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Saving June

Hannah Harrington (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating details · 17,339 ratings · 1,518 reviews

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split ...more

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Paperback, 322 pages

Published November 22nd 2011 by Harlequin Teen (first published May 1st 2011)

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· 17,339 ratings · 1,518 reviews

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Sep 16, 2011 Catie rated it liked it

Shelves: for-review, read-in-2011, ya

It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why I failed to connect with this book. Is it because I’m the oldest sibling and I don’t know what it’s like to be the rebellious younger sister? Is it because I’m just too damn old? Is it because, even when I was young, I thought that mosh pits were stupid? Maybe it’s because the thought of Jake singing softly in my ear in a van makes me want to elbow him in the solar plexus…and unlike Harper, I DO know where that is. I think that this is one of those YA bo ...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Nic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anybody looking for a good contemp and a good old fashioned swoon

Shelves: music, romance-awww, read-in-2011, favourites, young-adult, 2011, realistic-fiction, favourite-of-2011, swoon-worthy-read, nomes-read-along

This is how I picture Jake http://irresistiblereads.blogspot.com...

Favourite Quote: "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."

WOW! I am seriously blown away by how fantastic this book is. I loved Saving June. I am going to try and write a proper review here when all I want to do is go all fan girl about it!

Harper's older sister June takes her life. Harper is devastated and do ...more

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May 04, 2011 Nomes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, faves-of-2011, swoon, my-kind-of-awesome, you-make-me-smile, up-all-night, 2011, crushing-on-the-writing, i-had-no-idea-i-would-love-this-so, favourites

Judging from the Aussie cover (which is gorgeous) and the blurb I expected Saving June to be a melancholic (perhaps whimsical) novel exploring grief/sisterhood & bad boys ;) I thought it may be a rainy-day comfort read. But it was so much more than that.

SAVING JUNE opens with Harper at her sisters wake ~ and the tone is pitch perfect for that kind of startled frozen grief ~ and yet Harrington had me grinning (grinning! in the aftermath of a funeral) multiple times before the chapter was through, Judging from the Aussie cover (which is gorgeous) and the blurb I expected Saving June to be a melancholic (perhaps whimsical) novel exploring grief/sisterhood & bad boys ;) I thought it may be a rainy-day comfort read. But it was so much more than that.

SAVING JUNE opens with Harper at her sisters wake ~ and the tone is pitch perfect for that kind of startled frozen grief ~ and yet Harrington had me grinning (grinning! in the aftermath of a funeral) multiple times before the chapter was through, even alongside that gorgeously portrayed ache.

That first chapter pretty much sets the tone for the book ~ which continues to grow in it’s awesomeness right until the very end. I found SAVING JUNE absolutely refreshing and completely addictive. It’s funky and full of life even as it explores darker themes.

It reads so effortlessly ~ like Harrington is very comfortable with her prose, characters and their world. I love lines of prose that make you stop and think, sentiments worded so perfectly that you find little epiphanies about the most ordinary of things (I found that here). Also ~ genius one-liners that made me ache/grin/pause/sigh or all of the above.

I am crazy-in-love with the grin-worthy and whip-smart dialogue, that easy banter that comes from people being stuck on a road trip together and getting overly bold and familiar. This book easily catches a sense of camaraderie between it’s characters that make it easy for a reader to slip in alongside them and feel as if you are there.

The romantic sub-plot (you guys!) unfolded exactly how I love: it starts off brilliantly antagonistic between Harper and Jake (love their first three meetings) and the romantic tension between them burns throughout the novel. Harrington shows such restraint in shaping their relationship and it really pays off. It’s incredibly sexy watching the love/hate/annoyance/attraction thing and even sexier when, well, when things turn sexy :D

The thing about this book is at first glance you can probably find a lot of cliched threads: the (better, smarter) sister who committed suicide, a road trip with a mysterious bad boy, characters who struggle with their parents and pasts and futures. But Harrington blitzes pass cliche-land with her nuanced characters that are explored in layers, unfolding piece by piece. SAVING JUNE has so much heart, it’s sad in parts but mostly captures that whole YA thing of finding your place in the world. It has hope and I smiled, grinned and sighed, like, a lot, considering the premise of the book O.o

There are also random cool things that make road trip books so much fun. For eg: Fridgehenge (!)

I am careful with my 5 star ratings. EXCEPT for when I crush on a book so hard that 5 stars is the only way to express how much this book was just perfect for me.

There are a few things that niggled at the end (view spoiler) and occasionally the pacing lulls (not in terms of my interest in reading, oh my gosh I couldn’t put it down, but perhaps in terms of plot) and some of the banter with other characters can occasionally be too smart (in that John-Green-I-am-cool-kind-of-way ~ but only with a few minor-blip characters) but none of this detracted from insanely loving every minute of this.
...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it really liked it

Recommended to Maja (The Nocturnal Library) by: Limonessa

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, books-with-soundtracks, netgalley, young-adult, reviewed-in-2011, moments-of-great-frustration, readalong

So many dead sisters in YA literature these days…

I can’t even begin to describe how deeply Harper’s grief affected me. It’s not often that I find myself completely taken aback by an author’s insight and sensitivity. I’m still convinced that she must have gone through something similar at some point in her life, otherwise she couldn’t have been able to describe so accurately the thoughts that sometimes follow such a disastrous event. I have to admit that the story hit too close to home and it was So many dead sisters in YA literature these days…

I can’t even begin to describe how deeply Harper’s grief affected me. It’s not often that I find myself completely taken aback by an author’s insight and sensitivity. I’m still convinced that she must have gone through something similar at some point in her life, otherwise she couldn’t have been able to describe so accurately the thoughts that sometimes follow such a disastrous event. I have to admit that the story hit too close to home and it wasn’t always easy for me to keep reading, but Harper’s reactions and feelings were as familiar as my own and she really got under my skin, where she'll stay for a while at least.

