Saving June

Title: Saving June
Author: Hannah Harrington 
Rating: 3.7/5
Summary: ‘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.

My Thoughts: HARPER. I LOVE YOU GIRL. If I met Harper, I would probably squeeze her into a hug. And then she'd punch me in the face, because she's not down with unnecessary touching. Ironic that she likes the song "Touch Me" so damn much. And I totally wouldn't blame her for being a whiny and weepy and all woe is me. But that's the thing. She's not. She's sarcastic and funny in her own special way, and yeah she's kind of angry and keeps things bottled up, but whatevs. She made me full belly laugh. She made me cry so much I had to stop reading. It could have been easy for Harper to fall into the slot of the grieving sister who needs saving from everyone, who needs to fill the boots of the sister that was always SO good. And yet she doesn't and that's a credit to Harrington, because Harper is real in a way that works. If you like your contemporary books to have a whole lot of heart Saving June is the book for you!