This suspenseful murder mystery set in the quiet, eerie mountains of a small town follows a sister’s relentless investigation into the murder of her twin brother. True to the genre, A Sea of Unspoken Things keeps readers on edge with its “nothing is as it seems” narrative, weaving suspense and secrets into every chapter.

I was drawn in by the palpable tension and the unexpected plot twists that I didn’t see coming. The author does a great job building an atmosphere of uncertainty and keeping you guessing. However, while the twist was surprising, I found some of the elements toward the end a bit odd. For example, the detail about her brother dying while searching for a mystery of his own felt like an odd addition. Perhaps it was intended to add complexity, but for me, it detracted from the story’s focus seeming like an overkill.

Having loved another book by this author, I was hoping for the same magic here, but while this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations, it’s still a solid read for fans of cozy, suspenseful mysteries. If you enjoy small-town settings with layers of secrets and an emotional sibling bond at the core, this book is worth a read!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! As much as I wanted to like this read, it wasn’t enjoyable. I found the pace slow and the storyline a bit all over the place. I was disappointed that the last 10% is where the story started picking up. I expected bit more considering one of my book friends hyped up the author. Perhaps I did go in with high expectations and was left unsatisfied.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC.

It has been 20 years since James Golden has been back to Six Rivers, California.The main reason she has come home is because her twin brother Johnny was killed in a tragic hunting accident. It was supposed to be a quick visit, yet she feels Johnny is trying to communicate with her. There’s more that took place and James is determined to find answers. Was Johnny’s death an accident or is the killer hiding in plain sight?

Adrienne Young creates such detailed stories. The settings in her novels have a life of their own. I loved that this book has paranormal elements and explores the connections twins can have. The plot was intriguing. James has secrets and regrets that keep you wanting to read more. It look me a few chapters to sink into the novel, but once you meet Micah and other characters from James’s past the story becomes addictive.

Twins often have a special bond, this is no different for James and Johnny Golden. Having basically raised themselves, James and Johnny have a connection so intense that they can actually feel the emotions of the other. This is how James knew her brother was dead before she even got the call. And it’s that bond that has her heading back to where she grew up in the woods of Hawthorne, California. James’ twin-intuition is telling her that her brother’s death was not an accident. Under the guise of returning to town to settle her brother’s affairs, James hopes to find what was happening prior to her brother’s death. What she finds is that she isn’t the only one keeping secrets. While confronting the information she is learning about her brother, James will also have to come to terms with things from her past; including the only man she’s ever loved and the event that drove her to leave town and never look back 20 years prior.

A Sea of Unspoken Things was a great read. One thing that makes it stand out is that it falls into multiple genres- mystery, romance, fantasy, and crime. This book kept me on my toes and was hard to put down. When I thought I had things figured out, there would be a new twist in the story. I have read only one other book by this author but really enjoyed the complexity she brought to these stories without them becoming convoluted. I look forward to reading more books by this author and will be adding her other published works to my TBR list.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Young has done it again. I will read anything she writes. She is a magician with words. I’m always so immersed in the stories she tells and the worlds she creates. This is a top read of the year for me! I love how she always creates a genre bending novel full of mystery, romance, and some fantasy. 10/10 for me.

I’m honored to have the privilege of reading an advanced copy of Adrienne Young’s “A Sea of Unspoken Things”. I devoured “The Unmaking of June Farrow” earlier this year and instantly became a fan of her work. Unspoken Things did not disappoint. There are supernatural elements as in her previous writing, but this reads more thriller than in the other novels. She kept me guessing right up til the end. Adrienne’s prose is as gorgeous as ever. I know nothing about living in a logging community, but felt like I was there with James in the small town experiencing all of it alongside her. I would recommend this story to anyone looking to cozy up with a well crafted mystery for a weekend.

I took my time with this one and really savored it!This book was so good! I personally think this one I best not knowing what to expect I think it makes it that much more suspenseful! If you have loved Spells for Forgetting, the Unmaking of June Farrow then I think you would also enjoy this book. Anyone who likes small town mystery may also enjoy this book! Publishes January 7th!

