Daven McQueen

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked this up. It turned out to be more than I had hoped.
This book deals with the topic of racism in the 50s but it is also full of hope. When Juniper arrived, the story just took a life of its own.
At times, Ethan annoyed me due to his attitude. Yes, he was dealing with stuff that no person should have to suffer through but he seemed to think that he was the only one in the world with problems and took it out on Juniper.
Juniper is such a fun character. She does not let others influence her and goes after what she wants. She is so uplifting and just reading about her made me happy. I felt like I was living in 1955 with her and riding on the bike pegs, going over every bump in the road.
I'd recommend this to anyone who liked A Walk to Remember. Daven McQueen is definitely an author that I plan to keep my eye on.

Rating: 5/5
Language: s*** used a handful of times, the n-word is used, d*** in various forms
Romance: n/a
Spiritual: n/a
Violence: a bit due to racism

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher for review purposes. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. Quotes are taken from an ARC and subject to change before publication.

Favorite Quotes:

The town was out there, somewhere, and in it, Noah and his friends, and the whispering townspeople -- and somewhere else, far away, Arcadia, Washington, his family, and home. But here was Juniper Jones, in her muddy skirt, wearing paint on her cheeks like a badge of honor and spinning through the grass with her arms wide enough to embrace the moon. Ethan thought that if the world were to disappear at that very moment, and this was the last sight he ever saw, he wouldn't mind at all.
She had forest-fire hair and hurricane eyes, and when he met her, it was as if his world had been set aflame. She hit him in the best way, like a rainstorm after five years of drought, healing the parached earth with a gentle touch; and in the worst way, like an unexpected earthquake, leaving dust and debris in her wake. She was, in equal parts, a gift and a natural disaster. Her name was Juniper Jones.
It was not long before not only the trees, but also grass, the dirt, and Juniper's face were splattered in flecks of every color of the rainbow. But she ddin't seem the slightest bit aware of the mess she was making; every part of her was solely focused on the canvas in front of her. She didn't seem to breathe. Ethan couldn't look away.… (meer)

This was an unforgettable book. The friendship between Juniper and Ethan was so sweet. It depicts the deep roots of racism in a small town in Alabama for Ethan the summer of 1955. What breaks my heart is that this was less than 75 years ago, and there are still people who think like Alex, Nate, and their families. I think this should be a book read in high schools in America so we can teach future generations what America was like not that long ago and prevent it from happening going forward anywhere. Thank you Daven for a beautiful story and allowing us to be a part of Juniper and Ethans invincible summer.… (meer)

Couldn’t put this book down. It’s a story about a biracial kid named Ethan who is sent to Ellison, AL in the summer of 1955. There he meets Juniper, who is an eccentric white girl who has big ambitions and an even bigger sense of adventure. The two of them have the summer of a lifetime, all while dealing with the racism of the town. This story shook me to my core and reminded me that this was less than 65 years ago and to this day, we’re still dealing with racism the book covers. I legit cried at the end of the book and absolutely loved it. This book was a joy to read and thoroughly enjoyed Juniper and Ethan’s adventures. Highly, highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)