**Book Review: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young**

**Rating: ★★★★★**

In Adrienne Young's gripping mystery/thriller, *A Sea of Unspoken Things*, we are introduced to James Golden, an artist living in the bustling city of San Francisco. Her world is turned upside down when she receives the devastating news of her twin brother Johnny’s tragic death. Returning to her small hometown for the first time in two decades, James is faced not only with the sorrow of her loss but also with the weight of unresolved past relationships and buried secrets.

Set against the backdrop of a tight-knit community, the story beautifully unfolds as James reconnects with her first love, Micah, who happens to be Johnny’s best friend. As she navigates her grief, she begins to dig deeper into Johnny's life, discovering unsettling secrets that suggest his death may not have been an accident. This investigation leads her to confront not only the ghost of her brother but also the complexities of her own emotions and the supernatural bond they shared.

What I loved most about this book was its fast-paced, suspenseful narrative, interwoven with supernatural elements that added a layer of intrigue. The relationship dynamics among James, Johnny, and Micah are deep and complex, exploring themes of love, loss, and the sometimes painful choices we make in the name of protection. The fact that the characters are in their late 30s provides a refreshing perspective on family dynamics and first love, illustrating that these experiences are as poignant and relevant at any age.

Overall, *A Sea of Unspoken Things* captivates with its perfect blend of mystery, emotional depth, and supernatural intrigue. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to fans of Adrienne Young and anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story about complex family relationships and the lingering impacts of love and loss.

“A Sea of Unspoken Things” (ARC REVIEW) 📸
publication date: Jan 7, 2025

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻 I loved “The Unmaking of June Farrow” so I was SO EXCITED to read this!

💭 I really enjoyed this! I read it pretty quickly because I was so intrigued by the storyline. I’ll admit, I went into this one completely blind. Although I felt the story started off slowly— you take your time connected with the characters. I loved the twin telepathy aspect between James and Johnny because it showed how deep their connection really was, even in a season of doubt. The suspense, the romantic entanglement, and the small town vibes really set this storyline up for a great mystery.

💬 Mini Synopsis: James is returning to her home town in leui of her twin brother, Johnny’s, passing. He was supposedly out on the forge working on his upcoming photography project when he was shot and killed. Although, James can sense this is not the case. She knows her brother. She is connected to him in ways no one else understands. James is determined to uncover the truth about her brother’s death— even when she digs up the unknown along the way.

I went into this book not quite knowing what to expect, but I was met with such an interesting story, it was hard to put down. Adrienne Young weaves a complex tale of family, the desire to run away from your past, and personal tragedy. At times, I didn't know how the story would resolve itself and was as shocked as James when she learned certain things. I found myself really connecting to the characters here, and part of that was made possible by the way that the town and the woods are almost characters of their own, they set such a realistic setting.

After her twin brother's tragic death, James must return to her hometown, that she left 20 years ago. Guided by her deep, lingering connection to her brother and the boy she left behind, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth about what really happened to him.

Adrienne Young has officially become one of my auto-buy authors. Her writing is so beautiful, and I've loved everything I've read from her. This book was a bit different, with its mystery element and less of magical realism that I love. I thought I had figured things out but I was wrong and then there was another twist that surprised me.

Reviews

3.75⭐️ rounded up
When James returns to her small town to investigate the accidental death of her twin brother, she has to revisit her own past and reconnect with her past love. Adrienne Young is a master at small town atmospheric writing, beautiful prose, and mixing in just the right amount of magical realism. This is a slow burn mystery, which I enjoy, but the pacing was a bit off. It does seem to drag for the first half of the book. The action picks up in the second half but also felt a bit rushed. I was not as invested in the characters as I have been in her other books. I still loved the writing and enjoyed how the mystery unfolded in this one. I will continue to read anything she writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

So this was a murder mystery where our Heroine James try’s to figure out what happened to her brother Johnny after she left their small remote logging town. She also reconnects with her old flame and solves a bunch of questions while attempt to learn who her brother really was while reconciling her and her brothers past. I am usually a huge Adrienne Young fan she is one of my automatic buy and read authors but this one I just couldn’t really get into, i was confused at the beginning thinking they were twin girls and then they were brother and sisters and he was super protective of her but she was kind of not sure if she should be to scared of him.

