The Truth About Unspeakable Things took me on a heart-wrenching journey of how a sexually abused victim tried to survive and face her past.
I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the book. I could totally immerse myself in and felt for the character. The struggle of whether she should tell the truth to her loved ones. It’s heartbreaking.
However, the plot towards the end became a bit too outrageous to me. How I wished the book could focus more on expressing the feelings of the characters rather than trying to build up an “explosive” ending.
All in all, it’s a well written and rather entertaining novel. It’s worth reading if you like dark stories.

A wonderful story set in a wonderful city. The plot is riveting and surprises abound. My only wish for the story would be more backstory about New Orleans. There are so many great hole-in-the-wall restaurants and landmarks to place your characters in. But it seems Ella and Kat- even Beaux never ventured far from the same old places. Great job, Ms. Myers!

This book was a really fun and enjoyable read. The characters were relatable and had great depth. I definitely recommend it and will be ordering copies for my library.

I hate to say that I "enjoyed" this book, because it dealt with rape, harassment and the PTSD that comes with it. That being said, I think it was well written, I loved the characters and couldn't put it down, it had thriller-like qualities.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book would be more of a survivor story, about how a girl deals with a brutal domestic attack, and tries to live and heal.

The book does touch on that, but it externalize all her struggles, and most of the book focuses on her step of actions, to bring down an entire crime organization. It's more about the traumatic events, rather than trauma itself, I wish I could summarize it better. It's a thriller rather than a deep emotional book.

Ultimately the plot holes just made the book not believable. I didn't feel the connection between Emma and Julian. I didn't understand the reasons behind Emma not reporting her attack to the police (they were already there, they would have filed charges for battery and assault even with a reluctant victim ). Mason wasn't redeemed at all for me (donating money to charities that support rape survivors does not equal redemption when you are a serial rapist!!! ) . And finally, it really bothered me when both Beaux and Emma compared his murder of a bystander, and string of repeated rape and battery of women, to be the same as her aborting his child. WTF was the "We are both the same, we both did unspeakable things". No, you are a criminal, you belong behind bars, you killed, and raped all these innocent people, it is not comparable to abortion.

This book may not be for every reader given some heavy trigger topics (rape, abuse, family domestic issues) but them main character of Emma is portrayed well. I was rooting for her comeback and journey to heal the whole way. The first few chapters start out with a bang and there are several more twists following that. I like that the ending was not all nice, neat and fluffy, it would not have suited the rest of the book. I am also so glad Julian entered the story as a new potential interest for Emma after her ex, Beaux. Julian has own traumatic past too and I think they connected well on that. I do not want to spoil anymore. Not your usual thriller if you like a story with a detective element, but still worth the read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Emily A Myers and Emily Myers Independent Book Publisher's Association Member Titles fpr an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/6/21

Unspeakable things carries many traumatic events within its pages that may be too difficult for some to read. First off, the choice of New Orleans for the setting was awesome. I was devastated for the protagonist and her story of abuse. Her unbelievable tenacity and bravery is featured throughout the book which is necessary for the progress of the events and character development. I enjoyed the romance but definitely needed more. The twists kept the story fresh but some of the plot points towards the end seemed outrageous. All in all it’s a solid read just be prepared to deal with sensitive topics and uncomfortable scenes/conversations.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.**

The synopsis and premise of the book was very compelling and I could not wait to read it, anticipating heavy emotional insight that would lead the reader through a journey - exploring the serious topics of sexual and mental abuse, self-harm and mental illness.
I found the writing a little disjointed and the story itself not entirely convincing. The characters were well developed and Myers has a lovely writing style.
The story’s only fault really was it just did not ring true for me, personally.. Having said that, it is well written and worth a read for ‘entertainment’ as opposed to ‘enlightenment’.

This book has identity crisis it was all of over without focusing on one character. however the writing was good and I enjoyed the book and characters.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.*
CW: rape, suicide, murder, child sexual abuse, self harm
The Truth About Unspeakable Things follows the story of Emma Marshall as she learns to navigate the world and her relationships after a brutal attack. While this is a story of her healing, falling in love, and learning to take back control, that’s not all it is. It’s a story about family, power, and friendship. The story starts as I expected and as the story goes on it becomes more brutal and disturbing. The juxtaposition between the beginning of the novel and the end was a bit jarring. The more the story went on, the less believable it was. Setting that aside, with some suspension of disbelief, the story was a good one. I had a lot of feelings while reading this story, some good, some bad. I loved Emma; I was totally here for her budding romance with Jillian. I really appreciated the care the author took in speaking about topics such as sexual abuse and the strength of survivors. However, the stance on abortion equals murder was a bit strong for my taste. I truly felt uncomfortable with the comparison of rape and cold blooded murder with a woman’s right to choose. Overall, my reading experience was enjoyable and I would recommend giving it a go after reviewing the content warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book - the description had me anticipating a heavy, emotional journey, and I do not want to take away from the serious topics (trauma, sexual abuse) but I felt it missed the mark.

I could not figure out what this book was trying to be... a survivors journey to overcome her past trauma & avenge the other people who her abuser also wronged? A love story? A story of family dysfunction? Of high society & the many secrets that come along with that lifestyle? An expose? I felt like the story was all over the place, and the more I read, the less believable it all became.

I would have loved for the story to have been purely focused on Emma and Julian - post Beaux and having them help each other heal after their traumatic experiences.

