I invested myself in this story and, for the most part, it came through. I love that none of the characters are human - good and bad. Especially, we find this between Sawyer and Ella and even the victim Hayley who divulges her own secrets, via her journal/diary.

It had me judging Sawyer pretty harshly and it made me second guess myself about what I thought this book should end up being.

The writing is steady, although I would have liked it to be a little better paced. This is technically a suspense book and for me, the first chapter should set the tone for the book, but in this case it did not - as the book only starts really moving about chapter 3.

Still, a good debut that had me invested in the outcome.

This story follows a high schooler named Ella as she deals with the grief and guilt of losing her best friend in a car accident in which she was the driver. For starters, I did like Ella's character - I felt she had good development and I can't even imagine what she was going through paired with her more recent discoveries from Hayley's journals. Unfortunately, the writing fell flat for me - the descriptions/figurative language felt a bit forced and over the top and the dialogue unrealistic. Maybe I'm just not the target audience, but I spend enough time around teenagers that the things they did and said didn't ring true to me. That being said, I liked the unique thriller spin and think younger readers might enjoy it more than I did. Thanks so much for the ARC in exchange for my review!

A gripping journey through guilt, grief, and hidden desires awaits readers in "Everything We Never Said," a compelling YA thriller that resonates with dark romance and intricate plot twists. Ella grapples with the aftermath of her best friend Hayley's tragic death, feeling increasingly responsible for the accident. As she returns to school, the presence of Hayley's boyfriend, Sawyer, becomes a haunting reminder of her loss. Yet, gradually, their connection deepens, leading Ella to a disturbing realization—she has fallen in love with her deceased best friend's boyfriend.

In her quest for solace and understanding, Ella turns to Hayley's journal, only to unearth unsettling truths about Sawyer and Hayley's ostensibly perfect relationship. As secrets unravel and hidden depths emerge, Ella is torn between her guilt, her burgeoning affection for Sawyer, and an unsettling fear of the unknown.

The author skillfully constructs a narrative that delves into the complexities of grief, hidden desires, and the enigmatic nature of relationships. "Everything We Never Said" is a dark, romantic thriller that captivates readers through its exploration of the shadowy undercurrents within seemingly idyllic friendships, posing probing questions about the true depths of our knowledge about those we hold dear. With shades of Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin, this novel offers a haunting and thought-provoking exploration of love, loss, and the secrets that bind us together in unexpected ways.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the story and the way it unfolded. I liked Ella and Sawyer and how they gradually got closer until everything fell apart.

I spent good chunk of this story thinking I knew exactly what was going to happen. Even when things twisted, I felt like I understood and NOW knew where it was going. But I was completely wrong! I literally gasped at one point. Had to put the book down and walk away and find someone to shout about it to. I’m so happy I didn’t have it figured out and I love the way the book ended.

My one complaint is the diary entries from Haley. They weren’t written at all like a diary entry, but instead like just another character, with dialogue tags and flowery details and the same voice as the other two main characters. I would have liked that to be a bit more realistic, and for the main characters, including Sawyer, to have a voice that didn’t sound exactly like the others.

Still, great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.


I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.




I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

An easy and mostly predictable read, but one that kept me wanting to keep reading and guess what would happen.

Thank you to Penguin Random publishing house and Netgalley for granting me access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: domestic violence, sexual assault.

⚠️ {{Review will contain spoilers}}⚠️

This story started off very intriguing and held my attention for quite some time. I guessed 2 different endings/plot twists by the time I was 35% through the story, one of which I was excited about and one I wasn't. The ending I wasn't excited about was what ultimately happened and I struggled to chug through the last 20% of the book. With the ending the book had, it felt very rushed... like too many loose ends were just delicately tied up to wrap the story up.

I was really rooting for an ending where Hayley was ejected from the car, but alive. And she walked along the riverbank for a few days before finding her way to safety, and despite Wilkens' uncle being the sheriff, she reported the pregnancy, the accident (the story mentioned the bumper having evidence of the accident - which would be a lot easier to prove days following rather than 6 months following) and then nothing could protect Wilkens from being put behind bars, for violating a student at the very least..