That’s not to say that the book didn’t have any problems, but I got so emotionally invested that I ended up not caring about any of them. I’ll still point out the things I can remember, just for the sake of full disclosure.
I’m afraid that many layers of this story may be completely lost on its intended audience. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe teens today know all about various stages of Janis Joplin’s work or the true value of a Jimi Hendrix autograph. Maybe they do care about problems of the Third World and maybe they’ve even seen the Woodstock documentary once or twice. But somehow I doubt it.
I, on the other hand, loved every second of it. Every song that was mentioned, every album that was played, it was as if I chose them myself. Some of them I haven’t heard in a while and Hannah Harrington gave me the perfect excuse to bury myself in my old music for a while.

A part of the book didn’t fit well with the rest. At one point Jake and the girls were attending a violent protest that felt completely out of place. It was the second time in as many weeks that an author tried to shove his/her own beliefs and convictions down my throat in such an obvious way. I’m not saying that YA novels should provide blind entertainment and nothing more, far from it, I’m just saying that it was forced and unnatural in this particular story. Without it, this would have been a five-star book for me.

So to conclude, I loved this book, but I doubt I’ll be reading it again. I don’t think I’d be able to handle it all one more time. The feeling that I’ve been turned inside out and that I’m reading my own thoughts and emotions isn’t something I care to repeat anytime soon. I am happy to have read it the first time and I’m very grateful for the things it helped me realize.
And I still think Touch Me is the perfect song for that occasion. :)
...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Limonessa rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: lovers of YA fiction

Shelves: hot-musicians, ya-lit, favorites, swoooooon, arc, ebook, need-to-re-read, pass-me-the-kleenex

In the past year, at least for me, all the rage in YA contemporary fiction can be condensed in one word: Australia. Marchetta, Buzo, Cath Crawley, Eagar were definitely my favorite reads this year.

Hannah Harrington is the exception that proves the rule. This lady is American and what is more, Saving June is her debut novel.

Harper's life is in pieces. Her sister June unexplainably committed suicide a few weeks before graduating and her family is, quite understandably, a wreck. There's no rhyme ...more

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Jun 14, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to ~Tina~ by: Nic and Nomes

Shelves: favorites, contemporary, read-2011, young-adult

Once in awhile comes a book that just touches you in all the right places. It makes you think, it forces you to feel but at the same time it's not overwhelming. Saving June is one of those books.

To say I loved this would be a total understatement. I'm remarkably surprised that considering the issue at hand, it still reads with ease and comfort. The author mixes a brilliant combination of pain and joy, laughter and tears, set to a road trip, detours and of course the glue that holds any experienc Once in awhile comes a book that just touches you in all the right places. It makes you think, it forces you to feel but at the same time it's not overwhelming. Saving June is one of those books.

To say I loved this would be a total understatement. I'm remarkably surprised that considering the issue at hand, it still reads with ease and comfort. The author mixes a brilliant combination of pain and joy, laughter and tears, set to a road trip, detours and of course the glue that holds any experience, music.

These characters, Harper, Jake, Laney and even June, felt very real to me. Harper is one of those characters with a hard shell all around her, even before June did what she did. She's stubborn and infuriating, but she's also very caring and completely realistic. I love how she can really dish it out and hold her own. She has attitude but not the kind you want to beat down. Laney is a great best friend, good to the soul through and through, she complimented the journey without distracting it. And then there's Jake. Ahhh Jake. He is soooo my kind of hawt. He's not as complicated as he pretends to be. He's had a hard life, sure, but by doing what he did for Harper, putting himself out there all because he wanted to give back the way June helped him is really amazing. I loved how into music he is and he really does have a point. Music is just like reading a book or watching a movie, it tells a story and if your really listening you can understand the meaning of it and how it can actually change your life, your moment, and becomes apart of your soul. I really loved how Harrington made that apart of the story, like it's very own character.

As for the romance? Do know that feeling just before being kissed for the first time? Your stomach kinda drops and you kinda just tingle with anticipation, hoping against hope that it's everything you wanted it to be and more? Well, that's what it felt like to me while reading that scene between Harper and Jake. Mind you it wasn't a long scene and if I'm being honest was the only real one, but Harrington really nailed it. Big ass goofy grin and all. But it was more then just that moment, it was all the little things that lead up to it. Slow moving, gradual but completely inevitable. Just the way I like it.

But I think my favorite part about the entire book was the writing. Not only does this have some of the best banter, dialog and witty remarks that make you just smile, but it's also chalked full of those thought-provoking one liners and full passages that you literally stop reading and think about the meaning behind it, in the book and even how it apply's to your own life. That's pretty incredible stuff.

Bottom line, I could go on forever praising this book and it probably wont even do it justice. So all I'm gonna say is that it's an awesome story about wanting to die, wanting to really live and how all the in-between messy stuff that life is all about makes it so much more worth it then you'd ever realize.
It's powerful, uplifting and it really touched my heart.

Read this. It matters;) ...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Dija rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Sarah Dessen and YA fiction on coming to terms with the death of a family member

Shelves: wow, cotton-candy-fluff, surprisingly-good, authors-i-stalk, my-reviews, second-chances, ya, 2011

***FAVORITE YA OF 2011***

My heart hurts. So, so badly.

5 Beautiful Things About Saving June:

1. Harper. She is so real. She has a lot of spunk and I have immense respect for her and the way she dealt with June's death and all the other issues in her life. While reading this book, I came to love Harper like I would a best friend. She's an amazing, down-to-earth, and strong heroine. She doesn't whine or complain and isn't reduced to a pile of girly goo when falling in love. Basically, she's mature. ...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Lora rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of YA realistic fiction similar to Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and The Sky is Everywhere

Recommended to Lora by: Nomes

Shelves: lib-read, g-ya-realistic, music

"Some people think that a place can save them," I say. "Like if they could just be somewhere else, their lives would be totally different. They could finally be the people they always wanted to be. But to me, a place is just a place. If you really want things to change, you can make them change no matter where you are."

