In this captivating atmospheric novel, a woman investigates her twin brother's mysterious death while confronting the ghosts of her own haunted past.

The book setting and writing style is very intriguing; guiding the reader along a tension-filled story line exploring grief, sibling bonds, and confronting your past. As much as the story was gripping and engaging, it never really delivered the big bombshell I felt was just around the corner. There were some twists and turns, but many seemed obvious.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed some of her previous work a lot better. I don't think this lived up to what the author has written before. It wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great.

I loved Young's latest—all the lush, atmospheric setting details and complex family and friend backstories that I've come to expect! I loved the layer of sibling dynamics brought into this, as well as the past romantic relationship and mysterious intrigue.

Adrienne Young will forever be one of my favorite writers. She does an incredible job crafting beautiful and atmospheric novels. 𝗔 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 combines small town mystery and magical realism, resulting in a stunning story of nature, family, grief, and love. As a mom of twins, I felt particularly connected to James’ story and her desire to solve the mystery of her twin brother’s death. She relied on her instincts and her strong connection with her brother to find out what really happened to him, and that strong twin bond reminded me of my own children.

Adrienne Young also does a great job creating love interests that always make me swoon, and Micah was no exception. Micah was the love her life, left behind when James decided to start a new life outside of her small town. I enjoyed watching their second chance unfurl once she came back to town.

I highly recommend this to readers who love magical realism and small town mystery! Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved many of her books and this is probably my least favourite. The character’s felt more shallow than usual. The romance felt forced. They had zero communication (no text, no email, no phone call, no in person) for 20 years and changed from teenagers to adults in their 30s, but after a couple weeks of minimal contact they were suddenly in love again. I did like the murder mystery and the resolution of it. It had the same melancholy as the other books. If I was rating it on melancholy alone, it would be 4 stars.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were in no way influenced by receiving this copy.

I typically am a big fan of Adrienne Young's work, both adult and YA, Fable and The Unmaking of June Farrow are some of my all time favorite reads. However this book was just, not it.

I was disappointed in the plot. The magical realism in this story fell flat. It read more like hyperbole twin-tuition than anything spooky or mystical.

I also hated our bad guy(s) of the story. I'm pretty sure that for most of the story we all thought it was one of the same two people who killed Johnny, if it ended up being foul play (I'm trying to be vague for spoilers sake here). But what it actually boiled down to was an adult having beef with an actual child DESPITE being said child's friend and mentor?? That's (excuse my language) fucking weird.

***Spoilers ahead because I don't want to keep being vague***

It's disappointing that what was supposed to be a murder mystery about Johnny ended up being a murder mystery about Autumn. Like yeah I know in books often a subplot will tie itself into the main plot that ends up being a way bigger deal than our main character thought it would be initially. But this one was just annoying. Like they decided that Autumn was dead and stopped looking for her body that very realistically could've still been out there beings they know the exact spot that she fell and it had only been 6ish months? I know wildlife would've done something to the body + decay but like. Come on that's someone's family out there, she was just a kid.

And they do this whole shindig for Autumn and James and Micah, the two most believing that Johnny died in foul play, were just damn I guess it was an accident huh? That sucks for old buddy old pal, RIP King, and spread his ashes. And only THEN do they LOOK AT THE WALL of pictures and then ASK A FEW QUESTIONS, like why does no one ask questions in this town?? Especially with as easily as people freaking answer them.

What did the owls have to do with this freaking story. I thought the owl with the messed up foot would be a bigger deal, like he had the answer to Johnny's death?? But then they just, forgot about the owls for the back 2/3 of the book, other than when they needed to bring back in James' love interest that we completely forgot about for 9/10 of the book.

Also I don't care who this author is and that these are her characters. But after reading this book, James was not the character to leave S.F. and go live in her po-dunk little home town. She FOUGHT to get out to the point that she hasn't talked to her brother in YEARS and when he dies it still takes her MONTHS to get out there to clear up his estates.... sorry but that girl isn't one to live in that small down again.

