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What Members Thought
This was such a beautiful story about friendship, jealousy, grief, loss, and the type of love that can smother your own heart.
June is a girl I can easily identify with because of her love for all things Medieval and her longing for a different time. She doesn't have it all figured out and she makes a lot of mistakes along the way, sometimes hurting people in ways that aren't easily forgiven.
It was tragic and left me feeling bruised and raw, but in that aching, beautiful way that lets me know ...more
June is a girl I can easily identify with because of her love for all things Medieval and her longing for a different time. She doesn't have it all figured out and she makes a lot of mistakes along the way, sometimes hurting people in ways that aren't easily forgiven.
It was tragic and left me feeling bruised and raw, but in that aching, beautiful way that lets me know ...more
What a bittersweet story. I thought this book was extremely well written and can't believe this is a debut novel. This lady can write. I will look forward to any future books by this author.
I had to laugh when I saw how many times this book was tagged "historical fiction" though. Really? It's set in 1987. ...more
I had to laugh when I saw how many times this book was tagged "historical fiction" though. Really? It's set in 1987. ...more
Sometimes it's difficult to write about a book you became so immersed in that you felt like you know the characters. Such was my experience with this novel. I chose to read it because I like the title (odd, eh?) and because it was a GR read along. However, I finished it before the discussion began. So what's it about?
Fourteen-year-old June Elbus adores her uncle, Finn Weiss, who is also her godfather as well as a famous artist. He is the only one who really understands her. When he dies she miss ...more
Fourteen-year-old June Elbus adores her uncle, Finn Weiss, who is also her godfather as well as a famous artist. He is the only one who really understands her. When he dies she miss ...more
Such a great story. June, a shy, isolated, young teen, has a endearing, close-relationship with her godfather/uncle, who unfortunately dies prematurely. With this loss, June's world is off-kilter and questions her mother (his sister) who is unable to talk about his death. June's life is trapped in chaos as she tries to understand what happened. Finn’s death brings a surprise into her life. Someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and ev
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Infinite number of stars. This book is one of those rare discoveries you search for every time you pick up a book. It's a book you feel in your soul. A book you want to savor and never want to end. One you hold in your hands, almost meditatively staring at the cover, trying to absorb all of its depth of emotion and wisdom. It's a book you physically embrace, close to your heart, like a long lost friend or something you've been searching for all of your life and unexpectedly found; and now, you n
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An excellent book. A study in family relationships - parents, children, siblings, uncle, friends - pretty much covers the gamut. Set in the1980's with aids as a major plot element, the novel is a good snapshot of the attitudes and culture regarding this new and devastating illness. Very well paced at the beginning and end but a bit sloggy in the middle. That is why it didn't get 5*s.
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Great book. Don't go for the audio version; it's best experienced as written words. I switched a third of the way through and it went from "meh" to "wow." Complex characters, unconventional relationships and full emotional engagement with the story.
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Loved this. It's set in 1987 (an excellent year for getting born, if I do say so myself). The protagonist is a teenager whose uncle is dying of AIDS. She has to come to terms with that and other facts about her quirky, artistic uncle, whom she thought she knew better than she really did.
It's a great story about families and growing up, and it deals with really important subject matter. It's a little bit of a tear jerker, but doesn't try to be. It's warm-hearted and lets you see the characters e ...more
It's a great story about families and growing up, and it deals with really important subject matter. It's a little bit of a tear jerker, but doesn't try to be. It's warm-hearted and lets you see the characters e ...more
Sep 01, 2013
Jennifer
marked it as to-read-get
May 23, 2014
Connie N.
marked it as to-read
Oct 26, 2014
Delitealex
marked it as to-read
Feb 10, 2015
Mary Bronson
marked it as to-read
Jul 19, 2015
Jim Townsend
marked it as to-read