This reminded me a lot of Spells for Forgetting, but better. I love Adrienne’s writing and love the atmospheric, mystery and romance package she presents. I really do eat it up every time. For this story, the mystery had me second guessing myself (but honestly… most mystery books do this to me lol I’m always just reading for the vibes). The twin connection was also something I really enjoyed, along with the FMC being named James.

The Unmaking of June Farrow is still my top favorite book by Adrienne Young, though. That one is extremely hard to top.

Unfortunately I felt this book just went far too slow! I love Adrienne Young's writing style but not much happens for over half the book.

I am not much of a mystery reader, but I enjoyed this quite a bit, and was honestly pretty engrossed. The paranormal aspect made me like it more.

I wish I could rate this one higher, because Adrienne Young is an autobuy author for me, but I just didn’t find myself connecting with these characters very much. She did a great job at setting the story and the atmosphere though, as always.

This book didn’t feel like her normal writing and I feel like it’s been advertised differently than it should be.

Thank you Delacorte Press and Netgalley for the digital copy.

A Sea of Unspoken Things
Adrienne Young
Publishing Date: January 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

This is my second book by Adrienne Young and her writing is just stunning. Her prose is lovely and she writes in a way that is so atmospheric. It is easy to get lost in the beauty of her writing regardless of the story.

But books are generally about the story, and while this was a good one, I do wish that it was a bit longer in order to further develop the characters and relationships. The heart of this story lies with twins Johnny and James. Johnny has died under suspicious circumstances and James has returned home looking for answers. Here we get a taste of magical realism in James’ apparent telepathic/spiritual connection to Johnny, even after his death. We meet a cast of side characters in this small PNW town, and everyone seems to have a secret or two. There is a second chance romance side story that honestly had me more invested than the murder mystery. I wanted a happy ending love story in the worst way.

This novel was really enjoyable and I flew through it in a matter of 48 hours. I just wish it had been longer as I wanted more of Johnny’s story, more depth in the side characters, and more of the romance. That being said, Adrienne Young is solidly on my auto-buy author list as her writing style is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

A Sea of Unspoken Things weaves a tale of grief, love, and secrets as James navigates the aftermath of her twin brother’s death. The powerful, almost supernatural connection she shared with Johnny provides a unique lens through which she uncovers hidden truths about how his life in the rural town of Hawthorne, California went on after a tragic event occurred which caused James to leave town. The setting enhances the eerie, slow-burning tension as James digs deeper into Johnny’s secrets, all while facing the complicated dynamics with Micah, the man who holds his own knowledge of their shared past.

I enjoyed Young's use of magical realism in her last book The Unmaking of June Farrow. I enjoyed the magical realism aspect of this book as well; it added an intriguing layer, making the emotional beats even more poignant as James is forced to confront the dark truths of her twin’s life. The story unfolds at a slow and steady pace but the ending feels rushed in comparison, with many questions resolved quickly. This sense of a hasty conclusion left me wanting more depth to the final revelations, but the book still succeeds in its exploration of familial bonds and the complexities of identity.

My rating 3.5 stars. Special thanks to @netgalley and @prha for the ARC/ALC.

My immediate thought when I started this book was: the writing in this is really good. Maybe my standards are low because of what I usually read but I off the bat enjoyed the writing.

Kind of slow to start - not in a I’m a struggling to pick this up kind of way but I didn’t feel like much was happening. Because of that I actually wanted to keep reading to see what would happen and what major revelation would come (the first third of the book consisted of a lot of meetings of characters and small hints towards things that happened in the past).

By the second third of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. There are so many loose ends to this puzzle and so many secrets between the twins that need unraveling. There were some insinuations of what could have been going on but I’ve read enough mysteries to know what a half truth could possibly signal instead and yet there were still surprises.

I know this takes place in Northern California but I totally pictured this like Forks…half expected one of those owls to actually be a vampire. Overall, I liked this book and I would definitely read more from this author, but I can’t say it changed my life or I will be thinking about it much more now that I’m done.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Overall Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

Adrienne Young's 'A Sea of Unspoken Things' follows James Golden as she returns to her childhood home in Six Rivers, California, to grapple with the unexpected death of her twin brother, Johnny. Their bond was extraordinary – James could feel what Johnny felt, a connection now tragically severed.

