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Reply To: June’s relationship with her uncle Finn

Janine t — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:43:20 +0000

I agree. It was so unrealistic to me that it contributed to a rare DNF.

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Janine t — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:41:11 +0000

It was a rare DNF for me, actually. I couldn’t get past the inappropriateness of the adult’s actions/ manipulations to befriend June- having her lie and sneak out to meet him secretly worried me so!

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Patty Carroll — Sat, 27 Jan 2024 02:35:23 +0000

Loved it. I read for the decades challenge last year and it was one of my favorites of the year. It was powerful and moving as it addressed love and grief and love, all kinds of love. Having lost a couple of friends to AIDS, in a time when when there wasn’t a lot of information, I thought this book was truly amazing.

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Christine — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:15:04 +0000

I did like the book. It was a 4 out of 5 star read for me. I generally enjoy books about complex family dynamics. The AIDS epidemic isn’t something I’ve read about in fiction much, so it was a unique subject matter. It was also nostalgic (I was similar age to June in the late 80s, and grew up in a NYC suburb) and emotional (I cried a couple of times). I thought the book was well-written. At times, June was a frustrating character to me, and I think I wanted a tiny but more resolution from the ending, which is why it’s not a 5 star book for me. But it’s definitely a book I enjoyed reading.

Reply To: June’s relationship with her uncle Finn

Christine — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 22:04:22 +0000

I just finished reading the book. Overall, I liked it, and it brought me to tears at times. However, I had mixed feelings about June’s romantic feelings for her uncle. When it was expressly stated in the book, either because June was admitting it to herself or confronted by Greta or Toby, I just found it cringy. I think the whole novel could’ve worked just as well had she just been a niece who loved her uncle and had a special relationship with him (as they were both romantic souls who loved art and music). I don’t know that the romantic feelings were needed. It felt somewhat unrealistic to me because June was 14, in high school, and understood that her uncle was gay. A romantic crush on her uncle might’ve made more sense if June was a younger child.

I don’t think it’s common for teenagers to harbor romantic feelings for an older, close relative. I think that would be highly unusual. It might be less unusual for a younger child to have child-like feelings such as “I’m going to marry daddy” or “Uncle Finn is my boyfriend.” But seemed unbelievable and kind of odd coming from a 14 year old.

June was an interesting character. In some ways, she seemed mature and self assured, but in other ways, very dense and emotionally childish.

June’s relationship with her uncle Finn

Janine t — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:18:53 +0000

What did you think about June’s relationship with her uncle Finn? Is it unusual or common to have romantic feelings for an older, close relative?

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Ginny Randall — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 20:25:08 +0000

I did like it. I picked a book and author that I had never heard of before and it was very good. I really identified with June, the narrator. I am a long ways from 14 but I remember the turmoil of that age.

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Amanda — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 05:25:04 +0000

I picked this book without reading the synopsis so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My uncle actually died of AIDS in 1989 so it started off hitting pretty close to home. The emotions behind that and the family drama were all well written and it made the book hard to put down. I really enjoyed it.

Reply To: Did you like this book?

Lisa — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:26:45 +0000

I did enjoy this book. I chose it in part because I lived in Manhattan in the late 80’s through the 90’s and I was feeling a bit nostalgic for the time and place. I’ve traveled by bus to/from the Cloisters and had such strong visuals in my head of the characters, the apartment, etc. I would recommend.

Did you like this book?

Barbara — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 20:03:01 +0000

I really enjoyed this book. It has been on my TBR list for a number of years so I was glad to be able to select it. The emotion invoked in me was similar to that invoked when I read a Diane Chamberlain novel. Satisfying and complete.