A Sea of Unspoken Things is one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and it did not disappoint. Adrienne Young has slowly become one of my favorite authors. Her writing is incredibly atmospheric and immersive, her upcoming novel is no exception to that. From the very first page she managed to suck me in to the story. Her writing transports you completely, until you realize it’s past midnight and you should probably be sleeping. But how can one possibly sleep once they have begun such a beautiful and mysterious story? A Sea of Unspoken Things is both similar and different to her previous adult works. It has the signature small town mystery and atmospheric setting. But this one leans less into the slight fantasy element that the others do. It still has a magical realism element to it, but somehow this story is different. It’s darker. It’s more emotional. It’s a wonderful study about twins and their unbreakable connection. It’s a story about grief and second chances. A story where one learns that it is never too late to be yourself. The mystery aspect of the story was addicting and page turning. Every time I think I had it figured out, another twist was thrown in that I should’ve saw coming. Young is a master at writing second chance romance. While the romance takes a back seat in the story and is a very small subplot, I found myself loving it. It was just enough and was so very important to the story. Obviously this book gets 5 stars from me. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book was not only a beautiful love story but also a shocking thriller. I loved everything about this one. Perfect for a nice gloomy, chilly day this coming January! Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC!

I knew when I saw the author that I wanted to have this book. Young has become and instabuy for me and this story is no different. Her writing style is one of my favorites and her ability to pull me into the worlds she creates is enchanting. This one starts slow, but the ride is well worth it.

From the moment this story began it drew me in immediately. I absolutely loved the writing style Adrienne Young uses and how the novel was structured. You really feel the weight of James' grief, but she never loses the ability to see the beauty in the nature of Six Rivers. The author also spends a lot of time establishing every character we meet, (even though it's through the perspective of James) you really feel a connection to each person and how the past has changed them over time. As for the plot, it was very well-paced; I honestly had a hard time putting the book down and I was completely immersed in the story. I immediately wanted to re-read after I finished to see hints that I may have missed. I would recommend this to fans of Gillian Flynn's "Sharp Objects" and David Lynch's "Twin Peaks".
Review will be published on my Goodreads and Instagram accounts after publication

Adrienne is an auto-buy author for me and this new book by her reinforces that. While this started off a bit slow for me, I was slowly sucked into this story. The vibes were immaculate. She has such a beautiful, immersive way of writing, I felt I was in the Pacific North West. You absolutely need to pick this up.

Review will be posted on my Goodreads. Thank you so much NetGalley for the arc!!

Starting with a premise that has the potential to trip over so many cliches found in a made-for-tv movie, a woman who left the small town where she grew up without looking back is pulled back to deal with a family tragedy. But the melodic prose of the story and and the unravelling of the characters' histories creates more than the boilerplate plot. Jack's connection to her twin fuels her need for answers or maybe just closure, but as she picks up the breadcrumbs of his life, she gains a perspective on what she left behind and even where she wants her life to go. The mysterious circumstances surrounding her brother's death as well as the curious disappearance of a young woman whom he was connected with might have the makings of an action thriller, but play out in a character-driven drama. The story has a quiet, melancholy, and even romantic note rather than the adrenaline pounding of a thriller. Readers who enjoy tales that emphasize a connection to the characters, magical realism, and cozy mysteries could enjoy connecting to the story of Jack as she reconnects to her past.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group: Ballantine, Delacorte Press) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I received this book as an ARC.

This story focused on a bereft FMC, James, as she navigates through the loss of her twin brother Johnny. I really enjoyed this book.

I found the FMC to be engaging, despite the troubles that she encounters as she returns to her childhood town.

I think Adrienne is an amazing writer and look forward to more books by her!

No surprise here, this book was a 5⭐️ read for me. Adrienne Young has a way of writing that feels so raw but developed at the same time.

Murder mysteries, a love story, and admitting that we don't know the people we love as well as we thought- it's all here and it's all done exceptionally well.

I loved this book- the *only* thing I'm not a fan of is the title. I don't feel that it fit with the setting, but that is just me being picky.

Read this. It releases January 7 and it's just as magical as The Unmaking of June Farrow, if not more.

Read this in one day. It has the vibes of Mare of Easttown mixed with those PNW/Northern California shows that are actually filmed in Vancouver—think a mystery set in a small, gloomy forest town with a cool diner where the MC hangs out.

The story follows a twin who left Six Rivers, California, for San Francisco 20 years ago, only to return after her brother’s murder. There’s a touch of magical realism—she feels her twin trying to tell her something’s off about his death being ruled an accident (gave me season 1 Riverdale vibes) But that’s as far as the magic goes. It is very much a general fiction mystery with two major plotlines and three big reveals toward the end like 96%. I was intrigued most of the time but the pacing is oddly slow and fast.

