Review : Saving June

Saving June
by Hannah Harrington
Published: Harlequin,  November 22, 2011

My Rating: 5 stars

I'd lie if I said the title is what first caught my attention, since my middle name is June, after my grandmother.  After reading the summary I wasn't sure if I would still like it, since June tragically takes her own life.  Unfortunately, suicide occurs far too often, leaving those left behind to pick of the pieces and wondering what they could have done.  This is a strikingly real story of how a sister, Harper, deals with her older sister's suicide and tries to carry out what she thinks would be her last wish.
Harper is a complete opposite from June and is used to not being the "perfect" daughter.  Haper's best friend Laney and a guy, Jake, who was a friend of June's set out on a road trip to help Harper heal and give June what she had dreamed of.  To me this isn't just a story of dealing with death, but finding strength in yourself to deal and do things you didn't know you could.  The raw range of emotion is real and gripping.  As I read, I could really feel the struggles Harper went through internally and how it affected her different relationships.  I liked how each character had their own flaws that made them more realistic.  The crazy detours of their road trip and the emotional tension between the different characters made this a page turner and it quickly bolted to the top of my list of favorite books in 2011.
Rather you have known anyone who has been in a similar situation or not, this is a must read if you enjoy contemporary books.  Oh, and you can't forget the AWESOME music references throughout the book and the rocking play lists at the end.  I love music and how songs can take you back in time to different memories and that played a HUGE part of this book.  I would highly recommend you add  Saving June to your To Be Read list and READ it!