Everything We Never Said reminded me of Jennifer Armentrout's Don't Look Back. Just like Don't Look Back, Ella struggles with piecing together what happened the night her world turned upside down. Ella was a likeable and relatable protagonist. It was fun watching her piece everything together. Ella's POV chapters were my favorite. The Sawyer POV chapters were okay. Since this book is a mystery thriller, Sawyer's chapters didn't make sense until the big reveal. Although the big reveal was predictable, I liked how the author weaved everything together. I can see all of the S names throwing off readers. I thought the pacing of the story could have been better. The beginning was slow. I also thought Sawyer and Ella's relationship pacing was off. The author's writing style made up for the inconsistent pacing. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC.

YA is not my target taste but this thriller was interesting enough to keep me reading. it was definitely predictable that the FMC would gravitate to her dead best friend's boyfriend but it would be weird if that was just platonic. love a secret, left behind diary that will probably have some clues.

My thanks to NetGalley and G.P.. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Random House for the ARC of "Everything We Never Said" in exchange for an honest review.
This book really takes you on a ride.......through a passionate, guilt-ridden YA romance to start out with and then veering into twisty thriller territory filled with real danger and surprises in store for its lead character.
Back in school after physically recovering from a tragic car accident, Ella's consumed with guilt over death of her best friend Hayley, who was in the car with her. Hayley's body, hurled into a river's strong currents, was never recovered and Ella's amnesia of that moment torments her always.
It's not surprising that Ella and Hayley's boyfriend Sawyer, find solace in each other's company as a way to deal with their mutual grief. But it doesn't take long for that solace to develop into an overpowering attraction to each other........until Ella's left stunned and fearful at revelations about both Sawyer and Hayley. She's not only a witness to Sawyer's sudden bouts of explosive anger, she discovers even more alarming secrets that Hayley had kept from her.
From this point on, the book revs itself up into full page turning mode, with the burning hot romance competing with the suspense and those 'whoa!' twists that comprise the final chapters. And in addition to the swoony stuff and the jeopardy Ella's faced with, and book also details the heartbreaking repercussions of families enduring domestic violence. Quite a package for one single book, which is why it gets my 5 stars.

This is a new author for me and I highly enjoyed! I recommend this one for all. It was intriguing all the way through!

Loved it!!! Was a little slow to start for me, but once it picked up I was sucked in and stayed up all night to finish it. Didn’t see the twist that came at all. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and look forward to reading more.

I might have to just accept that YA isn't for me. Overall this was a good premise and at the halfway mark, it really picked up. It even ended up surprising me in part which is always a plus.

However, I knew where this book was going about 5 pages in. Besides being ultimately fairly predictable, hot and heavy romance between two underage teens always skeeves me out and there were times that this one went a little too far for me. Maybe this would be better received by a 16 year old, but I was all set.

I also struggle with the overly flowery writing in YA. Everything has two descriptors and just feels over the top. There are endless "hot tears" and the "release of breaths they didn't know they were holding" and it all just gets to be a bit much.

It also pained me that Ella didn't sit down and immediately read Haley's diary. I honestly can't imagine a situation where someone finds the diary of a someone they think they killed and they DON'T read it immediately, but that's neither here nor there I suppose.

That being said, this is a quick and entertaining read. The pressure Ella must have felt knowing she killed her best friend, the guilt over falling for her ex boyfriend - they were big emotions for anyone to grapple with, particularly a teenager. The chemistry between Ella and Sawyer was well developed and I liked the building of tension, I just would have preferred a little more closed-door scenes because they were young.

I listened to this novel on audio and didn't love the narrators for Ella and Sawyer. Ella's voice was a little whiny and felt too young whereas Sawyer felt too old. The narrator for Haley was generally fine.

Overall, this was a decent read but not one that will stick with me. Thank you to Penguin Teen, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the copy.

