What's this about?
When James senses the death of her twin brother, Johnny, she returns to their small town to set his affairs in order. When James arrives in Hawthorne, old ghosts begin to haunt her while she uncovers more of the mysterious circumstances related to Johnny’s untimely death. Her past love, Micah and the numerous secrets Johnny kept, as well as her past all continue to appear as she dives deeper into this mystery.

What I enjoyed
Young once again creates a captivating atmosphere and perfectly sets the scene of a mystery surrounding a small, close-knit town. I felt transported to Hawthorne. The descriptions set the scene so well. I also enjoyed how each character had their own secrets and baggage that affected them and their interactions.

It was interesting to see how James acted when she returned to Hawthorne and old memories began to pop up. Couple that with a mystery in a town where nearly everybody has a solid alibi, one starts to wonder how deep the events of Johnny’s death truly goes.

Just when you think the mystery is solved, new clues and events unfold and kept me guessing the whole time. I was constantly trying to assemble the puzzle as I read, only to find new pieces. I have been a big fan of Young’s story-telling since Fable and it continues to charm me every time.

What I think could have been better
As much as I enjoy Young’s novels, one thing I wish was that her books were longer (yes, you read that right). So often are character arcs and events wrapped up quickly it feels that some points do not feel completely resolved. To me, it felt like taking a long road trip only to stay at your destination for one day.

I wish more time was taken to properly tie up loose ends. I felt the same thing when I read The Unmaking of June Farrow. I still enjoyed the book a lot, but things like this sometimes make it feel as if some stakes or connections do not feel as impactful.

Final Thoughts
Overall, a solid book for me. I love the way Young creates such a unique atmosphere for her stories. I believe her talent lies in creating these magical realism mysteries. The case of Johnny’s death kept me guessing who was involved and what truly happened the entire time. It took me about two days to finish, so I was hooked! Again, I just wish some things were not wrapped up so quickly.

This book definitely feels closer to Spells for Forgetting, so if you are a fan of that book, I think you’ll enjoy this new entry. While not as heavy on magical realism as previous Young books, it still delivers a great mystery. I felt as if I was in this world and I think it will make a perfect book for a cozy evening and even for book clubs.

4/5

After being introduced to Adrienne Young's work with The Unmaking of June Farrow I was excited to get to preview her upcoming book, A Sea of Unspoken Things, early! I'm also looking forward to returning to a backlist title, Spells for Forgetting, by Adrienne this Fall season!

One thing I've grown to appreciate from Adrienne's writing is how atmospheric the story always feels. I can vividly imagine the characters in the woods of California within this book just like I can still picture June within her story. Character-wise, I didn't have a strong sense of compassion for any of these characters as I did with her past book. Everyone seemed to cage their feelings throughout the book and relationships were very surface level. We're told the love interests have a lot of history between one another but it felt more telling than showing. The ending had too much ambiguity for me, which for a thriller I want much of the plot points to be wrapped up nicely. I think I was fully expecting another magical realism story as it currently advertises itself as, but I failed to find that component while reading outside of posthumous twin telepathy.

My favorite quote: "Maybe we were made in the dark, but we'd found a way to create our own kind of light."

If you're looking for a cozier styled thriller, make sure you add A Sea of Unspoken Things to your TBR pile. It makes for a quick, atmospheric story!

Thanks to Netgalley & Random House- Ballantine for the E-ARC! Beautiful writing style. Very atmospheric & great story. Will definitely read more from this author.

If you were more of a ‘Spells For Forgetting’ Adrienne Young fan than ‘Unmaking of June Farrow’ – you will love this one.

A Sea of Unspoken Things checks all the atmospheric, moody, murder mystery in a small town boxes – this time, in a northern California rural town, as our main character james returns home due to her tingly twin spidey-sense that something is afoot after the shocking, accidental-but-still-unsolved death of her twin brother. Over the course of the story, she tackles not only the lingering mystery over what happened, but also her own sense of guilt for having fled the town that raised her (Alexa play you’re gonna go far by Noah Kahan), and the layers of small-town drama that may or may not have anything to do with the sudden loss of her mysterious, intense, notoriously mercurial twin brother.

