Chris Fabry’s June Bug tackles the unique challenges of writing a child protagonist head-on and masters them. The story takes its name from its nine-year old heroine, who lives the life of a vagabond, traveling in an RV under the loving care of the man she assumes is her father. As a viewpoint character, June Bug is both realistic and compelling, all without be an orphan (well, sort of). Even from before the moment when she sees her own face in a poster for missing children, she forms the core of the engine that drives the novel’s plot, changing the lives of the characters around her. Along with To Kill a Mockingbird, June Bug falls into the category of one of my favorite type of novels— those with a convincing child protagonist, yet targeted at an older audience. The story delves into some dark areas, mainly while in the viewpoint of the sheriff investigating the disappearance of the girl in the poster. However, the love between June Bug and her father-figure, John Johnson (there’s an important reason he’s named that) shines a light throughout— even when the mysterious circumstances that led to Johnson becoming June Bug’s guardian put a strain on their relationship. Here, as in the other one of his books I’ve read, The Promise of Jesse Woods, Fabry excels at portraying Christian characters in an honest, nuanced way that flows naturally from the story. No preachiness, no overly sanitized body of Christ that are the only people to give the protagonist good advice, not even any conversion scenes— just realistic Christian characters, living with the spirit of God inside of them, yes, but going through the same struggles anyone else might. June Bug and her father-figure form the best part of this book. I found other plot lines, like the one about the sheriff and the grandmother of the missing girl, less compelling— not bad, just falling short of the ‘I will follow this character anywhere’ level. A couple of quotes that made me laugh, to show you June Bug’s awesomeness: “Dad drank his coffee black, which I could never understand because I tried it once and it tasted like drinking week-old rainwater out of a shoe.” “The man sighed like I’d just told him the world was coming to an end on Thursday and he was going fishing on Friday.” Content Although June Bug contains no graphic sexual content, it does touch on some sexual perversity. The sheriff interrogates a suspect who is implied to possess child pornography, and later listens to an account of a woman who used her sexuality to bribe a man into committing a crime. No objectionable language. Some moments of intense peril and descriptions of a veteran’s PTSD, but nothing really to worry about. More concerning are graphic descriptions of cute puppies. Be wary of giving June Bug to your wife, sister or mother, unless you’d like to increase your home’s canine population. Conclusion: June Bug is a compelling story with a vivid and lovable heroine. Highly recommended for anyone who likes contemporary Christian fiction, Les Miserables, or who is simply looking for a good story.
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Progress on Doombear, Rough draft:10%
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"In truth, by leaving, I was seeking only one thing. A journey."
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