Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Romeo and Juliet fantasy romance is lyrical and haunting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
A MILLION JUNES is the story of 18-year-old June O'Donnell and how her family has hated the neighboring Angert family, and vice versa, for at least five generations. When June literally bumps into Saul Angert at a carnival, she's immediately drawn to the handsome son of the one family her parents taught her she can never go near. If June and Saul can learn the truth about their families' entwined history, can they finally break free forever from the cursed spirit that haunts them, and that causes each family more harm each time it appears?
Is It Any Good?
Author Emily Henry's second novel is beautifully lyrical, with rhythmic prose that brings to life a magical place where echoes from the past reverberate to the core of an engaging young couple. Despite the very old setup of young love forbidden by feuding families, A Million Junes vividly evokes a unique, magical place and populates it with engaging, relatable characters.
Grief from loss, uncovering the truth about the past, finding your talent, and learning to value the countless small moments that make up a life are strong themes that will teach teens a lot about themselves. June's authentic voice and wry humor make her easy to relate to, and teens will also relate to lessons she learns about the value of all types of love, not just the romantic kind. Fans of ghost stories will enjoy the haunting spirits that inhabit June's world. Have a hankie nearby at the end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how stories like A Million Junes blend fantasy and romance. Does the fantasy make the real-world part less believable? How would June and Saul's story be different without the fantasy parts of their world?
The lives and actions of their ancestors have a big influence on June and Saul today. Is that realistic? Have past generations of your family affected your life? How?
Is the violence that happens in fantasy more or less scary, or about the same, as real-world violence? Why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Razorbill
- Publication date : May 16, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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