A Million Junes

Gr 8 Up—Jack O'Donnell IV, who prefers to be called June (short for Junior), is an 18-year-old girl living in the small town of Five Fingers, MI. She and her best friend Hannah are seniors in high school. June, like her late father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before her, knows the one main rule of being an O'Donnell: stay away from the Angerts at all costs. But when gorgeous 20-year-old Saul Angert arrives in town after three mysterious years away, June finds it difficult to stay away from him. Together, with magical memories that drift in doorways and the haunting spirits who have visited June since childhood, June and Saul discover that it is not only a feud that plagues their families but also a generations-old curse. As they grow closer, the protagonists risk everything to quell their families' hatred and rescue them from their fate. If they do not succeed, the result could be deadly. Henry takes the well-known Shakespeare tragedy Romeo and Juliet and turns it into a modern-day romance with an original ghostly twist. This is an enjoyable and fast-paced read. While the star-crossed lovers trope is a familiar one, readers won't mind. Additionally, June's strong relationship with Hannah is delightful and refreshing.