Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

“It's just nice, I guess. Knowing that someone else can put into words what I feel. That there are people who have been through things worse than I have, and they come out on the other side okay. Not only that, but they made some kind of twisted, fucked-up sense of the completely senseless. They made it mean something. These songs tell me I'm not alone. If you look at it at that way, music... music can see you through anything.” 
― Hannah Harrington, Saving June

Oh. My. Goodness. This book was exactly as I expected, friggin' beautiful. Everything from the family drama, friendships, love, and one epic road trip.

Saving June follows Harper Scott and her search for closure after her older sisters suicide. Without a note or any explanation, and the memory of Harper finding her sister dead in her car she needs to figure out what happened. Her sister was the perfect sister, highschool senior, going off to college, and then it all just ended. Being the lesser sister in comparison, Harper feels put off, especially with her mom is major distress, her dad leaving for his new girlfriend, and her crazy religious aunt who wants to convert Harper and her lost soul over to jesus. With all this going on Harper and her Best friend decide to investigate. The few remnents found were not very helpful, until they found the mix CD that was in the radio when she died. Tracking it down to the record store Harper comes face to face with Jake Tolan, the random guy who was at her sisters wake the day before. After dropping the ball that she knows he had a connection with her sister he tracks her down.

The Plan: Drive to California to scatter June's ashes
The Problem: Broken down car
The Solution: Jake

After hearing of their plan, Jake threatens to tell her family of the plan unless he can take them.
With no other source of transportation, and not wanting her family to know, Harper agrees, and her, Jake and Harpers best friend set out on their trip to California.

On this extended journey they meet new people and do crazy adventurous things they never would have otherwise. With emotions running high, Harper keeps it all bottled up, and it all breaks because of a song, a simple song that she relates to in that moment. And Jake is there by her side, they grow closer and closer throughout the trip, though she doesn't know the extent of his connection with June she ends up in his arms and falls hard for this secretive, music loving boy.

It all falls apart when they finally complete what they set out to do and scatter June's ashes in the ocean. Never having the answer had haunted Harper, only to find out that somehow Jake had had the answer from her sister in a letter addressed to Harper.
Harper and her friend leave on a plane to go back home and face whatever consecquences while Harper ends everything with Jake.

A month later, life has somewhat gotten back on track, her mom is back to work, and life is slowly moving forward. Harper has refused to read the letter or rehash anything from the trip. But with a little push from her best friend and a surprise mix CD at her door, Harper relives all the happy moments through the songs they shared on the trip, the polaroids that now cover her wall, and the song Jake said he'd never write.

Needless to say this story has it's happily ever after.
Road trip books have becomes some of my favourites and this one was absolutely stunning.