Review : Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Summary (from Goodreads)

'If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

Personal Thoughts

Words cannot describe how much I loved Saving June. I swear this was like one of the most amazing books I've read since a very very long time. No book has touched me so emotionally as has Saving June. As soon as I finished this book, I felt like hugging it. I fell in love with this book and it's characters.

Saving June's main character is Harper Scott. Harper has just lost her sister,June, to a suicide and she is devastated. She can't cry though and all the pain is building inside of her. When her parents decide that they will share the June's ashes among themselves, Harper realizes that it's wrong and decides to take matters into own hands. She knows that the right thing to do is to spread the ashes in the ocean in California since June had always wanted to go there someday.
So, Harper along with her best friend Laney and the mysterious Jake decide to take a road trip to California for the sake of June.

I connected with Harper so easily. She pretended to be fine, but inside her sister's death was killing her. Her pain and sorrow was so realistic. She was believable. She was brave. She was strong. She was confident. Yet, she was slightly broken.
All throughout her life, Harper has been a disappointment to her family. She wasn't the bright, straight-A, well mannered and respectful girl her sister was. She has always felt that she was second best to her sister.
I admired her. I truly did. I loved how supportive of her best friend she was. She matures tremendously at the end of the book.

Overall, I loved Harper and her voice. 

Jake Tolan. I could go on and on about his character, but I'll try to be as precise as possible. He was an amazing character. He was music fanatic and I loved his intense passion for music. He was caring. He was sweet. He helped Harper cry. He didn't pretend like everything was okay. He was as broken as Harper. I loved him. I honestly did. Read this book. You'll understand what I'm trying to say about him. I want Jake for myself. 

Laney is the best friend that I wished I had but I never had. She was strong and supportive. She was a huge contrast to Harper. While Harper tended to be the quiet of the two, she was the happy, friendly and bubbly one. I really liked her character. I liked no matter what problem she was facing, she put Harper first because she knew that what Harper was going through was a lot worse than what she was suffering from.

The romance in this book was so sweet. It buds off slowly and blossoms into something beautiful, something very much real. Harper and Jake were perfect for each other. They were made for each other. They each complemented each other really well. They start out by annoying each other excessively, but as a reader you get to see their relationship grow and I loved every minute of it.

The plot of the book is about the road trip. This book is about loss, friendship, love, music and secrets. I especially loved the music aspect of the book. The book was abundant with music references and it was all very great !

The writing in this book was beautiful. It was in fact mesmerizing. Hannah Harrington has created a deep and beautiful story that I will remember for a very long time. She is extremely talented and I applaud her for creating this marvelous piece of art. Yes, it's a piece of art to me.
I know that I will definitely look forward to reading more amazing stories from this new author.

Overall, Saving June was poignant novel. It was, simply-put, a master piece. Saving June is now officially a favorite of mine and honestly it deserves a lot more than 5 stars.

Rating

Cover : 5/5

Plot : 5/5

Characters : 5/5

Writing : 5/5