Tense, raw, and a little bit mystical—this book had me hooked from the very first page.

I absolutely adored The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, so I knew I HAD to read this one too! And I was not disappointed at all.

As the sibling of twins, I have seen "twintellect" in action, and I LOVE this take on the magical connection between twins.

This book is mysterious, full of fabulous prose, and so incredibly engaging.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: .5/5

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, for the ARC of this book!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is comprised of all things that Adrienne Young fans love: A lush, beautiful setting with a mystery mixed with magical elements. I have read "The Unmaking of June Farrow" and "Spells for Forgetting" before reading this and consider myself a huge fan of Adrienne Young's writing.

This story surrounds our FMC, James, who has a twin brother, Johnny, who dies. The only magical element to this story is that she believes she has a supernatural connection to Johnny that doesn't go away once he passes. She then goes back to her hometown that she hasn't visited in 20 years to grieve her brother and say farewell. Of course, once she returns, who does she run into? Her one true love that she has never been able to get over since leaving her hometown when she was 18. As she begins to clear out her brothers things and wrap up his finances, she begins to suspect that there has been foul play in his death...

I overall really enjoyed this book. My main complaint is that there wasn't much closure to scenes. There would be a conflict or a important conversation taking place, and the chapter would end right as it's getting started and the following chapter takes place days to weeks afterward. I would have liked to experience more of those moments without a time jump.

This title releases January 7th, and I would highly recommend giving this one a read ESPECIALLY if you're an Adrienne Young fan.

A full review has been published on my TikTok account @sunset__scribe

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for providing me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book gives you all the atmospheric winter vibes with family drama, secrets, and mysteries woven throughout.

Not going to lie, it took me a minute to get into the rhythm of the story, but once it clicked? I couldn’t put it down!

Honestly, it's a perfect winter read with its immersive setting, thrilling mystery, and complicated family relationships. the kind of story that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and lose yourself in the pages!

Another atmospheric gem from Adrienne Young!

Farrow was by far my favorite from the three I've read from Young but she is proving to be an auto-buy author for me! She has detailed and complex characters paired with descriptive atmospheres that transport you to another time.

I'm not sure if this is chategorized as magical realism but if it is it shouldn't be...there is a connection between twins but there isn't anything really magical or otherworldly about it, but I liked that theme for this book.

The only somewhat confusing part was that the MFC is named James which threw me for a bit in the beginning. Otherwise this is an engaging story about a sister investigating her brothers death in the small PNW town she grew up in and left as a young adult. I was captivated and moved through the book quickly. Only holding back a star b/c of my love of Farrow which I'm not sure is fair or not but that's what I'm going with!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy!

I loved The Unmaking of June Farrow and was excited to receive an ARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things.

James return to the small northern California town after her twin brother Johnny dies to finish up a project he was working on about owls in the area. 20 years after she left not much has changed. This is a slow burn with James looking into the reason her brother died, was it an accident or not.

This book is very descriptive, you feel like you are living in the small town. I felt the pacing was slower, I thought I'd fly through this book. It has some writing about the twin connection but lacks magical realism like June Farrow had, if you are looking for more of that.

There are quite a few twists and turns and you think you know what happened and it turns out you don't. I liked how the ending wrapped up everything.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for an ARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young for an honest review.

Wow, I really really enjoyed this one.

James’ twin brother is killed in the small town where she grew up…and also left behind. She goes back under the guise of gathering and organizing some research he was doing for a conservation project. But really, she has her suspicions about the way he died. Faced with familiar faces and unfinished feelings for her brother’s best friend, she is thrown right back into the small town life and all the secrets it can hide.

From the first paragraph, I could tell this is a well written book. The story moved along nicely and there were a few turns I wasn’t expecting. It’s a slower burn, but definitely worth the time. I was never bored and wanted to consistently pick it up. I will definitely be picking up more books by Adrienne Young!

Adrienne young NEVER misses!! This was a quick, beautiful read and again, so thrilled to read anything by her. Adrienne has a knack for sending you head first into these worlds and plots- I cant wait to see what’s next.

James Golden is returning home to finish up her brother’s work after his mysterious death. Going home means facing a past she’s not ready to revisit, and the only man she’s ever loved.

James and Johnny were twins, and always shared a twin telepathy of sorts, but James has felt more than that lately. Since she got back to town, it’s like she can still feel Johnny around her, even feeling what he felt before he died. She begins to think that there is something more nefarious about his death and starts digging through Johnny’s personal life. But Johnny was keeping secrets from her and he wasn’t the only one.

This book was just chef’s kiss! 😘 I finished it in the span of 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down! Adrienne Young has an extraordinary talent for weaving an intriguing story that spans from the past to the present. I kept thinking I had the ending figured out but I was so wrong!

There was just the right amount of romance and I loved that it was closed door. The characters were relatable and had real life complex problems. It had suspense, romance, mystery and complicated family dynamics. James and Johnny were always close growing up but James was always Johnny’s crutch for him, covering for him and taking the blame if it meant protecting him. Micah took over that job when James left town, but did either of them really know the real Johnny?

Excuse me while I go binge read everything by Adrienne Young because this was so good! I rate it as 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

I ignored almost every adult responsibility to be able to binge this book! It’s beautiful! Atmospheric and lyrical. It made me feel like I was there with James and could nearly see my breath in the cold of Six Rivers. Sooo good!!!

Thank you to Adrienne Young, Random House Publishing - Ballantine/Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an eARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things.

