While this novel was a bit of a departure from the typical magical realism I've come to expect from Adrienne Young, it was still an ejoyable read and interesting storyline. I was hoping to get a bit more of the magical side of things but overall it was a satisfying story.

4.25 ⭐

Adrienne Young never misses 👏🏼

What you'd expect in a novel by Adrienne Young is there in terms of imagery, captivating atmosphere, and twists. I'm never not impressed with the way she can pull together a scene and make you feel like you're out in the remote Six Rivers, CA area with these characters.

I will say this one felt truly unique and a little bit like a new voice. It leaned more into mystery, intrigue, solve-the-murder type storytelling, and almost thriller? While her magical realism elements are always subtle, this one truly felt more reality with a touch of that. It also felt more moody and 'dark' in nature.

The first half of the book revolves around James who originally got out of Six Rivers when she was young and hasn't been back since for reasons we start to uncover. She comes back when she finds out her twin brother Johnny died. Being away so long, we start to learn about her and her brother as she rediscovers who he was. Coming back to a love interest, town, and place that once had so many emotions, we start to gain perspective into their lives before she left.

It then becomes more murder mystery as she tries to uncover what happened the day her brother passed away. There are twists and turns that keep you guessing!

Overall, I couldn't put this down for quite some time. I wished there was a little more focus on James and her love interest but I also think the story was more than that. When I rank it to all time faces like Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow, it's not 10/10 like those were but fans of that will surely love this!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is such a softness to Adrienne’s writing that I cannot help but fall into her stories with pure ease. This one felt a lot like reading Spells for Forgetting, so if you enjoyed that vibe, then there is a good chance you will enjoy this one. It gives Ghost Whisperer with a hint of I Know What You Did Last Summer (Is there a JLH thing going on here?). Three word summation: eerie, emotional, and entertaining.

** Quick Clarification: I think it needs to be stated that this is not a romance novel. This is primarily a mystery/suspense story focused on siblings with a second chance romance quietly in the background.

Things I Loved:
🦉The Atmospheric Writing: Whatever world Adrienne creates, I feel, down to my bones, like I am there. The small town of Six Rivers, the cabins, the forest, all of it was so beautifully and vividly presented.
🦉The Mysterious Nature of Things: The hints of supernatural energy, from the twin bond and visions to Smoke and the forest, kept my interest piqued. The premise is fascinating.
🦉The Mystery/Investigation: I experienced a visceral need for answers to the many questions I accumulated throughout reading this story. I thought I knew something, and then suddenly I knew nothing. My growing confusion and desire for the truth began to mirror James’, and that made this start to feel personal to me. That’s how invested I was and how impactful Adrienne’s words are, and why I stayed up until well past midnight to get all of the answers.
🦉The Twists and Turns: I did not see most of them coming and was happily (but also frustratingly) kept on my toes the entire time.

Things I Struggled With:
🎒The Second Chance Romance: What I got of Micah and James I enjoyed, but I struggled with the 20 year gap in their separation. I also felt like whenever they started to have a moment or something significant was on the horizon, the chapter ended. At times, it read like I was getting a CliffsNotes version of their relationship. I would have loved some flashbacks to their time together as kids or sections from Micah’s POV to believe in their intense bond and love that apparently lasted a break of 20 years. This is not a romance novel, but if it’s there, I believe it should be developed more.
🎒A Side Character’s Role: I won’t name names to avoid spoilers, but I didn’t particularly appreciate how a situation was handled in the end. It’s never clear if James and this person actually talk about their relationship, so how things panned out at the final art show made me uncomfortable.

This book is 288 pages in its current ARC state. That leaves a lot of room to potentially build out the past storyline and add in some flashbacks/other POV snippets. Overall, I really enjoyed the wild ride this story took me on, but I wanted slightly more development in some areas. Adrienne still remains one of my auto-buy authors because I absolutely love her writing and the journeys she takes me on.

** Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. **

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a title that I've never felt more connected with. It fits the novel perfectly, but also creates this understanding that humans are difficult and relationships are hard.
I enjoyed this novel. I felt that the chasm of growing up and moving away from a small town is great, especially when sadness and heartbreak are involved. Traveling through the grief process with James was emotional and moving. Young provides that inherent pull towards the fascination of the twin-telepathy with the connection between Johnny and James and it allows the reader to immerse themselves into the pain, uncertainty, and happiness that can follow.

Another unputdownable read from Adrienne Young!

I knew that I needed to clear my schedule for an evening before picking this book up because I lack the will power to stop reading this author's stories once I've started. Her writing style is so engaging and descriptive, it makes for a really immersive read.

I really enjoy stories that blur the fine line between reality and supernatural elements. Mentally it's a tug-of-war between accepting the rational explanation or the fantastical one; as I'm following along with the story trying to solve the mystery. The storyline was so intriguing, I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

I would absolutely recommend adding this book to your TBR and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you Adrienne Young, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an ARC of this book.

