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Sixteen-year-old Junie has lived her entire life enslaved on Bellereine Plantation in Alabama, tending to her family and the white master’s daughter, Violet, while escaping into poetry and secret nighttime wanderings in the forest, grieving her sister Minnie’s sudden death. When wealthy guests arrive from New Orleans, threatening to upend her life, Junie makes a desperate choice that awakens Minnie’s spirit, forcing her to seek freedom for both her sister and herself. With the help of Caleb, the guests’ coachman, Junie discovers love, unearths the plantation’s dark secrets, and must confront the difficult truth that choosing liberation may come at a steep cost.
I recently finished Junie by Erin Eckstine, and I have to say it left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, I really enjoyed the world Eckstine created and the way the story explored two characters, Junie and Violet, who felt like opposite sides of the same coin. Both were bound to a place that did not fully accept them, and watching their struggles and small rebellions was genuinely compelling.
That said, there were parts I did not love. The ghost element of Junie’s sister, Minnie, felt a bit off to me. I understand what it was trying to do, but it pulled me out of an otherwise grounded story. The ending left me hanging in a way that felt unfinished. I wanted more closure, more resolution for these characters I had invested in.
I love historical fiction, and Eckstine’s writing has moments that shine, but for me, Junie landed as just okay. It is worth reading for the character dynamics and the setting, but be prepared for a story that might leave you thinking as much about what could have been as what actually happened.
The Book Review Template is perfect for taking quick notes on how you feel about the characters, theme, plot, or whatever seems important to you. Additionally, there are helpful phrases and descriptors to help write your review.
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