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eghimire_'s review against another edition
2.0
To some Saving June was a heart-felt story, to me it was boring. It took me forever to finish this book because I never felt like reading it so I just read other books instead. The whole time I was reading Saving June, I never connected with the characters.
Harper is obviously depressed but she isn't like able. Nor is Laney because sheacts is a slut but never actually considers that until I can't believe Jake and Laney stuck with Harper even with all her bullshit.
Harper talks about June and old memories but June never felt real at all. She was like a ghost, just lingering there.
Jake and Harper's relationship is a hate-love thing. They hate each other then they have moments but then Harper remembers that she hates him but she can't help but feel attracted to him.
Almost every time Harper cries, she goes running off and collapses into the ground and cries. That's basically what she does at least +10 times.
Saving June wasn't my favorite read but it was.. okay. Others might like it much more than I do.
Harper is obviously depressed but she isn't like able. Nor is Laney because she
Spoiler
Jake tells her off about it and it might have finally gotten into her head that sleeping with guys without care has consequences.Harper talks about June and old memories but June never felt real at all. She was like a ghost, just lingering there.
Jake and Harper's relationship is a hate-love thing. They hate each other then they have moments but then Harper remembers that she hates him but she can't help but feel attracted to him.
Almost every time Harper cries, she goes running off and collapses into the ground and cries. That's basically what she does at least +10 times.
Saving June wasn't my favorite read but it was.. okay. Others might like it much more than I do.
stephxsu's review against another edition
4.0
SAVING JUNE is a debut YA contemporary novel that lives up to its hype: it is a wonderfully told story that weaves standout characters and a genuine passion for music into a journey that is moving for Harper as well as for us readers.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d like SAVING JUNE at first. The beginning one-fifth of the book had more than its fair share of features that are all too common to YA books dealing with grief—or, for that matter, any YA contemporary story: the main character with suppressed anger towards her dead sibling, the dead sibling, the more outgoing best friend, the good-looking mysterious boy with secrets, the over-the-top ridiculous mean relative. I mean, there is a “life-changing road trip,” for goodness’ sake.
Once Harper, Laney, and Jake finally, finally hit the road, however, it was like someone had flipped the switch and turned on the life to this story. Spending weeks together in a car is really a great way to get to know characters: personalities clash, secrets are revealed, and unshakeable bonds develop. The three main characters completely grew on me. Harper’s grief became less plot-driven (i.e. there for the sake of the story) and more character-driven (genuine poignant grief over June’s death). Laney started out as simply the outgoing best friend, but grew to have more depth than I initially thought.
As for Jake, well, his character development definitely impressed me the most. You’d have to be slightly naïve not to guess what role he plays in the story, but what impressed me was that his “ideal love interest” character developed not from a set of parameters thrown at us at the beginning, but, rather, gradually through the course of the story, each new chapter revealing another lovable aspect of him. Authors, take note of how to write a truly swoon-worthy love interest, please.
All in all, SAVING JUNE pleased me to no end. It broke the constraints it imposed on itself by having a rather tired premise and, through genuine and memorable characters, makes itself stand out in the crowd. If you love YA contemporary, please, do yourself a favor and give this a try. Odds are you won’t regret it.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure I’d like SAVING JUNE at first. The beginning one-fifth of the book had more than its fair share of features that are all too common to YA books dealing with grief—or, for that matter, any YA contemporary story: the main character with suppressed anger towards her dead sibling, the dead sibling, the more outgoing best friend, the good-looking mysterious boy with secrets, the over-the-top ridiculous mean relative. I mean, there is a “life-changing road trip,” for goodness’ sake.
Once Harper, Laney, and Jake finally, finally hit the road, however, it was like someone had flipped the switch and turned on the life to this story. Spending weeks together in a car is really a great way to get to know characters: personalities clash, secrets are revealed, and unshakeable bonds develop. The three main characters completely grew on me. Harper’s grief became less plot-driven (i.e. there for the sake of the story) and more character-driven (genuine poignant grief over June’s death). Laney started out as simply the outgoing best friend, but grew to have more depth than I initially thought.
As for Jake, well, his character development definitely impressed me the most. You’d have to be slightly naïve not to guess what role he plays in the story, but what impressed me was that his “ideal love interest” character developed not from a set of parameters thrown at us at the beginning, but, rather, gradually through the course of the story, each new chapter revealing another lovable aspect of him. Authors, take note of how to write a truly swoon-worthy love interest, please.
