I’ll forever be a fan of Adrienne Young’s books; however, this might be my least favorite of her stories so far. The atmospheric writing was still very prevalent and is truly my favorite part of this story. I didn’t feel as connected to this storyline, but I still loved getting lost in a beautifully written world.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

After reading this authors book "The Unmaking of June Farrow" and being amazed by the unique story line (and really confused by a lot of it as well) I was really intrigued to dive into "The Sea of Unspoken Things". However this book is SO different than her other. Her other involves magical realism and time travel whereas this book is straight thriller/mystery. We meet James- the twin sister to Johnny, as she travels back to the small town in the woods that she grew up in, after learning of Johnny's accidental death. There are some "supernatural elements"- her connection to her twin involves feeling physical feelings that he felt, pain in the same spot where he was shot, hearing his voice and 'seeing' him in the town, etc. But none of it felt over the top. Two decades ago, James left the town to move to San Francisco for college and now she is returning for the first time because she believes there is more to the story of her brothers death. At her return she is forced to see the people she left behind (her former boyfriend, friends, the son of Johnny's ex girlfriend, the father of her friend that died, etc)

I found the plot twist to be a lot more normal than I expected (I thought it was going to be really shocking and intense/dark). This book is slow moving revealing small clues along the way. The author does a brilliant job scene setting the small town- how she describes the forest, the houses, the diner, etc- makes you really feel like you are there.

If you are wanting a moody mystery on a rainy day, this may be your cup of tea!

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for an ARC in exchange for my review. Book was released 1/7/2025!

While I would still recommend this book , not my fav from Adrienne! It lacked that whimsical feelings all her books contain

🌊 A Sea of Unspoken Things - Adrienne Young

3.75 ⭐️ - I liked it; I just wanted to like it more. This has a great atmosphere but is a slowww burn. I went in a little bit blind and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but small town mystery it is.

I like the characters (sometimes) and I liked the premise of this book. The mystery was intriguing, but to me, slow. I enjoyed the extra bit of small town romance and I enjoyed how it ended. Something was missing for me though. Something just didn’t quite do it for me. It has some magic but not nearly as much as her others. I am a huge fan of Young’s other books so I won’t be ruling her out! This one is out now and is a January book of the month pick!

Adrienne young has become one of my new favorite authors. Thanks NetGalley for the arc. Beautiful writing, along with an enchanting story. Couldn’t put it down

When her twin brother is killed, James Golden returns to Six Rivers to find out what happened in the days leading up to her brother’s death. Was it more than just an accident? As James navigates her grief, she discovers things about her brother that leave her questioning if she ever knew him at all.
The story takes place in a small town surrounded by forest in Northern California. The setting is very atmospheric and key in contributing to the plot. In addition to the setting, there is a bit mystery and supernatural as James tries to solve the mystery of what happened to her brother and why.
The supernatural was an element I wasn’t expecting, but enjoyed because it allowed me to better understand James and the grief she was dealing with. I absolutely LOVED the writing in this book. It was very poetic, from the imagery of the setting to understanding James as she dealt with the grief of losing her brother. This was a five star read for me and would highly recommend this book. Thank you Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

2.5 stars

After reading and loving The Unmaking of June Farrow (5 stars and one of my 2023 faves!), I’ve been wildly disappointed in the last 2 of Young’s books I’ve read.

The mystery of this one was intriguing but the story was soooo slow it just got so boring to read. I found myself not caring about the characters and just waiting for literally anything to happen. Which it didn’t until 80% in and then suddenly everything wrapped up so quickly.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. However I do enjoy Young’s writing style!

A richly atmospheric mystery set in a small town following the heroine as she comes back home to investigate her twin brother's death. Woven throughout are secrets, new and old, an ominous forest, and a second-chance slow burn romance. A compulsive read I didn't want to put down.

This book is totally different from the Fable series that I've previously read by Adrienne Young. I enjoyed the mystery of the plot, and I kept changing my mind throughout the book about what happened, which made it more intriguing. I also liked the relationship aspect between the main character and her brother. That being said, there was just something missing from this that kept me from rushing through the book, but I can't pinpoint exactly what that something is. I'd recommend this for those who enjoy books about characters returning to their hometown and having a mystery develop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-book copy!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a captivating story that follows James, a woman investigating the death of her twin brother Johnny. James is forced to confront painful memories while seeking justice for her brother and everyone else involved. I really enjoyed Adrienne Young's previous work so I went into this with high expectations. I think the writing was atmospheric and it set the tone for the novel very well. However, I think the story suffered for the sake of atmosphere. It felt like this book dragged at times especially when it came to finding out what happened to the brother. The romance subplot was a bit unnecessary and was distracting to the main story. I wanted to see more of a focus on the side characters especially since they played such a huge part in the overall mystery. I would still recommend this book but go in knowing you might leave it with some questions.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up

Adrienne excels at creating a stunning atmosphere in her stories. A Sea of Unspoken Things had such a hauntingly beautiful ambience.

This follows James Golden as she returns to her hometown after her twin brother’s passing. James has always felt a strong connection to Johnny, even miles away. When she arrives back in Six Rivers, that thread starts to tug her towards things that have her questioning whether his death was an accident. But the more she investigates the more she wonders if she truly even knew Johnny.

This more slow paced which dragged at some points, mainly in the beginning. But it did eventually pick up more and kept me interested in finding out what happened.

If you enjoy mystery with twists and turns and a romance subplot, I’d recommend reading this.

