This woman could rewrite the dictionary and still make me cry and scream and fall in love with her again. I just love this type of womens lit. It’s my favorite way to connect back to just being a woman and how great we are.

Adrienne can do no wrong. This book is perfection from the atmosphere to the characters to the plot it all came together with a cherry on top. 5 stars and if i could give it 10 i would

Adrienne Young has a way with words. She keeps you coming back for more.
In this story James goes back to Six Rivers where she grew up after her twin brother Johnny dies.
She doesn't believe that his death was an accident. But returning to this small town churns up all feelings and creates questions.
As James digs deeper, she grows closer again to Micah and to the area.
It was hard to put this one down, as we discover more of what is happening it just keeps you guessing. This kept me reading wanting to figure out how it was so connected and where it was going to lead.
It felt like I was there in this small mountainous town with these characters. Trying to figure out there secrets and help James get the closure she is looking for.
Another great read from Young.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Can Adrienne Young write anything that isnt incredibly beautiful, descriptive, emotive and raw? I loved it. I really don't have the right words other than pick this up!

"A Sea of Unspoken Things" by Adrienne Young is a beautifully crafted tale that delves into themes of love, loss, and the complexity of human relationships. Set against a richly imagined backdrop, the story follows the protagonist as she grapples with her past and the weight of unexpressed emotions.

Young's writing is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into the protagonist's inner world. The characters are well-developed, each bringing their own struggles and desires to the narrative, which adds depth and relatability. The exploration of family dynamics and the search for connection in the face of grief is particularly poignant.

While some readers may find the pacing slow at times, the reflective moments are crucial for building emotional resonance. Overall, "A Sea of Unspoken Things" is a compelling read that lingers in the mind, making it a perfect choice for fans of character-driven stories that explore the intricacies of the human experience.

Haunting. Atmospheric. Heartbreaking.
I don't know quite how to review this beautiful story. This is the first book I've truly connected to on such a visceral level. It was the small town, seeing people you've grown up with years later, that close sibling bond, asking yourself what you would do to protect your family and the fear that we don't know the people we thought we knew.
It was like viewing my life through a distorted lens. I felt for James every step of the way. Wanting every suspicion to be wrong. Wanting her brother back. Wanting answers and equally afraid of what those answers may be.
This story had so much life and depth.
This is my first read from author Adrienne Young and I wanted to thank Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity.
Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book!

Thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book that comes out in January 2025. James goes back to her hometown after 20 years when she gets the news that her twin brother has died. It seems that twins are connected even after one of them passes away. James feels her brother is trying to tell her something and she thinks that his death might not have been an accident. A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young. (author of The Unmaking Of June Farrow) 4 stars

I had unrealistic expectations, perhaps, after Young's The Unmaking of June Farrow, which I just adored and this is worthy to have both in hard cover, 1st ed, signed - however I was disappointed. A Sea was just ok - old unrequited love coming back and being fulfilled, twins who speak to each other telepathically...... Young has a beautiful writing style, this one just didn't resonate with me.

i really enjoyed this book! the beginning was a bit slow, but then it picked up towards the middle. i loved how this book addressed a lot of the real feelings and questions that comes with grief. thank you to netgalley and the author for the ARC.

The sudden death of her twin, Johnny, forces James to return to their hometown where old secrets and new mysteries threaten to destroy the life she has built for herself and her understanding of the brother she thought she knew.

This story is not for people who don’t enjoy character driven stories, but for those who do, you’re in for a hauntingly beautiful exploration of family, love, and the secrets that can tear it all apart.

A Sea of Unspoken Things brings to life all those foggy, moody vistas of the PNW, creating a story where the setting is just as necessary as the characters. This isn’t a feel good story, it’s a story of the dark side of what it means to love and the depths of darkness within each person.

Similar to The Unmaking of June Farrow and Spells for Forgetting, the magical realism is woven expertly throughout and doesn’t feel shoehorned in.

I would highly recommend this to readers who enjoy darker themes with flawed characters who drive the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-Arc.

