A mysterious and atmospheric narrative that delves into sacred bonds.

I had to exercise self-control to not devour this in a single sitting. I managed to stretch my reading out across a whopping two-day time frame. 😆 When magical realism is done right it elevates a storyline and that is definitely the case here.

James knows the moment her brother Johnny is killed though they are miles apart thanks to a twin telepathy bond. This bond functions in a nuanced manner so the reader isn't hit over the head with it, but it's strong in that Johnny's death doesn't erase the echos of it. When James returns to her hometown to get Johnny's affairs in order, she begins to suspect her brother's death wasn't an accident after all.

Will a search for answers yield difficult truths?

There is a sweet romance rekindled with her brother's best friend, Micah. His character was steadfast and added a tremendous amount to the novel.

I love mysteries that take place in rural settings with salt of the earth characters. The prose has a rich haunting quality. I believe Young has another winner on her hands with this beautiful poignant book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine Publishing for providing an Advance Readers Copy for review. These are my unbiased opinions.

Young’s writing is enchanting and she is a magnificent storyteller. This story was intriguing, mysterious, and a little bit magical, a combination that Young seems to love and excel at. I really enjoyed it and felt fully immersed in the atmosphere and narrative. For me, it took one turn too many and that’s why I took off one star, but otherwise I think if you’ve loved Young’s other work you’ll love this one!

So happy that I got approved for a copy of this book, I literally squealed out loud when I opened my email. I absolutely love Adrienne Young's writing style and her stories. This book sucked me in right away and I could not stop reading. I could feel James's grief for losing her twin through the pages so strongly. Her writing brought all the characters to life and I got so invested into James and Micah's rekindling romance. Her writing of the book's setting was so hauntingly atmospheric and beautiful. I felt like I was deep in the forest and at the gorge. I highly recommend giving this one a read !!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

A Sea of Unspoken things had so many things I love: atmospheric writing, a little bit of magical realism, family secrets, and a dash of a love story.

This follows James, who’s in her Northern California hometown to tie up loose ends after her twin brother, Johnny, was killed in an accident. As she gets deeper into his life, more and more secrets are uncovered, and she begins to wonder how well she knew her brother.

This book was a wild ride, full of twists and turns, and I especially couldn’t put it down once I got to the second half.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Delacorte press for an advanced copy!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Pub Date: 1/14
•
Huge thank you to NetGalley, PRH Audio, Adrienne Young and Ballantine Publishing and Delacorte Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.
•
James and her twin brother Johnny were once inseparable twins. That is until James went to art school, and they lost touch. Now that Johnny is dead, James returns to their home town to try to figure out what exactly happened to Johnny.
•
I recently read Spells for Forgetting, and I absolutely fell in love with Young's atmospheric writing style. A Sea of Unspoken Things was no different, this story was so atmospheric and just beautifully written that you cannot help but get roped into this story. I felt like I was transported into this story and that I was right with James as she tried to navigate all of the changes that were going on in her life, while also coming to terms with her past. I loved the mystery surrounding Johnny. I loved the characters and the town. I loved this story. This is a steady paced story, and you won't be able to put it down. I love where Young went with the ending in this one as well.
•
I listened to this one while reading on my kindle and it was read by Christine Laken who was absolutely phenomenal for this role. I feel like she really helped create the perfect atmosphere for this one. The audiobook is absolutely superb! Check it out!
•
Overall, this was a huge win for me. You need to pick up this book - do not sit on it!

James gets a call that her twin brother Johnny was killed, and she has to go back to their hometown of Six Rivers, California to settle his affairs. She hasn't been back since she graduated from high school, and isn't eager to revisit the past, and possibly reopen old wounds. As she is going through his things, she realizes she didn't know him as well as she thought. Johnny had secrets, and she isn't sure whether she should dig deeper to unravel the days leading up to his death, or let the past be buried with him.

I normally love this author's books, but this one was a miss for me. It wasn't a bad book - just not as good as her other books have been. This one was a slow burn for almost the entire book. Right at the very end, there were several reveals and twists and turns, but up until that point the story was very slow moving. This book also lacked the mysticism or fantasy element that the other books I have read by her have contained. This book was purely a mystery. The mystery did keep me guessing, which was a bonus. Overall, this is a solid 4 out of 5.

