I love everything Adrienne Young writes. She’s absolutely magical, and her novels are so atmospheric.
This isn’t my favorite book of hers, but I still really enjoyed it. I will say, I do wish that there had been more chapters dedicated to the past - Johnny & James and their relationship, what really was “wrong” with Johnny, Micah & James, etc. SINCE a huge part of this story is the past haunting the present, I would have loved to ready more about the past. I feel like I don’t know the character as deeply as I want to.
Regardless, I loved this and will definitley recommend!

3.75/5 stars

Thank you so much for the advanced copy! This review can also be found on my Goodreads account.

Adrienne Young is an exceptional writer. Her stories are well-crafted, and this novel was no different. It was a captivating mystery - not one that I would necessarily call a thriller, though, because it had more of a… casual(?) pace to it.

I enjoyed the characters and drama, and again have to say that Young is a very talented storyteller. My only notes:

1. a couple of grammatical errors (that I’m sure will be caught and corrected by January)
2. it was a bit confusing at first, since James is traditionally a male’s name and there were some questionable references before confirming the MC’s gender identity
3. did we ever find out what Micah and Johnny were arguing about?

Otherwise, I recommend A Sea of Unspoken Things for those who have already read Young’s other work, for those who want an easybutnotcozy mystery during the winter months, and for those who are looking for a more mature Frieda McFadden feel to their next whodunnit.

I want to give a big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me a chance to read and review a copy of this e-arc.

Adrienne young has once again gave me a great story to unravel. I really enjoyed solving the mysteries of this book. When James discovers her brother Johnny has died , after many years of James escaping her home town of Hawthorne, she returns to finish what he started. Only to find out that things aren’t really what they seem.

Her twin sense is telling her that this wasn’t just an accident. Her first love Micah does everything he can to help her solve what happened to Johnny. But turns out it wasn’t just him that was murdered.

It turns out the whole town has secrets to keep.

So many twist and turns and new angles. The plot was amazing, and the way this story is written you can feel their emotions and their way of thinking.

I highly recommend this book along with all of Adrienne young’s books as she is a phenomenal writer!

I have been a HUGE fan of this author for quite some time now and legit fangirled and screamed when I saw I had an ARC of her newest book! I devour the author's books in one sitting every time because the writing is magical and I get caught up in the story.

A Sea Of Unspoken Things was the same kind of magical mystery that made me finish the book in one sitting. I loved the small town vibes, the mystery, and the twins James and Johnny and their connection to one another. James goes back home to where she grew up because her brother died out in the woods. She can't seem to wrap her mind around her brother being so careless with a gun and knows there is more to the story.

While the first part of this book did drag, I knew once it hit a certain point it was going to pull me in and not let me go. I was correct, about 40% in I was hooked and needed to know what happened to Johnny. All of the secrets and twists throughout the book were phenomenally written and took me by surprise.

While this was a mystery, it was so much more than that. This was about love, loss, and the darkest parts of grief.

I highly enjoyed my experience and gave this 5 stars. My absolute favorite aspect of the book is the relationship Young wrote between James and Johnny. I cried and appreciated every feeling she was able to capture with her words. The way she wrote about it, she provides such an intimate insight into the bond of what it might be like to be a twin and what it is like to have a sibling. I found myself taking the deepest of breaths, just because it was so hard reading/realizing the words to how I feel at times. This book validated so much of what it feels like for me to have such a fearless brother.

From the start I was transported to this isolated small town, the cabin, woods, diner, twisty roads etc. The character development was great, most characters were introduced early on and plenty of background information was sprinkled throughout the book for each one of them. The general storyline regarding the main mystery was done well, but the twist near the end had me making tons of predications and holding my breath. The romance was endearing, definitely more of a subplot for me, even though it was a prominent aspect throughout the book & the ending. Overall, I truly enjoyed every second, the revelations were powerful and liberating, plus I appreciate how the ending wrapped up everything beautifully.

The first half was really slow and I found myself skimming through a few sections, thinking this was going to be a long slog through to find out what happened. However, it thankfully picked up after that and got decently interesting.

I thought it was pretty easy to figure out whodunit but knowing didn't detract from the story.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a story! This book took me on a wild ride of twist and turns in this suspenseful family drama. This book truly embodies “how far would you go to protect your family?” With a stunning backdrop of Northern California paired with Adrienne Young’s beautiful prose— this is one you MUST put on your radar! Thank you so so much NetGalley for the arc!