I always enjoy Adrienne Young’s books and this was no exception. This wasn’t my favorite but it’s still a solid read. I think I was hoping for more magic and less hunting at magic or the supernatural. Also, I think the ending wrapped up too quickly. In the last 10%, we had all but given up hope of ever finding justice for Johnny and I thought that seemed odd. I wanted the reveal to be a bit flashier.

Overall, I’d recommend reading this one if you like Adrienne’s other adult books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall, I liked book. I’m not a fan of murder mystery, which this very much felt like to me, but the ending was good enough. I’d probably give it 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because it’s not my fave genre, but it wasn’t a bad book either. There’s a touch of magic in her other books that I’ve read. I didn’t care for it in this book, as it didn’t seem to help the story along. I received this book as an ARC and I’m grateful for the opportunity to read it.

This story had me at the edge of my seat from the very beginning! I’m not usually one for suspense and mystery… mostly because I’m a scaredy cat about everything 😅 but I was hooked.

We follow James, our FMC, as she returns to her quiet rural hometown of Six Rivers. Her twin brother Johnny has passed, and the moment she feels it in her body (quite literally) before the call even comes in, you know this is going to be a heavy one. There’s a deep, almost unexplainable connection between them and is written in such a haunting way, it gave me goosebumps at times.

James doesn’t believe Johnny’s death was just some accident. And even though she left town twenty years ago to escape the past and the weight of old secrets, she finds herself going back in forced to face it all if she wants the truth.

This book had a GRIP on me almost immediately. The way the author starts the story sets that eerie, emotional tone right away, and I found myself flying through the pages needing to know what was coming. I had to literally force myself to put it down and take care of IRL responsibilities.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s my first time reading Adrienne Young, and after seeing so much love for her work, I truly get it now. Her storytelling pulls you deep and immerses you that makes you want to keep reading (no matter what you need to be doing instead!). I’ll most definitely be diving into more of her books.

Thank you to Adrienne Young, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for the chance to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

Nice writing and descriptive leading to a very atmospheric read but I never connected to the characters. Not very suspenseful, I kept waiting on it to make a turn.

This book was very different from the authors past. I wanted a little more paranormal aspects from this. I thought it would go down the ghost route but it was simply a family drama.

While not my favorite Adrienne Young book, I did enjoy this much more than June Farrow. As always, her writing is lush and atmospheric. She's so good at setting the scene and creating a beautifully layered, slow-burn story. I rated this highly just for that. Unfortunately, there was just something missing that kept this from being a 5-star read for me. The pacing was a little too slow, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I was also hoping for a touch more of the magical realism/supernatural, although in the end I did like how it was just a bit out of reach. It really contributes to the slightly spooky atmosphere and enhances the central mystery.

Overall a solid book from a favorite author, and I will continue to read anything she writes!

After not loving Adrienne Young’s last adult book (The Unmaking of June Farrow), I was a little wary going into this one. Fortunately, this reminded me more of Spells for Forgetting, which I really enjoyed.

The story focuses on James, who returns to her secluded hometown after her twin brother's sudden death. While his death was ruled a hunting accident, James can’t help feeling there’s something more going on. As she digs deeper into Johnny’s life and his secrets, she becomes convinced his death was not an accident after all.

As always, Young’s writing is beautiful, and she has such a knack for setting the scene. The atmosphere of this book felt so eerie, and the touch of the supernatural lent itself beautifully to the mystery. The pacing is a bit slow to begin, but picks up speed after about the halfway mark. I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and did not predict the outcome at all.

Overall an enjoyable read, and definitely recommended if you’re looking for a mystery with a touch of magical realism.

I loved this book. A Sea of Unspoken Things is everything I adore about Adrienne Young’s writing—lyrical, emotional, and totally immersive. She has this magical way of creating characters who feel so raw and real, and a world that pulls you in from the very first page.

The story is beautifully layered, with so much quiet power in the way it explores grief, healing, and connection. It’s not a loud or flashy kind of book—it’s the kind that sneaks up on you, hits you right in the heart, and lingers long after you finish. The writing? Gorgeous. The emotions? Gut-punching. The atmosphere? Pure Adrienne Young magic.

Honestly, she’s one of my favorite authors for a reason, and this book just proves it again. I didn’t want it to end.

