Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
5 out of 5 stars
The highway
stretches out before you, off into the distance. An endless straight line that’ll take you to
your ultimate destination: California.
It’s your own personal yellow brick road. All you need to complete the picture is the
dog and the munchkins. The van you’re
riding in cruises down the road. The
wind whips your face, tugging your hair loose.
You wiggle your toes out of the window, enjoying the warm air. With the windows down and music blasting, you
think to yourself, this is exactly how I want my summer to be. If only this entire trip wasn’t because your
sister killed herself, and you don’t have any ruby slippers to bring her back
either.
Out of the two
sisters, Harper is the average one. She
doesn’t have amazing grades, she’s not particularly good at anything, and she’s
not the best kid either. She’s not
living up to her “true potential,” or so everyone says. But no one ever says that about June, Harper’s
perfect older sister, who has the best grades, the boyfriend, the perfect life,
really. Out of the two you would think
if one of them were to take their life it’d be Harper, the one who’s just
surviving day by day. But it turns out
that Harper is better than June at something- living.
Harper finds
June dead in the backseat of her car, a week before June’s high school
graduation. Harper and June weren’t the
closest of sisters, but Harper is devastated, and can’t believe she didn’t see
this coming. Maybe she could have done
something, stopped her somehow. Even
though June is gone, the one thing Harper can do is take June’s ashes to
California, the one place that June always dreamed of going to. So Harper, her best friend Laney, June’s
ashes, and the mysterious Jake who has some sort of connection with June, set
off on a cross-country trip to California.
Is this what June would have wanted?
And what’s does Jake know about June that Harper doesn’t? Hannah Harrington reveals all in her debut
novel about a trip that needs to be taken in order for the living to keep on
going in, Saving June!
Saving June pleasantly surprised me, and there was
much more to it than I had expected.
This wasn’t just a book about a sister’s death, but also one about
friendship, love, and really good music.
The trip to California wasn’t only in memory of June, but it was
something Harper had to do to be able to cope with her sister’s death. It was necessary for her to be able to move
on, no matter how hard the journey would be.
I recommend this book for older teens, as it does contain mature topics.
After reading Saving June, I have a ton of music that
I’ve got to check out. Throughout the
trip, Harper and Jake really connect through their love of music. Music is what brought them together in the
first place, after Harper finds a CD mix that Jake had made for June. Music was one of the outlets they used to
cope. It was a way of escape, something
for Harper and Jake to get lost in and forget about all the pain for
awhile. Being a huge fan of music
myself, I was so excited to be introduced to so many new artists, especially
the older ones that are classics. The
music in the book really made it a much more immersive experience, and helped
the reader connect more to the book as well.
The characters
in Saving June really made the book
what it is. They’re connections with one
another and the pain that they each held brought them even closer
together. There’s more to Harper than
the rebellious daughter, and the same goes for Jake, Laney, and even June. I really got a chance to read about each of
their stories and how they all intertwined.
By the end of the book I even felt like I knew June, despite her not
being around anymore. Even though she
was gone, Harper, Jake, and Laney all had so many memories of her, and I got to
see how June was not only as a sister, but as a friend.
With the flick
of a switch author Hannah Harrington could make the emotions in the book go
from depressing to funny. Her writing
truly brought the characters to life, and gave me the chance to share in their
pain, but also in their laughter and joy at times too. Harper’s voice has a cynical outlook on
things, and her sarcastic, dry humor put a light spin on things. Saving
June didn’t just make me feel for June, but how her death affected everyone
who loved her as well.
Saving June took me on a trip of my own as I
traveled with Harper, Jake, and Laney to find the peace they were all searching
for. It might have taken some detours, diners,
sightseeing, and a lot of bathroom stops along the way, but the three of them
finally get where it is they want to go.
Join Harper, as she searches for all the signs she missed before in, Saving June!
-This is T.B. with Another Book
Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!
*I received Saving June from the Harlequin Teen Panel in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much Harlequin Teen Panel!
Check out Hannah Harrington's website at www.hannahharrington.com.
Ooh, I also love books that give me a ton of new music recommendations! It's really nice to listen to those songs while you're reading the book in question too. Some authors really have a talent for picking the perfect songs to compliment their work. Hannah Harrington definitely sounds like an amazing author - I'll have to check out her work sometime! Thanks for the review, Tessa!
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