While Adrienne Young’s YA titles remain my favorite, this was an excellent addition to her adult fiction novels! It was moody and atmospheric just like her other adult titles and I was instantly drawn into the story, the characters, their history and trajectories. I’ll admit to being a little less surprised than I had originally hoped (I’m usually easy to trick or surprise in more thrilling stories), but I was still eager to get to the end and find out how all of the pieces worked together. Adrienne Young remains a favorite author and I will always recommend her books!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a deeply emotional and poignant exploration of loss, connection, and the complexities of identity. The novel follows James Golden, who is struck by the sudden death of her twin brother, Johnny, a loss that cuts deep for reasons far beyond the immediate grief of a sibling's death. The twins shared a bond that transcended ordinary sibling ties, a psychic connection so intense that James feels Johnny's death in her own body—miles away—before the phone call confirms it. This visceral, almost supernatural bond serves as the novel's anchor, pulling readers into a story about the ties that bind us to one another, both in life and in death.
The novel unfolds in layers, weaving between the present and flashbacks of the twins’ shared childhood in Six Rivers, a small town steeped in secrets. James and Johnny were more than siblings—they were protectors of each other’s vulnerabilities. The tragedy that initially pushed James away from Six Rivers—an unspeakable event involving the death of a friend, which she and Johnny, along with their close friend Micah, covered up—remains a dark shadow hanging over their lives. As James returns to Six Rivers following Johnny’s death, the narrative delves deep into this shared history, as well as James’ own personal journey of self-discovery, as she confronts the past she tried to leave behind.
One of the novel's most compelling aspects is its portrayal of the twins' connection—not just in the physical sense, but in a deeper, emotional and psychological way. This bond is explored in haunting, sometimes surreal ways, particularly as James grapples with the truth of what she and Johnny shared, and what that connection meant in the context of their lives. It is a connection that remains even after death, raising questions about fate, memory, and the nature of grief.
The book is rich in symbolism, the act of speaking (and not speaking) as metaphors for the emotions left unsaid, the things that can never fully be expressed, even between those who know each other better than anyone else. The novel is not only a meditation on loss but also on the weight of secrets, and the heavy price of keeping them. As James unravels the truths about Johnny’s death and her own past, readers are taken on a journey of healing, where reconciliation is as much about the self as it is about others.
While A Sea of Unspoken Things is undoubtedly a heart-wrenching read, the conclusion offers a bittersweet but satisfying resolution. There’s a sense of quiet, earned peace by the end, as James comes to terms with the multiple layers of loss in her life, including the part of herself she lost in the process. The ending provides a sense of closure, though the emotional depth of the story leaves a lingering ache long after the last page is turned.

After reading The Unmaking of June Farrow, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review A Sea of Unspoken Things, the latest by Adrienne Young. Though the story is completely different, this new offering by Young has the same hints of magic, mystery, and romance.

James Golden returns home to Six Rivers, CA after her twin brother is killed in an accident. James and her brother Johnny hadn't talked much recently, so when he died, she's left lost, wondering if she ever really knew him at all. Upon returning home, her twin sense tells her something about his death wasn't right, and she sets out to find out what happened as she puts his affairs in order. In doing so, she reconnects with Micah, her childhood love and brother's best friend. As James begins to unravel the secrets Johnny was keeping, new mysteries come to light and old wounds are ripped open.

I really enjoyed this book. It took a little while to get going, but the second half faster-paced. Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: 20 years later a woman returns to Northern California to investigate her twin brother’s death.
Thoughts: This was a totally different style story and won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It was not an action packed thriller but rather a moody, atmospheric mystery. The prose was beautiful and immersive and although a very slow burn, I was really captivated by the storytelling and satisfied with the ending.
Check it out when it’s released in January! Thank you NetGalley!

I really enjoyed the book. You can definitely tell it’s an Adrienne Young novel. I liked the characters and thought the Johnny/James relationship was cool, but would have loved to see more of that. It took me a moment to get into but I really enjoyed the ending and the relationships within the town.

