Saving June

WOW AMAZING!

WOW This book blew me away. I have been digesting it for two weeks trying to decide how to review it. Every time I think about it again I honestly get all teary eyed. I am usually not a fan of realistic fiction because I never find it realistic. So when I read this and completely connected to and understood the main character I was surprised. Harper was so much like me which is always amazing to find in a book.

This book dealt with death in such an honest and relatable way to me. Whether you have lost someone as close to you as a sister or not, most of us have lost someone or have a friend that has lost someone. Harper lost her sister. With no previous signs of depression, her sister took her own life and Harper was the one to find her. Harper is left trying to take care of her mother while still holding herself together. Also having a nosy and obtrusive aunt trying to tell her how to deal with her loss and trying to make her attend church. Harper is not religious and this does not help her with the loss. Everyone deals with loss in a different way but forcing what worked for her aunt on her was not helpful. She has a caring best friend, Laney but you can only stand to hear "Are you okay?" so many times. Of course she is not okay and never will be again.

Then she meets Jake Tolan. A secret friend of June's that seems to hate her. He over hears her plans to take June's ashes to California and he wants to come. Since Harper needs a car she agrees. June always dreamed of California and Harper feels this will grant one of June's greatest wishes. Harper is very curious to know what Jake and June's relationship was like. Laney tags along for the journey and they sneak off stealing June's urn.

Harper thinks Jake is infuriating but he seems to be exactly what she needs. He is understanding and she is beginning to see a softer side to him as they travel. They play road games and he helps her when she has had too much to drink. The pain of her loss continues to hit her and Jake is there for her. He is helpful and sweet when Laney faces some devastating news as well. She can't help but begin to think about what it would be like to kiss him. Jake is definitely a deep character that I slowly began to understand and love.

Laney is trying her best to help Harper but sometimes Harper lashes out. It is understandable. There is no right thing to say when someone close to you loses someone. You just have to be there and Laney is there every step of the way to be what Harper needs. She wants Harper to be okay but it will take time. I could relate to Laney's struggle to say the right thing and to deal with a friends loss along with what the loss means to you and also have to continue to deal with your own life and problems. It is an overwhelming struggle.

Jake has a few secrets. When they come out Harper is devastated but she realizes in life there will always be pain. There will always be mistakes and risks but she wants to live. She wants to feel it all. She will never be the same but she will continue to live. June's choice changed her forever but she will try to understand it and remember her. Such an emotional and beautiful story. I really understood Harper and her journey through her loss. I felt like she

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Bellanique13

This book was amazing. Incredibly relatable and touching. I completly fell in love with all the charactors. A cute romance with unexpected twists is wat really put this book overthe top for me. One of the best books ive read in a long time. Highly recommend!!!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

I wanted to like it, but...

This book was...okay. Though I really wanted to like this book (main character named after an awesome author! Protagonist deals with loss in a positive way! Road trip with decent music!), I never felt like I really connected with Harper's character. I didn't really get a sense of her as a real person at all. It felt a lot more like she was 'telling' us everything instead of showing us much of, well, anything. Other than a massive single act against her parents and wearing a lot of black, I didn't really 'get' her rebelliousness. She told us about her issues with her sister, but they just didn't seem to be something she felt deeply. For the most part, she just came off as overly dramatic, whiny, self-absorbed, and shallow. I'm not sure why Laney and Jake put up with her most of the time, because quite often she just didn't seem to be worth the trouble. Her love/hate relationship with Jake especially didn't make sense to me--she hated him. She found him attractive. She was nice to him, but then remembered she hated him so she was nasty. Ugh. I just didn't find their relationship, such as it was, believable.

I liked the premise of the book--dealing with the suicide of an older sister (and divorced parents' completely inappropriate idea to split said sister's ashes between them) by road tripping to California, the place that the sister had dreamed of going one day, to sprinkle her ashes in the Pacific Ocean. It had a lot of promise. Parts of the road trip were fun--Fridgehedge, for example--and at times the camaraderie between the three teens was heartfelt and realistic. At other times, though, the trip began to feel like a disjointed group of scenes thrown together for no real reason--there wasn't a whole lot of plot development there, and most the the characters they met were there and then gone without really having done much to move the story along.

I've read much better books dealing with grieving characters--The Beginning of After in particular is a real standout. Next to that one, Saving June just pales. We don't really see Harper grow and change much, and her mother's issues are all magically solved while Harper was away. I guess the biggest change is that the two get along in the end, but really, it was so superficial a difference that it really didn't do much for me at all.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING!!!!!!!

