Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (1)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (1)
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa (2)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (1)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (1)
- England (3)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Finding June: Another Example of Why "Self-Centered Heroine" Is An Oxymoron
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)

June's co-stars aren't sure what to make of the 16-year-old Mormon girl who won't drink coffee and balks at the skimpy costumes she's supposed to wear. She's not sure either. June wants this gig so badly she doesn't dare mess it up by asking the producer for something more modest to wear. Does she? It doesn't help matters that the Lukas Leighton seems to be falling for her. Are a part on a t.v. show and the attention of a gorgeous actor really worth compromising June's standards? As the pressure mounts, she'll have to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to get what—and who—she wants.

That being said, Finding June pretty much annoyed me from the first sentence to the last. Why, you ask? Well, it starts with the fact that this story has no central conflict. It sounds like it does with the whole compromising standards thing, but that's actually sort of a subplot. And not a very interesting one at that (although it definitely could have been). In truth, the story really doesn't have much conflict at all. It's pretty obvious how the book's going to turn out, since this premise/plotline's been done a bajillion times and Crane doesn't bother to throw in any surprises to make June's tale unique. Plus, June never really struggles with anything. At all. She's self-centered, insensitive, clueless and yet everyone loves her and gives her exactly what she wants? I don't buy it. For me to really get behind a heroine (or hero), I have to see her fight to attain her goals, I have to see her fail so she can pick herself up and continue to claw her way through her troubles, I have to see her care for someone (or something) beyond herself, I have to find something in her to admire. That didn't happen with June. She's too flat, too self-absorbed, too unrealistic.
I have more beefs with Finding June, but I think I'll stop there. Suffice it to say, I didn't care much for this one. Crane's got the right idea, IMHO, she just needs to work on creating deeper, more empathetic characters; plotlines that twist in surprising directions; and richer, more vivid prose. Piece of cake, right?
(Readalikes: Reminds me a lot of V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram and a teensy tiny bit of My Double Life by Janette Rallison)
Grade: D
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild language (no F-bombs) and mild sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-copy of Finding June as part of my participation as a judge for the Whitney Awards. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Listening
If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
-
-
-
-
-
TBR Pile Reading Challenge 20256 hours ago
-
-
All About Our Costa Rica Vacation9 hours ago
-
-
-
First Lines Fridays: February 21, 202513 hours ago
-
End of August by Paige Dinneny13 hours ago
-
-
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan18 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
A Review of Priye1 day ago
-
It’s Only Drowning1 day ago
-
The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco2 days ago
-
-
-
17. Becoming Real3 days ago
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post #5612 weeks ago
-
January 2025 Reading Wrap Up2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October3 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I6 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus6 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ▼ 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