Hannah Harrington's debut, Saving June, begins with Harper Scott stacking casseroles and meringue pies into her refrigerator. Her older sister, June, has just died from a self ...more

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Jun 14, 2011 Tatiana marked it as dnf

Recommended to Tatiana by: Nomes

Shelves: ya

I pushed and pushed through this, but this novel just isn't working for me.

It feels like I've read this story a million times before - someone dies and a teen (usually a girl) left behind has to deal with the aftermath. Sometimes versions of this scenario are incredibly successful (The Piper's Son, Please Ignore Vera Dietz), sometimes utterly forgettable (Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Sky Is Everywhere). Saving June falls into the second category for me, unfortunately.

To make such an overused s ...more

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May 25, 2012 Keertana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: swoooon, rainy-day-re-reads, life-changing, favorites, teary-eyed-reads

Very rarely in my life have I come across a book where it is difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what I liked about it. Saving June falls into this rare category of books simply because it made me feel so many emotions that it is hard for me to go back and find the exact moment I began falling in love with it. Saving June was one of those books that I was so completely invested in that time lost all meaning and I forgot that I was reading a book in my bed and not on a road trip to Californi ...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Wendy Darling by: Nomes

Shelves: hilarious, crush-worthy-boys, 2011-favorites, read-2011, made-my-heart-hurt, 2011-publication, young-adult, favorite-ya, readalong, realistic-fiction

4.5 stars I felt such love and grief and joy reading this book...it's just beautiful. Review to come. ...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Ari rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: must-read, death-and-dying, favorites, standalone, road-trip

So beautiful it hurts ♥

Why is it so hard to talk about the books we like?
Why is it so hard to open my heart to the whole world and to say out loud how much I loved this story? Why is it so hard to put into words all the beauty of "Saving June"?

I tell you why, because I'm somehow speechless...
Because my heart is far away, somewhere in California, looking for a way to save June, searching through all those beautiful moments of vulnerability, frustration and hope the characters went through.. ...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Jo rated it liked it · review of another edition

“But I wasn’t interested in being like June, and I definitely didn’t want to live in June’s shadow. Even if mine was less impressive, at least it was mine.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
……OK, that ending? Is it possible to die of cringe? BUT…. The rest was fantastic.

High Points.
MUSIC. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. The music that is mentioned in this book is the soundtrack to my life. Seriously. Pretty much every single one of my favourite songs is mentioned in this book. If you cut open my soul these ...more

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Sep 12, 2011 ♥Rachel♥ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, road-trip

This was an amazing story! One of my favorite quotes:

Jake was right - I'm strong in a way June never was. Because I know that I want to be here. Even with the pain. Even with the ugliness. There is so much beauty in just existing. In being alive. I don't want to miss a second.”

Saving June opens up with Harper Scott at her sister June’s wake. June committed suicide and Harper has no idea why. June was always the pretty, perfect, honor-roll student with direction. She even got into Berkley in This was an amazing story! One of my favorite quotes:

Jake was right - I'm strong in a way June never was. Because I know that I want to be here. Even with the pain. Even with the ugliness. There is so much beauty in just existing. In being alive. I don't want to miss a second.”

Saving June opens up with Harper Scott at her sister June’s wake. June committed suicide and Harper has no idea why. June was always the pretty, perfect, honor-roll student with direction. She even got into Berkley in her dream state, California. Harper on the other hand has always known she couldn’t measure up to June so she’s never tried. She’s always been the average or underachiever in school, brash, didn’t care to be popular, she’s content to have her one best- friend, Laney.

After searching June’s room for clues, Harper discovers a mix CD with unknown handwriting with the quote in Latin: ”Nolite te bastardes carborundorm.” with music June would’ve never listened to. June is an avid sugary-pop music lover and this CD is definitely not. They soon find out this mysterious CD’s author is Jake Tolan. Jake had a connection to June but he won’t let on what is was. Never mind that he’s ”really good-looking, in this rakish, edgy, badass, I-just-rolled-out-of-bed-and-screw-you-I-don’t-need-a-mirror kind of way” He showed up at June’s wake hostile and annoyed at Harper. That’s okay because Harper can give as good as she gets (another favorite quote)this is what she says to him:

I meet his eyes again. He stares; it’s a little unnerving. His gaze is like a vacuum. Intense. “Do you cut your own hair?” I ask. He tilts his head to the side. “Talk about the non sequitur.” “Because it looks like you do,” I continue. He looks at me for a long time, and when I realize he isn’t going to say anything, I take another pull off the cigarette and say, “It looks ridiculous, by the way.” “Don’t you want to know what I’m doing here?” He sounds a little confused, and a lot annoyed. I blow out smoke, watching it float away, and shrug. “Not really.”

When Harper finds out her divorcing parents want to split up June’s ashes, she decides to steal them and drive with Laney, out to California to scatter June’s ashes where June always wanted to be. Jake overhears this plan, and blackmails his way into the road trip.

This story was just, wow! I just loved it so much!! I loved these characters: Harper and her snarky but loving personality. Laney, the sweet, long-suffering best-friend, and then Jake *sigh* he could just melt your socks off (please see above description again). Jake’s such a sweet-heart, an ornery, maddening sweet-heart, but a sweet-heart all the same, because no matter how Harper treats him, he sticks by her and doesn’t give up. Another favorite quote:

”You - you are so strong and stubborn it drives me crazy. You're the one going through all this and you still put Laney first every time, instead of throwing yourself the pity party we both know you deserve. You call me out on my shit, and I like that, because sometimes I need someone to call me out on my shit. And you get Johnny Cash, and you take these incredible photos, and everything about you makes me hurt, in a good way, and it blows my mind that someone can be so amazing and not even see it.”

