This is a taut, extremely well-paced, and emotional thriller and family drama that sucked me in right away. When her twin brother has died in what appears to be an accident, James comes back to her hometown after twenty years away to make peace with his death. But of course once she gets there, it doesn't really seem like an accident, and she decides to stay and try to figure it out.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book, since I'm not usually a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers. But I felt like this book had a ton of emotional depth, way more than I normally find in this genre (although to be fair, I don't read a lot of books in the genre, so I'm definitely not the best judge). James really wrestles with the reality of who her brother was and her own complicity in enabling his worst personality traits, and Young deftly explores how small towns protect their own, often to the detriment of outsiders and those who go against the grain, and how trauma follows you everywhere. The forest town of Six Rivers is impeccably atmospheric - it reminds me of Forks, IYKYK - and the mysteries unfold in a natural and, at least to me, mostly unpredictable way. James' grief is devastatingly articulated, and the cast of characters is compelling and nuanced. I really liked this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks so much to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this eARC!

What I love about Adrienne Young's books and writing is that she really makes me feel like I am in her stories. Her writing is so atmospheric and illustrative that I feel like I'm transported right in the middle of the world she has created. A Sea of Unspoken things was an enjoyable ready. The small town mystery aspect of it kept me engaged and there were moments that were quite poignant and introspective. The magical realism in this novel was not as pronounced as her previous books, but it is still a captivating read.

I will always look forward to an Adrienne Young book!

Atmospheric, spooky and beautiful. I loved this book. I loved the mystery and the spooky elements with the brothers ghost. It was also just so heartbreaking but worth the journey. I loved the romance interwoven and how I was kept guessing.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is one of those books that stay with you for a very long time. Shrouded in mystery, the death of her brother brings James back to her hometown. Not only does she have to face the people she longed to forget, but she also has to deal with her feelings for Micah, her first love.

I adored every minute of this read. The setting, the relationships, the mystery.... this book keeps you on your toes the entire time.

You can check out my book trailer here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD8Zxifx7rh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

There's a lot that I could say about this story, but to cut it short, I had such a great time reading it, and I truly recommend it to everyone who likes an atmospheric tale.
At first, I wasn't sure what genre the book was because I wanted to go in completely blind, and honestly, it was so fun to do that. But yes, this is a cozy, atmospheric adult mystery with a side plot of romance that, surprisingly, didn't bother me at all. I liked it, which, coming from me (a low-key romance hater), means a lot.
Not gonna lie, the beginning was a bit slow since there wasn't much dialogue, but the rhythm picked up once the plot set in. The twists and turns were good, and I didn't see them coming, even if they weren't amazing either. The same goes for the characters: I liked them, but I didn't LOVE them. That's the only reason it's not getting a 5-star rating. But overall, it was such a good, well-rounded story where all the elements worked together perfectly. I really enjoyed reading it for the small-town cozy vibe, and I loved that the atmosphere was there, but so was the plot. A lot of the time with cozy books, I become very bored very quickly, but with this story, that didn't happen. Also, the prose was SO GOOD. I'm so excited to read more from this author!


*Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC*

Young has a way of writing stories that worm their way into your heart and head, echoing in your thoughts long after you finish reading them. I still think about June Farrow and I have a feeling that James and Johnny Golden will be the same way.

I loved the way this book explored sibling relationships in all their complexity, beauty, and difficulty. The bond James and Johnny share is special - but also, at times, a burden. Navigating being so closely intertwined while still trying to be your own person is a powerful underlying tension to this story.

I also thought the mystery aspect was masterfully handled. I thought the final resolution was very satisfying and I was eagerly guessing what might be revealed next every step of the way.

I absolutely loved this and would highly recommend it. Thank you to Delacourte Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for an advanced copy of A Sea Of Unspoken Things.

James gets a call that changes her life forever, her twin brother Johnny has died. For the first time in twenty years she is going home to the town she ran away from and never looked back at to settle his affairs. Ever since she can remember her and Johnny have had a special bond and she can feel what happens to him and vice versa. She starts to feel him around her and she keeps getting the sense that his death was not an accident and maybe has something to do with why she ran away. She begins to realize that everyone around her is hiding something.

This book was so good and it had me hooked from the Ty beginning. I did not see some of the twists coming at all. The storyline was very well written and I enjoyed the characters. I highly recommend this book!

3.75 🌟

I really enjoyed the book, and the mystery aspect was what truly made it a page-turner for me. While the story did feel a bit flat in the middle, I remained intrigued and kept an open mind, eager to see how everything would unfold. This story turned out to be a bit different than I expected, but I was thoroughly drawn into it, especially with Adrienne’s melodic and captivating writing style. It took me a little time to get into it, but by the halfway mark, I couldn’t put it down. The small-town setting was so atmospheric, adding layers of tension and mystery that perfectly complemented the haunting tone of the story.

The book follows James, a twin grappling with the death of her brother, Johnny. Returning to her hometown, James begins uncovering secrets surrounding his death, realizing that it was far from an accident. The more she digs, the more she questions if she ever truly knew her brother at all. Adrienne does a fantastic job portraying James’s grief and her determination to uncover the truth, even as she’s faced with dangerous revelations. The small-town vibe adds an extra layer of suspense, where it feels like everyone’s hiding something, making you want to keep reading to uncover every last secret.

While I loved the way the story unfolded and how it all came full circle in the end, I did feel like the pacing towards the conclusion was a little rushed. Some parts felt like they wrapped up too quickly, and I would’ve liked a bit more time to sit with the resolutions. Even so, the ending was satisfying, and I loved the emotional payoff.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will absolutely be picking up more of Adrienne Young’s works in the future. Her ability to craft gripping stories and complex characters is undeniable.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Adrienne Young for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

4.25! Adrienne Young is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine (The Unmaking of June Farrow was a top book I read last year) & this one is almost as good.

