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A review by readwithde
A Million Junes by Emily Henry
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.25
Coywolves and cherries and whites, oh my!
I absolutely adore this magic realism story about two warring families. It felt a lot like Hatfields and McCoys mixed with the movie Big Fish meets the wonder and depth of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.
June is an apt narrator, and though I would have loved to get a few chapters from Saul's perspective, I feel like the surprise at the end would have been ruined. Also, Hannah is the absolute best.
Once again, I found myself appreciating the fact that the narrative gained both pace and stakes as it went along, not sagging in the middle like a lot of other books I've read recently. It's as if Feathers, June's pink ghostly guardian, had forged her own story to tell, allowing June to find it in the manner and order she desired.
As much as I prefer a neatly ended story, it felt wrong in this book of moments, a story of a heavy past that nearly took away June's future, to end things so tightly. I'm glad it was open, that Saul and June were free to discover themselves and the world, that their choice to let go of the past have them complete freedom over the future.
My only complaint was how abstract the ending seemed. After pages of concrete examples and places and memories, why have the place of all memories seem so nebulous? I would have preferred something more tangible. There were some minor continuity errors that broke the verisimilitude, but they were barely noticeable.
I absolutely adore this magic realism story about two warring families. It felt a lot like Hatfields and McCoys mixed with the movie Big Fish meets the wonder and depth of The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.
June is an apt narrator, and though I would have loved to get a few chapters from Saul's perspective, I feel like the surprise at the end would have been ruined. Also, Hannah is the absolute best.
Once again, I found myself appreciating the fact that the narrative gained both pace and stakes as it went along, not sagging in the middle like a lot of other books I've read recently. It's as if Feathers, June's pink ghostly guardian, had forged her own story to tell, allowing June to find it in the manner and order she desired.
As much as I prefer a neatly ended story, it felt wrong in this book of moments, a story of a heavy past that nearly took away June's future, to end things so tightly. I'm glad it was open,
My only complaint was how abstract the ending seemed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Alcohol