June Bug

Good read

Worth your time and money but there could have been a better ending.

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Refreshing and redemtive...

I enjoyed the June Bug character as she is "real" and reminds us of childhood innocence and optimism. A nice book to pick up and read to remind us of the good qualities of some of the people out in the world today.

lovely

First off, if the copy you pick up has the Publishers Weekly quote about Les Misérables, you should ignore it. While there is a slight similarity in storyline, June Bug could also be compared to The Face on the Milk Carton. The scene where June Bug sees her picture in Walmart immediately sparked the comparison to Janie and the milk carton (interesting as well that June Bug has John Johnson and Milk Carton has Janie Johnson). This scene, as in Milk Carton, is what sets in motion the rest of the book's events. June Bug doesn't tell her father about the missing child poster immediately, but she does begin asking questions that make him realize he needs to revisit his past. Complicating matters is the Walmart employee who befriends them, but has some suspicions. She wants to know how Johnson makes money, what happened with June Bug's mom, and what he's running from. The recent news reports coming out of Dogwood about new developments in the case of missing Natalie Edwards make the situation even stickier for Johnson. When Johnson and June Bug travel back to Dogwood, the truth of what happened seven years ago is finally revealed.

Fabry has crafted a beautiful tale of familial love. I found it refreshing that Johnson was portrayed as a good father even though he wasn't providing June Bug with the stereotypical "good life." He recognized that he failed her in some ways (denying her the joy of having a pet is one example), but understood that she had saved him just as much as he had saved her. The pacing of the mystery at the heart of the book was well done--revealing just enough here and there to keep things going without spoiling the shock of the ending to come.

A heart warming love story about families

June Bug, 10 years old, has always believed everything her dad told her. She knew that their family is different - she and her Dad live in their old RV and travel around the United States, never staying at a place long enough to establish relationships and put down roots; she has never met somebody related to her or her dad; but she also knew and relied on her confidence that her Dad loved her very much.

Until that fateful day in Walmart when she sees her picture on the Missing Children's poster with a different name on it. She strives to know everything about herself and her dad.In the process, her dad, John, faces his past and confronts the pain that he has run away from as she herself discovers her own roots.

A beautifully written story by Chris Fabry, June Bug, is a story about families - the love, the pain, the hope, the disappointments. It drives home the truth that family is not just those who are related by blood, but family is there as long as you have love, faithfulness, forgiveness and hope. June Bug's young faith in God carries her through all the events happening in her life as the truth about her past is revealed. The characters created by Chris Fabry are very realistic. The story is humorous, dramatic and heartwarming. Make sure that you have plenty of time when you start reading this book because it is hard to put down. And have some tissue paper beside you because the ending is heart-wrenching.

Good storyline, enjoyable book

Chris Fabry is a wonderful wordsmith, he has a way of delving into the culture and mindset of his subjects and bringing them to life. He does that in June Bug as he brings June Bug and her dad to life as they travel (or rather sit in the Wal-Mart parking lot) in their RV. We get inside the mind and life of a 9 year old little girl as she tries to figure out what is going on around her and who she really is.

One day as June Bug and her dad are stranded in the Wal-Mart parking lot waiting for a part for their RV to come in, she sees a missing child poster with an aged picture that looks just like her. She doesn't know what to do with that information as she tries to figure things out. The book is about the journey to truth and it is not an easy road. We see two sides to the story - June Bug and her dad and then also back in Dogwood where a little girl went missing 7 years ago and Grandma and the sheriff have not forgotten.

I loved this story. I was just distracted by the many references on the cover of the book that kept comparing June Bug to Les Miserables. It is called "a retelling" of Les Miserables, so what did I do as I read June Bug? I kept analyzing it and trying to find the similarities as I went. I wish I hadn't read the cover of the book first so I could've just enjoyed the story. I think it does Chris' writing a disservice to compare it instead of just letting a good story stand on its own.

Touching

I really enjoyed reading "June Bug". I recall telling my friends and family when reading through this book that it would make a wonderful Lifetime or Hallmark channel movie and I still stand by that 100%.

This story is told through several characters point of views, of which I value in most books that I read. I like to know what everyone is thinking about what's going on instead of just receiving that information from a single person. I have to mention that author Chris Fabry does a wonderful job in writing what a nine year girl would be thinking.

I don't want this review to contain any spoilers because I want readers to enjoy the journey through this tale without. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were real, the situations were believable, and I had no idea how this story would end! I hung by every word through June Bug's adventure into finding out who she was. I honestly did not find out the truth till the very end. I had assumptions but you really don't know through each twist and turn where this story will lead.