Adrienne Young really flourishes in the mystical small-town, magical realism realm of subgenre of fantasy. They've established themselves within these pages with their intricate plotline, slow-aced unravelling of mysteries, and characters that are as real as you. I really enjoyed their other book, The Unmaking of June Farrow, and if you enjoyed that too, then I'd suggest reading this book, It follows the similar pace of storytelling, large cast with threads intertwined with each other, What it comes down to is that if you're looking for characters that could be your neighbour or your friend and a small town vibe with rainy days and walks beside the trees as you contemplate all that has happened in your life and what might happen next, then this is the book for you.

Adrienne Young's A Sea of Unspoken Things is a hauntingly lyrical exploration of love, loss, and the intangible threads that bind us to one another. Set against the backdrop of a stormy coastal town, the novel dives deep into the inner lives of its characters, crafting a story that feels both timeless and achingly personal.

Young's prose is a standout feature, weaving vivid imagery with emotional depth. The way she describes the sea—at once beautiful and menacing—acts as a perfect metaphor for the complexities of human relationships. The characters, particularly the introspective protagonist, are deeply layered, and their struggles with vulnerability and truth feel relatable and genuine.

4.25 stars

When news of her twin brother's passing reaches James, she had already known deep in her bones. James and Johnny have an almost magical connection to each other, and even though Johnny is gone James can still feel him, and that only grows stronger when she's forced to return to her small hometown to finish out the photography project Johnny was working on. The official story is that Johnny got hit from a stray bullet during hunting season, but that explanation doesn't sit right with James. Slowly, with help from Micah (the one who got away), James will unravel all the secrets that exist in this small town.

This is one of the slower paced mysteries I've read, but with Young's writing I was enjoying every second of it. I could picture this town so vividly, and I could feel every emotion that James was having trying to find the truth. If you're looking for a slower paced mystery with small town secrets, I think you have to add this to your TBR!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Twins Johnny and James (boy and girl, respectively) have that magical twin bond, so she knows the minute Johnny was killed. When she returns to their hometown to get his affairs in order, she starts to see, hear, and even feel things from Johnny that make her believe his death wasn’t an accident. 😬

This one was slow to start, but kept my interest as the story unfolded. I definitely didn’t figure out any twists, and I loved the atmospheric element of this story. It felt like the town and the woods were its own characters. I haven’t read The Unmaking of June Farrow yet, but my wife is reading it right now. I’ve heard great things and it’s on my TBR!

If you love small-town mysteries with a slow burn and memorable atmosphere, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A small town mystery filled with secrets, family, and love. Hooked early and couldn’t wait to devour this book.

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young is a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. The novel follows James, a woman returning to her small hometown to unravel the secrets surrounding her twin brother's mysterious death.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its atmospheric setting. Young skillfully crafts a haunting atmosphere, infusing the story with a sense of dread and foreboding. The small, isolated town of Hawthorne provides the perfect backdrop for the unfolding mystery, with its brooding forests and lingering secrets.

The character development is another highlight. James is a complex and relatable protagonist, grappling with grief, guilt, and the weight of the past. Her interactions with the enigmatic Micah, a man from her past, add depth and tension to the narrative. However, some secondary characters felt underdeveloped, leaving their motivations and backstories somewhat unclear.

While the mystery at the heart of the story is intriguing, the pacing can be uneven at times. The first half of the book builds slowly, with a focus on character development and world-building. While this approach allows for a deeper connection with the characters, it may frustrate readers eager for faster-paced action.

Overall, A Sea of Unspoken Things is a well-written and atmospheric novel that will appeal to fans of Young's previous works and readers who enjoy a blend of mystery and romance. While the pacing may be uneven and some characters could benefit from further development, the compelling story and evocative setting make it a worthwhile read.

Posted to Goodreads: 12/19/24

Young has done it again with this whimsical and fierce small town mystery/thriller. Throughout the book, Young portrays an almost spiritual connection between James and her deceased twin, Johnny. One could say there are seemingly paranormal aspects to the writing, and Young is able to describe the vastness of the wilderness and also its quiet. You are pulled into the small town setting, and see James return to a world she left 20 years ago, where she is now a stranger. I was given the opportunity to read this book through NetGalley, and hope that other readers find it as enjoyable as I did!