This story was heart-breaking and heavenly at the same time. I just don’t know what else to say about it, other than: READ IT!!!
...more

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May 01, 2012 Katrina Passick Lumsden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-ya, pleasantly-surprised

So yeah, I don't give YA books five stars very often. That is mostly due to the fact that they're usually deficient in the areas of tone, plot, and characterization. Not so with this one. I found myself almost instantly connecting with Harper, her antisocial behavior and general cynicism about life and people ringing very similar to my own at that age. I was actually a little surprised by how much Harper reminded me of myself at 16. But I suppose that could be why some people have a harder time So yeah, I don't give YA books five stars very often. That is mostly due to the fact that they're usually deficient in the areas of tone, plot, and characterization. Not so with this one. I found myself almost instantly connecting with Harper, her antisocial behavior and general cynicism about life and people ringing very similar to my own at that age. I was actually a little surprised by how much Harper reminded me of myself at 16. But I suppose that could be why some people have a harder time connecting with her. To be clear, I was not a particularly bubbly, carefree teenager, nor was I the type to wander around endlessly worrying about boys or makeup or clothes. If that's the type of character you connect with, this book may not capture your attention as it did mine, but I would still recommend it if for nothing else but the chance to peak into Harper's head.

I think the thing I liked best was that Harper's best friend, Laney, was actually a friend, not some self-centered waste of page. Too often these YA stories are written with friends who are there for nothing else but to show that the protagonist has them, and the authors either give them terrible personalities or none at all. Laney is funny, quirky, has her own interests and opinions, and genuinely cares about Harper. Realistically, Harper and Laney don't always get along, but neither do they treat each other like crap.

Jake Tolan. What can I say about Jake Tolan? He's the kind of guy I would have fallen for as a teen, and in fact, I did once fall for a guy like Jake. One of the only things I didn't have in common with Harper was music. I, like Jake, feel that "without music, life would be a mistake."(Friedrich Nietzsche) I once knew a guy whose obsession with/knowledge of music trumped even my own, and he ended up being just the kind of person I needed at that time in my life. Similarly, Jake ends up being just the kind of person to help Harper get through what she's dealing with, using music to help her confront her emotions and deal with them instead of constantly trying to lock them down and run away.

As far as characterization, I appreciated Ms. Harrington's unflinching portrayal of kids with their own angsty baggage. Harper, Laney, and Jake are all flawed, they all make mistakes, and none of them know who they are or what they're doing. I realize the angst can seem over-the-top melodramatic from the other side of the fence (adulthood), but I seem to remember all too well what being a teenager was like, and that level of angst is pretty accurate.

Something that might alienate older readers are the references to bands/artists like Nirvana, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Moody Blues, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, etc. It's not that the references are bad, it's just bizarre seeing these artists through the eyes of a modern teen since it's the kind of stuff I grew up listening to. I remember a time when Kurt Cobain was still alive. I was there. So listening to characters in a story treating some of this music like it's mysterious and obscure was a little off-putting. But hey, you can't blame the author since she wrote it for today's teenagers.

Ms. Harrington tackled some serious issues in this story, and I was very pleased with the fact that she touched on things with sympathy without allowing the overall tone to become preachy or condescending. The flow is good, the humor is outstanding, the dialogue great. For me, it was a little like Amy and Roger's Epic Detour only with a bit more depth, better characterization, and way more humor. This isn't to say it's flawless. Nothing is perfect since perfection is relative, but this was as close to perfection as I think a YA story gets. At least, it was for me. I thought the ending could have been a bit better (little less cheese, little more depth), and I think Ms. Harrington missed out on a few opportunities to delve a little deeper into Harper's state of mind, but these small complaints aren't enough to overshadow the good things about this book, the things that made me laugh and cry, the overall connection I had with the story and those in it. I read through a Kindle, and I don't use the highlighter feature very often, but this book has a total of 102 notes and marks. I loved its intelligence and its sarcastic and dry wit. Harper's voice was what caught me most often.

"I'm not surprised she doesn't like me. Most people don't. I guess because I don't hide the fact that I can't stand people like Gwen, who take themselves too seriously, or people who don't take themselves seriously enough."

Passages like that one had me wondering if Hannah Harrington perhaps crawled inside my head for a few days. Disconcerting, but ultimately successful in hooking me on this story.

Perhaps it's something in the Michigan water? Or maybe it's just the mind of a photographer....whatever the case, Hannah Harrington has won me over.

...more

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Jun 27, 2011 Brooke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: swoon-worthy-males, roadtrips, lovey-mushy-stuff, realistic-fiction

After letting the swooning and "aww"-ing emotions simmer, I think I am now capable of writing a review.

Okay.

Whenever I pick up a book that centers on a topic as sensitive as suicide, I'm always a bit unsure of what to expect. This book definitely exceeded my expectations, and - sensitive subject aside - was well written, well developed and I loved every page of it.

Page one - we're introduced to Harper, whose older sister June has just taken her own life. Knowing how she feels yet finding it har After letting the swooning and "aww"-ing emotions simmer, I think I am now capable of writing a review.

Okay.

Whenever I pick up a book that centers on a topic as sensitive as suicide, I'm always a bit unsure of what to expect. This book definitely exceeded my expectations, and - sensitive subject aside - was well written, well developed and I loved every page of it.

Page one - we're introduced to Harper, whose older sister June has just taken her own life. Knowing how she feels yet finding it hard to process her emotions, Harper finds herself shattered and unable to express it to anyone. Her parents, though divorced, seemed to dote upon June (being the 'favourite' daughter), and now that she's gone, Harper can't help but feel as though it's up to her to hold what is left of her family together, a responsibility which she isn't comfortable with.

Harper draws the line when her parents decide to split June's ashes (into his and hers urns) and, after discovering a "California" Post Card hidden away by June, Harper (with the help of her best friend and mysterious-dark-and-handsome-man-who-knew-her-sister, Jake), decides to set out on a road trip to California to scatter June's ashes and give her the farewell she would have wanted.

The journey that ensues is full of action, adventure and quirky characters. It took the reader on a journey which, while a teensy bit far fetched (I personally could never place that much trust in an infinite number of strangers), was fun, honest, raw, revealing and emotional. I initially struggled to connect with Harper, but after a while I began to really feel for her, she cried, I cried. She is so strong, yet so very vulnerable and has trouble letting people in - something I can certainly relate to.