I received this as a ARC from NetGalley in advance of its 2025 release. As usual, Adrienne Young delivers mystery with an edge of mystical in the most heartbreaking way.

The story of a woman returning to her hometown after the death of her twin brother to find answers. She has always had a connection outside of understanding with her brother and she feels in her bones that his death wasn’t the accident it was chalked up to be.

As she digs deeper into the time before his death, she also has to revisit some of her own demons.

As she plucks at each thread she finds, the story begins to unravel to a finish I did not see coming.

P.S. Micah is Chad Michael Murray and you cannot convince me otherwise!

When her twin brother dies in what is perceived to be an accident, James Golden must make her way back to the one place she’s been running from. As she attempts to wrap up her brothers affairs, she begins to pull at loose threads that threaten to unravel everything she believes or wanted to believe about her brother and the connection they shared.
My absolutely favorite thing about this book or any book by Young is her way with words and descriptions. This book started a little differently than her other books and for me was a bit of a shift. While not my favorite book that she’s written, her storytelling more than makes up for the slow build and the lack of emotion seen in James.

Adrienne Young is a master of magical realism. The way she pulls you into a story by giving life to not only her characters but the world she builds is stunning! I am continually in awe of her books. They all live rent free in my brain and I will play the story over and over.

If you enjoyed Spells for Forgetting or The Unmaking of June Farrow (my personal favorite) this will be right up your alley. Set in a mountain small town in the PNW, the overall mystical & sometimes almost spooky atmosphere is all encompassing. When James returns to town after years away to solve the mystery of her brother Johnny's passing, old secrets are brought up along with the truth of his death. The twists and turns will keep you turning the pages to the end where (if you're like me) you will be completely surprised. I highly recommend!

4.5 stars!

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC! I love this author and this book does not disappoint. It is so atmospheric and gave me a lot of unsettling feelings. The book is about James and Johnny who are twins. Johnny dies in an accident, but is it? James is set to find out. But first she has to go back to her hometown and confront a secret from when she was a teenager involving her brother and an old flame.

4.5 stars, I loved it!

This is a story about a set a twins; one escaped a small forest town while the other stayed behind, both think they're saving the other from their dark past. When one twin is mysteriously killed his sister returns to her hometown to settle his affairs and to get answers.
While some parts of this book felt a little repetitive I did like it overall. It has multiple mysteries, close-knit friends and family with the small town dynamic we all know.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e-arc of A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young.

This is a murder mystery novel. 4*.

Synopsis:
"A woman investigates her twin brother’s mysterious death while confronting the shadows of her own past. James Golden has always shared an unexplainable bond with her twin, Johnny, a connection so deep she could feel his emotions as her own. So when Johnny dies in a tragic accident, James knows instinctively that her other half is gone—and that she’s truly alone for the first time. Traveling to the rural town of Hawthorne, California, to settle Johnny’s affairs, James is forced to face the dark past she and her brother fled and to reconnect with Micah, the man she once loved. But as she digs deeper into Johnny’s life, she uncovers unsettling secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew about him. With her intuitive link to Johnny still lingering, James must unravel the truth about his final days and decide whether some secrets are best left buried."

Things I liked:
• The MC
• The unique twin link
• The story unfolds like a mystery

Things I disliked (if you can call it that):
• Looking into the dark parts of her twin
• Not always knowing what is happening
• Parts of the end (who did it)

I recommend it to anyone who likes a unique murder mystery with dark parts and also the unknown (not easy to guess right away).

Tags: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Magical Realism

Young does a great job immersing the reader the worlds and characters she builds. A Sea of Unspoken Things started pretty slow. The first half of the book was slow and atmospheric; I felt like I was getting a long introduction to the place and people. But it paid off in the second half which had me turning pages to find out what was going on. Lots of mystery with just a little bit of magic in this one.

