First off, this is supposed to be YA suspense, but it is clearly beyond the realm of YA. Warnings: there is domestic violence and sex, so I personally would not allow my YA to read this.

The premise is a best friend's death, and the surviving friend gets close with the boyfriend of the deceased. We have both of their perspectives and even excerpts from the diary of the deceased girl. But then there are triggers of violence and teen sex. The mystery reveal was predictable, however, I will say this book was not all bad. These issues may not be triggers for all.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

A terrifyingly realistic tale of dark romantic suspense, Everything We Never Said kept my eyes pinned to the pages. From characters that felt genuine and true to a plot that twisted and turned until a final timely reveal, the entire plot was quite chilling for even this adult reader. For that reason, while billed as a YA thriller, I think it was much more aligned to NA given the topic. Thanks to relatively explicit intimate scenes and a plot line that made a trigger warning essential, portions of this would have even been much more appropriate for an adult audience. It was only the characters’ ages kept it in the realm of NA.

Back to the winning attributes to this blindingly good book, though. A quick, easy read despite the heavy themes, I thought I knew exactly where the plot was going for much of the slow burn first half. So you can imagine my surprise when a twist to end all twists arrived on the scene. Shocking but also perfectly set up by the storyline, it took a straightforward tale and turned it on its head. Add in the adrenaline-fueled climax and smile-inducing conclusion, and this book hit all the right chords. Was it just a bit over-the-top? Well, yes—but given the age range, it made perfect sense.

My only hang up with this book was down to the genre. Namely, the strong romantic streak running throughout. Granted, I should have realized before I even picked this one up, but I was expecting something more akin to B.A. Paris, I guess. Instead, I found a twisted love story paired with a second half filled with plenty of thrills and chills. Ultimately, however, my discomfort with this was no fault of the plot. It was all down to me and my mostly anti-romance leanings.

All said and done, though, this was a story that all teens should read. Sometimes toxic relationships happen and kids—just like adults—need to be willing to lean on others for help. From seeing red flags and then acting on them to learning to trust one’s instincts, multiple lessons were illustrated that are important for all ages to hear. I also got lost in the multiple POVs, authentic teenage behavior, and dark secrets. So much so, in fact, that I read this in just a single sitting. So if you’re looking for a book meant for more than one age group that addresses hard to tackle topics as well as possessing a killer plot, this is the one for you. Rating of 4 stars.

I'm not always a YA reader but I was really intrigued by the premise of Sloan Harlow's Everything We Never Said. I enjoyed the soap opera drama and tension - I did figure out some of the twists (definitely not all of them...) but I had fun on the ride to the end! I will definitely read more from Harlow in the future.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

Sloan Harlow absolutely knows what she’s doing. Last summer I binged “Cruel Summer” on Hulu and I felt like I was being transported into my couch where all I did was avoid my responsibilities and binge this book!

Sloan wrote in such a way that I was hooked by the first chapter. Were some of the plot twists and clues a little predictable? Yeah, sure! But I still immensely enjoy it the whole time!

I loved the plot. The forbidden love between Ella and Sawyer. I loved the friendship between Hayley and Ella. This whole book was just a *chef’s kiss.* I did feel a little like I was reading a Lifetime movie with some cheesy parts in it but overall I LOVED IT!!

Will post review closer to publication date! Will come back to add link to review. Thank you thank you Penguin Teen for the advanced copy. #PenguinTeenPartner

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sloan Harlow for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Everything We Never Said coming out May 28, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I thought the first half of this book was amazing. There was a lot of character and world building. It felt like a really interesting and heartbreaking look at grief and how it affects different people. I really liked the chapters being different characters’ perspectives. I was really curious to find out what happened to Hayley and to see the journey of Ella and Sawyer. However, the second half of the book felt tonally different to me. I thought Sawyer and Ella were moving really fast, especially considering their characters in the first half. I don’t want to give anything away, but this book felt a little more mature than the teenager ages. There were a couple plot points I didn’t care for at the end. I did like the book, but I wasn’t obsessed with it. I would check out another book by this author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers in return for an honest review.

Let me start off by saying I don't usually read a lot of thriller/mystery types of books, and I'm not even sure I would fully categorize this book as such, but I really enjoyed this and was surprised by the twist. I also say this isn't fully a thriller/mystery because it has more coming of age/growing into your own voice and identity as a person as themes, and has a smattering of trying to figure out something that happened as a subplot. It also has some elements of romance and young love.

Ella is about to start her senior year of high school, but unlike most seniors who are getting excited for college acceptance, prom, and final high school experiences, Ella is grappling with the fact that her best friend, Hayley, died in a car accident over the summer. When Ella was the driver. Ella and Hayley had another best friend, Sawyer, who is a tall, handsome, and kind young man, who also was at the same party where Ella and Hayley made a fast exit that ended in tragedy, and Hayley's ex-boyfriend. Sawyer and Ella pick up their friendship, with a massive hole that Hayley used to occupy, and start to find solace, and feelings, in each other.

I don't want to give many plot points away, because I think Harlow does a nice job of letting the story unfold, with strong character development, and diverse backgrounds and experiences as well. Things I really liked about this book: set in Georgia, senior year of high school, good depiction of grief being complicated, chapters with multiple perspectives, strong and crisp writing. Things that I didn't enjoy as much: parents seemed kind of absent which seemed out of place for Ella's dynamic, with the twist the plausability of one aspect of it seemed a little far-fetched to be realistic. Overall I think this is a good summer time thriller for readers age 17 and up, and I would recommend it.

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!