~Little thoughts on a bundle of books Ive read~
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
May 1, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Paperback, 336 Pages
Review Copy
Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.
When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California. Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.
Thoughts
That synopsis basically sums up Saving June in a nutshell. A messed up gal who travels to California with her best friend and guy interest to scatter her dead sisters ashes over the ocean. During the trip Harper tries to figure out why her sister committed suicide and with the help of music, love and healthy grieving, she can finally move on.
I loved this story on a lot of levels...first off the music in the story was a character itself. I loved the theme that music played from Jake's connections to songs from 70's classic music to today and that each song represented emotion or healing or what have you. The music gave the book its ups and downs and centered the story into a very hip, groovy, sad or punk rock atmosphere. I loved Harper's voice in the story and how I saw her from angry teen, confused teen, emotional teen....to adjusting and growing teen, she was a very endearing character who wormed her way into my heart.
Despite a few things that rubbed me the wrong way like the homophobic hating Christian that holds God hates F signs or the overbearing religious relative that force feeds Jesus saves (seriously authors get some new material on your modern day Christians) and the rather meaningless reasons for overachiever, perfect June's suicide....I really wound up loving the book. All together, Saving June was a moving coming of age road trip, high on music and first time romance.
Rating/Advisory
Recommended to mature teens (16-Up) and contains: Strong language, sexuality-including teen sex, teen drinking, suicide, dealing with grief and depression.
4/5- YA-Contemporary
Thanks to Harlequin for review copy
The Glass Case by Kristin Hannah
Kindle-November 2011
Freebie for Nook
Kristin Hannah is one of my top five authors, so obviously I read her books like candy. This is a short e-novella available for free on Kindle or Nook and tells the tale of a young mom who married her highschool sweetheart due to becoming pregnant. While dreams die young and aspirations get carried away with the wind, April and Ryan marry have more children and love each other more today than yesterday. April deals with the loss of her mother and the struggle of thinking shes not enough, that somehow she missed out on the big career, the big life she was suppose to have and the life Ryan was suppose to have.....but an incident revolving around her youngest son stops everything.....and April will finally see what she really has...........
Even though this was short and sweet, its classic Hannah- it brings an entire range of emotion and surprises you with its depth for an ordinary story. I can see the entire marriage, family and dynamics all played out, its my story, the next door neighbors story, the couples of reality....their story. I loved it!
4/5- Novella- Contemporary
Free on Nook
I haven't read anything by Kristin Hannah, I feel like I should since she's in your top 5! I have Saving June on my list, I've been wanting to read it for so long but haven't gotten to it yet. Aside from the Christian stereotypes, it sounds like a really fantastic, emotional read:) Love the minis Tina!
ReplyDeleteSaving June rubbed me the wrong way. I thought I was going to get an emotional read but for me it turned out to me an emo-relationship book where the main storyline took a back seat. I kept wanting to give Jake a Nicorette. LOL! Glad you enjoyed it despite the Christian stereotypes.
ReplyDelete@jenny- you must read a K-Hannah book soon!! I would recommend Winters Garden...:)
ReplyDelete@Rummanah- I can see the emo-vibe thing...I think I liked the story so much because of the music and the journey of Harper not so much the side characters.
I have heard such great things about saving june. I haven't read it yet. I think I have read a K hannah book , but its been a while.
ReplyDeleteYup, I feel ya on the Christian things. I also got annoyed at the whole crazy fighting thing. It was excessive and unnecessary at times. Kind of wanted to bitch slap Harper because of it. So glad you ended up liking it though. It kind of worms its way in there doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteI really loved Saving June. I think the religious aunt was more of an illustration of how differently people grieve. I am a Christian and I didn't take it as an anti-Christian statement. I think it was more about how differently people handle loss.
ReplyDelete@Kate- I loved it too and didn't think the book was anti-Christian just stereotypical...:) I see the same Christian bully portrayed in all these books....I would love for once to see real Christians- like me-like you- acting like sane people...;D
ReplyDeleteJulie- you must read Winter Garden!!!
Jen-I dont remember the fighting...were was that...;)
I'm just stopping by to say thanks for signing up for the Best & Worst guest post series! I sent you an email with more information about the series, and wanted to let you know in case it gets grabbed by junk mail filters.
ReplyDeleteI love music, so it definitely appeals to me that music plays a big part in Saving June. I often remember significant occasions by music.
ReplyDelete"Seriously authors get some new material on your modern day Christians"
ReplyDeleteWould it be weird for me to say "Amen" to that? Seriously. Stuff like that just feeds into the stereotypes, and that is why they never change. *sighs*
"Seriously authors get some new material on your modern day Christians"
ReplyDeleteWould it be weird for me to say "Amen" to that? Seriously. Stuff like that just feeds into the stereotypes, and that is why they never change. *sighs*
I keep meaning to read Saving June since I've heard so many amazing things about it. I'm sad to see stereotypical Christian things going on in it, though.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great short read. It was very easy to read and very easy to get into story wise. I was very inspired by events that happened in the book and left it with a new outlook on what is really important in life.
ReplyDelete