This book had an interesting premise but was lacking in several areas.
But first, let's start with the good, which was the mystery/suspense in itself. It was very intriguing and I couldn't help but want to catch the bad guy alongside the characters.
My #1 complaint is the number of characters. They were all introduced at a very rapid rate and I had a difficult time remembering who was who. They were all very similar and did not have distinguishable personalities. I did not connect with any of them, feeling more like an outsider looking in.
I also have to note that I was reading an eARC that had some formatting issues that hindered my understanding of the book due to pages, logos, drawings, and sentences being all over. If you are reading a finished copy of the book, you will not have any issues so ignore this paragraph. I thought this necessary to add to my review to help explain why I gave this book the rating I did.
All that said, I will be bypassing books by Stevens in the future.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Content: 4 Stars
*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

Cant remember anything ( )

I read this twisty YA mystery from 2020 on the heels of reading the author’s most recent publication. Read my full review here. ( )

This was an amazing read. I am so grateful to Goodreads, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. It took me awhile, due to illness, but once I started I read it through in a day. The review is going to be short. This is because I’m terrified I’ll give something away and I absolutely don’t want to ruin this for anyone reading this. I went through so many emotions reading this. I hope you do, too. I wrote down quotes I want to remember, ones I want to think about, ones I want to explore how and why they appeal so much to me. My favorite one is, “Crying heals soul wounds that medicine can’t touch.”
The book touched me. Thea, Nick, Gladys, Tank and Aulus will remain with me. So will the Welder and thinking about the why.
If you are reading, you have an interest in the book. Get it. Read it. Now. ( )

I have to admit I was surprised by The June Boys. This novel is multi-layered and complexly-written, something I just wasn’t expecting from a YA mystery/thriller/suspense. Perhaps my view of the genre is too narrow. After reading Stevens novel it isn’t anymore. The June Boys is a highly recommended read.

The story is told through the first person voice of Thea, a high school senior whose life was upended when her cousin was abducted by the Gemini Thief. For 10 years boys of varying ages have been abducted and held for a year and then released unharmed. Thea is on a mission to find Aulus and enlists three friends in the investigation. The second point of view is shared through letters that Aulus is writing from his captivity. Both give the reader a good sense of what is going on, but not the whole picture. The pace of the book is urgent and the reader is kept on tenterhooks hoping that the book will not end in tragedy. I found the writing intense, some of the scenes cringe-inducing, and the whole story kept me listening well past the time I needed to move on to other things in my day. The book does have a YA vibe with its language and characters. I would say this one is for older youths, high school at least, because of its subject matter. There is a wrap-up at the end that helps bring the story closure, but created more to ponder. I think The June Boys would make an excellent choice for families to read or listen to together or for a youth book club. The spiritual questions that arise deserve good conversation. Specific to the audiobook: the multiple narrators make each voice clear.

All in all, I found The June Boys to be a riveting read. If you like thrillers, YA lit, or are looking for a book that will engage your older teenagers, I highly recommend it.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: older teenagers to adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )