- Fantasy
- Science-fiction
- Magical-realism
- Witchy
- Romance
- History
- Murder Mystery
- Fiction
- Crime
The Unmaking of June Farrow is a fantasy/sci-fi novel about a young woman, June, who travels back in time from 2023 to 1951 and becomes tangled in a complicated timeline. The story mixes murder mystery with time travel and romance.
The main character, June, is a 30-year-old woman with a complicated family history. At the start, the book follows her and her grandmother, as June pieces together her grandma’s cryptic clues. These eventually lead her through a mysterious door to 1951, where she meets her husband (I told you the timeline was confusing!). Here, June must decide whether to stay in 1951 or return to 2023.
The novel is set in a small farming town in America, and the setting is really important to how the story unfolds. That “small town where everyone knows everyone” vibe adds a lot to the book, though I honestly think it could work just as well set in another country.
I really enjoyed this book, even when it got complicated at times. Adrienne Young did an incredible job with the timelines and weaving everything together, but I feel it could have been even better if it had been fleshed out more — or even turned into a series. There are just so many unanswered questions. For example: where did the “curse” come from? Why does it only affect the women in the family? When exactly did June’s ancestors and grandmother travel? Who was the “shadow man” June sees at the start? None of these are ever clearly answered.
I didn’t really know what to expect going in — I picked it up because it was a book club choice — but since I love fantasy, sci-fi, and time travel (think Outlander), I ended up really enjoying the vibes. It definitely gave me that kind of feel, just much shorter for such a complicated time loop.
One theme I found really interesting was the role of sex in the story. The “curse” only affects women, giving the book a bit of a witchy feel. The men around them often dismiss the women as being “mad” or “ill,” when in reality they’re just experiencing two timelines at once. At first, I was a little frustrated with Adrienne Young — a female writer — making her women characters seem “mad.” But as I thought about it more, it became clear that they’re not mad at all, just stuck in circumstances that make them seem different.
I also really liked the character Mason. I can’t explain why, but at the start I was convinced (and kind of hoping) that he and June would end up together. Many of the characters stand out because of how their relationships develop and how we uncover more about them as the story goes on.
Overall, I think this book is worth a read. It’s easy to get through, not too long, and while the time travel can be confusing (with loops and overlaps), it’s still enjoyable. I just wish there had been more depth and development, because there’s so much potential that feels left out.
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