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This was a heartfelt and chilling story. As James discovers more about her twin, shes also faced with a second chance with a love from her past. Sweeping and emotional, this was so good!

there is just something so special and unique about adrienne youngs writing that just makes her books so easy to devour. i can’t lie though, the first half of this book was a little slow, and really went heavy into the atmosphere and world building aspects. the real mystery of this book begins at about the halfway point and boy from there do things get interesting!

james and her twin brother johnny have always shared a special bond. james knows exactly how far her brother will go to protect the ones he loves, so now she’s doing the same for him. after feeling the exact moment johnny died (thanks to their twin link), she can’t help but suspect his death was no accident. especially as she uncovers all the secrets johnny seemed to be keeping. from not only his sister but from those around him as well. did johnny do the unthinkable? was he really as bad as everyone around james seems to be saying he was?

overall for some reason this book gave me the vibes of life is strange. a cozy time travel mystery game set in a small town. and i’ll be honest i thought the best part of this story was that while there was definitely an overarching mystery, there were so many little mysteries woven in that james has to figure out in order to figure out what really happened to johnny.

anywho i would absolutely recommend this book and i am so so so happy i got the chance to read and review this book for netgalley and random house publishing group! thank you so much for the opportunity! will absolutely be buying a trophy for my shelf :)

4.25 ⭐️

What can I say besides Adrienne Young does it again. She never fails to create such a atmospheric setting and such a fun yet eerie plot that will keep you guessing until the last page. I’m not surprised at all how much I adored this book.

Forever grateful to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me access to this masterpiece before it hits the shelves next year!!

After 20 years away, James Golden returns to Hawthorne, a remote town nestled within Six Rivers National Forest, to settle the affairs of her twin brother, Johnny. His death has been labeled a hunting accident—a stray bullet—but the story doesn’t sit right. Johnny’s camera and notebooks, essential to his work documenting rare owls in the forest, are missing. Though James and Johnny shared a bond that went beyond explanation, they didn’t talk much toward the end. Now, she’s left sorting through the pieces of his life, realizing how much of him she never really knew.

Hawthorne is a town where the past never loosens its grip. It gets by on seasonal tourism—hunters, hikers, and guides—but those who stay know every grudge, every secret, and they remember James’s abrupt departure twenty years ago. That disappearance coincided with the death of the town’s golden boy, a tragedy that still reverberates. James’s cool indifference toward that past suggests she, Johnny, and Micah—her ex-lover—were connected to it in ways that no one has fully admitted.

Now staying in Johnny’s house, James becomes determined to find out what happened to him. But her search is more tangled—and more dangerous—than she expected. As she asks uncomfortable questions around town and follows Johnny’s trail through the forest, she starts to suspect his death is tied to that long-buried tragedy. And yet, the closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself becoming part of the same story, unsure whom she can trust. Even Johnny’s ghost seems to be nudging her toward answers she’s not certain she wants to find.

Adrienne Young’s prose is immersive and elegant. The forest hums with tension—an owl’s wing brushes through the night like a whisper, and every creak of wood underfoot feels deliberate, like a warning. The setting isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a force that shapes the narrative and mirrors James’s emotional isolation.

James remains a challenging protagonist—detached, enigmatic, and unwilling to fully engage. Her relationship with Micah feels more like a collision of unresolved history and need than any kind of reconciliation. His loyalty to her is murky at best, built on shared regret and unfinished emotions. Are they still in love, or just trapped by their past? And even if there is love, will it be enough to keep James from returning to her life as a visual artist in the Bay Area?

The supernatural element—James’s lingering sense of Johnny’s presence—might divide readers. Having twins myself, I’ve never bought into mystical sibling bonds. But Young threads the idea gently, leaving it open to interpretation: is Johnny really haunting her, or is James just unraveling under the weight of grief and guilt?

The novel’s strength lies in its dual mystery. The first half focuses on Johnny’s last days: What was he doing in the forest, and why did he hide so much from James? The second half digs into the events surrounding the golden boy’s death, forcing James to confront how she and Johnny were implicated in that long-ago tragedy. Each answer builds on the last, leading to a conclusion that surprised me—clues were there all along, hiding in plain sight.

The resolution, however, is almost too tidy. Both mysteries—the truth behind Johnny’s death and the events of twenty years ago—are explained in full. For a story steeped in ambiguity, the clean ending feels almost too neat, though it’s satisfying. Micah and James remain something of a puzzle—are they together because of shared history, physical chemistry, or the narrative’s need for a romance arc? Either way, their ending will leave romance readers content.