The atmosphere is the highlight. I could feel the chill of the redwoods, smell the pines, and sense the weight of the rain. Young captures that Northern California gloom perfectly.
The writing is straightforward but leans a bit too much on metaphors in certain spots. She also gets a bit repetitive with the “reason” the MC left and “never looked back” 20 yrs ago and it takes WAY too long to reveal it.

There are two romantic subplots: a friends with benefits situation that doesn’t add much and a second chance romance with her old high school fling, which ties more into the main story. Neither stood out, and the epilogue was personally unsatisfying. The characters in general fell a bit flat. Nevertheless, the vibes were immaculate and I enjoyed being in the story.

One thing I didn’t get was the title—A Sea of Unspoken Things—considering it’s set in a Redwood Forest. The “sea” part doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I’m just dumb…

I really love Adrienne Young, but I was just really disappointed in this book. It was quite slow and a bit boring.

Adrienne Young has delivered yet another captivating, twisty, heart-throbbing small-town mystery that you’ll want to devour in one sitting! How could I resist? I just had to request an ARC and ended up enjoying every second of it!

The supernatural elements, like the ghost of a loved one leading you to their killer, or the victim being potentially involved, make for a highly intriguing plot, don’t they?

One of the interesting aspects of the book is the heroine’s name—James—which initially led me to think this might be an LGBTQ mystery. But when I discovered that James is a woman named after a man, I couldn’t help but shrug and blame her parents. In this case, it’s the fault of the twins' young mother, who not only gave her daughter a traditionally male name but also abandoned her children, feeling trapped in their small town.

Another fascinating part of the story is the connection between James and her twin brother Johnny Golden. They are like yin and yang—James’s brightness balancing Johnny’s darkness. Johnny creates chaos, and James is always there to clean up the mess and take the blame. This has been their dynamic ever since a tragic event drove James to leave town to pursue her artistic talents, never looking back. But she didn’t just leave behind her troubled brother; she also left the love of her life, Micah, and started anew in San Francisco.

Now, nearly two decades later, she is forced to return to the small town she once fled, bringing her brother's ashes and completing the important environmental project he started. But she has another reason for returning—a secret she’s kept to herself. She felt the exact moment her brother died, shot by what was presumed to be an accidental bullet during hunting season, even though the shooter’s identity remains unknown. James is convinced her brother’s death was no accident, and she’s determined to do what she’s always done: fix her brother’s problems and uncover the dangerous situations he may have been involved in. After all, she knows firsthand how far Johnny would go to protect those he loved.

Her investigation brings her face-to-face with a young art student who may have had a connection to her brother, uncovering more secrets hidden by the townspeople. Could her brother have gone too far, perhaps even hurting someone? As James digs deeper into his death, she may find herself not just searching for his killer, but also confronting the man Johnny had become—and wondering if he had already crossed a line that led to his demise.

There’s only one person she can turn to for help in facing the truth: Micah, the man whose heart she broke. Micah had become her brother’s protector after she left town, and now, as buried secrets begin to resurface, they must face them together. But can they also bury their own unresolved past?

Overall, this fast-paced small-town mystery with paranormal and romantic elements keeps you hooked. I’m rounding my 3.5 stars to 4 owlish stars and eagerly awaiting more of Young's books in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital review copy of this unputdownable mystery in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Adrienne Young’s A Sea of Unspoken Things is a hauntingly atmospheric novel that intertwines mystery and family bonds. Following the tragic death of her twin brother, Johnny, James Golden is plunged into a world of grief and unanswered questions as she returns to the eerie town of Six Rivers, California, to settle his affairs. The author captures the depth of James's connection with her twin, exploring the almost mystical bond that allowed her to feel what Johnny felt. This connection becomes the driving force behind her relentless quest to uncover the truth about his death. This book is perfect for fans of deeply layered mysteries with a touch of the supernatural, offering an exploration of the bonds that tie us to the ones we’ve lost and the secrets we carry with us.

Young has such a way with words. In her newest novel, she pairs lyrical writing with a captivating mystery and a dash of that wonderful magical realism she does so well.

James and her twin brother Johnny spent their childhood and teen years totally inseparable… until James left home at 18. Now, it’s decades later and in the time leading up to her brother’s death, their contact was dwindling.

Now that he is gone, there is a giant hole in her being, something she can’t come to terms with. She decides to go home to learn more about what really happened.

I love a good the-one-who-got-out-must-return-home-years-later-to-discover-the-truth situation, especially when there is a possible love interest. James is a very strong, compassionate and capable protagonist. She is smart and persistent, which I can only imagine is difficult when returning to a place you left behind so long ago.

There is so much heart to this story and I loved it.