Wow this.book.blew me out of the water who ever is thinking about buying this do it is amazing one of the best books ive read it is sooo not a waste of your money the title isnt.much about the book but at the same time it is i cant even explain in words how much.i love this book i was never able to put it down buynthe book and once you read it tell people about it i really hope they make a movie for it!!! :))

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful and Emotional Journey

It's a soul searching and peace finding adventure that brings two best friends, and a boy with a van, incredibly close.

June Scott, the dependable daughter, couldn't take the pain she was feeling hidden any longer and she did what was best for her knowing it would devastate her family and friends. Her aunt Helen would probably call her selfish (and probably did), but I found something so human and relatable in the frail character, having never even been introduced to her except in memories provided by the other characters of the story.

With their mother breaking apart, and their father not around, June's sister Harper is left to pick up all the broken pieces of her life. Unable to deal with the drama pulling her in every direction at home, Harper decides to do what she needs to do for herself and her sister. Along with Jake and Laney, Harper takes June's ashes to California and has an unforgettable summer while sorting through all of her feelings.

The mysterious Jake Tolan is a man full of secrets that Harper is determined to figure out, like how close was he to June? I loved his character, he can be charming when he wants to, and sweet at times but he puts up this bad boy front that may not be much more than an act. I picture his voice like Jarrod Gorbel's of The Honorary Title, sexy and heartbreaking. Jake and Harper's banter back and forth made me think of Remy and Dexter of Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby. Hannah Harrington did a fantastic job creating a book that tore me to pieces on every page and still managed to keep me hopeful.

Harper doesn't take crap from anyone, but she also doesn't try new things. She's outspoken, yet enjoys being comfortable. Someone I think a lot of girls can relate to. And, she's not perfect, who is? She has become my favorite character in a book, especially after the part at the concert (you have to read it to find out why). She's as lost as any other character I've read about, but she manages to make it through this hard time little by little, and from beginning to end it's like a new character. Never wavering from her side is Laney, and on her other side is Jake. Together, the three make an unstoppable force.

Music defines moments in life, and Hannah Harrington's use and taste of exceptional songs and artists adds so much to this cross country road trip. What would a road trip be without great music? She found the perfect songs for parts of the book, and this book makes me want to make a playlist right now.

Bonus: all of the mixes and track lists found in the book were in the back of the e-book! I'm assuming the paperback would have the same.

I have no complaints about this one, none. I loved and adored it. I loved the writing, characters, story, all of it! I laughed, cried, and cried some more. One of the best contemporary novels I've ever read and I look forward to reading more of Hannah's work.

I recommend it to everyone looking to get their socks rocked by a story about loss, first love, heartbreak, and moving on.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

SAVING JUNE- A melodic and rich symphony of words!

SAVING JUNE is everything but insignificant. It is thoroughly beautiful, tragic and magical. Hannah Harrington wrote a story full of music and sound…with each note and word making you fall even more for Jake, Harper and the story around her sister June.

~The road trip~

"You cannot be in love with someone you've really only known for barely a week and on top of that someone who drives you crazy most of the time. No matter how goodlooking and charming and interesting and understanding he may be. Not even if he's the one person who makes you feel like yourself.
Right?"

Harper, Jake and Laney intend to drive all the way to California. And their road trip is grand and adventurous. It promises pure awesomeness. SAVING JUNE actually features the best road trip I’ve read about so far. On their way the three teens meet many funny and cool characters and see and try out so many great new things.

~The feelings~

"So really, it isn't as if noticing something like his well-toned biceps or his seriously long eyelashes means anything - other than a confirmation of the fact that I'm not blind."

The relationship between Harper and Jake is definitely no stereotype. It’s raw, it’s hot one moment, cold the other. Their struggles don’t consume the entire story or dominate the part that concentrates on Harper’s sister June. It’s subtle and I find it simply perfect the way it is in the exact moment.

SAVING JUNE doesn’t only circle around Harper and Jake’s feelings for each other; Hannah Harrington specially emphasises the relationship between best friends, throws light on the possible way two sisters can feel about each other and doesn’t forget Harper’s parents either.

~The soundtrack~

"He took his pain and turned it into something beautiful. Into something that people connect to. And that's what good music does. It speaks to you. It changes you."

Music is a big part of this novel. It’ll get to you. Make you love Jake, Harper and the whole story around SAVING JUNE even more. There are so many musical references that SAVING JUNE is a whole soundtrack itself. So be prepared for a read that challenges your taste and makes you even more curious about that meaningful rock Jake always refers to.