Despite James’s emotional distance, the layered mystery and richly drawn setting kept me invested. The conclusion, though more resolved than I expected, is rewarding, with each answer firmly rooted in clues woven throughout the story. If you enjoy narratives where the past can’t stay buried and every solution brings more complexity, this one will linger with you long after you’ve finished.

I loved this book . She is a master at creating an atmospheric story and characters in an immersive setting with a mysterious plot . I loved this one
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

"He was drawn to them--the secretive creatures that only came out in the darkness. And deep down I knew that it was because he was one of them."

I've seen a lot of people refer to Adrienne Young's writing as "atmospheric", and although this is only my second novel of hers, I have to agree. "The Unmaking of June Farrow" was one of my favorite books that I read last year. (Which is why I was so excited to score this eARC- THANK YOU NetGalley & Random House Publishing!) She has a way of describing things in enough detail that you truly feel immersed in the scenery and the story, but not overdone.

"A long, exhausted breath escaped his lips. 'We could fill the fucking ocean with the things we never said to each other.'"

I would have enjoyed a touch more of the romance; I felt like there was just something lacking between James & Micah, but I know that's not the main focus of the book. This felt like a true small-town mystery. I was skeptical of different characters at different times; I liked that it kept me guessing. And the bit of magical realism is something that I'm always a fan of- how the connection that James felt with her twin brother Johnny was still there, pushing her to question the uncertainty surrounding his death.

"Those words--a soft soul with a wild heart--were the only kind of eulogy that made sense for my brother."

I've had "Spells for Forgetting" sitting on my shelf for almost a year now, and will definitely be moving it up on my TBR. I've really enjoyed Young's stories so far and can't wait to read more! ✨

I loved this book! I loved the story and the mysteries that played out throughout it. There were many different parts to keep me guessing how it would all unravel as the story moved along and it was hard to put the book down. I liked that there were two mysteries involved in it as well. I loved the mystery element to this story but also the connection between the characters and the bond between the twins. I feel like she did a great job of weaving all the small town characters together as well as giving us details and imagery to imagine the scenes. Another element that I loved was how much nature played a role in the story, through her descriptions I could easily visualize the beauty of the area!

This was a great and captivating mystery(mysteries) that I really enjoyed reading! It easily is one of my top two books that I have read this year!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for giving me a chance to receive this as an ARC.

Another atmospheric and immersive small town mystery delivered by Adrienne Young! I inhaled this like it was oxygen.
I swear Adrienne’s writing just gets better and better. There’s no one else who compares to her style. She weaves magical realism into her stories in the most beautiful of ways.

This is a small town mystery but it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of the intuitive bond between twins and it asks the question do we ever have the right to intervene with nature?

The gorgeous descriptions of the landscapes will make readers feel like they too are walking through the forest with Micah and James. The forest feels like a character itself as we follow the journey of trying to solve Jahnny’s murder. The story twists and turns as it continues to keep you guessing. Along the way, love blooms.

This was a truly beautiful story and I’m very excited for it to reach the hearts of readers next year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for my eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc. This book had me curious from the get go, a real page turner. James comes home to figure out the missing pieces of her brother’s life after he is suddenly killed. Their twin bond has tied them together even through death, and his memories are showing James that it might not be the accident law enforcement thinks it is. Really loved the mystery, and the clues James found through her bond with her brother.

I’ll read anything Young writes. Another captivating mystery that kept me guessing until literally the very end. Even better is was actually two mysteries.

After 20 years away, James heads back to her small hometown in the forests of California to settle the affairs of her twin brother, Johnny. She ran from all her problems back then and upon her return she realizes that although she is standing still, she is running; from her past, the grief of her brothers sudden death and the inconsistencies she starts to unearth surrounding Johnny's last days. What secrets was he hiding? Could he have done the unthinkable?

The pacing is slow but the mysteries that unfold are gripping. The last 60 pages or so really took the story from cautious and steady to unpredictable and enthralling. The deep connection between the siblings made for an interesting premise. James could feel Johnny's feelings, move his motions, see his sights. These glimpses into their shared state of mind, deepened what we knew of the characters and their history together. Micah, James first love, is such a special character. He is quiet and loud all at the same time. His silence speaks volumes as he and James figure out where their teenage relationship stands as adults in a world without Johnny driving their actions.

I love Adrienne Young because her writing exudes magic and that's exactly what A Sea of Unspoken Things is. It's mysterious, it's murky, it's lucent, it's comfort. I loved it!