At first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the book. I don’t read a lot of YA, but I do read some. The more I read the more I got engrossed in it. By a few chapters in I was hooked! The only thing I can say is I hope they proofread it again before it goes to print, because there was quite a bit of typos. That is part of getting to read books before their release date I guess. Gave the book 4 stars and I highly recommend it.

As someone who loves a good mystery/thriller, I enjoyed “Everything We Never Said’. I felt terrible for the main character, Ella. She suffered a huge loss and had to deal with multiple traumas as a result. There were points I found myself yelling at the book (in a good way) as I guessed parts of the plot or made various connections along the way…some of which were correct, others were mind blowing and I never could have guessed! This story should come with a trigger warning for Domestic Violence, but I think the author did a good job addressing red flag behaviors. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC.

This book was so good! Absolutely 💯 loved it. Thanks NetGalley and to the publisher for this. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Quick & easy read, maybe just a little too YA for me. It does touch on sensitive topics. I think the plot twist was relatively easy to guess as the other options were too easy. Overall, solid book if you are craving something young & simple. Thanks Putnam & Sons for the ARC!

Holy heck that was a wild ride!

“It’s not his fault he’s emotionally covered in third-degree burns.”

Ella’s best friend Hayley is dead and it’s all her fault. She was the one driving after all. The worst part? She can’t remember anything from that night-the last day she spent with Hayley. Everyone seems to blame her and she believes them. Then, Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend, tells Ella it’s not her fault and she can breathe a little easier. As they bond over shared grief, they start to get closer and Ella realizes she has a crush on her dead best friend’s boyfriend. If that’s not horrifying enough, Sawyer might like her back.

When Ella finds Hayley’s diary, she tells herself she’s just keeping it safe so Hayley’s mom can’t read her innermost thoughts. But she pulls it out whenever she needs to talk to Hayley-it’s the next best thing after all. As Ella reads Hayley’s diary, she discovers that nothing Hayley told her about Sawyer was true. The truth is much worse, much darker. But what if she finds that darkness irresistible? When her memories start coming back in flashbacks, is everything she thought she knew about everyone wrong? Will she be able to fight the darkness or will she be consumed by it?

This book had me from the very first page and I was hanging on every word. Told in Dual POV with excerpts from Hayley’s diary, this is fast paced and a real page turner.

🚨The story deals with some heavy stuff, so be sure to read the trigger warnings. 🚨

The author beautifully portrayed the stages of grief, loneliness, and love as well as the fear felt in dealing with domestic situations and people with anger issues.

I loved the mystery of it all and how it kept you guessing until the very last page. The twists at the end! I had known something was off, but holy hell, that was crazy. This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I was fully invested. While some of it seems far fetched, it is a story after all and that didn’t deter me from loving the hell out of this book! I will be recommending this to anyone who will listen.

“Love isn’t like stepping into a river, where either you’re wet or you’re not. Love is the river itself. Sometimes the current is tranquil and steady, like my love for you…And sometimes…it has sharp rocks and bruising rapids. The sudden drops and turns are confusing and painful, but it’s still the same river. It’s still love.”

*Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.*
*quotes come from an uncorrected proof.

I love the cover and the title, it this was just too YA for me. Ella’s best friend, Hailey, was killed. Ella blames herself. She thinks Bailey’s boyfriend hates her but really he loves her. Should she trust things Hayley said in the past about him or make her own conclusions.

Ella and Hayley have been inseparable since the day they became friends and have always been in each other’s life. So when Ella has to start her senior year after Hayley’s death nothing seems right. The book goes between Ella and Hayley’s boyfriend Sawyer’s point of and slowing unfolds to show the events that lead up to the night that Hayley died and the secrets she was burdened by. The author did a masterful job of showing the different aspects of domestic abuse and the psychological effects it has. The book had a good amount of twists that kept me intrigued the whole time and did an amazing job tackling a very hard subject.
Thank you Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

Well, my husband said he’s never heard me yell so much at a book — and he’s heard me yell at lots of books! It’s always so frustrating when you figure out things before a character and they keep doing dumb stuff, but Harlow spins her tale so skillfully and quickly that a satisfying conclusion didn’t take too long to arrive.

I really enjoyed not just how the mystery played out but also how Harlow didn’t pull punches (maybe not the right phrase here, considering…) when it came to other characters telling her protagonists when they were being hurtful. There’s a lot of good stuff in here besides the thriller of it all.