While I enjoyed this a lot – and it’s a super quick read, doubly so since it’s nearly impossible to put down with its multifaceted mysteries – it fell a little short for me. It’s still enthralling and interesting, with enough coldly spooky vibes to hook you (a la spells for forgetting!), but it lacked the emotional punch I was looking for, and I chalk that up to feeling a bit disconnected from the characters. It’s hard for me to fully buy in when we only get 288 pages to introduce, unpack, and explore each of the important characters in this story. With a little more space to fully disentangle the other prominent relationships in this book (and to wrap up some loose ends that went unacknowledged), this would probably jump to a 4 star for me. Still a good, moody read that will keep you irrevocably hooked, but one whose most poignant storyline centers on complicated sibling relationships rather than romantic ones.

Pick this one up if you were a big fan of Spells for Forgetting, want something fast-paced and deeply haunting, and need something short and sweet to hook you to hit your reading goals for the back quarter of the year.

From the first sentence I knew this was going to be a five-star read. This is the first book that I have read from Adrienne Young and now I need to read them all.

The way that I loved this book can only be described as the way an owl loves the night. It was the perfect fall read: atmospheric, a bit spooky, and full of twists and turns that I never saw coming. The book instantly transported me into the backwoods of California. Haunting and gut-wrenching, I consumed this book as fast as I possibly could.

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.--

Young delivered a perfect small-town mystery. I loved the paranormal and romantic elements. Young does a fabulous job of portraying deep grief and love.

I received A Sea of Unspoken Things as an ARC read for NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story had me hooked from the moment I started reading it. James and Johnnys unique twin connection was almost supernatural in nature but spoke volumes to how even if we think we know someone to their core there is always something that can surprise us.

The way the author intricately wove the tragedy of the past into the current tragedy and connected the history of the town to current strifes was beautifully done. I was on the edge of my seat trying to find out which thread to follow for the 3 murders we were introduced to. In the end I think the story tied together and the door was finally closed on the past.

I have read a few things by this author and every time I immensely enjoy the art she has created. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

Adrienne Young can do no wrong in my eyes. Her writing is always so lyrical, grounding and whimsical, A Sea of Unspoken Things is no exception. 


Small town mystery with an undercurrent of found family & love that keeps you guessing and completely enthralled.  I was also salivating over the first person perspective in A Sea of Unspoken Things alongside of the magical realism had me just shook. 


"I couldn’t even pretend to know how you could take a whole life, a whole person, and put it into words. Goodbye is a lost language. A silent one."


I was living for the small rekindling moments between James and Micah. As well as the growth and journey between James and Johnny. 


"It had taken losing Johnny to fully know him, but there was more to it than that. I had to lose him in order to even know myself."

"Maybe we were made in the dark, like Johnny said, but we’d found a way to create our own kind of light."

There is just SO MUCH to love about this book. It was the perfect mixture of mystery and magical realism. Can not wait to see what Adrienne Young comes up with next! 😍

The dark, mysterious magic I loved in Spells for Forgetting that was missing in June Farrow is BACK in Unspoken Things! I’m obsessed with Young’s atmosphere.

"We could fill the fucking ocean with the things we never said to each other."

Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors and she once again delivered a captivating mystery that can’t be put down.

There’s lot of unique elements to the story (I won’t say more) that overall complete this unique small-town mystery. The main character, James, really shown in the second half of the book and I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on.

If you like small town mysteries or are a fan of Adrienne Young, you won’t want to miss out on this story!

This book was written.Beautifully.It had very engaging characters on a wonderful storyline.I cried, I laughed.I loved right along with them

An enjoyable read that felt like dejavu of Spells for Forgetting for the first 50% of the novel. Slow to build and repetitive, this is a read to save for a fireside evening where you don't want to think much, you just want to sink into some beautifully written vibes. Around the 3/4 mark the mystery finally moves from asking the same set of questions with incremental progress to the heart of the story, a twin who thinks she knows her brother intimately, with all the full force of "twin magic," being forced to question whether or not she knows him at all, or if the same lies she's used to wall her and her twin off from the world have also come between them. The romance was equally slow and predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. All in all, I wish there was much more and also much less of this book, which is an odd feeling to walk away with. Will absolutely continue to auto-read everything Young writes, as her ability to create a distinct signature mood is stunning.