I loved the friendship between Kat & Emma, I was rooting for Emma + Julian from the start, and I loved having the story set in New Orleans.

The Truth About Unspeakable Things is a debut novel by Emily A Myers. It is a story about trauma, friendships, relationships, and second chances. Emma leaves her wealthy southern upbringing and goes to college in New Orleans. Emma ends her year long engagement to her fiance. However, that did not go as planned and she is left as a victim and survivor of sexual assault. Months after her assault, she is trying to adjust to life after the huge betrayal. A new neighbor moves in next door and Emma has an instant connection.

This book made me feel all the emotions. I was captivated from the beginning. There are a lot of heavy topics discussed in this book and it was written in a great way to address these tough topics.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: April 6, 2021

This book is the story of Emma Marshall, who is a young woman who escaped being submerged in the cultural expectations of her wealthy upbringing in rural Louisiana. The life she has built for herself in New Orleans comes to an abrupt transition early in the book, and she's left trying to move on from some serious trauma. The more Emma moves through the healing process, the worse the details she learns about her situation become. What ends up helping her through her crisis are her best friend and the attractive stranger who moves into her neighborhood. This book held my interest all the way through, but readers should note that it contains graphic scenes of abuse (sexual, physical, emotional). These are mentioned as part of the protagonist's healing process as she overcomes serious trauma, but they certainly make for an emotional roller coaster of a read. It is easy to see how parts of this story could trigger very strong emotions or memories of trauma in some readers. In the end, this is a powerful story of healing and finding strength even in some very difficult situations. I definitely hope to read more from Emily Myers, who is a gifted storyteller.

Emily A Meyers makes a STELLAR debut you the truth about unspeakable things.

This novel follows Emma through heartbreak, and new love, it follows friendships , relationships, and healing.

I feel Emma’s pain radiating through me in just the first few pages. Her anger, hurt and frustration is so magnificently portrayed.
“ was I not fulfilling him ? Am I no longer attractive to him ? But the more I tried to reason away his unreasonable actions the angrier I became “. Such a simple and thought provoking line , if you’ve ever been cheated on you’ve felt those exact feeling and you will want to reach through the pages and hug her explain that it goes away. All of descriptions are so real and heart wrenching and heartbreaking true. The story line is so thought provoking , and brings a light to very real issues surrounding sexual assault, the impacts it causes on ones life, and the stigma surrounding it.
I honestly cannot get over Meyers writing style I feel like I am watching it play out on a screen as opposed to reading a novel. I CANNOT wait to read her next novel !!

Well what can I say i loved this book and was completely drawn into this book. Had me hooked from the start. The characters were brilliantly written with enough depth to bring them alive. My heart was with Emma all the way feeling her strength grow through the pages. Look forward more by this author!!

This review is going to be a case of the book not being what I was hoping for, therefore my expectations weren't met, so now I'm bummed and disappointed. I'm also having a bit of a moral dilemma. So, it's a me thing.

If you are looking for a heavy, soul crushing fictional depiction of surviving domestic abuse that feels like real life - this book probably isn't for you. However, if you are looking for a story that is much more likely to only happen in the movies & is mainly for 'entertainment' purposes - this book could definitely be for you. I personally wish I had known this going in, as I probably could have enjoyed it a lot better.

From the synopsis, I was hoping this was going to be a very hard-hitting, emotional struggle of finding a way to heal and move on. I thought it was going to be a survivor's tale, with self-loathing, depression and fear, seeing your abuser everywhere you turn. But also one of redemption and empowerment, finding the strength within and that moment of being able to look in the mirror and say, "You didn't break me." Unfortunately it wasn't.

I'm struggling to express myself as it does have some of those elements, but I just didn't feel it. The first couple of chapters showed real promise, it was dark and unafraid to be raw. It felt like something that could and does happen, it felt close to home, like it could be you, or your sister or your best friend.

But by the end, it had devolved into something that no longer felt real. There was something off about the overall tone throughout the book. It felt like things were done for shock value, which made it unrealistic and hard for me to form an emotional connection - precisely what I was looking for.

There was a lot happening in this book, so it might also be a case of trying to do too much, instead of focusing on the heart. The idea is great but the pacing and execution and where the story ultimately led.. just wasn't for me.

I'm torn & don't really know what to feel. If you want to be entertained, this book will entertain you for sure. If we're taking this based on that then great. But considering the event that started this story, I'm sorry but I'm struggling to figure out if describing it as 'entertaining', is okay.

Thank you so much to the author, Pelican Press & IBPA for allowing me the opportunity to read & review this book.

This review is difficult.. So I will just put my thoughts out there and you can decide for yourself.

The story started out sweet. Ok, not that sweet - the main character was beat up and possibly raped. But there weren't many details, and the story seemed more focused on character development. There was a great friendship and a slowly building romance with a guy who was almost too good to be true..

THEN it started getting darker and more violent.
THEN there was this big ugly thing (I am trying not to say too much so I dont spoil it). And previously liked characters were just horrible.. and THEN the brother of the H - say what???

It was almost like it was two different books. I loved the first half and am not too sure about the second half. But I kept reading, so...

I want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for an ARC which did not impact my review. Check it out for yourself, and then let me know what you think, You can friend me on Goodreads - I would love to discuss. I am still processing.