~The writing balance~

"My love for June and Jake is an anchor, bound with unbreakable chains. Weighing me down, but at the same time... keeping me grounded. Keeping me here. Tying me to the world. It hurts, but it's supposed to, because that's what it means to be alive. And that's comforting, actually. The realization that I'm not some robot devoid of emotions. That I still have the ability to feel things this brutally, this immediate and sharp."

The beginning and the end are engaging and I almost floated through the story. Hannah Harrington’s writing is fantastic, her sentences felt just right to me and her sense for structure and syntax are natural. What amazed me were little sentences filled with prose and loaded with meaning along the road.

Although SAVING JUNE is an insightful read about serious meanings like suicide and the way of coping with the death of a beloved person, it is still a fun read. It might sound weird, but it has the talent to balance moments of pure joy and adventure with moments of grief and anger. It’ll be a pleasure to read more from Hannah Harrington in future, this girl knows how to rock the words!

Great Book

I picked this book up from the store..and started reading it when I got home..the story really sucks you in, and the characters are amazing. Very well written. You will get really attached to this book, the story is very well told. Hannah Harrington did a good job. Must check it out!

Saving June

This book was really hard for me to finish just because I don't want to thing about if I lost one of my sisters. I am one of six girls. I talk to my sisters everyday and I love each and everyone of them dearly. I would not know how to do deal with it if one of them past a way. But this is why this book was so good. It was very emotional and breathtaking. It was so well written. It kept the pages moving and turning. And I love that about a book.

You meet Harper. Harper is a teenage girl that should be loving life because she is about to go into her senior year of high school. She should be looking forward to homecoming, football games, basketball games, and prom. But she is having to deal with a funeral for her sister. Her sister decided to take her own life. But she doesn't know way. While at the wake she decides that she is going to do something for June. She is going to respect her sister and take her ashes to California and put them in the ocean. She is doing this because she knows that that is what June would want. So she embarks on this road trip with her best friend and one of June's friend. Her friend Jacob that is the hard rocker type that works at a music store. I have to tell you that I love when books incorporate music into them. I think that it is so amazing!

This book was so good. It reminded me a lot of Audrey, Wait! You really feel the heart break and emotions that run through the characters. You want things to happen for them not happen to them. I would recommend this book anyone that needs a good cry and a good read!

Amazing!

I am a book fanatic and have read a great deal of books. I have not been so captured by a set of characters like these since Thirteen Reasons Why. This book just draws you in with the authors realistic and heartfelt writing.

As cheesy as it sounds, i laughed and cried...and then read the book again.

The perfect book if you are looking for something real, romantic and that will keep you reading through the night.

A Lovely Bookshelf Reviews: Saving June

Here’s the breakdown:

Plot: The idea for the plot was something I’d never read before and I thought it was a really creative way to bring some depth and gravity to something as light as a road trip novel. The ultimate goal for the plot is for Harper to get her sister’s ashes to California. Along the way we encounter political extremists, a George Clooney-loving diner waitress, and a revolving cast of musicians, artists, etc. The plot dragged a little to me for a few reasons. First, it takes FOREVER for the road trip to start. They talk about the road trip, debate the road trip, plan the road trip, before it FINALLY happens. Second, a lot of the travelling and the pit stops along the way were irrelevant. They spend several pages in St. Louis, riding up to the top of the arch and what not, but in the end it has nothing to do with the plot or the goal of getting to California. Granted, a lot of discussion and emotional inner dialogue occur for our characters in this scene and others like it, but it could have just as easily happened without detailed description of the city and its monuments.

Characters: Harper is awesome. She is tough as nails and does what she wants, but she also has a vulnerable side that we get to see a lot more as the novel progresses. Laney is also really cool- the type of loyal and quirky best friend every teen girl wants. And JAKE! Can I just say…WHERE IS MY JAKE? I loved him so much! He’s starts out very mysterious and then…well, he stays pretty mysterious for the whole book. But he’s passionate about music (one of my passions too) and as he and Harper get to know each other…whoo! Let’s just say it’s something you’ll want to read for yourself.

Writing style: Harrington’s style is smooth and easily and quickly read. The depth of the emotion is very real and at times I felt myself aching for the characters’ suffering. Also, The Music. Jake is obsessed with music and he has fabulous taste. Music is a central theme throughout and the novel even comes with its own soundtracks! It’s pretty great.

Verdict: 4 Stars

A real and emotional read with developed, interesting characters and the perfect amount of romance.

Side Note: There’s a lot of religious and philosophical discussion and political commentary in this one. If that’s not your cup of tea, you might want to read something else. Just a warning.

AMAZING!

We realized that we BOTH requested this book for review, and so because of this we decided to do our review together!