Another amazing story by one of my favorite authors. If you loved the feel of Spells for Forgetting, you will likely find Sea of Unspoken things equally amazing. While it does have a *touch* of the magical realism I love so much about Young’s books- as a whole, it’s mainly just a fantastic mystery in an incredibly atmospheric setting. The characters are well developed and their interactions and dynamics were interesting and relatable. I found myself sucked into the world within James’ small hometown and the tapestry woven by its inhabitants. This book would not let me go, and I finished it almost in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for supplying me with this Advanced Reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

Adrienne Young has done it again! A Sea of Unspoken Things is a beautifully , haunting tale of life after loss. We follow James as she investigates her twin brothers death and learns that she may not of knew him as well as she thought. The answers lie in a past she’s skeptical to revisit. Young explores themes of loss, grief, loneliness, betrayal, and the power of the unknown. The FMC James’s inner turmoil surrounding her abandonment is one that felt gritty and raw. This small-town mystery will have to up late into the night.

Five stars for this transportive and entertaining story! The mystery at its center captured my attention right away. As others have noted, James keeps the reader at a distance, but this did not bother me. The character development is fantastic, and ultimately this is a plot-driven book with just enough twists and turns. Another winner from Adrienne Young!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

DNF'd at 33%- I felt as if the story wasn't really going anywhere and the FMC was just stuck in a bit of a rut. But it down for a little bit and was never wanting to pick it back up.

An atmospheric small town mystery with romance and paranormal elements.
James returns to her hometown after being away for 20 years. Her twin brother has passed away in a shoot accident. James still feels a strong connection to him that is paranormal at times. And she senses that his accident might have been something more.
Young’s writing is so beautiful and captivating. The second half of this book really picked up and I could not stop reading. If you love small town mysteries definitely check this one out.

There is no question that Adrienne Young is a master storyteller who can truly plant you in the world and perspective of any character she crafts. Because of this, the characters feel incredibly real and because we are human, there are characters she will write that people will not always love due to the fact that she portrays them so realistically. Unfortunately, in this case, James was a character I had a hard time liking. In Adrienne's previous books, it was her characters' lush descriptions of their world that hooked me. In 'A Sea of Unspoken Things' James does not have a pretty view of the world. rightfully so, but it made it difficult for me to connect with her since James seemed to keep the reader at a distance. However, I think this made the most sense for her character and made her seem very believable.

I still plan on purchasing this book to add to my Adrienne Young collection!

5 stars

This book absolutely exceeded my expectations! It was atmospheric and eerie and reading it felt like standing in the woods in the rain at night.
The mystery in this book had so many twists and turns and kept me guessing until the very end. Much like the main character, you’re left second guessing yourself and suspicious of everyone in the book.
In addition to the main mystery storyline, this was a book about a woman coming to terms with something that happened in her past and how it impacted her life. There was also just a little bit of a second chance romance in this book.
A Sea of Unspoken Things had a very similar vibe to Spells for Forgetting so if you were a fan of that book i think you’ll like this one as well. This is the perfect eerie, atmospheric mystery to read on a rainy day

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

I absolutely love Adrienne Young's previous adult novels and A Sea of Unspoken Things was no exception! I just love how she mixes magical realism with mystery with romance, although the magical realism is lighter in this one than in her previous novels. Similar to Spells for Forgetting, the main character in this one returns to her small town because of the death of a loved one. James' twin brother, Johnny, has died and she needs to wrap up an owl conservation project he was working on so she returns to her childhood home. While there, she has to confront truths about her brother, her own past in the town, and her previous lover. Adrienne's writing style is beautiful and atmospheric, and the plot kept me engaged. About 50% in, I couldn't put it down because I had to know how it was going to wrap up! I thought I had guessed the ending, but I was actually surprised! Sometimes genre blends don't do justice to any of the genres but that is not the case here. I liked the magical realism piece, was enthralled by the mystery, and loved the romance. Adrienne has solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me! Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing- Ballantine, and Delacorte Press for the e-ARC. I will publish my review on Instagram on publication day.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group as well as Adrienne Young for this advanced copy.

I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the description and having heard so many wonderful things about Adrienne Young as an author. The exploration of twins and their connections has always fascinated me since my older siblings are twins. This book delved into a few themes such as the bond of trauma, the drifting of relationships, and secrets. This mystery had me hooked almost right away and I'm so happy because I had read other reviews where people had said it took them a while to get into it. Not me! I really enjoyed this book from page 1.