This was a heartbreaking, heart racing, quick read and I can’t wait to buy it for my niece for her birthday.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

‘Everything We Never Said’ by Sloan Harlow is a dark romantic thriller that follows Ella Graham, a high school senior trying to cope with the recent and tragic death of her best friend Hayley. Having been the person driving when the car they were driving away from a party crashes, Ella is overwhelmed with guilt and shame. Returning to school is hard for her, especially after coming face to face again with Hayley’s former boyfriend, Sawyer. What could make it more complicated? Ella thinks she may be in love with him. Turning to the only person she ever truly trusted with her whole heart, she dives into Hayley’s journal seeking answers to questions she longs for. But what awaits her scribbled on those pages only leads to more questions; questions that have Ella wondering if Sawyer is truly who claims to be.

TW: Domestic abuse and violence

Being a teenager is tough. Being a teenager with a crush on someone that you’re not sure reciprocates those feelings is ever tougher. Being a teenager with a crush on someone that used to date your best friend…ouch. These feelings and situations are beautifully explored in this story through the main character, Ella. My heart raced for her, it cheered and encouraged her, and ultimately broke for her with how much she had gone through by the end.

Before anything, this book is a thriller. I found myself clenching, biting my nails, and turning the pages at a furious rate with the pace and action. The romance plays a good part in the thrill of this, taking nothing away from the mystery and tension that builds throughout. If anything, it adds to it. And by the conclusion, you will feel like you’ve just come down from a serious free fall.

The topic of domestic abuse and violence is prevalent throughout this book, but at no point did I feel like the author was reckless with her writing. There are important messages in the story that were handled with care, and I am happy to say that I would read more works by this author because of it.

My one complaint is that I felt the ending may have been wrapped up a little too “happily” too quickly.

Great writing. Good pacing and character development. Overall, thrilling to read.

4.25/5 stars

2.5/3 ⭐

"Everything We Never Said" is an emotionally heavy read that touches on several potentially triggering topics.

While I think the premise was intriguing unfortunately this book just wasn't a great fit for me. The writing was fine but I personally didn't enjoy several different aspects of story.

It's a fairly quick read so I had no trouble finishing it and I hope it does well with it's intended audience.

Thank you Sloan Harlow, Net Galley and Penguin Group - Young Readers Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Everything We Never Said is the story of Ella who is starting her senior year of high school. However, unlike most the excitement of her senior year is gone due to a horrific accident she had at the end of her junior year. She was driving, lost control of the car and her best friend was thrown through the window and killed. Ella has gone from a star student who was making state records for her swimming to a shell of her former self as she deals with her new reality. The book is a emotional roller coaster but soooo good. I loved it! Trigger Warning - it does have a strong undertone of domestic violence in the book so know that before reading. However, Ella's journal is amazing and I would strongly recommend this book to any teen or parent.

While my heart broke right away with this book I still really enjoyed the storytelling. The insight into Ella and Sawyers grief and the unfolding of the story of the aftermath or the crash was well done. So many times people don't give teenagers enough credit and I think Harlow did a great job showing their grief, insecurities, and how they really do have big issues in their lives they are working through.

I also think it is good how Harlow did not take light the BIG issues like abuse, manipulation by adults, and violence.

A fun YA thriller - with a pretty good twist! What more could I ask for? Everything We Never Said is the story of Ella, a high-school girl who got into a car accident that killed her best friend. As Ella navigates her life without her best friend, she starts to fall for her best friends boyfriend - but things are not always as they seem. I did find the diary aspect frustrating, as Ella could have just read ahead more of Haley's diary to get more answers at any time, but the final twist did take me for surprise so props to that.

This novel was absolutely heartbreaking. It was raw and it was real. Ella’s grief tore me into pieces. Her guilt of the accident becomes all consuming. She’s isolated, lonely, and completely broken. The twists and turns I never saw coming. I was floored.
(I don’t read thrillers often so I don’t really look for clues, or notice them)

Being a teenager is hard. Navigating the world, friendships, love. It can be exhilarating at times, seeing all the world has to offer. But, it can also be exhausting. When you’re young it’s so easy to just believe what is being told to you. The gaslighting, the manipulation, it’s confusing. I think this can be a really important and eye opening read for young people navigating the ways of life. Seeing people for who they are, the friends who stick by you, learning about trust and the right people to give it to. Things happen without you ever even realizing it, because you don’t know any differently..This book gives you all of the rawness you experience after loss, after heartbreak, after betrayal.

Harlow portrayed loss, love, manipulation, and grief perfectly. This story for me was unique, it was a lovely read. I read it in one sitting. Definitely a page turner! I would highly recommend!!!