All in all, SAVING JUNE pleased me to no end. It broke the constraints it imposed on itself by having a rather tired premise and, through genuine and memorable characters, makes itself stand out in the crowd. If you love YA contemporary, please, do yourself a favor and give this a try. Odds are you won’t regret it.
nicholeb84's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book that at times was heartbreaking. It even had a bit of humor. The three main characters felt very real and their struggles felt true to life. The only reason it does not get 5 stars is because I didn't really care for the last forty pages. But, it was still a great read.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
3.0
Harper’s world is turned upside down when her older sister, June commits suicide. She was always the popular, pretty one, with her old life ahead of her. Harper is just normal. To top it off, her parents recently divorced and her interfering aunt is trying to convert her to the ways of God. June had always wanted to escape to California, so when her parents plan to split her ashes, harper decides to steal the urn and head to the Pacific Ocean to do the only right thing she can by her sister. She takes with her, her best friend Laney and the mysterious Jake, whose only connection to June is the mix CD she was listening to when she died.
Narrated by Harper, there is an authentic sounding teen voice throughout, which maybe makes it less likely to be a cross-over novel but bound to be a hit with younger readers. Jake is the quintessential music geek, educating Harper along the way. When I first saw there was a heavy music theme to the book, I was a little concerned, I’m so not down with the kids music wise, so it was with a sigh of relief to realise Jake loves the kind of music I have listened to throughout my life. There are handy playlists at the back of the book so you can make your own mix up beforehand if you’re unfamiliar and listen to the music along with Harper.
What Hannah manages to do well, is capture the mixed feelings of grief and helplessness of a teenager who feels she has no one to turn to, that her feelings might somehow be wrong. When she moves away from the emotive, I found the writing a little clunky in places, especially when describing every day acts. She seemed to dwell a lot on describing smoking too… Laney does manage to tell Harper it’s a bad habit but it feels like it’s just there for the sake of it.
The development of the relationship is nothing surprising but it’s an enjoyable read. Jake comes across as a much older character than eighteen but maybe that’s Harper’s perception of him. At sixteen, two years is a much bigger gap than it is for adults. I was hoping for more of the road trip element to shine through, but the narrative only pays lip service to the passing landscape, pausing only really for Fridge Henge.
Narrated by Harper, there is an authentic sounding teen voice throughout, which maybe makes it less likely to be a cross-over novel but bound to be a hit with younger readers. Jake is the quintessential music geek, educating Harper along the way. When I first saw there was a heavy music theme to the book, I was a little concerned, I’m so not down with the kids music wise, so it was with a sigh of relief to realise Jake loves the kind of music I have listened to throughout my life. There are handy playlists at the back of the book so you can make your own mix up beforehand if you’re unfamiliar and listen to the music along with Harper.
What Hannah manages to do well, is capture the mixed feelings of grief and helplessness of a teenager who feels she has no one to turn to, that her feelings might somehow be wrong. When she moves away from the emotive, I found the writing a little clunky in places, especially when describing every day acts. She seemed to dwell a lot on describing smoking too… Laney does manage to tell Harper it’s a bad habit but it feels like it’s just there for the sake of it.
The development of the relationship is nothing surprising but it’s an enjoyable read. Jake comes across as a much older character than eighteen but maybe that’s Harper’s perception of him. At sixteen, two years is a much bigger gap than it is for adults. I was hoping for more of the road trip element to shine through, but the narrative only pays lip service to the passing landscape, pausing only really for Fridge Henge.
ashcash04's review against another edition
4.0
Saving June is a really interesting story about a journey June's sister, Harper, takes to save what's left of her. It was an easy read and good for the most part.
My biggest issue was just something that's a matter of opinion, it is very negatively stereotypical about religion. The main characters don't believe in God, but the part that bothered me was just how frequently it was brought up and the manner in which is was brought up.
For example, there is a political protest at one point, which at this point in don't even remember what it was for, but it had nothing to do with religion. But then as they were marching, they ran into the extreme religious nuts and picked a fight. There was absolutely no relation to the protest that caused reason for religious protestors to be there and of course they were the stereotypical radicals that held signs that real Christians don't even agree with.
Like I said, just a matter of opinion and obviously used as an important character trait, but the book would have been a lot more enjoyable with all those frequent jabs. However, some of the interactions with Aunt Helen were kind of comical.
Lastly, I liked the ending but I would have been happy with an alternate ending as well.