The relationship between Harper and her parents, while not lingered on too much, is the sad reality a lot of children face growing up in broken homes. One parent who is happier pretending their former life didn't exist. One can only image how it would feel to have gone through something like that, and it makes it easier for the reader to understand why Harper rebels like she does. Having a sister who was perceptively 'better' at everything would no doubt take its toll. Admittedly I wanted to shake Harper at times, I mean, her poor mother had just lost a daughter, and she was at times (in my opinion) a little bit selfish, but seeing the way her character grew made me that much more satisfied and content once I was done reading.

I loved both Jake and Laney. They were both so much fun, I loved their wit and unique attitudes. I found their personalities to be easily likable and believable at the same time. While there wasn't much development with Laney, who (in my opinion) seemed to have a role in the story which was mostly based on supporting Harper (which I might add I don't have an issue with at all, I would have just liked to see more of her), the development with Jake certainly made up for that. He was so closed and seemingly unemotional at the beginning of the book, and I loved how much more we got to know of him, seeing his sensitive side, by the end. I, without a doubt, loved the way the numerous conversations between Jake and Laney were written, the playful banter, the raw (and sometimes harsh) emotions they threw at each other - it was captivating. And hey, the boy sounds hot - he certainly caught my attention! *swoon*

I have to agree with Nic here when I say that I loved all the talk about music! I learned a lot to be honest, and the playlists at the the end of the book were such a great idea. I'm definitely going to check some of the songs out.

I can't believe this was only Hannah Harrington's debut, I cannot wait to read more from someone who will be, no doubt, one to look out for.
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Jun 12, 2011 Chachic rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, best-of-2011

Originally posted here.

For some reason, Saving June by Hannah Harrington was released early in Australia. I've seen raving reviews from those who have been lucky enough to get copies of the book and that persuaded me to read it as soon as I can. The ebook can be purchased from Angus & Robertson and Borders Australia. If you want a physical copy, you can order it from Fishpond. Also, Harlequin Teen said on Twitter that Saving June will be available on NetGalley in August.

Harper Scott knows she ca ...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Jasprit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2012, ya, out-2011

Saving Jane had been a book on my wish list ever since it hit the shelves in Australia, and the Aussie bloggers just couldn’t get enough. So I was excited to finally get my hands on a copy a year after first hearing about it.

Harper is struggling, her sister June has just passed away, she took her own life leaving no letter or explanation why. On the surface everything seemed fine with June, she’d found her boyfriend and cheated on her, but other than that everything seemed to be going okay. So f Saving Jane had been a book on my wish list ever since it hit the shelves in Australia, and the Aussie bloggers just couldn’t get enough. So I was excited to finally get my hands on a copy a year after first hearing about it.

Harper is struggling, her sister June has just passed away, she took her own life leaving no letter or explanation why. On the surface everything seemed fine with June, she’d found her boyfriend and cheated on her, but other than that everything seemed to be going okay. So finding June’s body in the back of her car was a massive shock. And now everything seems to be falling apart around Harper, after their parents separation, Harper’s mum was just coping, but now with June’s death she’s hit even harder, she seems to be walking around in a daze, and so Aunt Helen decides to take charge. Harper doesn’t mind Aunt Helen, but she thinks she knows best and Harper doesn’t really take to be told what to do. And to top it off, Harper’s parents want to split June’s ashes! Who in their right mind would want to do that? One night when rummaging around June’s things with her best friend Laney, Harper discovers a postcard from California and comes to a monumental decision, she will scatter June’s ashes in California; it was June’s dream place and so exactly what she would have wanted. However they have no way of getting to California and how are they going to leave without their parents discovering June’s ashes are missing? That’s where the mysterious Jake Tolan comes in, he turned up unexpectedly at June’s wake; June used to tutor him and so he offers his services to the girls; he will take them to California. This is the perfect opportunity for Harper, but why does she have a niggling feeling about Jake, has he got some hidden agenda, as to why he wants to help them out?

Harper; I so felt sorry for her, she was all alone without June and had a tough time with everyone always making comparisons between her and her dead sister. I understand that the only way she could move forward in her life was doing something for June, it wouldn’t bring complete closure, but it made her feel as if she had a purpose in her life.
Laney, I adored her, I’ve come across some awesome best friends in YA books lately and Laney has easily made it to the top of my list. She was constantly there for Harper, even though she was adamant that she was fine. I loved how she was such a spontaneous character, that you didn’t really know what to expect from her, also how she jumped freely into things without over-thinking them. She definitely livened things up a bit whenever Harper’s mood was low.

Jake; I remember nearly everyone who read this book fell in love with Jake, what’s not to love? He knows his music, he plays guitar, he can sing and has a gorgeous body. But I didn’t understand his flippant mood changes, he could be sweet and understanding one minute then arsey the next. Yeah it must have been difficult driving for hours with two girls with totally different moods. However since we first met him at June’s wake, I thought there was something shifty about him, I thought he held a torch for June, but his real intentions for driving to California did come as a quite surprise.

There’s nothing more I love than reading a road trip book, and this one was a great one, reading about their adventures from Michigan to California and the comical characters they meet on the way was great fun. Plus also we had the perfect weather over here for once, so I got to sit outside with my laptop devouring this lovely book. One of my favourite aspects of this book was the playlist, I love it when authors make up playlists for books especially ones which exactly match the feel and tone of the book and this one does exactly that!

I did enjoy Saving June, but not as much as I had originally hoped, maybe because my expectations were set too high in the first place. Instead of being a quick read as I thought it would be, it took me over a week to read it, I had numerous distractions that kept me from reading it, but when I also had the time to read, at times I didn’t feel like picking it up.

Overall Saving June was a beautiful read; it was full with vivid settings and beautiful writing and has left me with a yearning to road trip across America one day. I just wish I could have loved it that little bit more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin UK for the opportunity to read this book.

