shannonmiz's Review of The June Boys

by Court Stevens

From award-winning and highly acclaimed author Court Stevens comes a gripping, emotional story of small towns, rumors, and thirteen missing boys.

The Gemini Thief could be anyone.

For nearly a decade the Gemini Thief, a serial kidnapper who abducts three boys on June 1st, has terrorized Tennessee. The June Boys being held captive endure thirteen months of being stolen, hidden, observed, and fed before they are released, unharmed, by their masked captor. The Thief is a pro, managing to elude authorities while abducting over twelve boys over the past ten years. No one knows why—but they do know they don’t want to be next.

Now Thea Delacroix has reason to believe the Gemini Thief has taken a thirteenth victim: her cousin, Aulus.

But the twisted game begins to change: one of the kidnapped boys turns up dead. With the help of her best friends and her boyfriend Nick, Thea is determined to find the Gemini Thief and the remaining boys before it’s too late. Only she’s beginning to wonder something sinister, something repulsive, something unbelievable, and yet, not impossible:

What if someone she knows is the Gemini Thief?

Praise for The June Boys:

“Stunning twists and turns. Hang on tight.” —Ruta Sepetys, international bestselling author

“Not only a terrifying story of the missing, but a heartbreaking, hopeful journey through the darkness.” —Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest

“A gripping suspense that hooked me from the first sentence.” —Colleen Coble, USA TODAY bestselling author of One Little Lie and the Lavender Tides series

Full-length, stand-alone Young Adult suspense novel
Includes discussion questions for book clubs

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

4.5*

True story, I have never read a Courtney Stevens book I didn't love. That's it, that's the review.

I jest. Seriously though, this was another hit in a long line of fabulous books. The June Boys is a gripping mystery, but it's also a lot more. It's such a love letter to friendship and family bonds, and asks the really hard questions. Like what would you do if you thought your family member might be capable of kidnapping boys every few Junes?

This, along with her own cousin/close friend Aulus being potentially one of the kidnapped, has Thea in a real bad spot. Not only is she absolutely freaking out over her missing cousin, but her own father has been listed as a suspect. And there's the rub: He has been lying to Thea all over the place, so she has no idea who she can trust at this point.

So this book was, like I said, far more than just a whodunit. Thea has such a deep and complex story to tell, and we get to see her story develop with her best friends and boyfriend, too. They support her so much through this, and are great characters in their own right.

There were a few points in the middle that seemed maybe a little long? But for the most part, it moved along nicely, and I was constantly trying to guess who the baddie was. For a few minutes, I was sure I had the culprit. (Spoiler: I was wrong. So wrong.) But I was engaged throughout, and couldn't wait to read the outcome.

We even get little glimpses into Aulus's traumatic time in captivity, as he writes letters to Elizabeth Smart. Now, if you are reading an eARC like I was, these will look like mushy rubbish that you cannot decipher. Good news, when I got a physical ARC, they are readable, and I definitely think they add something to the story- especially if you know Elizabeth's story, as Aulus does, and commiserates with. (I assume that obviously finished copies will be fine, I don't know about finished ebooks though?)

Bottom Line: The June Boys is thought provoking, full of love and mystery and intrigue, full of what we lose and what we have yet to find.

The June Boys

by Court Stevens

Reviewed by shannonmiz on Feb 11, 2020

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