I feel like the current story puts the spotlight on grief and rushes the healing with a bunch of empty promises (Sawyer reacting to his violent outbursts saying "I promise I will never do that to you again").. The characters in the story are supposed to be minors and with their age and maturity levels, I don't think, even as an adult, that I could've woken up in a hospital bed after being deathly afraid of someone in my bedroom, kidnapped and tied to a chair in a basement, threatened to death, witness someone get bludgeoned in the head with a baseball bat, and see your dead best friend again -- and just "need a minute to process it all" ... Not to mention the whole "everyone thinks Hayley is dead" thing. If she were ever discovered, there'd be lots of explaining to do. Hayley would be arrested as an accessory to crime, for fleeing the scene.

The characters went through a lot in just 300 pages and I would have loved to see more healing. So many people are plagued by domestic violence, death, sexual assault, and traumatic car accidents - and for those who are, make the trigger warnings clear. It is not a book of healing past those events, therefore, would not be suitable for that audience.

Overall, it held my attention for most of it - I really pushed through the last 20% so that I could give it a fair chance. If not for that, I probably wouldn't have made it past the big plot twist

I absolutely agree that this is a young adult version of a Colleen Hoover romantic suspense. If that sounds like something you would like, then you'll definitely enjoy this book. This story has a lot of emotional depth to it, making it a very impactful read. There's lots of twists and secrets that make the plot dark and haunting. And the writing is mature enough that I think even adult readers will enjoy this one. This is a fantastic debut and I'm very interested to read from this author again in the future!

I really enjoyed this book, it hooks you from the start with the main character dealing with her best friends death and struggling with feelings for her dead friends boyfriend.

So many twists and turns, was it them? Or them? I couldn’t have guessed the outcome of this book! Really well written and would definitely recommend!

Quick read. Well written young adult story. Good characters and good pacing. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I loved this book! It sucked me and kept me interested from the beginning until the end! I every time I thought I had things figured out I was wrong!

Synopsis of the book: Ella’s best friend Hayley died in a car accident, and the car was driven by Ella. Ella has no memory of the 24 hours before the accident. Now she has to return to senior year without her best friend! The return to school is not easy but Selma her old best friend has befriended Ella once again. She also has reconciled with Hayley’s boyfriend Sawyer. After helping Hayley’s mom Phoebe clean out Hayley’s room, Ella finds her diary and takes it for safe keeping. However she starts reading the diary and finds some terrifying information in it. Now Ella doesn’t know who to trust. Maybe Hayley and Ella weren’t as close as she thought they were? Maybe Sawyer isn’t as the person she thought he is ? Read this book to find out!
If you love YA Thrillers this book will not disappoint!!
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin group for allowing me to read the arc for my honest reviews!!

This YA mystery is pretty angsty, mostly in a good way, though the immaturity of both Ella and Sawyer wore on me after a while. But, they're teens and acted like teens and made decisions like teens. Some YA reads older, but this was spot-on for high school kids.

Ella is despondent, almost suicidal over the grief of being the driver in a car accident that killed her best friend, Haley. The grief is visceral and rang really true for me. To complicate matters further, she's seriously crushing on her best friend's ex-boyfriend, Sawyer. It adds to her guilt and makes for a nice escalation of tension.

The mystery, of course, is what really happened the night Haley died. The ending didn't surprise me, but I still found it satisfying.

Great read if you're into angsty teens, coping with grief, forbidden attraction, and are comfortable with characters who have been abused and dealing with heavy life experiences.

Wow, this one was GOOD. It is YA so there is a fair bit of angst and drama but the twist is incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed this… definitely a quick read. 5/5

Wow. Just wow. I really have no words after that ride.

In this YA dark romantic thriller by Sloan Harlow, high school student, Ella is returning to school after her best friend, Hayley dies tragically in a car accident, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. As the story progresses, Ella finds herself falling in love with her dead best friend, Hayley’s boyfriend, Sawyer. Ella struggles with this, feeling as though she’s betraying her best friend, and she turns to Hayley’s diary, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Hayley had secrets she never shared with her. Ella struggles to reconcile what she knows to be true with the words on the pages of Hayley’s diary.