My biggest issue was just something that's a matter of opinion, it is very negatively stereotypical about religion. The main characters don't believe in God, but the part that bothered me was just how frequently it was brought up and the manner in which is was brought up.
For example, there is a political protest at one point, which at this point in don't even remember what it was for, but it had nothing to do with religion. But then as they were marching, they ran into the extreme religious nuts and picked a fight. There was absolutely no relation to the protest that caused reason for religious protestors to be there and of course they were the stereotypical radicals that held signs that real Christians don't even agree with.
Like I said, just a matter of opinion and obviously used as an important character trait, but the book would have been a lot more enjoyable with all those frequent jabs. However, some of the interactions with Aunt Helen were kind of comical.
Lastly, I liked the ending but I would have been happy with an alternate ending as well.
heyjudy's review against another edition
3.0
~3.5/5
[Also available on my blog.]
I had rather high hopes for this book, and, I wouldn’t say that it totally disappointed me, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be. It turned out to be kind of mediocre, maybe a tiny bit higher.
I found the characters interesting, including how Harper, Laney, and Jake go on a road trip together and what goes on during that, and how they all handled June’s death. I liked all of that and the interactions between all of them, but I just… didn’t feel as invested, or as into it as I would have liked. I’m not sure why, maybe this just wasn’t the book for me or something; I did overall enjoy it, I just don’t hold it very high, or feel very strongly about it, for some reason. I mean, I think the writing was good, and the characters were pretty well written, and I understood their feelings toward everything, and I really did find what happened on the road trip to be entertaining.
I think maybe I was just expecting more, or I didn’t connect with the characters very well, or something. I don’t know.
I do still want to read Harrington’s next book, Speechless, as I wanted to even before this one, because it sounds really interesting and more like my type of book, so maybe I’ll enjoy that one more.
[Also available on my blog.]
I had rather high hopes for this book, and, I wouldn’t say that it totally disappointed me, but it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be. It turned out to be kind of mediocre, maybe a tiny bit higher.
I found the characters interesting, including how Harper, Laney, and Jake go on a road trip together and what goes on during that, and how they all handled June’s death. I liked all of that and the interactions between all of them, but I just… didn’t feel as invested, or as into it as I would have liked. I’m not sure why, maybe this just wasn’t the book for me or something; I did overall enjoy it, I just don’t hold it very high, or feel very strongly about it, for some reason. I mean, I think the writing was good, and the characters were pretty well written, and I understood their feelings toward everything, and I really did find what happened on the road trip to be entertaining.
I think maybe I was just expecting more, or I didn’t connect with the characters very well, or something. I don’t know.
I do still want to read Harrington’s next book, Speechless, as I wanted to even before this one, because it sounds really interesting and more like my type of book, so maybe I’ll enjoy that one more.
krish_'s review against another edition
2.0
And thus, the reason why I sometimes really hate first narrative. I am of the minority: Saving June has failed to awe me into an emotional chokehold, which seems to be the general denouement to the reading experience of many readers out there. This book, to its unfortunate luck, contains many reading pet peeves of mine. Sadly, there were so many things that bugged me about the way it was presented that I couldn't concentrate on the story itself. Although, to be completely and utterly truthful, I don't think it would've made much difference to how I am ultimately rating this now. (I say all this with much respect, much respect).
First off, the first person narrative and why I hate it: you can't get out of the character's head. You're stuck, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, etc. You have no defense against the onslaught of perpetual reflection. Harper said and explained, analyzed and hypothesized every degree of emotion that passed through her angsty, rock-solid but essentially vulnerable-in-a-strong-way, sixteen year old body. Everything. From her parents' divorce, to her antagonizing aunt Helen, to how she was always in June's shadow, to how far she and June have drifted apart, to how she hates June for killing herself but still misses her and loves her, to Laney and their yin-yang but somehow opposites attract kind of friendship, to Jake and all that jazz...I have a problem when a character talks too much. I keep saying this, but I love dialogue. And action. I don't want to just sit there and be told what a character is feeling. I don't need to know (and an author doesn't have to tell) everything a character is going through. It's too much. By "too much", I don't mean too much to read but I mean too much information that it takes away the reader's involvement.