Also the line: “We could fill the fucking ocean with the things we never said to each other.” lives rent free in my head!

Thank you Random House & Delacorte for the ARC!

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young is a big change from the other books I've read by the author and I loved it! I really like a good family drama and when you add in the strange, magical connections that twins have been known to show, it really makes things interesting. The plot was engaging despite its somewhat slower pace. The characters were just amazing. They were so flawed and complex. I loved the character dev throughout the story. This is perfect for fans of Adrienne Young or someone looking for a who done it with a hint of magical realism.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had a fine enough time reading this book. I did definitely like it. However, I just felt completely fine about it. It kind of failed to fully suck me in. I think that for me, that's mostly because I just didn't buy James' relationship with Johnny. If your whole book is going to hinge on how fucking close these two siblings are I need to be able to buy that. However, despite being told continously I just never really got it. To me it seemed like they barely knew each other, and weren't close at all. I think that's just a reason why I couldn't get as invested in this book as I probably should have.
However, I did still think this book was quite enjoyable. This was such a quick read, I absolutely flew through it. It's also a super atmospheric read. I truly felt transported into these vibes, and into this small town. I also thought the small town setting was incredibly well executed. I was also intrigued enough by the mystery to keep reading. I just was let down by how the mystery unfolded. I think the reveals were just so lackluster, leaning from the way too predictable to not set up at all. It was just quite disapointing. It also was so quickly done, that it did not feel like the big impact it should have.
I also just don't think the fantasy elements were needed at all. I truly do not get why they were included at all. I mean, it was interesting, however they just added 0 value to this book. Take them out and you get the exact same book. That also just felt a bit like a let down for me. If you are going to include something fantastical, include it, don't do this shit. This could have 100% just been a regular mystery, nothing fantasy, and it would have improved for me.

Wow. Okay. This was my first book by author Adrienne Young, and I am really impressed! I already have a few more books of hers added to my TBR.
I was instantly drawn to the premise of this book. After years of distance, artist James Golden returns to her rural hometown to put her late twin's affairs in order. But once there she's forced to confront his secrets and her own as she questions what actually happened to him.
I love a good mystery that's steeped in family secrets and drama! James and her twin, Johnny, are classic twins who shared feelings and strong emotions. Felt each other's pain at times. And they definitely shared each other's secrets. I loved their dynamic, and how even though Johnny is gone by the time to book opens, he's still such an important character! We get to know him through some flashbacks, but also through James, who sees and feels his presence throughout their small town.
The plot and the pacing were also just very well done. I actually finished the second half of the book in an afternoon because I needed to know what happened and how everything worked out. James is an artist, but she makes an excellent detective, putting together piece after piece of the mystery. And the clues were so well placed in the story, I'm pleased to say I caught a couple (though not enough to solve the full mystery). The pages flew by as secrets were revealed and the mystery unfolded. I loved it!
I thought the setting for this was just perfect. I've seen a lot of reviews talking about the atmosphere of this book, and I have to agree. Set deep within a forest, logging-based community, this story only works because of the isolation of the town and the characters. It also definitely enhanced some of the dramatic scenes. I may watch too much horror because every time James was alone in Johnny's cabin, I had this deep sense of dread and I loved it.

I was so excited for this one. I did get an early copy from the publisher. This was a very slow paced suspense. It kept my interest for the most part but there were times I had to push through. I would have liked more of a back story on the characters. The ending didn’t really give a clear answer as to why. Maybe I missed it.

Thank you, NetGalley for the chance to read this uncorrected proof, A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young. I really enjoyed this atmospheric thriller. This book had really strong character development, and I loved reading how everyone was connected. The twists and secrets were unexpected. And in the last 10% of the book, there were plenty. There was one secret that added quite a bit to the plot, and I wish it would have played a bigger role throughout the book. Highly recommend this book for fans of small-town drama and thrillers.

4/5 stars to this new release from Adrienne Young. I enjoyed her previous novel, The Unmaking of June Farrow, and this totally met my expectations. An atmospheric mystery with just enough of a magical realism element.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing for this ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

I finished the book and spent the last quarter of it crying. Adrienne Young tells stories in such an interesting way and the touch of magical realism in this story made this haunting. James’ journey to find out what exactly happened to her twin brother was emotional and so hard. The mystery aspect of the story really kept me intrigued and once the story got going, I couldn’t put it down. These characters are flawed and raw and so messy, and yet I found myself crying with them and rooting for them in their search for the truth. I really enjoyed this one.

📖 Book Review 📖
📱 "A Sea of Unspoken Things" by Adrienne Young

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
published January 7, 2025

A small-town mystery where a woman investigates her brother's death while coming to terms with her own haunting past. When she arrives in the rural town in Northern California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to deal with all they shared, all the hurt feelings between them and his best friend Micah, the only person who knows all the secrets and the only man she’s ever loved. Atmospheric, moody, and beautiful with an incredible writing style and great characters made this a slow burn but one that I kept wanting to see what was next.


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Adrienne Young has done it again! This book was absolutely magical, from the eerie atmosphere, to the characters, to the writing, I loved everything about this. It took me a while to read only because I wanted to savor it, and it delivered. We see the magical connection between Johnny and James, and how it keeps going even when he died. James thinks it wasn't an accident so she goes back to her childhood town to try and uncover what really happened, and omg. I was hooked reading this and loved every plot twist.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending this my way!!