This review and more can also be found on my blog: The Readers Den
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Nov 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

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. First I want to explain why I usually always read paranormal books. I try a little of everything but I have never been a fan of realistic fiction because I honestly never find it realistic. I always think this is so fake and they might as well throw in a vampire to make it fun and then I won't worry that it sounds fake. So when I r 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. First I want to explain why I usually always read paranormal books. I try a little of everything but I have never been a fan of realistic fiction because I honestly never find it realistic. I always think this is so fake and they might as well throw in a vampire to make it fun and then I won't worry that it sounds fake. 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 a 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 went through everything I went through when I loss someone. The difficulties Laney felt trying to say the right thing to Harper was also something I understood when a close friend loss someone. I highly recommend it but have the tissues handy. I cried just writing this review! ...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Jessica by: Flannery

Shelves: 05-crush-worthy-guy, 27-contemporary-ya, 0-faves, 24-ebooks, 26-love-the-writing

"Clapton wrote this song about it, after, and it just – It rips your heart out. It is the best kind of devastating there is. He took his pain and he 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. What I’m trying to say is, it’s just nice, I guess, knowing that someone else can put into words what I feel. That there are people who have been through things worse than I have, and they came out on the othe ...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Reynje rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Whenever I think about this book, ‘Start Me Up’ by the Rolling Stones starts playing in my head – and for me, this is never a bad thing. Actually, I think I may have bumped up my rating slightly as a result of the music liberally referenced through the story. (Nice use of the Doors, Hannah Harrington.) Bonus: Playlists! Yes and thank you.

While the story opens at the wake for Harper Scott’s sister June, this isn’t exactly a book about suicide. It’s about grief and regret, the aftermath of the de Whenever I think about this book, ‘Start Me Up’ by the Rolling Stones starts playing in my head – and for me, this is never a bad thing. Actually, I think I may have bumped up my rating slightly as a result of the music liberally referenced through the story. (Nice use of the Doors, Hannah Harrington.) Bonus: Playlists! Yes and thank you.

While the story opens at the wake for Harper Scott’s sister June, this isn’t exactly a book about suicide. It’s about grief and regret, the aftermath of the decision of a family member to take their own life, and how Harper’s quest to do one last thing for June might just save her own life.

And yes, also about music.

Harper, her best friend Laney and a taciturn guy with a connection to June embark on a road trip from Michigan to California with June’s ashes. And while the road trip delivers its own bizarre encounters and landmarks (hi, Fridgehenge!), it’s really the backdrop for the gradual unfolding and development of the characters as they come to terms with June’s departure from their lives, and with each other.

What set this book apart from other coming-of-age, grief stories for me was the blunt honesty it was presented in. I didn’t feel like the prose was deliberately trying to pull at my heart strings or manipulate my feelings about the characters. They were realistically presented complete with flaws and not-always-sympathetic behaviour, without over-angsting in the process. At the same time, it is completely engaging story that I felt invested in the entire time I was reading it. The interactions between the three main characters really worked and there was tangible chemistry (*cough* Jake *cough*) that grew throughout the pages. While I appreciate that the dialogue between them may not be entirely representative of the 16 to 18 year old population in general, I thought it was true to their characters, and it had me laughing out loud at times (while on public transport no less). Harrington’s writing was fluid and compulsively readable, and she nailed the spectrum of emotion Harper moves through in response to her sister’s suicide.

Alongside the heavy subject matter the story deals with, it’s also high on the swoon scale, and despite some fairly jerk-ish behaviour, Jake is also a multi-dimensional character with personality rather than being a token hot-guy cardboard cutout. Harper’s ambivalence toward him was believable and the mounting tension was crafted for a maximum impact payoff. In addition to the back and forth between Harper and Jake, which will have readers flipping pages eagerly, I also appreciated the way his attitude towards Laney changed. From a particularly “oh no you didn’t” scene, to the gradual and subtle gestures of apology, it tackled issues of judgement and misconception.

I had a minor quibble with a plot point towards the very end of the book – not that it wasn’t within the realm of the possibility – but it seemed a little.. neat? The situation seemed to be resolved conveniently in time for the ending of the book, but I do appreciate that Harrington alluded to the ongoing emotional repercussions of the event.

Ultimately, Saving June was a touching, funny, painful book with a lot of realism and heart. It’s an upper YA read doesn’t flinch from difficult topics, and there are some beautifully written scenes that deal honestly with what it is to grieve and not always have an answer to the ‘why’s?’ presented by suicide.
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Aug 16, 2013 lily ☁️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tolino, heartache, impressions, spilled-tears, best-bfs, best-romance, favorites, beautiful-prose, sensitive-issues, young-adult

Before you read my review, which consists of gushing, and gushing alone (you’ve been warned), let me tell you one thing: I’m not easily impressed by books. I so rarely give a book five stars, even one I love, that you could say I never do, and as of now, my average rating here on Goodreads is 2.63. But Saving June—it blew me away.

I had a whole review written down—about the fantastic build-up, the characters, the relationships— everything. But when I finished, and was ready to post it, I realized Before you read my review, which consists of gushing, and gushing alone (you’ve been warned), let me tell you one thing: I’m not easily impressed by books. I so rarely give a book five stars, even one I love, that you could say I never do, and as of now, my average rating here on Goodreads is 2.63. But Saving June—it blew me away.

I had a whole review written down—about the fantastic build-up, the characters, the relationships— everything. But when I finished, and was ready to post it, I realized that none of my words of praise could ever even come close to representing the brilliance of this book. I don’t have the words in me to illustrate just exactly how unique and utterly impressive the journey of reading Saving June was, much as the main character, Harper Scott. She’s not your usual teenage girl by far; she’s sassy and she’s bold, she doesn’t care about trying to fit in, much the opposite, actually, and she has morals and principles she sticks to. Harper captured my heart from the first page, and so did her best friend, Laney. Unlike so many other superficial high school friendships you encounter in young-adult literature, their friendship was genuine and special, and they had each other’s backs. No backstabbing, no jealousy, no melodrama.

And Jake—you couldn’t not fall in love with him, or with Jake and Harper. Their relationship wasn’t that mushy, corny, and very much overdone romance I’ve gotten so used to finding in young-adult novels. It was real, it was messy, and it was complicated, but it was the kind of complicated that was based on real issues, and Hannah Harrington did such a wonderful job of building up their relationship.