Adrienne Young is an auto buy author for me and there is a good reason – she creates atmospheric and spooky novels that are gripping until the end. A Sea of Unspoken Things is one of those books. In this book, a woman named James returns to her hometown to uncover the truth behind her twin brother Johnny's mysterious death, all while grappling with their haunting past and a powerful connection that still lingers beyond the grave. As she delves deeper, James finds herself confronting hidden secrets and the only man she ever loved, ultimately facing the choice of which truths to reveal—and which to keep buried.

Yes, there are some underlying ghostly elements to this book, but it is on the light side. For me, this was more of a mystery novel with underlying ghostly elements. I still very much enjoyed it. It would be perfect for the mystery loving reader who wanted a little paranormal in their books. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes small town mystery vibes. I love everything Adrienne writes!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book!

When I say I SQUEALED when I was able to read an eARC of this book! There is nothing like an Adrienne Young for some spooky magical realism vibes for spooky season. This book asks us how well do we really know our siblings?

And its a hit! I loved everything about this book. This is a beautifully written and captivating small town mystery. It follows a set of twins, James and Johnny, who both share a tragic backstory that slowly started to drive a wedge between them. When Johnny ends up dead James must found out what happened. The magical realism? Done to perfection and completely integrated into the story. A twin connection. Twists? So many good ones, but not so many I could not keep track of the story. Micahs character is still making me swoon and I am a happily married mother of three.

My single gripe with this book is I think the length was awkward. It was a short book, in the 200 page range, and I would have liked if there was 80ish more pages and it felt a little fleshed out. While I do love a popcorn read, this one had too much packed in to be called that in my opinion.

Adrienne Young develops characters you will think about even when you’re not reading, but perhaps her biggest strength as a writer is her ability to convey a setting in such a poignant way. The deep woods of Northern California are good at keeping secrets - and in A Sea of Unspoken Things there are a few unsolved mysteries lurking about.

James Golden returns to rural Hawthorne after nearly 20 years away. She’s there to take care of her twin brother’s effects after he was killed in a nearby gorge. Johnny never left Hawthorne and developed a life there researching endangered owls. There are secrets in his photos and field notes that James has to unravel.

James returns to find childhood friends in adult roles - one of them owns the cafe in town and her best friend/former boyfriend Micah is also still there, leading fishing trips on the local rivers. There is love, mystery, history, intrigue, miscommunication, and a mother’s devotion all tied into figuring out what really happened to Johnny. An engaging and endearing read.

**3.75 Stars**
This story unfolds in a quaint little town with a mysterious atmosphere. The pace was quite slow until around the 80% mark, but it ultimately tells a heartfelt tale about second chances and discovering where you truly belong. I have to admit, the first half dragged a bit. The plot centers on the various enigmas plaguing this small community, particularly those involving James' brother, Johnny.

On the bright side, the latter part of the book truly excels. That’s when James begins to dig deeper and confront the big questions. It raises the timeless issue of whether we ever truly know the people we’re closest to. I found the book quite enjoyable! However, I did think the ending felt a little rushed.

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this ARC.

4.5! This blend of romance, mystery and suspense is everything I’ve been looking for lately! Sometimes romantic suspense can get a little out there and/ or cheesy but that is not the case for Adrienne Young (of what I’ve read so far). Her prose and settings are beautiful!

I didn’t feel as connected to the story and the main character as I did with the Unmaking of June Farrow but I still inhaled this book and was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I didn’t predict the ending. I loved Micah as well.

This definitely sealed the deal that Adrienne Young is now an auto-buy author for me especially if she continues this blend of genres.

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC!

Really interesting small town mystery with super cozy vibes. I still like Young's other two books better, Spells For Forgetting being my favorite, but this is still a great read. I will say there was not nearly as much 'magical realism' in this as her other books, but I didn't mind that. There were twists and turns but nothing too crazy that made my jaw drop or anything. But overall really enjoyable and I'd still recommend!

A Sea of Unspoken Things
I’m a HUGE Adrienne Young fan. She is an amazing storyteller. While this book took a minute longer to hook me, it’s fantastic. “A Sea of Unspoken Things” is a clever small town mystery that I needed to see through to the end. The twists were fantastic!

Really enjoyed this book. The mystery, paranormal, and romantic aspects all wove together really well. The atmosphere created with the description of the forest and the small town was very easy to picture.