Adrienne Young is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. This book was heart wrenching and I loved reading it. It is hard to classify because it has elements of so many genres and is a mix of murder mystery, romance, fantasy, and women's fiction.

This book reminds us all to hug our loved ones a little tighter, call those we haven't talked to in a while, and reach out to friends and family we've fallen away from. It show us that love and connection can last after death, but the regret of letting life get in the way of these connections will also last.

It is hard for me to classify why I enjoyed this book so much, but it is probably because it stirred up a lot of emotion in me. I was excited to read it, but knew it wasn't going to be a happy love story. It was rather sad and I kept reading because I was interested to see how far James and Johnny's connection would go. I was also captivated by James' relationship with Micah and what could have possibly torn them apart when they seemed so in love as teenagers. Adrienne Young did such an amazing job portraying the sadness, regret, and even mixed emotions that can come with loss but also the way hope can flicker during such a devastating time.

I would definitely recommend this book, but also caution those who have recently lost a loved one to tread carefully when picking it up.

4/5 Stars

The setting of this book was just what I needed for a fall/winter forest vibe. I really felt like I was in a town in the middle of no where trying to solve this mystery. I can never resist ghostly elements in a book, they were done in a very realistic way that I would imagine a grieving twin could experience. The two mysteries were connected perfectly, I thought I knew where it was going but I was wrong. I got the ending I was hoping for, really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for the advanced copy of this book.

I went into this book blind. I have other books by Adrienne, but I haven't read them yet. I didn't read the summary, and I was pleasantly surprised by the content of the book. It's part romance, part mystery, part small-town prejudice, part coming of age (even though everyone is much older than young adult), and part paranormal (not really, but tiny amounts of spiritualism). I loved how everything intersected and nothing was overly graphic or too high stakes. Good character growth and plenty of surprises in the end.

I really wanted to like this one more. 60% of the book was an extremely slow burn where I just couldn’t wait to be done. Once the story started to finally pick up it was SO good!! The ending tied everything perfectly together and I like the double twist.

I love Adrienne Young's books! "A Sea of Unspoken Things" is a captivating and atmospheric novel that weaves together elements of mystery, romance, and suspense to create a truly immersive reading experience. Author Adrienne Young masterfully transports readers to the small forest town of Six Rivers, where secrets lurk around every corner and the past refuses to stay buried.

The story centers around James Golden, who returns to her hometown after her twin brother Johnny's mysterious death. As she delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding his passing, James must confront not only the ghosts of her past but also the eerie atmosphere of Six Rivers itself.

Young's writing is both haunting and beautiful, drawing readers into a world where nothing is quite as it seems. The slow-burn pace and intricate plot twists will keep you on the edge of your seat, while the vivid descriptions and rich character development bring the setting and its inhabitants to life.

"A Sea of Unspoken Things" is a masterful blend of genres that will leave you breathless and yearning for more. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries with a touch of romance and the supernatural, this novel is not to be missed.

3.5 Stars

The story repeatedly alludes to a life-changing event involving another character’s death but doesn’t provide enough background information, making it feel repetitive and slightly frustrating. This lack of detail also left me unclear about James’s motivation for leaving Six Rivers in the first place.

Meanwhile, as James searches for answers about her brother’s death, she’s also reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend, who was once her best friend. These two storylines felt like they were competing with each other rather than working together, creating a sense of disconnection between the plots.

That said, I absolutely loved the author’s prose and her vivid descriptions of characters and settings. She does an excellent job of immersing the reader—I could clearly visualize everything and feel James’s anxieties.

The pacing improves significantly around the 70% mark, and from there, the story becomes incredibly engaging and twisty.

This book was… different. Different from what I expected because I didn’t read June Farrow so I haven’t read Adrienne write contemporary. I enjoyed the premise of the story and how it pulled you in from the beginning, as well as the mystery aspects. I just didn’t care for the characters all that much, and didn’t find myself caring about what happened to them.

I was so excited to receive an advanced reader copy of A Sea of Unspoken Things! This was my first time reading Adrienne Young, though I already own several of her books.

The story started off a bit slow but quickly drew me in. I felt completely transported to the small town of Six Rivers and immersed in the deep connection that James shares with her twin brother.

Adrienne Young’s writing is beautiful and captivating, and I’m excited to read more of her work in the future.

While this book is written beautifully, it was unbearably slow and dry for at leas t 60%. By the time things 'picked up' I had already figured out everything that was going to happen. I appreciate Adrienne Young's attempt at adult fiction, but I honestly believe she does better at fantasy worlds and YA. Fable/Namesake were my absolutely favorite books, but her adult books are just falling flat.

Adrienne Young is an auto-buy author for me, and this book was no exception when it comes to her greatness. This book tells the tale of our main character's twin brother's death, and as the mystery unravels, she must learn more about herself the process. It was filled with twists and turns and Young's gorgeous, ethereal writing. I wasn't expecting the magical realism parts, but it was a welcome surprise. I was sad to part with the characters when the book was over!

A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS was such a disappointment and a let down for me, given how much THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW meant to me. Because of TUOJF, Adrienne Young is an author that I am constantly recommending to my friends who ask me what to read next. After this book, I'll be saying "You should check out Adrienne Young ... anything but THE SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS." That's not fun at all. I wonder if having the audiobook to really bring the story to life would help me enjoy this more, and I'm open to exploring that when this book releases in 2025. If I enjoy this more after a reread, I will come back and eat my words!