It's been 4 months since the accident that killed Ella's best friend, Hailey. Ella is ridden with guilt and is trying to just get through the first day of school. Everything reminds her of Hailey, especially Sawyer, Hailey's boyfriend. Ella is drawn to Sawyer - and is slowly falling for him. When Hailey's mom asks Ella to come over to clean out her room, Ella discovers Hailey's diary. Reluctantly, she begins reading through Hailey's entries, hoping to find anything to bring her comfort. Instead, she finds important information about Sawyer that helps explain why Hailey was acting so strange in the weeks leading up to her death. Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for Young Readers for this e-arc.*

I feel like this book started out by going a different direction and then switched topics halfway through.

This one kind of gave me "Cruel Summer" season 1 vibes in a sense, with some other recent thriller books. There's some things that didn't quite add up to me which is why the rating was a little bit lower for this book.

I feel like this book could be in the YA space but some topics are veering to the adult section. This one is just a little in between for me to give a definite answer

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ella and Hayley were best friends, until tragedy struck one night, and an accident ends Hayley's life.

Ella is trying to get her life back in order, when things turn upside down, as she realizes she's in love with Sawyer....her dead best friend's boyfriend.

Hayley's mom can't bear to clean out her room, so she asks for Ella's help. While doing so, Ella finds Hayley's diary, and discovers that her friend has been keeping secrets - secrets that makes Ella start to feel differently about Sawyer.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

Once in a while a YA book comes along that gives me, a full-grown middle-aged woman, all the feels. I love Laura Nowlin's If He Had Been With Me, Gayle Forman's If I Stay, and of course, the new Holy Grail of YA novels with all the feels - The Summer I Turned Pretty. And now I can add, Everything We Never Said to that same list.

Ella's best friend Hayley is dead, and she's having a hard time even functioning. When the school year starts again, she has to rally, but she's struggling. It's hard living life without Hayley. Before Hayley died, Ella, Hayley and Sawyer, Hayley's boyfriend, spent all their time together. So why is it so hard to see Sawyer now?

Ella slowly gets closer to Sawyer again, but it's hella complicated. First of all, he's her dead best friend's boyfriend. Not only is she worried what other people think of the budding relationship, but she's also worried about her own feelings. Then she finds out that his relationship with Hayley wasn't what it seemed. There were secrets, and Ella is in danger.

Everything We Never Said is a gem. It's a quick read - I think I read it in one sitting- and it will keep you guessing right up until the last page.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out today!

All I can say is WOW…I didn’t know what to expect when I started this one, but damn did it deliver. Twists and turns and surprises just when I thought I had figured out who S was another twist and then another and then another…kept me guessing till the end…loved the ending btw. Give this one a chance and you won’t be disappointed

This book is a super slow burn. The first half of the book consists of Ella mourning the loss of her best friend Hayley. Ella thinks that she killed Hayley, but sadly she can’t remember what happened that night. When asked to clean out Hayley’s room she finds a journal that makes her question Hayley’s ex-boyfriend whom Ella is now interested in herself. This book really picks up during the last third. Until then I found myself wondering a bit. I wish that the intensity that the last part of the book had was throughout the whole book just a little bit more. The final twist is a good one. But was predictable.
Thank you to Penguin Group, G.P. Putnam’s Son’s Books for Young Readers, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Arc review!!!
Thank you Sloane and NetGalley for this opportunity :)

Damn. That’s all I have to say.


Just kidding, this book took me out of my slump so yeah, that says A LOT. I knew the publish date bless getting closer so I decided to read it bc I was in the mood for something more serious and suspenseful but little did I knew I was about to get MESSED WITH for 300 pages 😂😂… I had so many questions, theories and this even got me shocked till the point I was pacing around my bedroom to think bc I couldn’t sit still.


SPOILERS

IM WARNING YOU


Well, did I see it coming? Nope, I did not, I have to say there was a point in which I suspected S to be someone older and Sawyer being like a prop in the story but like why would he be used or be the bad guy and still have his own chapters pov!? Something was going on and I needed to get to it.
I think it was such a smart idea to actually make Sawyer look like the bad guy bc I seriously doubted him many times, sorry kid!
I honestly thought we would get the accidents reasons more at the end but it was told like ten pages into the story so I was confused UNTIL my brain said MAYBE SHES STILL ALIVE AND SHE WAS OMGGGGGGG

Honestly so far one of the best books I read this year, 5✨

I found this YA domestic thriller to be quite a fast-paced binge-able read that will surely capture audience's attention while raising some poignant discussions around grief, mental health and domestic violence.