Read this if you like:
•atmospheric writing
•magical realism
•slow burn
•mystery

Adrienne’s writing sucked me in from the beginning. The atmospheric writing lures you in. The magical realism is chefs kiss and the mystery of the small town had me guessing until the end. Thank you Random house for the

When James Golden left for college in San Francisco, she never looked back. But when her twin brother, Johnny, unexpectedly dies - she must face her past and their family secrets to search for the truth. She's always had a supernatural tether to her twin and this only gets reignited when she reenters their town, and family cabin. James and Johnny are like yin and yang: while one is golden, the other has a darkness. When confronted with her own complicated past, James is also forced to question everything she ever knew about her mysterious brother.

What a beautifully written book. Adrienne Young is so good at developing characters and describing a book's setting in the most atmospheric sense. The way she describes the Pacific Northwestern wilderness is truly magical. While it was a slow burn, I enjoyed every minute of this story. I'll definitely read her other books.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Delacorte Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Adrienne Young does it again with A Sea of Unspoken Things, a moody small-town mystery packed with family drama, romance, and just a touch of the paranormal. This one pulls you in slowly but keeps you hooked until the end, making it perfect for fans of her previous books or anyone who loves a layered story.

The book follows James, a woman forced to return to her small hometown of Hawthorne, California, nearly 20 years after leaving everything—and everyone—behind. She’s back to deal with her twin brother Johnny’s death and finish his environmental project. But James knows his death wasn’t the hunting accident everyone claims it was. Feeling connected to Johnny even in death, she’s determined to find out the truth about what happened.

James’s journey isn’t just about solving the mystery, though. She’s also coming to terms with her complicated relationship with Johnny, her guilt over leaving, and her unresolved feelings for Micah, the guy she left behind. The tension between her and Micah is palpable, and their shared history adds a lot of heart to the story.

Young’s writing is absolutely stunning, as always. Her descriptions make you feel like you’re right there in the foggy, atmospheric town of Hawthorne. The relationships are messy and real, and the mystery unfolds slowly but surely, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. That said, the pacing is definitely on the slower side, and it takes a while for the story to really get going.

While the plot isn’t quite as gripping as Spells for Forgetting or The Unmaking of June Farrow, the emotional depth and beautiful writing more than make up for it. If you’re looking for something with a strong sense of place, heartfelt relationships, and a good dose of small-town drama, this one’s a great pick.

Definitely worth a read—especially for fans of Adrienne Young. And seriously, can we talk about that gorgeous cover? Stunning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was so so good. When I wasn’t reading this book, I was thinking about it. Her writing is sooo atmospheric I felt like I was in this little town solving the mystery too :) going to read everything else she’s written now. Thank you netgalley for the early copy!!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Randomhouse, and Delacorte Press for this advanced copy.

James Golden is returning the tucked away Northern California logging town, and the past she's spent the last twenty years trying to forget, after the accidental shooting death of her twin brother Johnny. But as she spends more time in Six Rivers trying to wrap up her brother's work her inexplicable connection with her brother is becoming even more pronounced, almost as if he's trying to tell her his death wasn't an accident. Further, being back in town draws her back to old connections and reopens old wounds.

This is my first foray into Adrienne Young's adult books, though I did particularly enjoy the Fable series/The World of the Narrows. Young absolutely succeeds in creating a closed-in sometimes oppressive atmosphere of a small town that closes ranks to protect their own, in a forest that at times feels alive. And even though we only learn about Johnny in his absence, you can feel the strong bond between Johnny and James and I think the magical realism of their connection added to that well. The tension between Micah and James was also really well done in my opinion, though I do think overall the relationship could have been further developed.

The book did start off fairly slowly, but I would say sped up at about the 60% mark, maybe a bit earlier. Overall if a small town mystery is something that you enjoy, I think that this book would be for you.

Thank you to Net galley for a chance to read this! The Unmaking of June Farrow was an unexpected high for me, and I knew this was going to be an auto read for me. Truly loved this story and I think everyone needs to add it to the top of their TBR!

I really enjoyed this book. James returns home for the first time in 20 years after the sudden death of her twin brother Johnny. Things seem cut and dry…at first. I loved the atmosphere, location and *most* of the characters. I predicted one part of the story but my theory about the other part could not have been more wrong. This is only the second Adrienne Young book I’ve read but it won’t be the last.