While this was not my favorite Adrienne Young book, it was incredibly well written. The descriptive imagery and the magical realism was beautiful. I really felt like I was immersed in every scene that unfolded on page. The mystery is very slow burn and I found it to be a little too anticlimactic for my taste. I did however enjoy the second chance romance and the fact that it took a back seat to everything else going on.

I think I requested this on NetGalley because I thought I had read other books by Young before, but I never have. It worked out though, because this was a mysterious, atmospheric, chilly read for this time of year. I liked the storytelling and that it was suspenseful and built suspense without being heart pounding.

My main issue was the main character’s concern for her brother being alone or having issues without it being clear exactly what she was concerned about. He only appears in memory in the book but seems to be a regular quirky kind of person, whereas her writing about him made me think she was covering up him being a serial killer.

✨Book Review✨
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

eARC provided by Net Galley & Publisher, Random House, in exchange for honest review. Thank you!

This book was not what I expected from Adrienne. I liked the idea of the book and I was very excited to read it. I liked the supernatural elements, the suspense, and how she fed you just enough to start to piece things together. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with this setting or the FMC as much as I did with her previous books. It felt a bit underwhelming and lacked character depth. Many of my suspicions of each character were correct which made it predictable to me. Not every twist was obvious though. I did gasp a time or two. It was entertaining but also the plot moved slow. I wanted more from the paranormal connection she had with her brother, I felt that would have added more interest to the story. I wanted to feel like what it felt to be a twin through her writing. The two different dynamics described between James and Johnny felt at odds. On one end they were so connected they felt each other’s feelings and the other where they knew nothing about each others lives. The romantic relationship with Micah felt like an after thought and was never truly believable to me. All in all, it was enjoyable, though slow at times kept me reading to find out how it concluded. Adrienne will always be an auto buy author for me!

I thought The Unmaking of June Farrow was amazing, and this was even better. James returns to her hometown after her brother’s death to look further into the “hunting accident” that ended his life. As she goes through his belongings and reconnects with their mutual childhood friend, she learns a lot about her brother’s adult life. This is a twisty, nail biting mystery that will have you exploring grief, secrets, and the situation at hand. Absolutely excellent writing, and a must read for book clubs!

I have yet to read a book from Adrienne Young I did not enjoy. Twists around every corner. Can’t trust everyone in a small town.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy to provide an honest review.

Overall: 4/5
Craft/Writing: 3.5/5
Entertainment: 4.5/5
Spice: minimal, closed door
Profanity: moderate
Content Warnings: grief

A Sea of Unspoken Things is an atmospheric, suspenseful, modern gothic novel set in the forestland of northern California. It tells the story of James, a women in her late 30s, who returns to her hometown for the first time since leaving to investigate the death of her twin brother Johnny, which she suspects was not a hunting accident as described. The author kept me guessing and I was surprised by each reveal as she brought the mysteries to a conclusion. The 2nd quarter of the book was repetitive and drawn out, but once I reached the halfway mark, I finished the book in one sitting!

This book makes a great winter read, so you are in luck that it releases this Tuesday, January 7th!

What an interesting book regarding the power of connection between twins, wrapped up in a murder mystery. James and Johnny share an unshakable bond, so close that James feels Johnny's death, from the town she tried to escape. Lots to twists and turns, and it has an ending you don't really see coming.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adrienne Young stole my heart with her YA debut way back when, and she’s been an auto-buy author for me ever since. Her foray into adult fiction has further solidified her place on my list. A Sea of Unspoken Things has many of the same elements as her other adult books: mysterious, thrilling, the return to a small town the protagonist no longer belongs in. Young is masterful at dropping bread crumbs that build toward the climax while still leaving the reader guessing.

There were a few elements of the story that seemed important that did not get resolved, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed my trip through this book.

On so many levels, this book touched my soul. The hope, fear, and longing hits you hard. The author delves deep into the intricate connections between twin siblings and the lengths they go to protect each other. At every turn, James is haunted by ghosts of the past that even death can't quiet. As James digs deeper and deeper into her brother's life, she will question the past choices she made and whether she ever truly knew her twin at all. Page after page is filled with mystery upon mystery and cements why Adrienne Young has become one of my favorite authors. Sending hugs your way for a stellar new addition to my book collection. It's definitely a welcome addition to the literary world.

📖 Book Review: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

‘Maybe we were made in the dark, but we’d found a way to create our own kind of light.’

My thoughts 💭

Please check for trigger warnings. ‼️

Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Adrienne Young for providing me with an ARC of this book. As always, all thoughts are my own.

This was certainly not at all what I was expecting but man, that’s a great thing. In this story we are following James, a girl who grew up in a small town with her twin brother, Johnny, but ended up leaving to start her life in a big city. She comes back only because she finds out her brother was murdered. Through her discovery of what happened to Johnny she ends up reunited with everyone she grew up with. Including, an old flame, her ex best friend, her brothers first love and her son, and finally the begrudged father of their late childhood friend. This book was so much more than a murder mystery. It was a love story, a coming of age story, and so much more. Adrienne Young did an incredible job putting you in every single characters mindset to be able to understand why they did some of the things they did. And the ending was absolutely beautiful. I would definitely recommend this book to friends if not just for the beautiful writing itself. 4/5 ⭐️

A meaningful and heart wrenching look at familial bonds, love, grief, and finding light in the darkness. This mystery is filled with breathtaking visuals with a dark layer of suspense and tragedy. If you like mysteries and a forest atmosphere I’d recommend adding this one to your TBR!