I was in the mood for a thriller and this was everything I dreamed of! I love YA books, and this one had so many twists that made it even better than I expected. I had been in a bit of a book slump, feeling like I’ve been reading the same story over and over again but I didn’t feel that with this book. While reading the ending, I truly appreciated how well written this was. All the little clues were there along the way but were subtle enough to propel the story forward with multiple possible outcomes. I flew through this book, feeling the emotions Ella did (rooting for her and Sawyer while hoping she stayed away from him, feeling her grief and guilt). This book hit on some really meaningful messages and I think anyone who enjoys books with thriller and complicated relationship elements will love this.

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.
I want to start by saying trigger warnings are very important and should be listed in the finished product. Trigger warnings should include but not necessarily be limited to- domestic violence, abuse, abortion.
This book is said to be like Colleen Hoovers but the only actual similarity is the theme of domestic violence.
There were many shortcomings for this story and because of that I have chosen to respectfully not review on Amazon or goodreads so that it may still have a chance with other readers.
I just found this to be wholly unbelievable and not something that I felt invested in.

High school best friends Ella and Haley were in a single car accident after leaving a party. Both had been drinking, both were underage. Ella had been driving. Haley was killed in the accident, she was not wearing her seatbelt and flew through the windshield. Weirdly, due of the location of the accident, Haley’s body was never recovered. Ella had some physical injuries, now she must deal with the mental and emotional fallout: guilt, sadness, loneliness and grief among others.

It's fall and a new school year has begun. At school, Ella is at a loss, everywhere she looks she is reminded of her best friend, Haley. Their previous friend group welcome Ella back into the group but she has convinced herself that they don’t really want her. Haley’s boyfriend, Sawyer, is the only person who she believes when he says that he does not blame her.

Through a school support group Sawyer and Ella begin to develop a closer relationship and Ella worries that she is falling for him. Then, while helping Haley’s mother clean out Haley’s things, Ella discovers a hidden diary. Should she read it? She believes that Haley had always told her everything so she starts to read. It seems that there is more to Haley than Ella realized.

The beginning dragged a bit when Ella is reminiscing over seemingly every moment of her life with Haley in it. After 40% in I couldn’t go on, this was a Did Not Finish for me. I generally enjoy the Young Adult genre but this was too much... everything. Too much angst, guilt, trials and tribulations. Of course the characters are teens, of course they'll be immature but it was over the top and very repetitive as the same scene, thoughts, worries, played over and over. Maybe it wouldn't have bored an age appropriate reader; however, I’ve never felt this way about other YA novels. Everything We Never Said is promoted as a Young Adult Thriller, a dark romantic thriller romantic with plenty of plot twists. It should be noted that it also has a lot of triggers, including violence and abuse. ⭐️⭐️

Thank you to #NetGalley and publishers Penguin Young Readers Group and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: June 4, 2024

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I really loved this book even though I figured it out about halfway through. As soon as the character was introduced, I knew where this was going. Even so, I really enjoyed this book. Ella, going through a lot!! Her need/want to find someone to lean on. She wasn’t expecting that someone to be her dead best friend’s boyfriend. The ending was a little out there but still a good read!!

I really enjoyed this YA book. I liked how the author developed the characters….. it had a nice twist near the end. I will look forward to reading. More by this author

I was a little hesitant to pick up this book because I am firmly an anti-fan of Colleen Hoover. As a side note, I have tried to read several of her books and could never finish them. So, when I saw that this one was "perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover," I want in with a fierce skepticism. But I loved it. I couldn't put it down.

The story centers on teen, Ella, who is still reeling from a summertime accident that claimed her best friend's life. Of course, Ella's the one who somehow slammed a car into a guardrail, sending her friend hurtling into the raging river and never being found again. She was probably driving drunk, or so she's been told, but Ella can't seem to remember more than bits and pieces from that night, none of which make sense with the reality of what has happened to Hayley.

The suspense and mystery itself is SO INTRIGUING. I didn't catch onto the culprit until 3/4 of the way through, which, for me, is a sign of a good mystery thriller. I won't see much more on this aspect so as to not ruin any surprises or give any hints to solving the mystery too early.

I gave it 4.5 stars because I thought the steamy sex scenes were unneeded, but, see, that's my qualm with Colleen Hoover. So, if you're into that, you'll probably enjoy the heck out of this book. But, it's just not for me. Also, audience-wise, this would be best in a high school library or older. It's too mature-content-filled to be in a junior high setting. Aside from these scenes, though, it'd have been perfect for a junior high audience or up.

I am grateful to the publisher, Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group and #Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. I look forward to reading more books by this author!