3.5⭐️
The first half really dragged and I honestly debated on DNFing, but I’m glad I pushed through. Around the halfway point the mystery finally got started and I was surprised at the end.
I know it wasn’t the point of the story, but the romance felt really shallow.

I don’t consider this a spoiler, but at the end of this book, James says something about how some art she had created feeling hollow and like she was just going through the motions. It’s a little funny that Adrienne Young wrote that because that’s exactly what this book feels like. It feels like an Adrienne Young book in some good ways - there’s a small town, a mystery, and the writing is beautiful overall - but it’s missing the heart I’ve come to know her books for. The worst offense though? This book was BORING.

There were times I thought the mystery was about to get really interesting, which kept me wanting to come back and read more. Unfortunately that quickly fizzled out each time. While the prose is lovely, there were times that listening to the dialogue on audio made me feel like I was watching characters in a video game where the player has to talk to each person in the town as a task. I also can’t say I felt attached to the romance at all.

I don’t think this is a bad book, but it’s also not as amazing as I really expected this would be.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the free audiobook!

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.

his is my first Adrienne Young book, and it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed Young's writing and her description of the town. She really captured the small town aspects and I enjoyed being able to picture all the locations within my mind. It gave dark, it gave creepy, mysterious all the things perfect for this genre.

It did take a little while for the story to pick up, hence why it wasn't a 5 star for me. I was really waiting for the action to happen, and then when it finally did it happened so quickly!

This book definitely kept me hooked and I ended up finishing the whole thing in 24. I can't wait to go back and read Young's other books.

Thank you so much Net Galley and RHPG for this E-Arc. A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young is out January 7th, 2025.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fast-paced read. I felt like there was a strong and interesting plot which kept me wanting to read more. However, while the book was fast-paced, I felt there was a lack of suspense which took away from the twist at the end. I also didn’t feel connected to the characters and would have like some more details about them in order to fully immerse myself in the story. All that being said, I did enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it to others!

thank you to the publishers for an arc!

honestly pretty bummed I didn’t enjoy this more than I had hoped, because this sounded right up my alley and I was very excited for young’s writing. as expected, the writing and descriptions were beautiful and immersive, and the atmosphere of the story as a whole was super intriguing. unfortunately, the plot nor the characters weren’t as interesting to me… this was very very slow and I found myself really wondering where the plot was going. this didn’t feel much of a gripping mystery but was more of me just wondering where this was supposed to go… I think if we had some more time with johnny and his story, this would’ve been more interesting. there was a ton of potential here and I think readers can definitely expect to enjoy the writing and how atmospheric it is, but I needed more than that from the plot and the characters to truly be invested in the story

I was somewhat let down by this book. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it ended up feeling disappointing.

The pacing of the story was really slow, and it made it hard to stay engaged. For the first half of the book, it felt like nothing was happening, and everything seemed like filler until the mystery started to pick up. There were a few moments where I thought it might get better, but they never really went anywhere. The mystery itself was interesting, but the slow pacing made it hard to stay invested in the plot.

This was definitely a character-driven story, but unfortunately, all the characters were two-dimensional and felt flat. The main character, James, especially stood out as shallow. I just couldn’t connect with her. There was something about her that made it hard to take her seriously. She felt empty and lifeless to me. For example, when she faced emotional moments, her reactions didn’t feel believable or real. I'm not sure if that was intentional.

That said, the setting was pretty well done, and I did enjoy the atmosphere it created. The small town felt like a character in the story.

In the end, I was really hoping for more, but this book didn’t quite hit the mark. If you enjoy slower, character-driven stories, you might like it more than I did. But for me, the slow pacing and lackluster characters made it hard to stick with.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review

Immerse yourself in the dark of the forest…

James escaped her small hometown deep in the woods of Northern California & has built a life over the course of the past two decades roughly 350 miles south of it in San Francisco. But when her twin brother is killed, she heads back into her past & realizes that her connection with Johnny isn’t completely gone…

This is my second Adrienne Young book & let’s just say I’m a fan! Wow can she weave a complex plot, & the setting is phenomenal. The characters in this town came to life, the supernatural aspect of the twins’ relationship was mysterious & intriguing, & the romantic element of interacting with her first love again had me invested.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐️s This is my first book by Adrienne Young. Personally, very pleased with her writing style. A Sea of Unspoken Things is a soft romance with a murder mystery. Not my typical read. Highly recommend if you want to branch into a murder mystery but appreciate a romantic element.

James’ twin brother Johnny has died. Everyone says it was probably an accident. Johnny was always going into the wood for his research. James doesn’t feel right about an accident though. She’s always had a different bond with Johnny. More than they typically say twins have. He’s not left her. Not yet. James believes Johnny may be leading her to something or someone. With the help of Micah; the only other person they both trusted, James goes searching for answers in the town she ran away from twenty years ago.