Saving June was stunningly beautiful. It invoked so many different emotions in me; incredible sadness and grief, joy, love, melancholy, hope, and happiness. It’s definitely a book that makes you think about life, and draws you to a deeper appreciation for the things you have, but the message is subtly integrated in between the pages, as opposed to being forced down your throat, which I immensely appreciated. I’m not someone who cries when reading a book, but this book brought tears to my eyes, more than once.

I'm not sure if I’ll ever find a novel that will move me as much, or at least not in the same way, as Saving June did ever again, but I certainly hope so. My future novels certainly have a lot to live up to.

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Sep 24, 2012 Ana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: zz-read-in-2012, zz-netgalley, ya-contemporary

4.5 stars

Wow. That's the only thought that went through my mind when I finished this book. Just plain wow.

Harper Scott is adrift. Her sister killed herself. No other way to say it. And those people who should take care of her are too busy with their own pain and grief, so she retreats. But, in that mess, something occurs to her. Maybe she can fulfill June's dream of going to California by spilling her ashes in the ocean.

But she can't do it alone. It's more than 2000 miles from her small town to ...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I know this is a silly question for a bunch of readers, but it still bowls be over when it happens—Have you ever felt like you were reading the right book at the right time? As if the book found you when you needed it?

This story felt like that to me. I was riding along with Harper, Laney, Jake, and June to California. Windows down. Music blaring. It felt heartbreakingly perfect. Saving June is a very special book that fit right into my heart, head, and soul.

For the past year, books have been my ...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Sophia. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: beautiful-writing, best-friends, depression, death, deja-vu, eye-rolls-and-frowning, no-plot-is-that-normal, too-cliche, smoke-sex-alcohol, teary

Original review 2012:

" He took his pain and turned it into something beautiful "

Harrington's writing is the kind that makes you stop while you're reading - just to re-read a sentence, to say it out loud, so you can consider it and let it sink in. So you can smell the words and their meanings like perfume... Everything was just so poetic.

Author Hannah Harrington is only 23 and honestly, I am beyond impressed. To be that young and yet manage to write such a book? The girl is amazing.

Now, the bo ...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Giselle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, arc

Even though this book is ultimately about loss and dealing with grief, it's a very diverting read filled with life, humor, and romance. Being a road trip story, be prepared for some amusing sightseeing along with plenty of colorful characters.

Saving June begins very powerfully during the aftermath of June's death. Harper finds herself in a bubble of grief, unable to even begin to understand why her sister killed herself. I could feel her heartache, as if it was my own. The emotional turmoil is e Even though this book is ultimately about loss and dealing with grief, it's a very diverting read filled with life, humor, and romance. Being a road trip story, be prepared for some amusing sightseeing along with plenty of colorful characters.

Saving June begins very powerfully during the aftermath of June's death. Harper finds herself in a bubble of grief, unable to even begin to understand why her sister killed herself. I could feel her heartache, as if it was my own. The emotional turmoil is extremely vivid and I was sure we were in for an overwhelmingly sad novel, but once the road trip begins it turns into a pleasant, beautiful story. After the initial explosion, though, the pacing can leave a bit to be desired until about half way. However, this leaves room for excellent character development and an incredibly sweet budding romance.

Extremely character oriented, Saving June brings forth a lot of vibrant personalities. Harper, herself, is frustrated and broken by her sister's death, making her a very gripping, sympathetic protagonist. The two main supporting roles, Jake and Laney, both have distinct personalities that are very different from each other. We see them go from snappy to charismatic. Thus, there was bound to be some banter and disagreements, but they have this wonderful chemistry that makes them seem naturally connected to each other. We then have a band of eccentric characters that we meet along the way that range from charming to outlandish.

So powerful that it's a character in itself, the music reverberates through the pages making it an important entity. It plays an immense part in Harper's healing process. This book is filled with musical references that will capture any music buff. Although I was familiar with a lot of the music mentioned, it's not to such a degree that made the frequent exchanges and debates mean as much as I think it should have. Nevertheless, its strong influence is undeniable.

As in the beginning, the conclusion yields a lot of emotional outbursts; it's an intense, piercing ending. Some parts of it do feel a bit too convenient, but I was satisfied with it overall. Are you a music fanatic? Do you enjoy road trips? Brilliant characterization? Poignant story lines? Saving June will take you and enrapture you all through to the end!

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Jul 16, 2011 K. rated it it was ok

Shelves: ok-i-cheated, 21st-cent, ok-fine-its-ya

And thus, the reason why I sometimes really hate first narrative. I am of the minority: Saving June has failed to awe me into an emotional chokehold, which seems to be the general denouement to the reading experience of many readers out there. This book, to its unfortunate luck, contains many reading pet peeves of mine. Sadly, there were so many things that bugged me about the way it was presented that I couldn't concentrate on the story itself. Although, to be completely and utterly truthful, I And thus, the reason why I sometimes really hate first narrative. I am of the minority: Saving June has failed to awe me into an emotional chokehold, which seems to be the general denouement to the reading experience of many readers out there. This book, to its unfortunate luck, contains many reading pet peeves of mine. Sadly, there were so many things that bugged me about the way it was presented that I couldn't concentrate on the story itself. Although, to be completely and utterly truthful, I don't think it would've made much difference to how I am ultimately rating this now. (I say all this with much respect, much respect).

First off, the first person narrative and why I hate it: you can't get out of the character's head. You're stuck, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, etc. You have no defense against the onslaught of perpetual reflection. Harper said and explained, analyzed and hypothesized every degree of emotion that passed through her angsty, rock-solid but essentially vulnerable-in-a-strong-way, sixteen year old body. Everything. From her parents' divorce, to her antagonizing aunt Helen, to how she was always in June's shadow, to how far she and June have drifted apart, to how she hates June for killing herself but still misses her and loves her, to Laney and their yin-yang but somehow opposites attract kind of friendship, to Jake and all that jazz...I have a problem when a character talks too much. I keep saying this, but I love dialogue. And action. I don't want to just sit there and be told what a character is feeling. I don't need to know (and an author doesn't have to tell) everything a character is going through. It's too much. By "too much", I don't mean too much to read but I mean too much information that it takes away the reader's involvement.

