Don't Hang out with Him, but Do Because It's Funny: Characterization in "A Million Junes"

            The book I’m currently reading is A Million Junes by Emily Henry, and I picked it up to see what sort of twist this seemingly modern Romeo and Juliet had in store (plus the cover is really attractive). For starts, this book isn’t very Romeo and Juliet-y, but it’s good in another way. The main character, Jack “June” O’Donnell IV, mostly called June is an eighteen-year-old girl who live in a magical house, and being a part of the O’Donnell family means she has to stay away from members of the Argent family at all costs. On day, the son of her nemesis, Saul Argent, returns to town after dropping out of college and the two end up hanging out together.

I’m not quite sure how the book ends as I’m only read through chapter 14, but so far June has been trying hard to persuade herself to obey her father’s rules and stay away from the Argents, especially since she’s falling in love with Saul. She’s also in denial at the same time about actually being in love with Saul. It’s actually kinda funny reading about her debates on weather or weather she’s developing feelings for Saul in her head (since the story is told in first person) and in her dialogue, and way more interesting than listening to Cassius sweet talk Brutus into killing Caesar. One of my favorite instances of this happening is on page 89, when June is forced to leave the movie theater after and non-double date with her best friend Hannah, Saul and his cousin Nate. She argues with Saul for a bit after having an embarrassing moment trying to convince the others for her to not go home with Saul driving her and apologies him causing Saul to respond with, “‘Sorry?’ For having a crush on you. For trying to make you take Hannah home. For starting a fight in a space-themed movie theater. ‘For biting your collarbone.’” This cracked me up and has been one of June’s best moments in the book so far. It’s a perfect example of her sarcasm and her tendency to dodge questions, which is something lots of people do (like myself). Quirks like this are the thing I love most about characters and help me to stay attached to them for long. I would have actually abandoned this book because I’m not that big on romance centered novels but Junes personality is keeping me attached to this book which is a good thing _{cause I’d hate to have another D. Gray-Man, where the characters are so flat that I no longer care how that nightmare ends}.

Then there’s Saul, whose best moments so far have been when he’s not Saul and is instead posing as Mike, June’s creative writing tutor, for he has a tendency to speak in third person when not around June’s parents. Henry’s writing is so good in these situations; I can practically hear the sarcasm in Saul-I mean Mike’s voice but at the same time the hidden truth about the little bits of Saul’s life seen in Mike’s preferences. At page 131 for example when June runs into Mike-I mean Saul, in the pizza place with her younger brothers who she’s watching at the moment. The two ask who he is due to having seen him at their house before and then question what he’s doing and why he has tattoos (something they didn’t know before) to which June tries to save him from accidentally exposing his true identity asking if he’s trying too hard. This causes Saul to reply with, “‘Mike, trying to hard?...Mikes don’t try at all Jack. Mikes pretty much just get individual pan-crust pizzas and go home to play video games in their father’s basements.’” I nearly burst out laughing when I read this as Saul’s words seemed too goofy to take seriously. I simply love the way his character is developing, with all his joking around yet sensible moments, he’s the other reason I’m gonna finish this book by next week.

The one thing I’m not too big on is the fact that June likes Saul and Saul has hinted at liking June back. Personally I don’t think they should be in a relationship, but that’s when they’re characters are at their best and this is a romance novel. I’ll just have to hope things turn out well and this doesn’t get too lovey dovey before the book ends. Or, ya know, I could stop picking romantically driven novels (but where’s the fun in that?)