We both absolutely loved this book. It was realistic, it was heart-wrenching, and Jenny cried while reading it (which, she's known to do a lot while reading).

Harper's older sister June killed herself a week prior to the story starting. Understandably, Harper and her mother (who is now single after having gotten divorced) are feeling lost and while they are both attempting to deal with the shock and grief of it all, Harper decides to take her sister's urn to California.

June had always dreamed of leaving to go to California and Harper ends up teaming up with her best friend Laney and Jake (who we LOVED) to drive across the U.S. to the ocean in California to drop June's ashes. They get into a lot of adventures along the way, some of which were funny, and some of which were shocking and sad.

Harper's character was perfectly cast as the little sister. She always felt like she was living in June's shadow and, despite doing a lot of sisterly arguing, she really looked up to her. She was very likable as a character.

Have we mentioned we love Jake? Cuz, we do. He was edgy and sensitive and we wanted to sit and listen to music with him.

There's a lot of musical references in this book (like, a ton), and at the very end of the book is a playlist of all the songs referenced in the book. We definitely felt like listening to some music after reading this book. Well, and Jenny needed tissues.

We received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

My New Favorite Book

It is hard to put into words how this book made me feel. It made me cry and it made me smile. It even gave me great music to listen to. Every aspect of it left me in awe. Just read it is all I can say. You won't regret it, you won't be able to put it down.

SO GOOD!!!!!!!!

This is a book worth reading. It's inspirational, yet sad. Harper is really determined to help get her sister what she had wanted her entire life. It's a book you will read over and over so buy it, buy it, buy it!

Beautiful and Sad

Harper was always jealous of her older sister June. June had the perfect life- great grades, great looks, great boyfriend. When June suddenly commits suicide, Harper is sent into a bit of a tailspin. Harper desperately wants to know why June did it or if anything could have stopped her. While going through June's room, Harper discovers a mix CD that was unlike anything June ever listened to. Harper decides that June's ashes need to go to the one place June always wanted to escape to- California. The mix tape leads Harper to Jake, someone so unlike anyone June ever associated with that Harper can't figure out his connection to June. Harper, her best friend Laney, and Jake soon embark on the road trip of a lifetime to see that June gets to California.

This book turned out much different than I ever imagined it would. For me, the most marvelous part was how tightly things were tied in to music. I love music so much, and I think it really helped heighten the emotional response I had as a reader. Harper, Laney, and Jake were all kind of misfits in different ways. They came together to make a wonderful trio though. The road trip vibe was alive and well, and it made me remember so many random journeys I made when I was younger. There's a certain feel of freedom from the real world that you get while road tripping, and you could feel that throughout the book. This disassociation from real life allowed Harper to really search through her feelings on everything, and you get the feeling this trip was as much for her as it was to deliver June to where she always wanted to be.

Like any good book, there are secrets and conflicts and all kinds of interesting plot points. They never take away from the real plot though-Harper discovering how she feels about life. At first I thought Harper was a trying a bit too hard to be a rebel, but as I got to know her through the plot and the music associated I saw where she was coming from. By the end of the book I loved Harper, Laney, and Jake so much. I read this book so fast because I was just drawn into the story, and I really wanted to know how everything was resolved. A little bit rock and roll, a little bit therapy, I thought this was an amazing book that I would highly recommend to everyone.

Galley provided for review.

My book-soulmate!!

I loved this book a ridiculous bunch!! It was a rare case of dramatic moment as a starter and grinning like crazy ending, and I was crying around page 20, totally thrown off track by the amount of sadness and pain in Harper's life, and at the same time totally identifying with her, something that basically has never happened to me while reading a YA novel, and rarely when reading any in fact. But I completely saw myself in Harper and recognized the Harper inside me after reading that beginning. I was irremediably in love with the novel already, regardless of how it may have proceeded, I decided. And yet as I read along I was surprised to see I did fall in love with it again, over and over again, all over the place and all the time, I mean I was shocked, sad, happy and all over the place, and sort of emotionally drained when I was done reading it - the first thing that crossed my mind was "Omg, this was SO good! Again!! I want an encore, a few of them in fact!!". Yes, I am thoroughly and most assuredly fangirling all over this review, deal with my enthusiastic declarations of wove! The characters were simply adorable, and Harper was my absolute favorite, yet again a rare occurrence. She was just totally and awesomely vivid, real, there was no leap of imagination I had to make to be in the zone with her, to be by her side and feel and think alongside her, I was right there on the road to California as easy as a blink of an eye. Laney was totally fun, though randomly clueless and yet surprisingly perceptive, the kind of friend that drags you out of your shell and knows when to take your hand without being pushy about it, I just loved her. Jake was really fun too, I was sure I'd love him ever since he made his entrance, I mean I don't know I could have not loved him, seeing through Harper's eyes and picturing him with her thoughts in mind, Jake was the dude I'd love to hate and hate to love but I'd want by my side regardless, and after getting to know him better I was rooting for the couple like some obsessed cheerleader on a mission! One element that really made this a 5 star (well, butterflies in my particular case) experience was the writing; the writing was just brilliant, rich and suggestive and unrepentant, with a beautiful flow to it, painting incredibly vivid pictures and drawing memorable lines. I just loved it, I loved how Hannah Harrington approached Harper's loss and her dealing with it, I loved her perspective on things, everything. I loved everything. There isn't one thing that I would have liked different in any way or degree about this book, this was just perfect. My book-soulmate. I strongly encourage you to read this if you haven't already, it's a truly beautiful YA contemporary novel.