Thank you to @netgalley @adrienneyoungbooks, and @randomhouse for the advanced reader copy. It was such a pleasure to be able to read A Sea of Unspoken Things.
#aseaofunspokenthings #adrienneyoung #netgalley #mystreythriller #romance #scifielements #advancedreader #bookreview

A Sea of Unspoken Things is not your typical magical realism cozy mysterious read we usually get from Adrienne, BUT I honestly think it is time we stop putting her wriitng in a box and take this book for what it is. I absolutely enjoyed this one. It is a small town mystery that has similar vibes to her other books where there is a mystery to be solved, a deep connection to nature, and intense family dynamics. The writing I felt like was well done and I enjoyed the predictability and also the twists (what I failed to predict).

I think this book is rating low simply because too many people are going into this with different expectations that failed to deliver, but for those of you who enjoyed The Paper Palace, Bear, Where the Crawdads Sing, or even The God of the Woods, I would happily recommend this one.

We come into the story starting with a death announcement of the twin brother of our protagonist (James) who travels to the small town of Six Rivers to collect his things. She (James) discovers that Johnny's death may not have been related to a hunting accident after all, and stirs up past dirt that the town has silently kept hidden. Neighbors and even an old beau has a secret- and this was definitely a slower paced book but overall I enjoyed the final reveals near 25%.

Content: fade to black, a few f-words (not too bad), mystery/crime

I absolutely loved this book. I had high expectations since I also loved the Unmaking of June Farrow, but I enjoyed A Sea of Unspoken Things even more. We follow James as she returns to her small Northern CA hometown after many years away to deal with the death of her twin brother. I thought the pacing was perfect - I was immediately sucked in and though there were some slower parts throughout the book, I still could not put it down. Adrienne Young's prose is also beautiful and I loved the description of the forest and how it really felt alive. I would describe this as a mystery novel with supernatural and romantic aspects. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for the ARC!

Adrienne Young has once again delivered a masterpiece in A Sea of Unspoken Things. This atmospheric and gripping novel plunges readers into a world where familial bonds, haunting secrets, and the relentless pursuit of truth converge.

The story follows James, a woman tethered to her twin brother Johnny by a connection that goes beyond mere intuition. When Johnny dies in a tragic accident, James is drawn back to Six Rivers, to settle his affairs. However, her arrival is anything but simple. Confronted by their shared ominous past and Micah—the only man she’s ever loved—James is forced to unravel Johnny’s mysterious life and the secrets he kept. As she delves deeper, she discovers that her connection to her brother isn’t entirely gone, raising questions about the days leading up to his death and forcing her to confront which truths should be revealed and which are better left buried.

In true Adrienne Young fashion, the setting of Six Rivers felt alive. Her vivid and transportive descriptions make the town feel both enchanting and foreboding. The characters are intricately crafted—relatable, complex, and unforgettable. James’s journey is one of pain and resilience, and her interactions with Micah bring depth and tension that heighten the story's stakes.

The pacing of the novel is perfectly executed. I was on the edge of my seat, devouring page after page as new revelations came to light. Just when I thought I’d figured something out, Young masterfully twisted the narrative, proving me wrong in the most satisfying way. Her writing style is immersive and evocative, seamlessly weaving together elements of surprise with a cohesive storyline that grips you from the first page to the last.

This is not a book to read in multiple sittings—it demands to be consumed in one. Everything fits together like a perfectly constructed puzzle, leaving no loose threads. A Sea of Unspoken Things is a must-read for fans of atmospheric mysteries and emotionally charged stories. It’s a book that will linger in your mind long after you’ve closed its pages.

Twins, James and Jonny Golden, have always had an unusual connection. When Johnny is killed in a tragic accident James knows he is gone before her phone even rings. Now she finds herself heading back to a town she swore she would never return to and a past she wishes she could forget. With the help of her first love, she begins to put her brother’s affairs in order only to discover Johnny may have had some secrets of his own. James soon realizes that her and Johnnys connection isn’t severed…is it her inability to let him go or is he trying to warn her from the other side.

A Sea of Unspoken Things explores family connections, lost loves, and the many secrets of a small town and its residents. As with many of Young’s novels the story combines past and present events as the full plot is slowly revealed. The novel provides a tense atmospheric setting among a small group of well developed characters. If you are a fan of Young’s work then this novel will not disappoint. There were definitely some twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the last page.

The Unmaking of June Farrow was one of my favorite books, so I had very high hopes for this new one. Unfortunately, I think I set my expectations a little too high.

It was an intriguing plot, but it became convoluted with too many characters, secrets and storylines. I loved the twin connection, but that’s kind of where the love ended for me.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5, rounded up to 3 stars.

This was my first Adrienne Young book and honestly, I am regretting this being the first from her. I think this book was trying to do too much, and fell extremely flat for me. I get that a murder mystery isn't suppose to be predictable but there was too much twisting and turning for my liking. The potential age gap relationship, the random flashback murder that really didn't fuel the plot the way I thought it was going to (Johnny murdering the owls made more of an impact then the "accidental death").