There’s something so entrancing and atmospheric about Adrienne Young’s writing. Her stories are always so captivating that it’s hard to put them down.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is the 8th book I’ve read by this author and I have absolutely loved every single one. She knows how to grab you from that very first page and never let go.

This story is heartbreaking and I loved every second of it.

*In a Sea of Unspoken Things* by Adrienne Young is a beautifully poignant novel that explores the depth of human emotions and unspoken truths. Young’s lyrical writing and complex characters make the story both intimate and powerful. A deeply moving read that lingers in the heart long after it's finished.

I love the style of Adrienne Young’s writing but was a little disappointed in the ending of this one

I LOVE Adrienne Young and think she is a brilliant storyteller! Her books are always so immersive and atmospheric - and A Sea of Unspoken Things was no different.

I read this book very quickly, and was driven by solving Johnny's mystery. Even though I went in blind except for knowing this was about twins, I had hoped for more magical realism and more of an on-page twin relationship. I was also a bit disappointed when it turned out to be more of a who-dun-it + a small paranormal element.

Totally recommend for fans of general fiction, but sadly not really my cup of tea!

I have had The Unmaking of June Farrow and Spells for Forgetting on my shelves for a while now and ironically this is the first book I’ve read by Adrienne Young.

As a giant fan of Alice Hoffman, I’m always prepared to jump into a magical or witchy book with full force but the others have sat on my shelves for the perfect “season” and it seems A Sea of Unspoken Things has come at the perfect time and the urge to read the others is strong.

Firstly, the title of this book evokes so much imagery that I went in not knowing anything of the plot but felt prepared to be lead on a beautiful journey. Young blends together the cozy magical atmosphere she is known for with an underlining mystery that will keep you guessing. Young uses the tether that twins can have to put a supernatural twist in this grounded story and it does exactly what it sets off to do.

My one critique is that because the book is so rooted in reality, I wanted the ghost/supernatural aspect to hit a bit harder but that’s also personal preference and not enough to detract from the book overall. A Sea of Unspoken Things is exactly what it sounds like and takes us to the deepest depths of grief, absolution, and love.

Synopsis: A woman investigates her brother's mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past.

Thoughts:
This was an interesting one for me. I was expecting the story to take place by or near the ocean (from the title) and it was deep in the woods. I absolutely adored The Unmaking of June Farrow and Fable so I had high hopes for this one. There were a few things I was confused about. One - this book is categorized as a Fantasy and it is NOT a fantasy. It is a mystery thriller and slightly magical realism. Secondly, it took me a long time to realize that the main character is female. Her name is James, so it really threw me off and probably until about 15-20% of the way through the book I realized that she was a female.

I still love Adrienne Young and need to read the rest of her backlist. This one just didn't do it for me and that's ok!

My rating: 3/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for the free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start out by saying that I absolutely love the World of the Narrows series by Adrienne Young, and am very eager to read basically anything she writes. Unfortunately I think her YA novels are a better fit for me than her adult novels.

This is only the second of her adult novels I’ve read (I have not read The Unmaking of June Farrow yet) however there are a LOT of similarities between this book and Spells For Forgetting. I’m sure this will work for many people better than it worked for me. And of course they do each have their own stories, however within 50 pages it just felt so familiar. The main character leaves their small town after the death of a close friend as a teenager, returns after the death of a family member, and is reunited with their first love.

I do understand why the Griffin storyline was included but it felt like the story of what happened was teased for a long time, and by the time it was all revealed I’m not sure if I really felt like it mattered anymore. So much was told about Johnny, who he was and what James knew and didn’t, that it felt like that was ‘revealed’ at a time just to make Johnny seem a certain way and I just didn't love that. It was too much with the timing of everything with Autumn and the implications made towards Johnny with that.

All of that being said, I did think that the way things were resolved was good, and made sense which I appreciated. The last chapter was more of an epilogue than just a final chapter, which is fine, just noting it because I know how some people feel about epilogues.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Adrienne Young does it again! I really enjoyed this book from start to finish, so much so that I finished it in one day! I absolutely loved the setting and atmosphere. The moodiness of the forest and nature is so enchanting and Adrienne Young does such a great job of making you feel like you are there. As far as the plot goes, I was making guesses left and right about how it would end. At one point I was convinced everyone was guilty! I thought the last 25% was especially exciting and caught me off guard in the best way. I love when thrillers surprise you while still feeling like the conclusion makes sense. My only gripe was the lack of development between James and Micah reconnecting. I wanted MORE! I wanted to feel them falling back in love but I just didn't totally get that. Overall, a great book with great twists and characters. Will be recommending to friends once this book is released!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things.

I absolutely loved The Unmaking of June Farrow so this was a very highly anticipated read for me...it pains me to say that I liked this, but didn't love it. I kept waiting to find the magic I expected and never really found it. The book was also a very slow burn and I didn't feel like anything happened until around 72%.