And here is where I am contradicting myself. As obviously pointed out by reviews I've read, people were emotionally invested -- so what am I saying? I just mean, a reader is not merely a "reader". We don't just sit there and read and nod and believe. We participate. There are scenes we read (and visualize in our heads) and its like a searching game...we read and we recognize small gestures that hold so much truth about a person's inside, words that reveal rooted secrets despite their seemingly trivial and insignificant initial impact, and its those details that unveil our clouded minds and deliver to us epiphanies about the characters (I'm thinking Melina Marchetta...Jellicoe Road, specifically). We read between the lines, we cover the gray areas, we fill in the blanks. Its like catching someone doing something from the corner of your eye and you think, ha, gotcha! If we're told everything, all the work is done for us. I want to see their pain, not hear about it.

But enough with that. I've spent enough lines on one narrative complaint. Also, I'm sure none of you understood a single word.

Anyway, I have more to whine about. This is a case where the author is so pervasively in your face that I can't focus on the fiction anymore. Music to politics to first-time sex to feminism to organized religion to how parents are just as screwed up as their teenage kids. Oh, but not these youths...they hold intellectual debates over bonfires. I don't have a problem with that. Its nice to see young characters stand up for their beliefs, but its not the characters, though, is it? Its Hannah Harrington. She has so much to say about everything that she's given up a section of her brain, each targeting a different field, to each one of her characters. In this case, write an essay. Or just a rant and post it on a blog. You don't have to write an entire YA novel and get it published for the masses -- what a hassle.

The music. The incessant barrage of name/song dropping was making me choke on air. The discussion on the spiritual death of punk, to the manufactured, over-processed, "fast food for the ears" products of major pop labels...yappi yappi yap. We get it, its hip to listen to old school and unenlightened to listen to Top 40. Just like how its original to be vintage and generic to shop at Forever 21. (Let me make it clear, I listen and adore much of the music mentioned in said book and I shop both at thrift stores and XXI). This is an obvious social commentary on the state of youth today, except that we've heard it all before and its exhausting.

I found everything Harrington was saying too judgmental, hasty and demeaning. How, for example, Aunt Helen turns to God because she has nothing else in her life. Harsh, much? If that's all she has to cling on to, then so be it. Don't turn them into caricatures. And I felt she did that with many of the characters: Aunt Helen, her parents, Laney...

This is all without even addressing that fact that Harper stole her sister's urn! Come on, child! Think! Her justification for her "road trip" was far too fickle for me to even consider buying. That was not for Harper to decide.

But here's the thing, sometimes Harrington says something blindingly pretentious, then does something to make me believe that she knows she's being pretentious and that, perhaps, this is actually a satire, or some higher work of fiction, not simply a teen book. But then she goes back to being pretentious and then I heave a sigh and roll me eyes...

I'm going to end it here. I don't want this to sound anymore of a "hatey" review than it already does. If anyone is left feeling offended, that was not my intent. I just had to...but maybe that's how Harrington felt, and since this review can be seen as a judgement on her, then I'm a hypocrite. So, really, who the fuck am I to say anything at all? ...more

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May 14, 2012 Katya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, arc-galley, the-ya-project

OMG! Instant music geek orgasm!

Go request this on netgalley. Or read it. Now, now, now!

How awesome is this book? It made me forget exam anxiety. It made me forget my surroundings. It made me sit my arse down and read, from start to finish, and all I can say is, thank goodness I didn't open the file BEFORE I went into exams because I would have surely missed it.

"Saving June" tells the story of Harper, a girl whose sister has just committed suicide. The two girls have been dealing with the fallou ...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Emily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: swoon, characters-i-love

Hannah Harrington's amazing debut is a must-read for YA lovers. I haven't read a teen novel this fresh and wonderful in such a long time. It was a great book to read over my break.

Here's a quote from early in the book, that I think captures the tone of the novel perfectly and shows you Harper's personality.

"Jay, you should play something," Gwen suggests from across the crackling fire. Somehow from the way she says it, and the dark look Jake gives her in response, I can tell a gauntlet has been ...more

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Aug 24, 2013 Ash Wednesday rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, sounds-like-a-movie, review, new-adult, roadtrip, suicide

3 STARS

What do you do?

WHAT DO YOU DO?!?!

Well duh, kidnap her urn and take a roadtrip to California with your best friend and some random "douche-baggy hipster music snob with the taste of a forty-year old white guy" of course. The latter, by the way, also needs to fulfill the minimum requirement of being "sorta hot", owning a van named after a singer who OD-ed in heroin (because he's cool like that), mad skills in the dance floor and a shroud of mystery in his connection to suicidal sis. ...more

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About Hannah Harrington

Hannah Harrington

835 followers

I don't like Pina Coladas, but I do enjoy getting caught in the rain.

Oh, and I'm a YA author! My first novel, SAVING JUNE, was published by Harlequin Teen in 2011, and my second, SPEECHLESS, will be released on August 28th, 2012! ...more

Books by Hannah Harrington

Mean Girls (Mills & Boon e-Book Collections)

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West African Culture Meets Feminist Magic in Debut YA Fantasy

The idea for The Gilded Ones came to author Namina Forna in a dream. The recurring image was one of a young girl in armor walking up a...

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“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.” — 830 likes

“It's just nice, I guess. Knowing that someone else can put into words what I feel. That there are people who have been through things worse than I have, and they come out on the other side okay. Not only that, but they made some kind of twisted, fucked-up sense of the completely senseless. They made it mean something. These songs tell me I'm not alone. If you look at it at that way, music... music can see you through anything.” — 283 likes

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Preview — Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Saving June

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About Hannah Harrington

Books by Hannah Harrington

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Trivia About Saving June

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