Ella survived a horrific car accident that took the life of her best friend, Haley. Reeling from that loss, Ella finds solace in the arms of Haley's prior boyfriend, Sawyer. Alternating between Ella and Sawyer's POV, both characters grapple with their 'forbidden' feelings for one another while grieving Haley's death. When Ella discovers Haley's hidden diary when helping her mom clean out her room, Ella slips into the past and uncovers dark secrets that could be tied to the night of their accident. Ella's diary also reveals a darker side of Sawyer's personality that could potentially put Ella in danger. Not knowing who she can trust, Ella's quest for answers and the truth lead to increasing action and ultimately shocking twists.

While somewhat predictable, I think this is a strong debut. The writing was nuanced and captured the angst of young love, loss, and turmoil. I thought the tension was palatable and absolutely held my attention to the end!

I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I started this one but I will say I was pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely captivating and kept me hanging on to every word. A story of love, loss, friendship, betrayal and so much more. After Ella loses her best friend in the worst way imaginable she thinks she will never be happy again but sometimes we find happiness where we least expect it. And sometimes things aren't always as they appear....

After Ella loses her best friend Haley in a car accident that she caused from driving drunk, she tries to come to terms with the loss and move on. The only problem is she can’t remember what happened that night. And now she’s becoming close with her best friend’s boyfriend, Sawyer, and she’s feeling guilty about that, too. After finding Hayley’s diary, Ella begins to suspect Sawyer may have been physically abusing Hayley. What’s a girl to do?

This brilliant debut reads like a Colleen Hoover novel for young adults. I would argue that it should be moved into the New Adult category because of some of the explicit content. Either way, this was a twisty, heart-pounding read that I devoured in a couple days. It’s perfect for a day at the beach or a rainy weekend indoors.

Trigger warnings: domestic violence, sexual content, toxic relationships, harassment, abortion, partner abuse, child abuse, death

Thank you to Sloan Harlow, Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up.

I absolutely adored this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it pulled at my heart. The relationship between Ella and Sawyer. The love they both hold for Hayley. The loyalty Ella continuously has for Hayley. I loved every single second of this book. I will say, I do think this is a really great book example of why New Adult should be a more recognized reading level. This book does handle some more mature topics and there are some scenes than lean a little spicier than I would expect young adult to. Overall, I loved this book. I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down.

Predictable YA thriller with some romance. The dialogue was boring, but I enjoyed the tense moments. Overall not really for me, but I’m sure a younger audience will really enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I actually thoroughly enjoyed this one! I am always a little nervous going into YAs, especially YA thrillers. They can be so hit or miss. I really liked the execution on this one though! It was predictable at times, but not so much so that I didn't want to keep reading.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up!
This YA gem offers everything needed in a superior dramatic thriller! After reading this, I can't stop thinking about the important message within these pages: Be careful, be wise, and use discernment when pursuing relationships. Not everyone is as they seem.

What you don't know can hurt you...It's been 4 months since the accident that killed Ella's best friend, Hailey. Ella is ridden with guilt and is trying to just get through the first day of school. Everything reminds her of Hailey, especially Sawyer, Hailey's boyfriend. Ella is drawn to Sawyer - and is slowly falling for him. When Hailey's mom asks Ella to come over to clean out her room, Ella discovers Hailey's diary. Reluctantly, she begins reading through Hailey's entries, hoping to find anything to bring her comfort. Instead, she finds important information about Sawyer that helps explain why Hailey was acting so strange in the weeks leading up to her death. Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.

I see that I am the exception in giving this a 5 star rating. I'm ok with that. I give it this rating not only because this has all of the makings of a great thriller, but because of the message it sends to young adults, teens, and even adults. Some of the toxic relationships, strategically developed by Sloan Harlow, happen daily in the real world, leaving many traumatized and left to pick up the pieces. This book is not only entertaining. It's a warning. And I can't help but want to encourage every young person to read it. After all, writing and reading are not solely about being entertained. Rather, a good author should leave the reader changed.

Thank you Sloan Harlow, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this enlightening thriller ARC in exchange for an honest review.