And here is where I am contradicting myself. As obviously pointed out by reviews I've read, people were emotionally invested -- so what am I saying? I just mean, a reader is not merely a "reader". We don't just sit there and read and nod and believe. We participate. There are scenes we read (and visualize in our heads) and its like a searching game...we read and we recognize small gestures that hold so much truth about a person's inside, words that reveal rooted secrets despite their seemingly trivial and insignificant initial impact, and its those details that unveil our clouded minds and deliver to us epiphanies about the characters (I'm thinking Melina Marchetta...Jellicoe Road, specifically). We read between the lines, we cover the gray areas, we fill in the blanks. Its like catching someone doing something from the corner of your eye and you think, ha, gotcha! If we're told everything, all the work is done for us. I want to see their pain, not hear about it.
But enough with that. I've spent enough lines on one narrative complaint. Also, I'm sure none of you understood a single word.
Anyway, I have more to whine about. This is a case where the author is so pervasively in your face that I can't focus on the fiction anymore. Music to politics to first-time sex to feminism to organized religion to how parents are just as screwed up as their teenage kids. Oh, but not these youths...they hold intellectual debates over bonfires. I don't have a problem with that. Its nice to see young characters stand up for their beliefs, but its not the characters, though, is it? Its Hannah Harrington. She has so much to say about everything that she's given up a section of her brain, each targeting a different field, to each one of her characters. In this case, write an essay. Or just a rant and post it on a blog. You don't have to write an entire YA novel and get it published for the masses -- what a hassle.
The music. The incessant barrage of name/song dropping was making me choke on air. The discussion on the spiritual death of punk, to the manufactured, over-processed, "fast food for the ears" products of major pop labels...yappi yappi yap. We get it, its hip to listen to old school and unenlightened to listen to Top 40. Just like how its original to be vintage and generic to shop at Forever 21. (Let me make it clear, I listen and adore much of the music mentioned in said book and I shop both at thrift stores and XXI). This is an obvious social commentary on the state of youth today, except that we've heard it all before and its exhausting.
I found everything Harrington was saying too judgmental, hasty and demeaning. How, for example, Aunt Helen turns to God because she has nothing else in her life. Harsh, much? If that's all she has to cling on to, then so be it. Don't turn them into caricatures. And I felt she did that with many of the characters: Aunt Helen, her parents, Laney...
This is all without even addressing that fact that Harper stole her sister's urn! Come on, child! Think! Her justification for her "road trip" was far too fickle for me to even consider buying. That was not for Harper to decide.
But here's the thing, sometimes Harrington says something blindingly pretentious, then does something to make me believe that she knows she's being pretentious and that, perhaps, this is actually a satire, or some higher work of fiction, not simply a teen book. But then she goes back to being pretentious and then I heave a sigh and roll me eyes...
I'm going to end it here. I don't want this to sound anymore of a "hatey" review than it already does. If anyone is left feeling offended, that was not my intent. I just had to...but maybe that's how Harrington felt, and since this review can be seen as a judgement on her, then I'm a hypocrite. So, really, who the fuck am I to say anything at all?
First off, the first person narrative and why I hate it: you can't get out of the character's head. You're stuck, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, etc. You have no defense against the onslaught of perpetual reflection. Harper said and explained, analyzed and hypothesized every degree of emotion that passed through her angsty, rock-solid but essentially vulnerable-in-a-strong-way, sixteen year old body. Everything. From her parents' divorce, to her antagonizing aunt Helen, to how she was always in June's shadow, to how far she and June have drifted apart, to how she hates June for killing herself but still misses her and loves her, to Laney and their yin-yang but somehow opposites attract kind of friendship, to Jake and all that jazz...I have a problem when a character talks too much. I keep saying this, but I love dialogue. And action. I don't want to just sit there and be told what a character is feeling. I don't need to know (and an author doesn't have to tell) everything a character is going through. It's too much. By "too much", I don't mean too much to read but I mean too much information that it takes away the reader's involvement.
And here is where I am contradicting myself. As obviously pointed out by reviews I've read, people were emotionally invested -- so what am I saying? I just mean, a reader is not merely a "reader". We don't just sit there and read and nod and believe. We participate. There are scenes we read (and visualize in our heads) and its like a searching game...we read and we recognize small gestures that hold so much truth about a person's inside, words that reveal rooted secrets despite their seemingly trivial and insignificant initial impact, and its those details that unveil our clouded minds and deliver to us epiphanies about the characters (I'm thinking Melina Marchetta...Jellicoe Road, specifically). We read between the lines, we cover the gray areas, we fill in the blanks. Its like catching someone doing something from the corner of your eye and you think, ha, gotcha! If we're told everything, all the work is done for us. I want to see their pain, not hear about it.
