Hannah Harrington - Saving June

Title : Saving June
Release date : November 22nd, 2011 (first publication May 1st, 2011)
Publisher : Harlequin Teen
Genre : Young Adult

Harper Scott’s older sister June takes her own life a week before high school graduation. Harper is devastated when she hears about the decision her divorced parents made about June’s ashes. They want to split it up, so when Harper discover June’s dream of California she decides to steal the ashes and drive to California with her best friend Laney to scatter her sister’s ashes across the ocean.

Bad boy and classic rock music lover Jake Tolan knew June a little and he insists on joining the two friends and accompanies them on their journey.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington is a fabulous debut novel. It’s well written, the storyline and emotions are so real, it really blown me away.

Harper is a strong young woman, who just lost her older sister June but cannot figure out why her sister took her own life. June was everything Harper is not; beautiful, lots of friends, a good student and a great daughter. So everyone is devastated and in shock about her suicide.

Laney is Harper’s best friend and her only support during these hard times. She is there for Harper no matter what mood she is in or what she says. I believe that is what friendship is all about.

Then we have Jake, the bad boy with attitude. He is totally obsessed with music and even plays the guitar. June was his tutor and helped him so he could graduate. Harper is determined to find out if Jake knows more about the reason why June took her own life.

I love the slowly growing romance between Jake and Harper, it’s really in the first stage and it’s great to see Harper’s struggle to discover first love. Another great element in the book is the love for music and not the rap/dance music, but the music from the 60’s and 70’s…love it.

I have to compliment Hannah Harrington with this fabulous debut novel, the way she captured the struggle, pain and other emotions the main characters went through; it felt so real. This is definitely one of those books you have to read, especially when you love young adult novels.