Anytime I read a book by Adrienne Young, I am completely immersed in the setting. Her atmospheric writing keeps readers spellbound. Her last release "The Unmaking of June Farros", is an absolute favorite of mine.

In this new mystery/thriller read we follow James who heads back to her small town after her twin brother dies. I loved the subtle magical realism elements between the siblings. Young is always so great at sprinkling those moments in without it feeling forced. James was a good MC to follow. Her life had been marked by unique circumstances and coming back home was a way to come to terms. There was also a romance subplot that I really enjoyed.

I will say the first half of the book felt very slow but once we got more into the mystery itself I couldn't put it down. The ending wasn't as satisfactory as I would have liked, but maybe that is the point.

I always look forward to what Young writes and cannot wait to see what is next!

Read if you like
- mystery/thriller
-magical realism
- sibling bonds
-small romance subplot
- atmospheric setting

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the eARC!

With a slow and steady pace, this contemplative book uses the space between plot points to bring a rugged, remote Northern California landscape to life, illuminating the shadows between memory and regret. Kudos to Christine Larkin, the audiobook narrator. The listening experience helped this book take off in the second half! The subtle magical and ghostly elements gave the story a mysterious tone that matched the atmospheric setting. And while I wasn't surprised by the ending, I enjoyed how everything was revealed. This was my first book by the author, and I'm eager to read more!

I should've tried to finish this in one sitting because I had like 8 hours in between sittings and I feel like I forgot a bunch of stuff. Not really sure what to rate this.

obsessed !! with !! this !! book !!

Adrienne Young is in her small town mystery era and i’m all in! it’s been awhile since I had a book I stayed up late to finish but I just HAD to know how this ended

James is all the way in San Francisco when she gets this dreadful feeling and a sharp pain in her chest..only to find out a few days later her twin brother Johnny was shot and killed. James hasn’t been back to her small home town in over 20 years but when her brothers death is declared “accidental” she knows she needs to go back and figure out what really happened.

I loved this book so much. the twists, small town drama, a freaky twin connection, the forgotten high school romance ✨ definitely pick this up if you loves spells for forgetting + unmaking of june farrow

ty to @netgalley for blessing me with an ARC😍

This book completely hooked me. It’s got everything—family drama, small-town gossip, and a touch of the supernatural to keep things interesting.

The story follows James, a 37-year-old artist who has to return to her tiny hometown of Hawthorne, California, after her twin brother Johnny dies.

The town’s folk are calling it a hunting accident, but James’s gut tells her that’s a lie. Deep down, she can feel it—something about Johnny’s death isn’t right. The more she digs into his life, the more she realizes he had secrets she never saw coming. Turns out, maybe she didn’t know her brother as well as she thought.

Oh, and to make things more complicated, her ex, Micah, is still there, and their unresolved tension is so good.

The connection between James and Johnny was one of my favorite parts of the book. Even though he’s gone, it feels like he’s still guiding her, which is both creepy and heartbreaking. The small-town vibes are spot on—moody forests, whispers behind her back, everyone keeping secrets. It’s slow at first, but once the twists start hitting, it’s impossible to put down.

If you’re into slow-burn mysteries with a little romance and a lot of heart, this one’s definitely worth a read.

Thank you NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

I really enjoyed this book, and it's one I will put on my "recommend" list. It is the second book I have read by this author, and this is my favorite of the two. There was a bit of a mystery, there were some magical elements and a bit of romance. I got wrapped up in the story and was very interested to see what the outcome would be. A very strong 4 star read for me.

In this new suspense/murder mystery we follow James as she heads back to the secluded California mountain town she left 20 years prior. She’s returning to settle the affairs of her twin brother, Johnny, and find answers about his mysterious death. She’s forced to deal with their rocky past, as well as face Micah, the only man she’s ever loved.

Adrienne Young has such a gift of immersing you in the setting, and her storytelling is so beautiful. There are little glimpses of some slight magical realism, with a telepathic type of twin connection, and it is more similar to the vibes of her Spells for Forgetting than The Unmaking of June Farrow, which completely immersed us in magic.

If you love a moody, atmospheric feel that keeps you wondering who did it and what really happened, this is a great suspense without anything frightening.

Another beautiful work by Adrienne Young. Her way of writing magical realism is unmatched. Highly recommend.

Book Review: A Sea of Unspoken Things
Author: Adrienne Young
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: 01 Jan 25


Adrienne Young is the queen of the slow burn, atmospheric small town mystery with a bit of magical realism sprinkled in. A Sea of Unspoken Things delivers on all these points.

James Golden, now a successful artist in San Francisco, returns to the hometown she left behind 20 years ago. Her twin brother Johnny, never left Six Rivers. Johnny had never been lucky, and when the opportunity arises to work on a conservation project documenting several spieces of owls, it seemed too good to be true. Her sense of dread, a reminder of the once special connection she had with Johnny, proceeds the call telling of his accidental death. James is unsettled and is driven to uncover the mystery of her brother’s death. James returns to a town shrouded by a history of tragedy, haunted by old memories, secrets, and unresolved feelings for the one she left behind.