Y’all, I absolutely loved this! I wish I had a physical copy to hug to my chest… counting down the days till January, so I can get my hands on a copy for my shelf. A Sea of Unspoken Things is Adrienne Young’s newest atmospheric novel and I found it so beautiful. It was a story where I wanted to find out what happened, but I also wanted to take my time to savor it.

It’s a murder mystery set in a quiet, kind of closed off small town in the forests of northern California. One of those towns where most people don’t ever get out and those that do don’t look back. James Golden was one who got out and hadn’t looked back for twenty years until her twin brother dies and she returns to sort out his affairs and unravel what happened to him.

Let me tell you, the ending of this book really took me by surprise. The twists and turns were so unexpected, but it is written in such a calm, lulling, gentle way. I really can’t describe it. I normally read romance or fantasy and Adrienne’s magical realism stories sit somewhere in the middle. This one grabbed me and didn’t let go. I was so invested in figuring out what happened and I felt like I could see everything through James’ eyes. I was intrigued by the town and the people in it and wanted to know all of their stories.

I highly recommend picking this up when it comes out on January 7th.

Read If You Like:
- Atmospheric
- Magical Realism
- Murder Mystery

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I really enjoy Adrienne Young's writing and loved The Unmaking of June Farrow, this book was just ok for me. A Sea of Unspoken Things delves into how much we really know about the most important people in our lives...our brothers, sisters, lovers, etc. The beginning of the book started off slow and I had difficulty feeling a connection to James. I enjoyed her and the story more as she starts to unravel the details of her brother's death, reconnecting with Micah and her hometown along the way. I was hoping for more from the supernatural connection between James and her brother, Johnny; some of my favorite parts of Young's books are the magical and mystical elements she incorporates. I did find myself wanting to see how everything would work out, for James and everyone in the town, and found some of the reveals quite shocking.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! Slight spoilers ahead!

I fell in love with Adrienne Young’s writing style after reading The Unmaking of June Farrow. She has a really special way of writing magical realism. A Sea of Unspoken Things has that same magical, romantic, and atmospheric vibe that I loved about TUJF.

HOWEVER

I think this book could have benefited from being longer.

A lot of the plot and emotional weight that surrounds it leans heavily on past relationships/shared trauma. That being said, I don’t think we dive into the past enough (aside from one pivotal scene) to make the events of the present day feel as impactful as they should feel. Certain moments fell flat or felt very melodramatic imo.

I love it when a character haunts a narrative (in this case, Johnny literally does) but aside from James constantly bringing up how she always needed to “save” Johnny or “cover for” Johnny, I didn’t really know what to make of their relationship.

Same with Micah! After 20 years, why are they still drawn to eachother? Why did they fall in love in the first place? Of course it makes for a deeply romantic plot line, but I didn’t fully buy their connection. I wanted to see the elements of their relationship that existed outside of this small town mystery.

Finally, I wish Young leaned more into the supernatural parts. The plot could have followed the exact same path without Johnny’s ghost hovering around.

All that being said, I loved this book. I adore Young’s writing. The issues I have with the book stem from wanting MORE.🩷

I had to stop everything when I got approved for this book. It was my highly anticipated book, and it sure did not disappoint. Adrienne Young is one of my favorite authors and I have loved her books. The atmosphere was perfect, and I loved the characters. I love the paranormal magical realism portion of this story. Run and get a copy.
4.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital arc!

This book has all the atmosphere and mystery that my spooky time heart needed!

It starts out very intriguing with James going back to the small town she escaped 20 years prior to investigate her twin brothers death.

The next part of the book is extremely slow paced, and has some editing issues that Im sure will be fixed before publishing...I hope.

The second half of the book however is really good!! Mysterious, tense, and lots of twists.

I would recomend this to anyone who enjoys a slow, slightly paranormal, atmospheric mystery 🖤

Bonus points for a beautiful cover!

Meh. It was good enough that I read it in two days. But nothing much to say about it beyond that. I'm really tired of authors having a big secret that the main character knows but the reader doesn't. 🙄 In this case it really took interest away from the actual mystery.

Also I guess it was supposed to be magical realism but then the whole twin thing basically just turned into nothing and disappeared, which was just completely annoying. Don't build this all up to then be nothing.