Adrienne Young, I don't know what you put in your books but they are stunning. And A Sea of Unspoken Things is no different. This book is filled with eerie secrets, grief, loss, history, and a small town.
This is the perfect blend of romance, mystery, suspense, and coming to terms with your past. James Golden comes home to settle the affairs of her twin brother's death and to make sense of what were his final days. But things aren't what they seem and that sends James desperately trying to uncover those things, with the help of Micha, the only man who she has ever truly loved (TENSION!!!) All of this wrapped up in the eerie fantasticalness that Adrienne Young sprinkles in her books that just makes them something to be devoured.
.Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for sending me this ARC.

4.5 stars
Adrienne Young's books have a way of embedding themselves in your soul. 💕

This is hauntingly beautiful. *sigh* With her beautiful prose and writing, Adrienne Young has a way of transporting you right into her stories. This book will bring you in a roller-coaster of emotions from heartbreak and hope to angst and suspicion.


Our MFC James, yes, her name is James, is called back to Six Rivers when she gets the call that her twin brother, Johnny, is dead. She needs to return to the town she ran from at 18 to settle Johnny's affairs. James and Johnny have always had that strong twin telepathy all their lives, so when James starts getting these strong feelings and visions she knows that it's something she needs to pursue, and everything is telling her that her brother didn't die in a hunting accident. When she starts looking until things, she begins to wonder if she really knew James ever at all, so she calls upon his best friend Micah, who was her first love, to start asking questions. What unfolds looking in Johnny's death starts bringing up things from Johnny, Micah, and James' past she'd like to leave in the past, but to uncover the truth, she knows she must confront it everything she's been running from since the moment she left.



A big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Expected release date January 7, 2025.

Okay okay okay!!!! So the first 90 or so pages were very slow for me, which made me very nervous. But after a certain point the story picks up and it was truly IMPOSSIBLE to put down! Omfg! This book gives off *major* Twin Peaks vibes. The twists and turns were so good! I truly didn’t see any of it coming! This book is full of mystery and atmosphere and small town vibes - all things I love!

After the suspicious death of her twin brother, James returns to the small town she fled 20 years ago to get answers, forcing her to uncover truths from their shared past.

I loved this. I DNFd one of her other books so I went in cautiously optimistic to this one. The writing BLEW ME AWAY. The author transported me into the dense forest with her haunting and atmospheric style. There’s a dash of magical realism/twin “stuff” and I was worried it would go in a weird direction but it was sprinkled in beautifully and subtly. The ending was bittersweet but it felt right. If you’re looking for a well-written mystery with a focus on small towns, family dynamics, and nature, definitely give this a go when it comes out.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Once again Adrienne Young writes an atmospheric mystery that you can't help but get swept away in. If you like dark, moody, misty vibes then this is the book for you. It is very similar to Spells for Forgetting.

James returns to her small town after the death of her twin brother Johnny. There's secrets as to why she left and never returned and also weird circumstances surrounding Johnny's death. James decides to stay in town to finish up the project Johnny was working on for the California Academy of Sciences and in doing so reignites all her old feelings for her small town and the man who was once her high school boyfriend. Overall the story itself is short, so there's not a lot of time spent with the characters and I wish we had a little more insight into their wants, psyches, etc.

I like the dynamic between James and Micah, how they navigate a second chance romance as the subplot to the murder and mystery. I wish there was a better explanation for the twin bond and sensations James has around Johnny, like knowing his feelings or sensing him after his death. We don't get a lot of explanations beyond that she always felt connected to him and I wish it had been more thoroughly explained.

Vibes;
Moody and spooky
Small town
Murder mystery
Family dynamics
Dual timelines
Second chance

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for the setting and vibes but left me wanting more of the actual plot and characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an early copy of this book!

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
Pub Date: Jan 7, 2025

This was my first book by this author and now I want to read them all! I went in blind to this one and absolutely loved it. Mostly a mystery novel following a sister searching for the truth behind the death of her brother. Loved the writing style and I did not want to put it down. I did not see the twists at the end coming!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and PRH Audio for the early access to Adrienne Young’s new novel. Young always weaves in magical realism to her books, but this one definitely has the least magic that I’ve seen from her in awhile. The magic thread is a line between twin siblings—and as a twin mom, I loved this concept. Add in a mystery that just doesn’t seem to add up when one of the twins is found dead in the woods…this book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire way. I really loved this new Young book and hands down recommend!