Loved!!!!!!

When i first read the description i thought "OH NO another sarah dessen style book", but i could put it down. This novel will make you cry, laugh, have a broken heart and then have it mended by the love connection between all the characters. It is definatly worth the buy and i cant wait until enough time passes that it becomes appropriate to read again!

Review from MajiBookshelf Blog

I got this book for review from NetGalley and I loved it. It was such a fun read, because I just love reading about road trips! They are so much fun! Especially when there is a little bit of romance in it. There was a bit of everything in this book. At first, i felt sad because of the death of the protagonist's, Harper's sister June. Later on in the story it became funny when she met Jake. Then Crazy and exciting when they went on the road trip. You just never get bored of reading. Every chapter, something new happens, therefore you're never bored reading this book.
On to the characters. Harper was OK. I'm not a fan of her, but I also don't hate her. I just felt like she is too rough with her constant swearing and smoking. However what I do like about her is her strong personality. I hate girls who act all girly like they are dependent and always need someone to comfort them . She is a very strong character, who can cope on her own. that was very admiring.
Jake, oh Jake! I adore boys who are different, so he was pretty high on my awesome list. I especially love his hair, and his personality. He isn't mainstream, someone who listen to the same mainstream music, have same boring interests, etc. He was different, which makes him unique and unpredictable for me.What I also liked about this book is the relationship between Harper and Laney, who is her best friend. I liked how they never fought and that Laney was very considerate towards Harper, considering her sister's death.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was fun, enjoyable, heartwarming, and touching. I would totally recommend it to anyone who enjoys books like these :) Go ahead and give it a try, you won't regret it!

LOVED EVERY SECOND OF THIS BOOK

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN. I LOVE EVERY PAGE. IF YOU DONT READ THIS BOOK THEN YOU ARE CRAZY AMD IF YOU DONT LOVE IT THEN YOU ARE EVEN CRAZIER. A MUST READ BOOK FOR EVERY TEEN OUT THERE


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Live To Read

Harper feels as if she will be consumed by the guilt she feels after her sister, June, kills herself. June was the smart sister, the pretty one who always had everyone¿s best interest at heart. No amount of rationalization can make Harper understand why June would kill herself and not leave any explanation or note. Harper feels horribly alone. After her mother and father divorced each other and June¿s suicide, Harper is numb. With her best friend Laney¿s support and the willingness of June¿s friend Jake, Harper sets out to make June¿s dream of seeing California a reality.
Harrington created Harper as a character who grows and matures as a reader turns pages. Initially juvenile, Harper becomes an adult as she learns through music and friendship. Harper felt that June had abandoned her and that no one understood what she was experiencing. During June¿s funeral, Harper left her mother to deal with everything and was not helpful. Reading Harper¿s progression from immature girl, blaming everyone around her to a wise adult is heartwarming. Laney is Harper¿s only true friend. Striving to help and support Harper in every way, Laney is admirable despite her tendencies to party. Laney is struggling with a crisis of her own at the time of June¿s suicide, but still comes on Harper¿s mission and always listens when Harper needs to talk. June¿s friend Jake had a rough childhood and is devoted to music. He believes music can improve anything and help anyone. Jake volunteers his van for Harper¿s mission and seems like one of the few people Harper can open up to. By saving June, the three teens gain redemption.
This book is a five on a five star scale. Hannah Harrington was able to create a character and then bring her to maturity in the space of about 320 pages. The author¿s skill with writing is clearly recognized in her work. A reader will enjoy reading about Harper, Laney, and Jake. Because of June¿s death and other mature content, this book should be enjoyed by high school aged readers.

Could not put it down!

This book is just what I was looking for. It's a story full of teenage angst and I enjoyed it alot. I will definitely be recommending it to friends!