I highly recommend this wonderful book. As it's a impacting read with a message of how God can turn bad situations into good for his purposes.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God -Romans 8:28

Redux of Les Miserables adds humor and warmth

June Bug by Chris Fabry is a fresh take on the classic tale Les Miserables. Nine-year-old June Bug is mostly content with her life on the road with her dad, Johnson, until she sees her own picture on a poster for a kidnapped child. The poster says she was kidnapped seven years ago, and that her real name is Natalie Ann and has an age-progressed photo that looks just like her, down to the small birthmark on her cheek. Her discovery sets a chain of events in motion that will change her entire life and may just give life to her deepest dreams of stability and a home. As a narrator, June Bug is precious and just a bit precocious. She tells the story of her life with wonder and honesty. Alternating chapters depicting the frustration and heartbreak of searching for a long missing little girl are moving and devastating. It's a terrific read with a message of how God can turn the worst evil into good for his purposes.

Nothing Greater Than a Fathers Love For Us

June Bug left the finger print of God's love on my heart and in my mind. I haven't read anything so riveting and unforgettable since Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

Chris Fabry has penned a remarkable love story; one that's filled with sacrifice, hope and forgiveness! Chris takes his time in developing his rich, endearing, three-dimensional characters that seem to jump off the pages and into your heart!

You won't be able to resist June Bug's charm, honesty and wonder. You'll be spell bound by her fun-loving, inquisitive nature. She's a girl that tells it like she sees it. She's giving, friendly, and fun listen to. She says, "They say there is a peace that passes all understanding, and that it's available to anybody who wants it. I believe in Jesus and I know he lives in my heart, .Sometimes having Jesus in your heart makes you feel good all over, like you know there's somebody who loves you no matter what."

June Bug discovers the unimaginable in Wal-Mart one day, "When I went back out and looked again, there was no doubt in my mind. That was me up there behind the glass. And I couldn't figure out a good way to ask Daddy why he had lied to me or why he called me June bug instead of Natalie Edward."

Chris has an authenticity in his writing style that brings June Bugs child like innocence to life. Her tale is so dynamic, yet simple it's like you're right there experiencing the love, joy, mystery and disappointments right along with her.

You'll delight in what Chris has created with his vivid array of characters in this powerfully-moving journey of a little girl who discovers her haunting past. June Bug has learned to smell the flowers along this amazing journey with a father that has given up everything to show a great love to her in the middle of what could have been a horrific situation. Don't rush through this story but savor every page. You'll want to buy two copies of this book, one to put in your library and one to share with your friends, because you'll definitely be telling everyone about this fascinating story you stayed up late reading.

Nora St. Laurent
Finding Hope Through Fiction
www.psalm516.blogspot.com

A Good Read!

I like the name June Bug. It is affectionate and cute. It's also the title of a new book by Chris Fabry that's being published by Tyndale. I really wanted to read this book. The description intrigued me. And I'm glad it did.

June Bug is the story of a little girl and her dad who live in an RV. They travel around the U.S. spending the nights in Walmart parking lots. At the very beginning, June Bug sees a picture of herself on the missing picture wall right inside the Walmart where they are staying. Knowing just that much is enough to make you think,
"Hmm, this could be an interesting story."

I don't want to give away any of the plot, because that's what's best about a good book--you don't know where exactly it's going and when things are going to happen. So, instead I'll describe the writing and the book itself.

One complaint many writers have is that a lot of Christian fiction books write books that can be compared to Nancy Drew books. I love Nancy Drew (the old ones) and my husband teases me for this. They are written at a fourth grade reading level with entirely predictable plots with only a little character development. There are just as many secular writers that write this type of fiction, but good books that draw you in are so much more satisfying, memorable, and enjoyable to read.

This book is a good book. It is written well. I enjoyed the characters. The descriptions of physical appearances were minimal, but the feelings conveyed by the characters allow readers to picture them in their minds. The plot twists and turns and never gets too slow or too fast, for that matter.

I would recommend this book. If you enjoy Angela Hunt's books, you'd likely enjoy this book!

Chris Fabry brings a wonderful modern day West Virginia spin to Victor Hugo's Les Miserable

In a Wal-Mart parking lot that looks identical to the zillion others she and her dad Johnson have parked in overnight while touring the country in their RV, seven year old June Bug half looks at a poster for missing children. She has to take a quadrillion looks but knows for sure the picture of nine years old Natalie Anne Edwards of Dogwood, WV staring back at her is that of June Bug.

She challenges her beloved father to explain what is going on and fears the kindhearted John is not her dad but a kidnapper living a vagabond life with her. She demands the truth and John knows he owes her at least that as he takes his beloved daughter back to the cross point where their lives pivotally changed knowing he will probably face the law, the media, and her.

Chris Fabry brings a wonderful modern day West Virginia spin to Victor Hugo's Les Miserable sprinkled with the philosophical tenet of Kahil Gibran's The Prophet. The story line is driven by the solid cast, but anchored by precocious June Bug with her need to know who she is. Mr. Fabry provides a delightful family drama that Mr. Hugo and Mr. Gibran, would enjoy as much as readers will.

Harriet Klausner

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