Sign in with Facebook
Dona's Books's Reviews > Junie
Junie
by
by
Finished Reading
Pre-Read notes
I requested this book because I love stories about people and their communities, and I love coming of age stories. Seems like a win-win here. This wonderful story is beautifully atmospheric and filled with authentic character work.
Final Review
She has [her favorite poem] memorized, but keeping it in her pocket makes her feel like the limitlessness of the poet’s world is within reach. p13
Review summary and recommendations
If Beloved and Roots had a book baby, it would be Junie. Just a gorgeous read! Honestly, anything I write about this book just won't do it justice.
Recommended to fans of southern drama lit fic, like Gone with the Wind.
Reading Notes
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. She holds her hands up, measuring the sun’s distance from the field line. It sits on the horizon like a freshly cracked yolk, and on days as hot as this one, the McQueens won’t wake for breakfast until the sun’s at least a half-hand above the horizon. p10 The descriptive writing here is gorgeous.
2. "Miss Big-Words" is my favorite insult of all time!
3. A kernel for the audience: “You ain’t the only one with hurt, Junie. This world is full of it, and going through it thinking you’re the only one carrying something is an easy way to lose the bit of love you might have.� p63
4. I love the turn at 25%! At this point, the story introduces supernatural elements, landing this one squarely in magical realism territory. It's quite good plot work.
5. This book is as beautiful and romantic a testament to pre-Civil War Southern life as was Gone with the Wind. Only better, because not racist.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. “You gotta be sure you look your finest and keep a big smile on that pretty face all day, you hear? No nose in the books, either . Nobody likes a bookworm.� p41 Here, a plantation owner and father of a young girl, Violet, discusses his expectations for her behavior during an upcoming visit with a potential suitor. It's a deeply unsettling scene considering Violet's age and lack of maturity. And what does her mother have to say about it? Only this: “I’d prefer her to appear a nun than a harlot. Her figure is already more indecent than I’d like.� p41 This book is honest about the many forms of discrimination one encounters in the rural South of the US. The beginning of the story takes place just before the onset of the Civil War.
Rating: 👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩� /5 friendships torn asunder
Recommend? definitely!
Finished: Jan 25 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
👩🏼🤝👩� stories of friendship
👨👩👧� family stories / family drama
🕰 historical fiction
📜 literary fiction
🗝 stories about slavery
👻 ghost stories
Thank you to the author Erin Crosby Eckstine, publishers Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of JUNIE. All views are mine.
---------------
Pre-Read notes
I requested this book because I love stories about people and their communities, and I love coming of age stories. Seems like a win-win here. This wonderful story is beautifully atmospheric and filled with authentic character work.
Final Review
She has [her favorite poem] memorized, but keeping it in her pocket makes her feel like the limitlessness of the poet’s world is within reach. p13
Review summary and recommendations
If Beloved and Roots had a book baby, it would be Junie. Just a gorgeous read! Honestly, anything I write about this book just won't do it justice.
Recommended to fans of southern drama lit fic, like Gone with the Wind.
Reading Notes
Three (or more) things I loved:
1. She holds her hands up, measuring the sun’s distance from the field line. It sits on the horizon like a freshly cracked yolk, and on days as hot as this one, the McQueens won’t wake for breakfast until the sun’s at least a half-hand above the horizon. p10 The descriptive writing here is gorgeous.
2. "Miss Big-Words" is my favorite insult of all time!
3. A kernel for the audience: “You ain’t the only one with hurt, Junie. This world is full of it, and going through it thinking you’re the only one carrying something is an easy way to lose the bit of love you might have.� p63
4. I love the turn at 25%! At this point, the story introduces supernatural elements, landing this one squarely in magical realism territory. It's quite good plot work.
5. This book is as beautiful and romantic a testament to pre-Civil War Southern life as was Gone with the Wind. Only better, because not racist.
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
1. “You gotta be sure you look your finest and keep a big smile on that pretty face all day, you hear? No nose in the books, either . Nobody likes a bookworm.� p41 Here, a plantation owner and father of a young girl, Violet, discusses his expectations for her behavior during an upcoming visit with a potential suitor. It's a deeply unsettling scene considering Violet's age and lack of maturity. And what does her mother have to say about it? Only this: “I’d prefer her to appear a nun than a harlot. Her figure is already more indecent than I’d like.� p41 This book is honest about the many forms of discrimination one encounters in the rural South of the US. The beginning of the story takes place just before the onset of the Civil War.
Rating: 👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩🏾👩🏼🤝👩� /5 friendships torn asunder
Recommend? definitely!
Finished: Jan 25 '25
Format: accessible digital arc, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
👩🏼🤝👩� stories of friendship
👨👩👧� family stories / family drama
🕰 historical fiction
📜 literary fiction
🗝 stories about slavery
👻 ghost stories
Thank you to the author Erin Crosby Eckstine, publishers Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of JUNIE. All views are mine.
---------------
Sign into ŷ to see if any of your friends have read
Junie.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Loz
(new)
-
added it
Feb 03, 2025 01:28AM
What ages do you think could enjoy this book?
reply
|
flag
Hi Loz! This is definitely adult fiction, but because it never gets extreme in the content, so I think YA and NA readers could handled it too. Wouldn't be give this to readers still in grade school. Hope This helps!
