Junie.

 

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.

 
Sixteen years old and enslaved since she was born, Junie has spent her life on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, cooking and cleaning alongside her family, and tending to the white master’s daughter, Violet. Her daydreams are filled with poetry and faraway worlds, while she spends her nights secretly roaming through the forest, consumed with grief over the sudden death of her older sister, Minnie. 

When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, hinting at marriage for Violet and upending Junie’s life, she commits a desperate act—one that rouses Minnie’s spirit from the grave, tethered to this world unless Junie can free her. She enlists the aid of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, and their friendship soon becomes something more. Yet as long-held truths begin to crumble, she realizes Bellereine is harboring dark and horrifying secrets that can no longer be ignored. 

With time ticking down, Junie begins to push against the harsh current that has controlled her entire life. As she grapples with an increasingly unfamiliar world in which she has little control, she is forced to ask herself: When we choose love and liberation, what must we leave behind? 

 

 🌷

 
Junie is a book that will draw you in from the first page and will stay with you long after you turn the last page. I am still thinking about the story, even though I finished the book a few days ago. This book is unlike any other historical fiction book I have read; it touched me in many ways. I loved that the historical fiction was mixed with magical realism, and the author made it feel so real, as if I could feel Minnie’s spirit. I liked how Junie's path was intertwined with Minnie's spirit. I was constantly curious about what might happen next when they interacted. I did feel that there was something that Minnie wasn’t sharing with Junie as to why she wanted Junie to complete the tasks. 

Junie was a beautiful and heartbreaking story. June's voice hooked me and most of the story; the descriptions were practically poetry-filled, and I couldn't put it down. The tension builds with every page, pulling you into Junie’s world more. I loved how connected to nature Junie was, which is something that I could relate to since I love nature. I liked most of the characters, except a few that I disliked, but my favorite was Junie. The character development in this novel was incredible; even the minor characters stood out to me. I loved the setting and the detailed descriptions that made me feel like I was there, surrounded by nature. I was rooting for Junie from beginning to end. I was hoping that she would be able to find her happiness. 

I had doubts about the friendship between Violet and Junie. Although I was happy that Junie had a friend, there were moments when I questioned whether Violet was acting like a friend because of how she occasionally treated her. It's hard to believe this was the author's first novel; it was fantastic in many respects. There were a few slow moments in the book, but I couldn't get enough of Junie's story. I'm excited to see what Erin Crosby Eckstine has in store for us next!