An atmospheric small town mystery. A bond between twins with a rift neither understood. I enjoyed the literary setting and the characters in general; however, the mystery felt…lack luster. I couldn’t help but think that all these people really just need to learn to communicate. The ultimate twists did not sum up the plot well enough for me and I absolutely did not enjoy the ending. Give me more of the beginning when the writing painted a picture of emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group Ballentine, and author Adrienne Young for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. “A Sea of Unspoken Things” is expected to be published January 7, 2025!

This was my first book of Adrienne Young’s and I enjoyed it SO MUCH. The immersible setting and mystery was so well etched into the plot I was hooked the whole book.

I was rooting for the characters & was being dragged along with them to each plot twist, thinking I was clever when I was actually right where the author wanted me.

The added layers slowly coming unfurled contributed to the depth of the characters and making them more relatable.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a thriller that explores notes of grief, trauma, and familial ties.

content warnings: death, murder, guns, gun violence, blood, animal death, physical violence, mentions of attempted suicide

i love adrienne young's adult novels, spells for forgetting and the unmaking of june farrow, and i was so excited to hear about a sea of unspoken things and receive an arc. a sea of unspoken things has all of the things that i've come to expect from an adrienne young novel; lush descriptions, an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're part of the story, and character's that feel real and distinct.

as someone who lives in the san francisco bay area, i loved that this book was set in northern california. though i live in a very populated city and not a small town like six rivers, it was so easy to picture six rivers and the woods. it felt familiar to me, it felt like a place i've visited countless times before and that was really special to me. throughout the book james talks about six rivers being removed from the city, of the forest having a sort of magic and feeling alive and i felt that through every page. young has a real talent for making her books feel alive, and i think that's my favorite thing about her writing.

i thought all of the characters were great and really well explored. i loved being in james' pov, and really felt for her throughout the story. the explorations of twins and what happens when one of them dies was really so interesting, and james and johnny gave me major nell and luke crain from the haunting of hill house vibes, which was just everything. the grief that james felt over losing her brother was heartbreaking and overwhelming, and i thought that this book was a really beautiful exploration of grief and how it affects all of us differently, and the complicated feelings that come with grief, especially if in their death, you uncover secrets about the person you're grieving. johnny may have died before the story began, but he felt so alive throughout the book and james and micah's memories of him, and the rest of the town's as well.

this is much more mystery focused than young's previous adult novels, and as a reader whose favorite genre is mystery, that was great for me, and i loved the way the mystery unfolded. this is not a fast paced mystery; like the town it's set in, it's a little sleepy and slow, but it grows as time goes on and once you get hooked it's hard to leave. i won't lie, it did take me a little while to get into the story, but once i got into it i didn't want to stop reading, it had a slow build that i really enjoyed. there were a few different ways the mystery could've played out. one of the reveals i didn't see coming, but i thought it made complete sense and i was surprised that i didn't pick up on it right away, but the hints were there all along. one of the reveals i did see coming, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking.

overall, i really enjoyed a sea of unspoken things and think it's another great edition to adrienne young's body of work. if you've enjoyed her other novels, i definitely suggest checking it out!

Adrienne Young does it again and I never doubted her for a second. This is why she is my auto-read auto-buy author. The way she writes is truly unlike any other. She has a way of taking a place you may have never visited but you feel like you are also returning home. Six Rivers National Park is now on my travel wishlist.
As I was reading I could feel the bone-chilling wind and smell the freshness of being surrounded by those massive towering trees. Everything was cozy and eerie and I loved it.
I felt myself clenching my Kindle, worrying about James and Smoke, the most handsome book dog I ever did read about. James would keep digging and I would keep wanting to tell her to leave and stay safe but obviously to keep going! Everyone was a suspect and no one was safe. You think about how a small town, everyone seems so nice and welcoming but the truth is it is a hard harsh world, everyone looks out for each other but they will turn on you just as easily.
Johnny was a kind soul but wild and no one truly knew him, and as much as James thought she did, even she, his twin, barely did. But she has to try, the connection between them, that strong emotional bond, it’s magic. She can feel him near her the more and more she learns.
This story is truly one of closure and discovery. The things left unsaid always have a way of coming out.

first read of 2025 is officially complete & it didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for an atmospheric, ever-evolving story with twists and turns that keep you guessing. look no further. Not gonna lie, it was a slow start for me but the last 50% I was INVESTED. I will say, some things didn’t flesh out as much as I would have liked & I wanted to know more about what happened to certain characters after the big reveal. Likeee gimme an epilogue plzzzzzz. All in all, still absolutely recommend picking it up if you’ve liked Adrienne Young’s other books or are intrigued by this!

“I didn’t ask more questions. I was afraid that his answers might give teeth to the pain already writhing inside of me. I was already walking a tightrope of what I wanted to know and what I didn’t. But it seemed to change by the day, the hour, even the minute. That was the way of grief, I was realizing. It was a barrage of pain that was so unbearable that it made you numb. And then out of nowhere, something made you feel again and the cycle started over from the beginning.”

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a tale that twists around you, snaking itself through your bones as the mystery is revealed and unraveled and respooled. While our main character, James, faces her grief and the ghosts of her past, of their pasts, she must follow her intuition after the news of her brothers death brings her back to the town she swore she’d never return to. This story starts in the middle of our protagonist arrival and allows the reader to learn alongside her, to feel as she feels, the loss, the betrayal, the fear, the longing. Each aching emotion woven together as James retraces her brother’s last days.

This is a story about grief, and coming back to oneself, coming home. The mystery is what happens in small towns when people let emotions get ahold of them, and the consequences of rumors. There is a haunting quality to the authors voice throughout the story, and the ebb and flow of pain both new and old. And yet somehow there is also a sense of a love story that follows the tide of emotions, and how our pain can become a door for something beautiful if we will allow it.

While I felt a little lost at the start, I became greedy for more by the end. I think the execution of this story allowed the readers an immersive experience of the main characters mental state.

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*