If you love emotional, character-driven stories with stunning prose and all the feels—this is it.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a rainy, stormy day book. The whole thing is just shrouded in a darkness like the cloudy sky, intense and gently lurking, but leaving you not quite sure what to expect, other than something. The sleepiness of a gentle rain? The drama of a downpour? Or maybe something like the intensity of a thunderstorm? Somehow this book is all of those things and none of them.

It follows James as she wrestles with the grief of losing her twin brother Johnny, who she was once close with, but less so in the last 15 years. It starts with James returning to her hometown, a place she hasn’t visited since she left straight out of high school. James has always shared a strange connection with her brother, but once she's back in town, she finds herself faced with his ghost as she tries to piece together what exactly happened to her brother while dealing with other metaphorical ghosts of her past.

I loved the eeriness of this story. It was never scary or really even spooky, but there was always that lurking feeling, waiting for the other shoe to drop and wondering who was in the shadows. Sometimes you’d wonder what was even going on. With that, James and Johnny’s “strange connection” was done so well. Their connection is more to each other’s feelings which seemed to add more to the vibes of the story that the kitschiness of reading each other’s minds would have ruined. Without spoiling anything, I would like to say I enjoyed how the connection expanded after Johnny’s death. It made me wonder if James and Johnny’s desire to keep secrets when he was alive kept them from understanding just what they could do with their connection.

I also loved the backdrop of the small town hidden in a little forested pocket in the mountains. To me, it felt so vivid and real. The people are just as much so, too.

James’s character is so well done as we see her grieving her brother and coming to terms with the fact that maybe she didn’t know him quite the way she thought. I also liked seeing her revisit the town and comparing the ghosts of her past and the people and things she knew with what’s there now. I also liked seeing her relationship with Micah after where they left things when she disappeared after high school.

The mystery element of this book was so well done too. It leaves you uneasy, waiting to figure out what’s going on and trying to see if you can piece it together yourself. The ending was a little predictable, but also not at all. Part of it left me shocked, but also it felt right. The other part seemed pretty clear throughout the last chunk of the story. For a split second, I was a bit frustrated that we weren’t going to get all the answers, but we did eventually. It is a bit of a slower paced book, but Adrienne Young uses the space so well and things came together perfectly.

I loved the blend of genres in this book and how it was never any one thing. It’s mystery, magical, romance all wrapped up in one book. However, it is so not a thriller. There is hardly any threat to our main character with none of the action or fast pace you’d expect from a thriller. I feel like this needs to be said and noted by readers before going in.
Definitely a must read on any given rainy day!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is haunting, lyrical, and emotionally charged in all the best ways. Adrienne Young has such a gift for crafting atmosphere—you can practically feel the salt in the air, the weight of secrets, and the ache of everything left unsaid between the characters.

This story is as much about what isn’t said as what is. The emotional tension runs deep, and I found myself completely wrapped up in the slow unraveling of the past and the delicate way relationships were portrayed—both romantic and familial. The characters are beautifully flawed, and their connections feel raw and real, layered with regret, longing, and hope.

Young’s prose is, as always, stunning. Every sentence feels intentional, and the pacing gave just enough breathing room for the emotions to land without dragging. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally—quiet but powerful.

If you’re in the mood for a moody, introspective read with gorgeously crafted writing and characters who linger long after the final page, A Sea of Unspoken Things is absolutely worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review "A Sea of Unspoken Things." For a thriller it was a very slow burn. I felt it was more of a realistic drama than a thriller. I had high hopes for this acclaimed author, but the book was very slow.

3.5 stars! Character driven. Atmospheric and lush. Adrienne Young’s writing is always so engaging, beautiful, and captivating. It has some elements of magical realism but I wish there was a little more from that.

Secrets surround James twin brother’s death back in the town they grew up in. She left her own secrets behind and an old flame, almost 20 years ago. She comes back into town to get his things in order and starts pulling at the thread of his death that was ruled an accident. What will her questions reveal? And what happens when her ex gets involved with the investigation?!

If you liked Spells for Forgetting this one feels like an echo of that.

I loved the atmosphere of this story! Adrienne Young is always so great and telling a story that you can feel as you’re reading it.