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.

I'm usually a fan of Adrienne Young, but this one didn't quite hit the mark with me. It was still a good read, but I felt like it wasn't as good as her other books.
In this book, James goes back to her hometown to look into the mysterious death of her twin brother, Johnny. While there, she has to confront her past and the life she left behind. James has always had a strong connection to her twin, but while looking into his death, she starts seeing and hearing things others cannot. Along the way, she starts realizing that people she knew most of her life might not be who she thought they were.
The atmosphere of this book was set up really well. It felt really dark, moody, and mysterious. I feel like this really added to the story.
However, I felt that the pacing of the story was off. It felt like it dragged in the first half of the book, and I wasn't totally invested in the characters, so it took me a while to get into the book. It does pick up more in the second half, but I feel like it ended a bit too abruptly.
Overall, this was a good read once I got through the first half. I recommend this book to fans of Young's other works and fans of mysteries that take place in small towns with tight-knit communities with some magical realism thrown in. I'm looking forward to what Young writes next!

My favorite of hers with just enough mystery and a little less magical realism than June Farrow which I enjoyed more with this book. Very descriptive of the setting and I actually wanted the story to be a little longer. I'd recommend!!

I love how Adrienne Young's writing sucks me in with the atmosphere. I felt like I was swallowed up by the forest. The combination of mystery, thriller, light romance, and small-town drama was an engaging mix, and I could not put it down, especially in the second half. The first quarter was a slow build, but the payoff was worth it.

adrienne young you have delivered a GEM! i loved this book so much. i don’t feel like it particularly fits one genre — it’s a mix of mystery, magical realism, and thriller(kind of) with a tiny romantic undercurrent. the plot was so well written and interesting and i was invested from start to finish. this is the definition of a book you don’t want to put down. i loved that there were honestly like 3 mysteries going on at the same time but they all involved the same small town and same main cast of characters. the backstories run deep and discovering pieces of the past that provide context for the present here and there was so much fun. i just really had a great time reading this and felt like it was an adrenaline rush of plot twists.

Another beautiful book by Adirenne Young. Her writing style is so enjoyable to read and she creates characters and storyline that sweep you into her world. This was another wonderful mystery story and the only thing holding me back from a 5 star review was the pacing at the beginning. I loved the 2nd half, but it took a minute before I couldn't put this one down. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This story was really unexpected! I loved Adrienne’s last two adult magical realism books and honestly they’re my favorites from her! This one had a little bit different of a vibe and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the main character James for a while but I love a mystery and so I ended up really enjoying this book!
Definitely will recommend it to people, thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

As always, Adrienne Young has a way of telling a story that is very captivating and makes your mind reel to figure out the hidden mystery in her stories. This book is like a murder mystery with a hint of magic. I enjoyed this book a lot! ❤️

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book. 😊

This is my first read by Adrienne Young, and I understand why so many love her books! It was a small town mystery, with paranormal / “magical” elements, and a dash of second chance romance. I loved the writing, as I could vividly picture each scene as I was reading. It was a bit slow at first, but the last 40% had me hooked in and you could really feel the “small town mystery” aspect. I loved James’ and Johnny’s twin connection, and her determination to figure out what happened to him. Overall, O really enjoyed this and cannot wait to read Adrienne’s backlist!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this arc!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press for an ARC copy of A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young. This is the second book I've read by Adrienne Young, and I really enjoyed it. Her writing is beautiful, and she's created a captivating, small-town mystery that draws you in from the first chapter.

James (female) and Johnny are twins. James is forced to return to the small town she left and never wanted to come back to, because of her brother's death. As she works to complete her brother's important environmental project, a mystery builds, and she thinks maybe her brother's death wasn't an accident like she'd been told.

I can't wait to read Adrienne Young's next book!