Also, absolutely lost that .5 rating for the random ass pregnancy at the end. Women don't need to have children, and as the main character was 37, I'm not sure why that was needed when it was never expressed as something she wanted throughout the whole book. James and Micah could have happily been a family with the two of them and smoke and it would have been just as much of a true family without the random baby.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Sea of Unspoken Things
Author: Adrienne Young
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date:  January 7, 2025

It is always good to start the New Year with a 5-star book. The title and photo don’t make sense since this book is set in Northern California, deep in the forest, but I’ll let that go. The story was compelling and tragic. Twins James (a girl) and Johnny (a boy) were raised in this lonely, isolated, and small town by their father, who eventually disappeared and left them to raise each other. It was not a town where many stayed, and those who did were loyal to each other. They had to be. A bullet kills Johnny, a wildlife conservation observer and photographer, and the lethargic police department considers it a hunting accident. However, he was not hunting and was experienced in hunting safety. His sister, James, an artist living in San Francisco, is compelled to return home 8 years after she left because her “twin senses” told her something was wrong. I have a twin brother, and my husband has twin brothers. I can tell you that some have the “gift” and some do not, but twins are unique. This story is about the surviving twin, James, investigating her brother’s murder as she works to make sense of his death. She reunited with her first love, reunited with the people she abandoned, and works on solving a number of the tragic questions surrounding multiple deaths. The story was well-told, atmospheric, and with excellent pacing. The ending was terrific, and I thought the whole book was hard to put down. I enjoy Ms. Young’s books, and this is another great read by her to start the New Year. You will love it. #murder #mountains #death #endangeredSpecies #feralChildren #loss #isolatedlocation #smallTown #insular #tragic #love #twins @netgalley @adrienneyoungbooks #Aseaofunspokenthings @delacortepress
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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Adrienne Young’s writing is truly captivating. When I pick up one of her books, I know I’m in for gorgeously atmospheric settings, complicated, yet lovable characters, and a touch of magic.
The story of James & Johnny is no exception. The connection between the twins is deeper than what meets the eye, and James knows before her phone even rings that Johnny is gone. Returning to her small northern California town to settle her brother’s affairs, James is forced to reckon with old secrets and come to terms with who her brother really was, and what he was involved in during his final days.
The descriptive settings Adrienne Young is known for are on full display- I could almost see the fog rolling in and hear the crunch of branches underfoot. The author was inspired by her own relationship with her twin brother in this powerful exploration of identity and family, and she has really found her niche in moody suspense with supernatural elements. Both fans of her work, and those that are new to her writing, will undoubtedly enjoy this beautifully eerie small-town mystery.

I don't know if this book has an identity crisis or if I just completely misinterpreted the while thing? Is this a mystery or intellectual fiction, like you-can't-outrun-your-past kind of thing? From the beginning I wasn't connected to the characters and it took so long to get into the story. This was a big miss for me. First book of the year and I had heard good things about this author's previous works I was just left disappointed.

My first Adrienne Young story and definitely not my last.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved every minute of this. A bit slow at first but that's how I feel small town stories are. I love the small town mystery element. I grew up in a very small town so the connections between the characters and the town felt right at home for me.

Having two brothers myself, I loved the bond between James and her twin. Loved the ghost aspect of the story as well.

“I’d never liked the feeling that I couldn’t see into the distance, like the whole world might have ended on the other side of those trees and I wouldn’t know it.”

This book starts out with James returning to her hometown after the death of her twin brother, Johnny. As she ties up the last of his affairs, the connection she has always felt with Johnny gets stronger, almost as if he is trying to tell her something, like maybe his death wasn't an accident after all…

This book was amazing. Adrienne young does such a great job pulling you into the story immediately. I found myself not being able to put this book down. She makes it so easy to connect with any characters she writes. I felt as if I was in James’ mind trying to figure out the puzzle surrounding Johnny's death along side her. The mystery aspect of this book was also so great. I absolutely love when you can't really pin down exactly what happened until it's revealed. Where you feel like you can't trust anyone in the story or feel like you're second guessing everything.

I put off reading this book for awhile since Adrienne young is one of my absolute favorite authors and I knew I wouldn't be able to get over this book easily.

Anyway, another 5 star read for me. This was such a good way to start the year.

Thank you to netgalley, random house publishing-ballantine and delacorte press for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars — I have never read any thing by this author but I can see why she is well-loved! Her writing style was very digestible and was able to keep my attention. I enjoyed reading about James and Johnny’s complicated relationship. Sibling relationships are one of my favorite storylines. My only complaint is I guessed the ending within the first 25% of the book. The author was still able to keep my attention after this! If you are looking to read this author, I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks, Net Galley and Random House for providing me with the ARC for my honest review ❤️