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.

This book was very well written and I enjoyed it. Was a little different than her other books but still enjoyable. I honestly wasn’t expecting all the surprises I. The book. Finding out who was responsible for her brothers death and Autumn’s death 😳.

I was a little slow to start this book. Read a few pages, waited a few days, read a few more, etc. But once I got about 12% in, I was hooked.
James and Johnny, twins with a profound bond, share a unique connection. Upon Johnny’s passing, James experiences a strong sense that there is more to the story than what the authorities are disclosing. As she organizes his research, she uncovers additional aspects of his life that she had previously been unaware of.
The author’s portrayal of grief is truly remarkable. It captures the loneliness, darkness, and solitude that accompany this profound emotional experience.
This book effectively evokes a mood, drawing the reader in gradually before captivating them completely. While the slow beginning may deter some, I highly recommend this read for its insightful exploration of grief, and the intriguing mystery surrounding Johnny’s life and death.

This was so incredibly....boring. That makes me so sad.....this was my first Adrienne Young book and I had high expectations. I will definitely give other books a try but this one just felt lack luster and made me wanting more. I wanted to know about the twin connection and I just wasn't intrigued about the mystery it just felt very mundane.

“We were made in the dark.” Best opening line ever. I immediately knew that I was going to love the moody, dark, atmospheric vibes of this story. It’s a deep exploration of grief, what it means to lose someone and not have all the answers. It’s about reckoning with your past self, how we grow and change over time, and the ways that we, in each of us, have many selves. Young’s writing is, as always, stunning and evocative. Her characters are so deeply fleshed out and nuanced. The mystery kept me turning the pages. The little bit of magical realism in the story was powerful and captivating. Highly recommend! I can’t wait to read anything and everything she writes next. I really hope she continues with these adult novels because I just live for them every year - I’m obsessed with her masterful ability to craft a narrative. Easy five stars!

I love Adrienne Youngs writing, and this book made me realize she is becoming one of my favorite authors! I loved the second chance, slow (romance?) between James and Johnny. I did struggle a little bit with the slow pacing and having a hard time connecting with the other characters.

I am a little confused by this one. In the beginning, I was intrigued. As I read on, I was still interested to see where the story would go even though nothing was really happening. I kept waiting to see where the magical realism would play in because I have heard Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow are in the magical realism genre, that Adrienne Young writes amazing magical realism books, and this book is labeled as mystery/sci fi fantasy, however, the magical realism never really came into play, unless you consider twin telepathy as magical realism. If that is the case, that's a weak version of it. In the end, the mystery was weak as well, and the ending was no shocker. There was a bit of a romance subplot and I felt like the characters really had no chemistry or connection. I will definitely go back and read Adrienne's work since I know they are so beloved and I would love to give her another chance, but maybe A Sea of Unspoken Things is not her best work. I think Adrienne's writing is beautiful though and that's why this still gets 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, and Adrienne Young for the eARC.

This book was good but it was a little too slow for me and I think it could have been cut down a lot and still been the same story. That being said I did continue to read it even though it took longer than I would have liked. I liked the characters and I did like that there was some mystery.

I really enjoy the way Adrienne Young writes and this one was no exception. she really transports you into another world!