Nilufer Ozmekik's Reviews > The Unmaking of June Farrow

I haven't experienced the greatest joy and brilliance of what-the-heck-I-just-read kind of twisty, brain cell burner fantasy/sci-fi novel, giving me the same feelings of binge-watching the craziest Black Mirror episodes and Chris Nolan's complexly written movies at the same time!

'Unmaking of June Farrow' is on another level of amazingness! It's complex, unique, tempting, unpredictable, surprising, jaw-dropping, and exhausting to your brain cells, dragging you into an unusual story of the Farrow women and their complex family history; it's as intricate as Netflix's German original series 'Dark.' To understand the entire connection between each Farrow woman's timeline could give you real headaches and make you question who's related to whom during the brain-storming confusion. Twists and shocking revelations make you scream aloud. I mostly consider myself a good twist catcher who can see most of them coming from miles away with my spider senses, but this morning there are so many of them that are unexpected, and especially one of them made me jump from my seat as I covered my mouth not to scream louder. Oh boy, that was the biggest sucker punch on my face, and I can honestly say for a million times I couldn't ever see it coming even if that twist was screaming at my face: 'I'm here! Why don't you see me?'

It has a mind-bending time travel story that keeps you guessing how the entire execution will unfold, cooking up conspiracy theories about the murder mystery, but it also includes a heartbreaking, intense love story, even though we've been introduced to the heartbroken hero a little later! It is also one of the most powerful feminist stories about the collaboration of women who help each other to survive and the sacrifices the mothers make to protect their children.

The story revolves around the last Farrow woman, June Farrow, living in Jasper, NC as the last surviving woman of their family at the age of 34, grieving her grandmother who raised her with her best friend Birdie after her mother, Susanna, who has been suffering from mental illness, which is fated to curse the entire women in the family, disappeared out of nowhere, presumed dead.

June also starts showing signs of madness, just like the other Farrow women had before they became completely insane. She starts seeing things that don't exist, including a mystery man smoking a cigarette watching her at several places, and a red door appears out of nowhere, awaiting her to turn its knob. She also hears a man's voice when she wakes up from a long sleep, feeling like somebody's hands are on her body.

As she thinks everything she sees are signs of her deteriorating mental health condition, she finds an envelope sent by her grandmother before she died. There's a photograph of two people in the envelope: one of them is the town's esteemed minister who was killed by a mysterious killer who was never caught, and there is also a woman in the photo who looks exactly like her long-lost mother, which is impossible because the photo was taken one century ago. However, when she digs through and talks with her grandmother's best friend Birdie, she realizes that nothing is as it seems and she may not be going insane because the things she's experienced might be real.

When she decides to pass through the red door that keeps appearing and calling her to open it, she finds herself in a place where she can change the entire direction of the frayed timeline between the future and the past. Could she save the Farrow women from the curse at the risk of putting her own fate at risk forever? Could she change things in her life by rethinking her decision not to fall in love and have her own family?

The journey she embarks on is a thrilling roller-coaster ride that will challenge her every belief and force her to confront the deepest parts of herself. The novel seamlessly weaves together elements of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and romance, creating a tapestry of emotions that will leave readers captivated until the very last page.

With each revelation and twist, the story becomes more enthralling, leaving readers gasping in surprise and marveling at the author's ingenuity. Adrianne Young has crafted a masterpiece that blurs the lines between reality and fiction, immersing readers in a world where the impossible becomes possible.

Furthermore, 'Unmaking of June Farrow' delves into profound themes of identity, family, love, and sacrifice. It explores the strength of women and their ability to endure and conquer even the most daunting challenges. The interconnectedness of the Farrow women's lives creates a web of intrigue and fascination that keeps readers guessing until the very end.

This book will undoubtedly linger in the minds of its readers long after they've turned the final page. It will set a new standard for fantasy and sci-fi novels, leaving an indelible mark on the genre. Adrianne Young's mastery of storytelling is evident throughout the novel, making it a must-read for anyone who craves a wholly immersive and emotionally charged reading experience.

Overall, this book will surprise you! It will ruin you for other books because you'll start comparing them to this fantastic sci-fi novel, and for a long time, it will be harder to find a book as well-written as this one! Just order your copy! This is one of the most outstanding works I've read lately and definitely the best book by Adrianne Young!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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