It’s the summer of 1955. For Ethan Harper, a biracial kid raised mostly by his white father, race has always been a distant conversation. When he’s sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in small-town Alabama, his Blackness is suddenly front and center, and no one is shy about making it known he’s not welcome there. Except for Juniper Jones. The town’s resident oddball and free spirit, she’s everything the townspeople aren’t―open, kind, and full of acceptance.
Armed with two bikes and an unlimited supply of root beer floats, Ethan and Juniper set out to find their place in a town that’s bent on rejecting them. As Ethan is confronted for the first time by what it means to be Black in America, Juniper tries to help him see the beauty in even the ugliest reality, and that even the darkest days can give rise to an invincible summer.
Thank you Wattpad Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
She was, in equal parts, a gift and a natural disaster. Her name was Juniper Jones.
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ (5)
This book broke my heart.
Ethan and Juniper were such sweet friends. I loved how much they cared about each other. Juniper may not have fully understood what Ethan goes through. But she did know what it's like to be judged for something you are born with.
This book was so heavy. I don't usually read historical fiction, but I'm glad I read this one. Reading it was hard at times and at one point I was even sobbing.
Throughout this book I was all kinds of angry.
I know my privilege as a lighter skinned person, but my heart was still aching for my ancestors and for everyone who is facing racism every day.
After I closed this book I had to sit in silence and let it all sink in.
Books like this one are so necessary and I hope that everyone picks it up. No matter how old you are.
It's a read I'll never forget.
Read this book!
I really hope to read more of Daven McQueen's work in the future.