I liked this one more than June Farrow, but less than Spells for Forgetting. The first half is pretty slow, but it definitely picks up- tbh all her books are like this tho. Adrienne Young writing another small town mystery, I know, I was shocked too. I'm not mad about it, but I do wish we could more from her books. Especially this one. Like half the book is the characters are just reminiscing about the good ole times and I get it, but you also couldn't have paid me to care about any of them. I think that this fell pretty flat for ne personally, but I do think it's a good book and worth it if you're in the mood for a quick mystery read.

Adrienne Young has an amazing ability to weave fantasy elements into her books! A Sea of Unspoken Things is a mystery with some romance and a bit of the supernatural rolled up into one.

James and her twin brother Johnny were close growing up in their small town. It was pretty much just the 2 of them living in the woods until a childhood friend dies under suspicious circumstances and James leaves their small town to move to the city. 20 years pass and Johnny is shot in the woods with no suspects. James returns to collect his things but you know what they say about returning home again. She's quickly right back where she left off: in a will they or won't they with Micah (her childhood love) and trying to solve another mysterious death. But the more she digs, the more she realizes her brother was hiding a lot.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC.

A small town, a murder mystery, and the connection between twin's that transcends death all come together in this story about a woman who has to investigate her brother's death while confronting both her past and the man she left behind. James and Johnny Golden were inseparable twins who did everything to protect one another and shared a deeper connection... they could feel what the other was feeling and see into the other's thoughts and emotions. Yet after an accident involving their friend that ends in death, James leaves town.... but then years later she feels something wrong, and learns that her twin Johnny has been killed in a tragic hunting accident... but James knows that isn't true, she felt his last moments, she knows he was scared and was murdered in the woods of their old town. James decides to finally come back to her old home and find out what actually happened to her brother... but that means coming face to face with who her brother truly was and if she really knew him at all... and facing her buried feelings for her ex that all come crashing back now that she is finally back in town. Can James find out what truly happened to her brother and who did it... or will her small town's secrets bury her before she can find the truth? I have always been a huge fan of Adrienne Young's writing and this was another fantastic book from her. It's a fantastic small town mystery with a touch of romance and a touch of paranormal. It's really the perfect book to bring out on a cold day with a warm cup of tea or coffee. The atmosphere is so well built and the mystery flows really well. I've loved reading all of Adrienne's standalone adult books and this one was another one that I will be recommending to readers who enjoy a cozy read that is beautiful and a touch haunting. It's such a compelling read and just creates such a unique world and atmosphhere!

Release Date: January 7, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

4.5⭐

*+:｡.｡𝓝𝓸𝔀, 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓷. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼.｡.｡:+*

WoW, this book had me in a chokehold. I kept getting blindsided one time after another was it better than "The Unmaking of June Farrow"? No. Is it 2nd in place of Adrienne's books for me? Of freaking course

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

My last Adrienne Young book was a 5-star so I'm so excited for this one Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eARC 💕

Thank you to Adrienne Young, NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for this eARC copy

This review will have ***SPOILERS***



I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick, interesting read that really had me page turning on a bender for the last 50%
I did find the first 50% a bit slow paced. The romance was hardly there, and I thought, quite shallow, or unexplained.
The reason I gave it four stars is because I found the big reveal a little unbelievable. Autumn was missing for months with no one reporting it? Johnny was out looking for Autumn and hadn’t reported her missing?
Also the quick admission from each perpetrator with just a *look?*
I struggled with that.

I still ate this book up and will buy everything Adrienne Young writes. I’m a fan. This one just didn’t tick all the boxes for me.

Thank you again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Adrienne Young’s previous books: Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow. The way she integrates magical realism, lush prose, and atmosphere is masterful. However, this time, in A Sea
Of Unspoken Things, while these elements were present, something kept me disconnected from the feelings I usually get when reading one of her books. The characters were a bit flat, the romance uninspired, the pacing dragged, and the plot isn’t anything that hasn’t been done before. I didn’t find myself wanting to pick this up to read, though I did keep coming back because of Young’s writing. I was the most interested at 75% of the way through when the murder mystery began to come together.

James Golden, an artist who has escaped her small town life and the secrets that haunt her past, has returned to Hawthorne to settle her brother’s affairs after a tragic accident takes his life, in the forest. Once back, she begins to investigate his death and begins to wonder if his death was an accident at all. Reunited with her teenage love, Micah, and led by the presence of her brother, Johnny, they unravel the mystery of Johnny’s life and what happened that day in the woods.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy small town murder mysteries with a slower build up and pace.

James Golden has to return home after the death of her brother to a beautiful setting that felt so alive and made me feel as if I was stepping side by side with her. Though, James encounters the realization that she did not know her brother as well as she thought she did even with the deep connection she shares with him. Adrienne Young never fails to amaze me with her ability to create such a unique premise that is executed so perfectly. The plot was quick paced as everything started to unravel and pieces began to connect which had me on the edge of my seat. I never guessed what was going to happen next or what was going to be revealed about who. However, even with the lively descriptions of the setting and town, I found James lacking some depth and wish we could've delved more into her as a person rather than her place in life as a sister. Additionally, I wanted more of her relationship with Micah since the years of them knowing each other wasn't conveyed well enough. It would've been lovely to see them transitioning from a teenager relationship to now an adult one on more of a deeper level. Overall, Adrienne Young's writing is always a joy to read and it keeps readers involved with the plot line since I was only left wanting more as each chapter came to a close.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Here is my feeeback for the book A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young. Thank you for letting me tread this book in advance . 4 stars

Adrienne Young did it again. James finds herself back in her small hometown after the death of her twin brother. The death has been ruled an accident, but this doesn’t feel right to James. James always felt an intense connection to Johnny while in their hometown, even after his death.

Adrienne was able to create a beautiful plot and characters even with the story being surrounded with death.