This is one of those books that will sit in your chest for a while, refusing to let you forget about it. The atmosphere pulses with life and the characters feel as if they could walk right off the page. While I enjoyed the mystery aspect, it was everything else that kept me in the story. I loved the romance between James and Micah, especially with their ending and the epilogue. I love how photography, especially of animals, is a big part of the story. It's such a unique art form and I was so excited to read about it being included in this story. I enjoyed how the magical realism was woven into this story without making it feel too fantastical.

That being said, even though I did love this book I wish that the magical realism aspect was a little more fleshed out. It felt a little vague which left me with more questions. I also found the plot twists at the very end to be a bit too quick. I wanted a little more time to sit with the information but I this might be normal pacing with books where mystery is the main focus.

Overall, I loved this book. The atmosphere and the characters pulled me in and at times made me forget I was reading. Thank you for this ARC!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is my first Adrienne Young book. It is the story of twins, Johnny and James. James has returned home after her brother’s untimely death and while she sorts through Johnny’s belongings she also attempts to sort out what happened to her beloved brother with their constant companion (and previous paramour) Micah at her side.

The writing in this book is almost a character in itself—very descriptive, very atmospheric and moody. This story is a slow burn and even halfway through I found myself wondering when I was going to be let into the story. I can honestly say that I didn’t feel fully let into what was really happening until near the very end. Maybe other readers will be able to piece it together more quickly but it was a bit frustrating for me. While the writing was beautiful and descriptive I still found the story keeping me at arms length until the very end when it embraced me with the brief warm hug.

This story is a portrait of grief and guilt, friendship and loyalty, love and loss.

James returns to her tiny hometown after her twin dies in order to find some closure. But their twin connection hasn't gone away, even though he's dead. Family secrets, small town secrets, a possible rekindled romance, and possibly murder? Mysterious and atmospheric, with complex characters, and a small town full of surprises.. 4.5☆

First off, Adrienne Young is an autobuy author me for - at least for her adult books. I have not read any of her YA yet. The Unmaking of June Farrow is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. Her adults books usually have this magic to them that sucks you in and I love them.

However, this book missed that magic for me. I liked the characters and the storyline was interesting enough. But there wasn't that chokehold over me like her other two adult books. This one felt very slow until 70% in, and was oddly paced towards the end. There was one side story with another character that didn't feel like it had that much weight to the whole storyline once that mystery was revealed.

Overall, I did enjoy this read and plan to continue with Adrienne Young books, but this wasn't a fav.

James and Johnny Golden shared a deep, almost supernatural bond as twins. When Johnny dies in an accident, James feels an overwhelming sense of loneliness for the first time. Returning to their hometown of Six Rivers, California, to settle his affairs, she confronts their shared past and her feelings for Micah, the only other person who knows their secrets. As she investigates Johnny's life, she discovers he was hiding important truths, leaving her to question if she ever really knew him. 

The pacing for A Sea of Unspoken Things was slow but I felt captivated the entire time. Everyone around James felt unreliable and I often felt myself question if we could trust James too. It was so atmospheric and beautifully written, which is why I feel the slow pacing worked the way it did. I was truly captivated from start to finish, I just needed to know what happened. 

While there is a mystery element, this story really delves into grief, the bond between sibling relationships, and the complexities of truly knowing those closest to you. James’s journey through her brother’s life after his passing is both poignant and remarkably authentic. I couldn't put this down. 4 stars.

I was super excited to get a digital copy of Adrienne Young’s newest title from NetGalley.

I loved this book, the subtle magical realism she uses throughout the book, and her character development.

The book follows James as she goes home after the death of her twin brother. However, home is a small town who don’t like outsiders, which she has now become after twenty years. The death of her brother isn’t the only mystery the town is hiding either. Insert her first love, and this story just grabs you and doesn’t let go.

Can’t wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelf in January!

"A Sea of Unspoken Things" offers a hauntingly atmospheric experience, immersing readers in a world filled with rich descriptions and a palpable sense of mystery. The author does an excellent job of creating a moody setting that keeps you engaged, and there are moments that truly shine in their evocative detail. I especially enjoyed the MC connection to her brother, it was heartfelt and relatable.

However, the pacing felt a bit sluggish at times, which made it challenging to stay fully invested. The buildup to the twists was intriguing, but when they finally arrived, they happened too quickly and left me wanting more resolution.

Overall, while the book is certainly entertaining and beautifully atmospheric, it could benefit from a more balanced pacing and a more thorough wrapping up of its twists. If you enjoy a good ambiance with intriguing elements, it’s worth a read, just like all of Adrienne Young's books. You definitely will not be disappointed.