the vibes though. Great audiobook listen! The narrator’s accents really helped fill out the beautiful setting and characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy

mdavis26's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

katievallin's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.75

This was so beautiful, and it's left an ache in me that feels a bit like grief.

I liked the time travel and amnesia tropes,

and the romance was so beautiful. I related to the small, southern town aspect even though I didn't grow up in Appalachia.

I'm sad that the only kind of Christianity that the Farrows were exposed to was the yucky kind, but I also related to a bit of the theology and attitudes from my own childhood.

This book makes me think about prejudices against people who are seen as odd and about the assumption that mental illness is always obvious.

I thought there wasn't really closure for June's friendship with Mason, which was a bit disappointing; but I also like that it wasn't wrapped up super neatly because that seems more realistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence and Pregnancy

cyndi1966's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Stalking and Death of parent

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

sunburn's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Stalking, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

firefly99's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This one was so confusing, which was actually fitting because it felt like you were reacting right along with the MC. Made my brain hurt, but in a good way. Part murder mystery, part time travel, very well written with a vivid setting and characters. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Blood, Abortion, and Alcohol

mandi_lea's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

lex_is_bookish's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-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

4.5

loved loved LOVED Young's second adult title 🥹 this book gave me chest pains and honestly kept me guessing!

the love scene between june and eamon was BEAUTIFUL and sexy and shredded me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol