Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was such an engaging read! The storyline was about twins with a "supernatural" connection even in death. I love a good mystery and I could not put this one down. The characters were wonderful rendered and the scenery was a character in itself. This one tugged at all the emotions and I loved every single word. Highly recommend

The Unmaking of June Farrow was one of my favorite books of 2023—I loved it so much that I read the ARC twice before it was even published. So, when I saw Adrienne Young announce A Sea of Unspoken Things, I was thrilled to see another release so soon. I even stalked NetGalley hoping to snag an ARC.

A Sea of Unspoken Things follows twins James and Johnny Golden. James spends the story investigating her brother's mysterious death while grappling with her own haunting past.

While I'm not typically a fan of the mystery genre, I still found this book enjoyable. I'd rate it a solid three out of five stars and would even recommend it to fans of the genre. Adrienne Young has a unique talent for evoking complex emotions toward her male characters, something I can't quite put into words, and for that, I remain in awe. I don't think there was anything I particularly disliked about the book, and I believe that readers who love mysteries will enjoy this.

Overall, here's how I rank Adrienne Young's books:

The Unmaking of June Farrow
A Sea of Unspoken Things
Spells for Forgetting
I will continue to read anything Adrienne Young writes because of my love for June Farrow.

Thanks SO MUCH, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to review my very first ARC! Adrienne Young is definitely a favorite author of mine. Her writing is elegant, descriptive, and makes you feel as if you are living in the setting along side her characters.
A Sea of Unspoken Things follows James, an artist living in San Francisco, as she makes her way back to her hometown for the first time in 20 years to investigate the mysterious death of her twin brother. Linked by a connection that only twins can feel, James believes in her heart that there is more to her brother's death than a simple 'hunting accident'. During her time in Six Rivers James finds that the demons she fled from when she left all those years ago are still waiting for her, along with her unanswered question of how far are you willing to go to protect the people you love.

James and John are twins, but John has recently passed away due to an accident in the woods. They have been living a distance away for the past few years, but James can still feel the connection with her twin all those miles away. James is going to John’s home to pack up his belongings and put her brother to rest. While she’s there she has suspicions that John’s death wasn’t an accident.

This was a well-written, atmospheric book. It has less magical than previous books, but it still has a touch of it with the connection between twins. This was more of a mystery suspense, than the romantic/magical realism books that Young is known for. It was still very well written and worth the read, but I think it’s beneficial for your expectations to know what genre you’re getting into. Her writing style is amazing and the prose is magical without being overwritten.

The mystery was very well done with some unexpected twists. It kept me engaged throughout the whole book. I highly recommend anyone who is curious about this book to give it a try. I am so thankful to Netgalley and Random House Publishing /Ballantine/Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural. It is perfect for those who enjoyed A History of Wild Places by Shea Earnshaw.

This story stands out to me a little more than the previous adult books written by Adrienne Young, it is less cozy, less romance, more of a quiet thriller.

The mystery of the story is kept going throughout the entire story to the very end and aided with a few twist and turns I did not see coming.

While it is a murder mystery we still get all the lines that pulls on our heart strings in classic Adrienne Young style.

The connections between the flawed characters were believable and chapters flowed well together. I could not put this book down once I began reading it.

I can always count on Adrienne Young to immerse me into a fictional world filled with beautiful scenery, depth and emotion. Her writing is a like listening to a lullaby. It has this soft, soothing tone that draws me into a trance every time. It wasn't a fast-moving story, but every word was meant to be felt and savored. The pain and grief that James endured was palpable and I felt it like it was my own. This book does not fall into her normal genre of magical realism, but it did have a paranormal aspect to it with the whole twin intuition phenomena. I would classify it as more of a mystery/women's fiction novel. I would have liked there to be a bit more fantasy, but it was still a good read. I really enjoyed it overall. I think most fans will too, despite that it's more of a mystery. I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for granting me early digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

The way Adrienne Young manages to always give me all the feels should be studied. This was on par with her other phenomenal reads but, at the same time, was very unique. This book is exceptionally atmospheric and the characters were, as expected for her writing, so well developed.

The only downside to this one was that there was less magical realism than in her other stories, but I appreciated the supernatural elements. The overall mystery was twisty and I loved the way it unfolded. I highly recommend this one, even if it hurt my heart.

I loved this book! I hadn’t ever read something by this author before and I was seriously impressed. I really loved the way the plot moved along and the characters were so fun to follow as well. Definitely will be recommending!

Adrienne Young is an auto buy author for me, because she crafts such emotional reads edged with mystery and thrill. James and Johnny are twins who chose different life paths; one ran away from their provincial life while the other stayed in their mountain town. When Johnny does suddenly, James finally returns to put him to rest, only to find that his death is more complicated than she originally assumed. Murder, old lovers, old resentments make appearances, and Young’s latest is just as enthralling as her others.

Wow. I love anything by Adrienne Young and this title did not disappoint. James and Johnny and Micah - what a trio. This story was a bit darker than I had expected it to be, but I could see and hear and smell the frost and mist and green of the trees. It is a perfect atmospheric title and I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I swear Adrienne Young could write a paragraph and I’d pay full price for it 🤭

This was a beautifully written story about family, self identity, and going home to face your past. I loved the dynamic of our main character being a twin who has possession of that telekinetic energy with her missing brother. Not to mention an MMC named James which was something I didn’t know I was missing?!!

The story itself was twisty and turny and deliciously atmospheric. Think Northern California woods, park rangers, and wolves as pets. Once again AYs prose feels so natural to fall into, and I was invested in the story from page one.

Will James find out what happened to her brother? Will she come to terms with the tragedy that forced her to flee her hometown at 18? Will she finally find happiness with the man who has always had her heart?

Grab this book immediately in January to find out 🤩

Do you believe that twins have psychic connections? I do think there is something between twins - they seem to understand each other on a deeper level than other siblings. The same is true for James and Johnny Golden and when Johnny Golden dies, his sister James knows before she in contacted. But, what she doesn't understand is why - why her twin brother who was so kind and generous to everyone was left for dead in the woods. This tragedy draws her back to her hometown of Hawthorne and she is immediately sucked back into her the life she fought so hard to leave behind. The connection between siblings is still there and James will do anything to find out what happened to Johnny,

I love the way Adrienne Young crafts a story, bringing you along piece by piece. Her writing is very atmospheric with a tinge of supernatural and I love it. I did find this story to be a bit slower that her previous two, but the story really picks up about half way through.

I loved The Unmaking of June Farrow so I was expecting sometime similar with A Sea of Unspoken Things. I did enjoy the storyline, I would say it followed a mystery with a bit of paranormal aspects. Towards the end it did tend to drag a little and was hard to follow who was speaking with lack of quotations. I would give this book 3/5.

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.