All that being said, this was entirely a plot and pacing issue for me. Adrienne Young has the absolute most beautiful, smooth flowing writing and I'm already looking forward to her next release.

3.5 stars

This book surprised me - I literally gasped out loud several times! I’m not usually a fan of thrillers but I couldn’t put this book down. If you liked the general vibes of Spells for Forgetting but loved the gorgeous story telling in The Unmaking of June Farrow, this book is for you!

The first few pages from the book were quick to grab my attention. As someone who struggles sometimes to get into a book in the first chapter, I really liked how Adrienne began. The story begins with the main character, James, returning to her hometown. Her brother has just died, but she believes there’s more than it only being an accident.

Right away the author shows us exactly where the story takes place. I love Adrienne’s descriptions because I know where I am, and I can mentally see the nature surrounding the main character. Her words express how James is feeling about the sudden loss of her twin. I felt her grief and the way she’s maneuvering the town that she hasn’t visited in twenty years, which come from different reasons.

I enjoyed all the guessing and wondering what the truth is. I felt like I pinpointed certain characters from the beginning, but I was only to guess one correct. I think the only reason I’m taking away a star is because of James and Micah. I loved them in the end, but I wanted more story for them. I think I wanted more from their relationship and why they were still into each other. I understand they’re each other’s first love, but many years have passed, and no other event has happened between them. I also wished he had more dialogue in there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group.

James comes back to Six Rivers (think Virgin River, but much darker), after the unthinkable happens - her twin brother Johnny dies from a gunshot wound, from a hunter's accidental gun. Or is that really what happened?

James can feel the movements from her twin, even when they're not together. Coming back to this sleepy Northern California town, where she quickly left after another tragedy happened before leaving for college. James faces the inevitable old friends, lovers, and a town full of people who don't like the fact that she just left.

The first half of this book is about discovering who was Johnny? Who are these other intricate characters that may know what happened to him? What does it feel like to lose the only family left behind? What kind of secrets remained buried and how do you recover from tragedy?
The second half turned into a murder mystery, one that will leave you guessing until the very end.

This is my first Adrienne Young novel, and surely not my last. Though the book can easily be ready in one day, it carries so much emotion and intrigue, it almost reads as a much longer book. Six Rivers is a dark and moody small town, and leaves you feeling uncomfortable until the very last page. Though sometimes home can be like that - you don't appreciate what it truly is until you realize you should never have left.

I loved the first book, The Unmaking of June Farrow, from the author and was eagerly looking forward to this one. As always, the author manages to weave an intricate story with the sense of time and place. It is always a joy to read such well built storylines. Looking forward to future works from the author

This was ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me! (and believe me I am being generous) I honestly had a big expectation because I have heard such an incredible things about author and her books. So when I saw this book on NetGalley I thought why not request it and read it. Well I did and it was disappointing.

“We were made in the dark but we’d found a way to create our own kind of light”

I was provided eARC by publisher through NetGalley and this is purely my own opinion.

This was outside of my preferred genre which is fantasy but I was excited to read magical realism, atmospheric mystery and thriller, but the story took so long to form and story was just little exciting after 70% mark. So I literally pushed myself to read and finish it.

I actually like so much the fact that dead twin brother is photographer and the twin sister protagonist is a painter. Because I am a film photographer and abstract artist. So the inner throughs of protagonist around being artist was relatable. I also love the part of behind the scene of film photography which was beautifully described.

This quote how I exactly feel about my photography journey “the camera had been the eye through which Johnny saw the world. A window, where he could watch from a safe distance” it felt so personal and resonant for me. This was my favorite part about storyline.

Twins having supernatural bonds and it got activated more through the death of twin brother and James our protagonist is coming back her hometown after 20 years later but the life she left behind was still there and alive. So she was figuring out her brother Johnny’s death meanwhile facing her past and whatever she left behind.

The story had so much potential but it was flat and unsatisfying. I didn’t like it has lose ends when author mentioned so many times then we didn’t get any consequences. ( I am talking about Ben). I also found the romance flat and uninteresting. Lastly, nowhere in hell James is 37 years old woman she acted like in her mid 20s.

I wanna finish my review the quote from book which fits so well with my review 😌 “wishing things were different only drove deeper how unfair it was they weren’t” (exactly my thoughts about this book 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital review copy of this fast-paced, mystery-laced fiction. True to Adrienne Young’s style, this novel was infused with intense family dynamics, gentle romance, and supernatural elements. I yearned for more, however, and was left feeling a little deflated by this much anticipated novel. The things I typically enjoy about her books were tampered down some, which was unfortunate. I felt the twists at the end could have used more umph, more drama; they were enjoyable—one was not predictable, but I wished there had been more explanation, more said about it. The ending felt stunted because of this.

Overall, I can see fans of Adrienne Young’s enjoying this and I will continue to read what she puts out in the future!