She writes small mountain town, atmospheric, first love, light magical realism SO WELL. The supernatural bond between James and her twin brother Johnny was intriguing & I was very invested in finding out what happened to him. Would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A suspenseful mystery thriller that has no romance to it.
Tragic events abound in A Sea of Unspoken Things.
The mystery aspect is slow burn.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I devoured this while on my trip, staying up far too late into the night, reading in my hotel room. I loved Spells for Forgetting and the forest setting of James’s hometown gave me very similar vibes to Spells; a small, close knit community, with the setting providing mystery and becoming a character itself.
James returns to her hometown after twenties years due to the unexpected death of her twin brother, to settle his affairs. However, returning home leads James to believe there was more to his death than meets the eye and sends her down the rabbit hole to solve this mystery, confront her past with the town, her brother, and Micah, and learn that maybe the mystery isn’t just her brother’s death, but who he truly was. There were a lot of twists to this story and it kept me guessing until the very end. The story was intriguing and with multiple layers, but never had me feeling like it was overwhelming or that any of the events were unbelievable. I can’t wait to see what Adrienne comes out with next and I’m very excited for the fairyloot SE of this!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

I've really enjoyed this author in the past and this novel is no exception. She writes beautifully. Her books are often on the slower, emotional side, which is fine with me. While there weren't her touch of magical realism in this novel, there was more of a spectral feeling hovering over the entire novel. James returns to town after the unexpected death of her twin brother. She hasn't been back to town in quite some time, leaving after a tragedy. James tries to figure out what happened to her brother, stumbling upon another mystery at the same time. I did feel that the ending wrapped up very quickly, with two mysteries wrapping up pretty quickly.

This novel was much slower than Young’s previous two adult novels, and unfortunately it didn’t work quite as well for me personally.
Young’s atmospheric and beautiful writing is still present in this book, which is my favorite thing about her stories. For me this one was just too slow paced and I felt that things were too quickly resolved in the end which left me feeling unsatisfied.

Thank you to Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book!
Pub date: January 7, 2025

4.5⭐️ A Sea of Unspoken Things was everything I wanted it to be—riveting, mysterious, and layered. The writing felt vivid and poetic. I found myself completely immersed in each description and moment.

I loved how deeply connected the characters were to the setting. You really see the level of impact living in a small town can have on a person, especially when small towns whisper. I loved the complexity of the FMC. The link between James and her twin brother, Johnny, was equally beautiful yet haunting. The plot moves slowly at first, but once you hit that halfway point, it picks up and doesn't stop. I'd have liked *more* from the ending, but overall, I really loved this story.

This is a great read for anyone wanting small-town mystery, descriptive writing, and a touch of magical realism. I enjoyed this one!

—𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.—

So excited I got this advanced reader copy! I love a small town thriller and this one delivered. Once you got into the story, the plot really picks up and the twists really get you!

Good LORD! Adrienne Young! This woman knows how to write a BOOK!!! This was amazing amazing amazing! The writing was spectacular and the plot was phenomenal. James was a spectacular main character and she was well rounded as F! Truly love love this book.

A haunting, atmospheric book for my Twin Peaks-loving heart! Young expertly threads romance, mystery, grief, and above all--love and identity--as James searches for answers to questions known and unknown in the hometown she left many years ago. Read this on a rainy day, when you're looking to feel the whole spectrum of emotions, but ultimately feel safe knowing you close the book feeling hopeful at last.

We follow James as she leaves the big city to visit the small town she never thought she'd see again. As she is getting her twin brother's affairs in order after his unexpected death, she realizes there is something here that just doesn't add up. As James begins to unravel the truth and lies, she finds more than she is expecting that could turn everything upside down.

This was so so good, I could not put it down! This might be my favorite Adrienne Young novel. It is so hauntingly beautiful and emotional in the best way. I love Adrienne's prose and it was so easy to fully immerse myself into this small town. The push and pull with Micah was exquisite and kept me coming back for more. The ending was perfection and left me in tears.

With a bit of romance and a lot of mystery, this was one of my favorite reads of 2024!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced e-copy!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things—I really enjoyed this! It felt like a cozy mystery with old-school Riverdale vibes in the best way.

Set in an eerie small town surrounded by forests, the story follows a pair of twins, one of whom died in a mysterious accident. The surviving twin starts on a journey to uncover what really happened. Somehow, this book managed to be both creepy and comforting at the same time.

The writing was almost lyrical, beautifully detailing every moment and character in a whimsical way. With its atmospheric setting and haunting tone, it would make a perfect winter read. It’s out January 7th of next year, and I’ll definitely be diving into Adrienne Young’s backlog soon (I’ve been meaning to anyway).

Highly recommend!

Content warning: gun violence, sexual assault, discussions of inappropriate relationship between an adult and a teen

Not my favorite of Young's novels, but this still was an engrossing read. Don't go into A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS expecting a fast plot, this is one of those stories that develops slowly. For being under 300 pages, it does feel like a longer book (not in a bad way exactly).

I understand why readers watch the majority of this story unfold through the eyes of James Golden, but I really wish Young had given us even a few flashback chapters from Johnny's point of view. Same with Micah, I wish he had more of a voice. Once we got to a certain scene in the plot, I had a good idea of at least who was responsible for what, but I still found the reveal satisfying.

Smoke was the perfect name for that pup and I adored him, even if he wasn't always front and center in the plot.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.