But enough with that. I've spent enough lines on one narrative complaint. Also, I'm sure none of you understood a single word.
Anyway, I have more to whine about. This is a case where the author is so pervasively in your face that I can't focus on the fiction anymore. Music to politics to first-time sex to feminism to organized religion to how parents are just as screwed up as their teenage kids. Oh, but not these youths...they hold intellectual debates over bonfires. I don't have a problem with that. Its nice to see young characters stand up for their beliefs, but its not the characters, though, is it? Its Hannah Harrington. She has so much to say about everything that she's given up a section of her brain, each targeting a different field, to each one of her characters. In this case, write an essay. Or just a rant and post it on a blog. You don't have to write an entire YA novel and get it published for the masses -- what a hassle.
The music. The incessant barrage of name/song dropping was making me choke on air. The discussion on the spiritual death of punk, to the manufactured, over-processed, "fast food for the ears" products of major pop labels...yappi yappi yap. We get it, its hip to listen to old school and unenlightened to listen to Top 40. Just like how its original to be vintage and generic to shop at Forever 21. (Let me make it clear, I listen and adore much of the music mentioned in said book and I shop both at thrift stores and XXI). This is an obvious social commentary on the state of youth today, except that we've heard it all before and its exhausting.
I found everything Harrington was saying too judgmental, hasty and demeaning. How, for example, Aunt Helen turns to God because she has nothing else in her life. Harsh, much? If that's all she has to cling on to, then so be it. Don't turn them into caricatures. And I felt she did that with many of the characters: Aunt Helen, her parents, Laney...
This is all without even addressing that fact that Harper stole her sister's urn! Come on, child! Think! Her justification for her "road trip" was far too fickle for me to even consider buying. That was not for Harper to decide.
But here's the thing, sometimes Harrington says something blindingly pretentious, then does something to make me believe that she knows she's being pretentious and that, perhaps, this is actually a satire, or some higher work of fiction, not simply a teen book. But then she goes back to being pretentious and then I heave a sigh and roll me eyes...
I'm going to end it here. I don't want this to sound anymore of a "hatey" review than it already does. If anyone is left feeling offended, that was not my intent. I just had to...but maybe that's how Harrington felt, and since this review can be seen as a judgement on her, then I'm a hypocrite. So, really, who the fuck am I to say anything at all?
aneeqah's review against another edition
4.0
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
I don’t really think I expected to love this book. But surprise, surprise, I really enjoyed it. It was just so real.
I think the thing I loved best were the characters. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like Harper at all. I thought she was being so stupid. I didn’t like Jake either. I thought he was a jerk. But both of grew on me as the story changed. They grew and developed. They were nowhere near being perfect characters, yet at the end of the book, I loved them both so much. Both Harper and Jake lived with their imperfections, which is definitely what I loved about them.
I also really liked the music aspect in this book. I never realized music would play such a big role in this book when I started it, but it does. The music goes along with everything in the book, and I loved that. I also really liked how the author included all the music playlists at the end of the book, so you could easily find and listen to everything. I’m not a music junkie at all, but it was still nice to see how the music was incorporated.
The road trip part of this book was really great too. To be honest, I love road trip stories. It gives the chance for characters to grow, and it’s so much fun to read about, in my opinion. The road trip in this story was kind of symbolic in a way too, which I thought was so well done on the author’s part. It was just so much fun to see.
Saving June covered so many important topics, the main one being suicide. There’s very few suicide books out there, the only other one that I’ve read being 13 Reasons Why. The author handles the topic so well. The confusion, the guilt, the hopelessness, everything was there and perfectly done. Harper feels all these things, and that made her an even better character in my eyes.
The thing I didn’t like about this book was the beginning. In the first part of this book, nothing really happened. There were a few points where I would set the book down and not want to pick it up again, because nothing was happening. But after a little while, the book got so much better. You just have to stick with it in the beginning.
Overall, I really enjoyed Saving June. The characters were so fantastic, and I loved the music aspect of it. The only bad thing was the beginning, which was slow. If you like contemporary, or enjoy something deep, then you definitely need to pick this book up!
Find this review, and more at my blog My Not So Real Life!
I don’t really think I expected to love this book. But surprise, surprise, I really enjoyed it. It was just so real.