As James delves into Johnny's life, she discovers hidden facets of his personality and uncovers secrets he had kept from her. The official ruling of an accident fails to satisfy James, who suspects a darker truth. The investigation leads her down a path of unsettling revelations, forcing her to confront the ghosts of her past and question the very nature of their unique connection.

This story has all the elements that I typically would expect from this author – a small town, atmospheric setting, a romantic subplot, and a sprinkle of magical realism elements. While all plot lines technically received closure by the end of the book, I was left feeling a bit unsatisfied with the journey there.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC of this title.

I love Adrienne Young's writing style and I was so excited to get this title in my hot little hands. Young always has a fantastic backdrop with a mysterious slow burn. I always feel incredibly immersed into the story and this one with the greenery and forest was a perfect setting for early winter.

I do feel that this particular book missed the mark for what I have come to expect from Young, however, it still was enjoyable read. I had a hard time feeling like James 'ran away and left life behind' when she was a couple hours drive away and never had a chance to meet/engage with Johnny. Additionally, for the slow burn/build up of the mystery it wrapped up extremely quickly at the end. I would recommend this book for anyone in Adrienne Young's audience her prose is one of the best out there today.

3.5/5 rounded up to a 4

A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS is another atmospheric, twisty, deep romantic suspense novel with a touch of magical realism from Adrienne Young. This novel explores grief, love, family, truth, and the different versions that exist of ourselves and others. If you like fast-paced small-town murder mysteries with a hint of supernatural happenings and a second-chance romance, this book is for you!

Adrienne Young is a master at her craft--I love the way she creates a setting that acts as a character and has deep emotional plots that connect back to her protagonist. In A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS, James Golden is confronted with her past when she returns to her small hometown of Six Rivers after the unsettling death of her twin brother, Johnny. She's determined to find the truth, haunted by a deep, somewhat supernatural connection she has to her brother. She also reconnects with the only man she's ever loved--Micah.

I enjoy how Adrienne Young is able to blend several genres into a mix that feels entirely her own! If you liked SPELLS FOR FORGETTING or THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW, you'll like this one too! Also, this cover?! Stunning.

I decided to give this book a try as I’ve heard a lot of buzz about the Unmaking of June Farrow by the same author, which I have not read.

The parts that I enjoyed about this book were the focus on a “supernatural” relationship between the main character and her twin brother. It was interesting and kept my interest. Even though the brother was not perfect and to be honest, kind of seemed like a bum at times, it was a good telling about a strong bond.

While the writing and storytelling was good, the book just did not do a whole lot for me, I believe it just wasn't to my taste. I felt that it took a while for anything interesting to happen, which probably started at about 50% in. The twists were okay, but I didn’t think they were anything too special.

All in all not a bad read at all, but it took me a bit to get through because I wasn’t super captivated. Like I mentioned earlier, the storytelling is very good, Young’s prose was well-done!

I really enjoyed A Sea of Unspoken Things! Thrillers are one of my favorite genres, and this book had just the right amount of twists to keep me hooked from start to finish. Adrienne Young did an amazing job building suspense and weaving in surprises that I didn’t see coming. It’s the kind of story that keeps you thinking long after you’ve turned the final page.

My only complaint is that it could’ve been longer! The town and its residents felt so intriguing, and I wish we had more time to uncover their secrets. The main character was captivating, and I wanted to dive deeper into their backstory and inner thoughts. The book does an excellent job of keeping the pace tight, but a little extra exploration of the setting and characters would’ve made it even more compelling.

This was my first book by Adrienne Young, and I’m officially hooked. I’ve already added three more of her books to my TBR because I loved this one so much. If you’re a fan of thrillers with unpredictable twists and layered characters, A Sea of Unspoken Things is a must-read!

I loved this book!!! The beginning was a bit slow but essential to building the plot and to show the character development. A major theme throughout this book is how well do we really know those we love and how far would we go to protect them? I absolutely LOVED the ending it was everything I needed and more!! Thank you for the arc copy🥰