This was an engaging, suspenseful read that I devoured pretty quickly in one sitting. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and cast of characters. She kept me thinking and trying to work through the “who could it be?” Through the entire last half of the story. I thought the author did a great job of describing and handling the topics of grief and domestic violence- which aren’t always handled appropriately in books and tv. I do wish that there was more development with some of the plot-lines; however. For example, the story relies on Ella and Sawyer falling in love, but this just kind of happened and there was no development. As the reader, it felt like Hayley had just died, Ella returns to school, and then BOOM! Ella and Sawyer were then together and wanting each other. I needed more there.

My other frustration with this book was that I was fully ready to give this book 4-5 stars until the end. Without giving any spoilers, I reached the twist-point where I literally gasped and wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. Like…no.freaking. way. Of all the ways to wrap this story up, THIS was what the author chose?! COME ON!

But, all in all, I enjoyed this book. I look forward to seeing more from Sloan Harlow in the future, and I would agree that Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin fans will enjoy this one, too.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity.

Such a good book! Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was a twist. I definitely was not expecting that ending! I love the dual POV. This book is very well written and draws you in!

I was immediately pulled in with the dark romance/suspense/thriller .. but seeing the “perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover” almost made me not want to start. But so glad I did!
I could not put it down!! Everything We Never Said made me feel all sorts of emotions!! Sad, anxious, happy, annoyed, awe. So many! I thought the texts and journal entries were an amazing touch to the depth of the story. So many twists. You start thinking you know the “villain” and then think well maybe it’s this person., then holy plot twist!!! You will not be disappointed!!!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Sloan Harlow! I cannot wait to read more of your work!!!

First and foremost, I would like to NetGalley and the publisher for lending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review.

Now I want to start off by saying, I am typically into reading about high schoolers just because of drama and I'm also 26 so it does not always appeal to me, but I saw this book and the synopsis along with other fellow goodreaders who mentioned this book, so I wanted to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did.

We dive into North Davis High where our female main character, Ella, is about to start her senior year of high school. Summer was dreadful, she lost her best friend, Hayley, in a car accident at the beginning and blames herself for what happened and has no recollection of the night. We also meet our male main character, Sawyer, who was Hayley's ex. We go in between their different point of views and how they want to be together, but how can they when they also feel like they're betraying Hayley? Along with, what did truly happen that one night? Did Ella drink too much? Was Hayley okay? Were they being chased?

I don't want to spoil too much in my review just in case anyone else wants to read this book, which I HIGHLY recommend.

This book has just the right about of romance (some spice but not a lot) and a lot of THRILL!

Everything We Never Said is a twisty, emotionally charged YA novel that captures the high school zeitgeist while dealing with several very deep and serious topics. Emma and Hayley are BFFs, until a car accident kills one of them…. The survivor must face the world and navigate high school and life torturously until things get even worse…. But there is ultimately a happy ending. It is a psychological thriller, with some elements being trickier than others. I did enjoy this book and the whirlwind experience it provided. There are significant discussions about parental negligence, domestic violence, abortion/ right to choose, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, statutory sex, etc.; however, the manuscript offers significant resources at the end for those in need, which is awesome.

This was so much more than I anticipated! I was not expecting the twists and turn that this story contained. A great read, romantic and suspenseful.

High school senior, Ella, is grappling with something no one that young should have to face: the death of her best friend Hayley. One of the most complicated aspects during her grieving is confronting Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Through this, they end up finding solace in each other. That is until Ella stumbles upon Hayley’s journal and everything she thought she knew is up for question.

Everything We Never Said is a quick, easy-to-read YA romance mystery. While mostly predictable and I definitely saw the plot twist coming, the final 1/3 of the novel picked up steam and kept me interested.

Decent read but very YA in my opinion. While I enjoy some YA thrillers and mysteries, this one was too kiddish and predictable which definitely effected my reading experience. It won’t be one I’ll think about again after putting down.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded down. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I really enjoyed Everything We Never Said. I felt it started out really strong and I was quickly excited to keep reading. The characters are interesting and the lead up to big events was good. I enjoyed the twist and the conclusion. I definitely recommend this for anyone who like thriller type ya books. I plan to read more of Sloan Harlows books when they come out! Thank you to net galley , Sloan Harlow and the publisher for an advanced copy for my honest review! Put this one on your want to read list!