A Sea of Unspoken Things explores themes of grief, ties that bind, the power of secrets, and second chance love. I like that Young took on a brother-sister relationship, not enough novels do. But I have to say, I wanted more here, I wish she had gone deeper. Nevertheless, I was engaged and enjoyed following along as the mystery resolved.


My thanks to the author @AdrienneYoungBooks, @RandomHouse, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

While this didn't flow as fast as The Unmaking of June Farrow (which is a masterpiece in my opinion), I still enjoyed the clever and immersive writing style of Adrienne Young.

Having read her previous Young Adult works, I think I like this direction she's going. The atmospheric writing is still there, the way she describes things makes the scenes more real and concrete, like I'm also in it.

James Golden had a lot to unpack here, her brother Johnny's life... and hers. The story is a slow burn that burned a lot higher and brighter by the 60% mark. The author takes her time building the scene and the mysteries around Johnny's death... makes you question him yourself, and plants ideas in your mind.

I didn't see the end coming, honestly. But I like that it still felt a bit unfinished, albeit with most plot points wrapped up, just like life. Not everything needs has closure.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read quite a few books from this author and each one pleasantly surprises me in a new and different way! Right when I feel like I know where her next book is going, it’s completely different, but always enjoyable! I love a good mystery and there’s no better feeling than an ending I didn’t see coming. I would definitely recommend this book if you like mysteries involving family and following the main character to solve it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of A Sea of Unspoken Things. I absolutely adore Adrienne Young but this novel just didn't work for me. Her previous two novels were absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful and this one was just . . . boring. Same inner monologue on repeat, a "surprise" twist ending that I guessed super early in the book, and characters that I just didn't care about. 3 stars because it was an easy read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I was extremely excited for this book, unfortunately I think I was just comparing it to the masterpiece that June Farrow was too much and it let me down a bit. That’s not to say it was bad, I still really enjoyed and devoured the last 60% of it, but I just found it a little difficult to get into and I didn’t feel quite as attached to the characters.

It was definitely Adrienne’s brilliant writing and it still had all the same feels as June Farrow and Spells for forgetting so if you enjoyed those you’ll definitely like this, however it just fell a little flat for me. I think my main problem was that the beginning was slow and the twist felt like it could’ve been twistier…

Overall I did really enjoy it though and I do recommend it!

Adrienne Young has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and A Sea of Unspoken Things only solidified her place on that list. From the moment I picked it up, I was hooked. Young has such a gift for building worlds—her descriptions are so vivid and immersive, It always feels like I'm stepping inside of her books. This book was no exception. The world building was rich with detail, drawing me in completely.

What really stood out, though, was the way Young developed her characters. Each one felt so real, with motivations and complexities that made them leap off the page. The relationships between them were deep and layered, keeping me invested in their journey from start to finish.

The plot itself was unpredictable, keeping me guessing at every turn. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story took a twist that left me eager to see what would happen next. It was the kind of book that kept me up late, reading just one more chapter.

If you’re a fan of gripping, beautifully written stories with complex characters and a twisty plot, A Sea of Unspoken Things is a must-read.


Thanks to netgalley for the ARC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An intriguing mystery set in a small hometown following the heroine as she is drawn home to investigate her twin brother's death. Throughout we learn secrets, new and old. Throw in an ominous forest, and a second-chance slow burn romance. A compulsive read I didn't want to put down.

I can’t thank the publisher and Netgalley enough for the e-arc!

I was prepared to fall apart both during and after this book as Adrienne Young always makes me emotional. And boy was I not prepared enough. I truly cannot express how much I was personally impacted by this story and how touching it was. I hope many readers pick up this book because there is magic between the pages that leave you wanting more while also being satisfied with how it ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young was beautifully written, albeit very slow in the beginning, which made it take longer for me to finish, but nevertheless a good read. Even though I read the premise of the book before I started, it still took me a while to realize that James, the main character was a female. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t have more character development in terms of her emotional well-being, but I did enjoy the dynamic between her memories of her and her twin brother Johnny. I feel like the book is a good reflection on grief and losing someone who you feel like is your other half literally and figuratively. There is an underlying romance between James and Micah, but I feel like the book would’ve been fine without that. Good read but could have been better.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. Adrienne Young has a strong talent for writing atmospheric books and this one is no exception. I felt this book was a lot slower paced than any of the other books I’ve read by this author and the ending was a little flat for me as well. I look forward to the next book by her as I have really loved her other books. Her “The World of the Narrows” series and “The Unmaking of June Farrow” are both really good. This one just missed the mark a bit for me.

I really wanted to like this one, since I absolutely adored “The Unmaking of June Farrow” by this author but it was just really not for me.