I think the thing I loved best were the characters. At the beginning of the book, I didn’t like Harper at all. I thought she was being so stupid. I didn’t like Jake either. I thought he was a jerk. But both of grew on me as the story changed. They grew and developed. They were nowhere near being perfect characters, yet at the end of the book, I loved them both so much. Both Harper and Jake lived with their imperfections, which is definitely what I loved about them.
I also really liked the music aspect in this book. I never realized music would play such a big role in this book when I started it, but it does. The music goes along with everything in the book, and I loved that. I also really liked how the author included all the music playlists at the end of the book, so you could easily find and listen to everything. I’m not a music junkie at all, but it was still nice to see how the music was incorporated.
The road trip part of this book was really great too. To be honest, I love road trip stories. It gives the chance for characters to grow, and it’s so much fun to read about, in my opinion. The road trip in this story was kind of symbolic in a way too, which I thought was so well done on the author’s part. It was just so much fun to see.
Saving June covered so many important topics, the main one being suicide. There’s very few suicide books out there, the only other one that I’ve read being 13 Reasons Why. The author handles the topic so well. The confusion, the guilt, the hopelessness, everything was there and perfectly done. Harper feels all these things, and that made her an even better character in my eyes.
The thing I didn’t like about this book was the beginning. In the first part of this book, nothing really happened. There were a few points where I would set the book down and not want to pick it up again, because nothing was happening. But after a little while, the book got so much better. You just have to stick with it in the beginning.
Overall, I really enjoyed Saving June. The characters were so fantastic, and I loved the music aspect of it. The only bad thing was the beginning, which was slow. If you like contemporary, or enjoy something deep, then you definitely need to pick this book up!
Find this review, and more at my blog My Not So Real Life!
linaherondale's review against another edition
5.0
(reread)
Still love this book with all my heart. It made me feel so happy and comforted. It's such a beautiful story about loss and love, and struggling to figure out who we are. The road trip and the music were everything
Still love this book with all my heart. It made me feel so happy and comforted. It's such a beautiful story about loss and love, and struggling to figure out who we are. The road trip and the music were everything
junotranscends's review against another edition
4.0
Cover: 3.5/5 Pretty, and it attracts attention. I do wish it were a little...darker, grungier, maybe. It's a sad book, and music plays a big part. I feel like it should've have more to do with the book.
Characters: 3/5 Now and again, the MC got on my nerves and even the love interest frustrated me at times. But overall, I think they were very real, very true to their feelings and I liked the slow-building romance between them. I would've liked more insight into June herself. Something...more, I don't know. There's on particular passage where Harper recalls watching June staring at herself in the mirror and wondering what she's thinking, and I wish there were more moments like that. Bits and pieces Harper picks up on in recollection that something was wrong with June and no one knew.
Plot: 3.5/5 I'll admit, I didn't see the ending piece that sparked Jake and Harper's fight. But all that build-up, and then the letter was kind of a let down. I was expecting something more, for some reason. More insight. June was this mysterious person I wanted to know more about, and I never got a solid enough grasp on her.
Writing: 4/5 Harrington's writing is lovely. It's poetic where it needs to be, sharp and quick where it needs to be. I loved the music and how it influenced the story, though I think some people who aren't as familiar with it would be a little lost.
Overall: 3.5/5 Fresh, good, and emotional. Where this lacked for me is that it's not a book I'm already itching to read again. I enjoyed it a lot, didn't get bored, but there's something lacking in the re-readable department.
Characters: 3/5 Now and again, the MC got on my nerves and even the love interest frustrated me at times. But overall, I think they were very real, very true to their feelings and I liked the slow-building romance between them. I would've liked more insight into June herself. Something...more, I don't know. There's on particular passage where Harper recalls watching June staring at herself in the mirror and wondering what she's thinking, and I wish there were more moments like that. Bits and pieces Harper picks up on in recollection that something was wrong with June and no one knew.
Plot: 3.5/5 I'll admit, I didn't see the ending piece that sparked Jake and Harper's fight. But all that build-up, and then the letter was kind of a let down. I was expecting something more, for some reason. More insight. June was this mysterious person I wanted to know more about, and I never got a solid enough grasp on her.
Writing: 4/5 Harrington's writing is lovely. It's poetic where it needs to be, sharp and quick where it needs to be. I loved the music and how it influenced the story, though I think some people who aren't as familiar with it would be a little lost.
Overall: 3.5/5 Fresh, good, and emotional. Where this lacked for me is that it's not a book I'm already itching to read again. I enjoyed it a lot, didn't get bored, but there's something lacking in the re-readable department.