The atmosphere, mystery, family drama, and romance made for an excellent story and one that I highly recommend. I give this a 4.5 star rating and happily rounded it up to 5 stars!

I went in pretty blind with this one and while it did take me a minute to get really into it, once I did, I was all in.

James and her twin brother Johnny have always shared an almost supernatural connection. It goes beyond intuition; she could feel what he was feeling. So she knew even before her phone rang that her brother was gone.

But now she has to return to her secluded home town, that she ran away from almost twenty years ago, to sort through Johnny’s affairs. While she’s there, she’s forced to revisit the past, which includes Micah — the only other person who knows their secrets, and the only man she’s ever loved.

As James uncovers each new piece of information about Johnny’s life leading up to his mysterious death, more questions than answers reveal themselves. But which truths are worth uncovering and which should remain buried forever?

Adrienne Young needs to be awarded for her contributions to the literary world.

I mean it genuinely when I say I can feel the soul she’s poured into this book, and it’s confirmed to me why I adore her as an author wholeheartedly.

A Sea of Unspoken things delves into the intricacies of sibling relationships and how they change over the course of adulthood, and the pain that comes with not knowing your sibling as well as you believed and then subsequently losing them. The jealousy that comes from thinking someone could know this person you adore better than you do.

The pain of loving someone so much but the history with them is too painful to unpack, so you’d rather live a life without them.

The mystery surrounding this town and the people in it feels full. Developed in a way that’s so real, I almost can see myself there. The diner, the cabin, the gorge. It’s familiar. The twists aren’t drawn out, and you’re not given every answer. It’s unfortunate how short it is, but at the same time it’s complete and I respect the amount of work it must have taken to keep this under 300 pages.

God. I could ramble about this for days. Please read it when it comes out. January 7th cannot come soon enough.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for approving my request for this ARC even after I had forgotten I applied for it.

Overall, I really enjoyed A sea of Unspoken Things. I love a good mystery and this one kept me guessing through the twists and turns. Adrienne Young is a beautiful writer, and she did a great job of transporting the reader to the remote area of Six Rivers and the surrounding forest. The character development was really well done. I felt like I knew Johnny’s personality without him actually being “present” in the story. My only critique is that I thought Olivia being Autumn’s killer didn’t seem believable to me. It just didn’t seem like it fit well with the rest of the story and with how Olivia’s character was portrayed.

How well do we really know the people we love? This book explored the dynamics of hidden secrets, drifting apart, and the bond of trauma. I loved the exploration of twin connection, the question of loyalty to those we love, and how to resolve the tension created when hidden secrets are uncovered. This book was somewhat a coming of ago, thriller, and romance all combined. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

James returns to the small town she grew up in when her brother is found dead in the woods. Now that she's back, she thinks there may be more than meets the eye about his death.

Young is such a master at weaving tales that have this atmospheric level to them! Here's what I loved:

The whole tone: This one has such a dark tone but that adds to the overall atmosphere of the entire story. It also really gets you into the just the grayness of the mountains and woods the story takes place in.

James and Micah: These two are such a pair. They are pushed together and pulled apart but their love story really got to me. It was a classic case of they both want different things and that's what pushes them apart.

The mystery: I enjoyed the mystery of what happened to Johnny. There are so many layers to the tale that you get really invested.

All in all, a really good drama/mystery!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

Could this be my favorite Adrienne Young’s books thus far? Perhaps.

A young woman returns home to her small, secluded town to investigate her twin brother’s mysterious death. It’s a slow burn … full of haunting high schools pasts, buried secrets and dysfunctional familial dynamics. Do we really know those closest to us…. really? How much do people change as they grow? How much do we? The setting is as moody, atmospheric, strangely captivating. Out of all of Young’s books, this cast of characters is my favorite. I won’t give away any spoilers or hints but loved their dynamics in this twisty, dark, but wild at heart story. Sometimes we do have to go backwards to go towards … wishing the best to James Golden.

You won’t regret reading this one. Arrives on bookshelves January 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/ Ballentine Book for this advanced reader’s copy.