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!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of A Sea of Unspoken Things from NetGalley. Thank you to the author and publisher. I’ve always loved Adrienne’s writing, it is so atmospheric and immersive and this book was no exception. I love how she took a common mystery plot and gave it so many twists and turns and so many moving pieces. The pacing and length of this novel was perfect and kept me intrigued without the ending feeling rushed or drug out. I highly recommend this for a fall/winter read because the vibes were immaculate.

Young is the queen of having magical realism books come accross so cozy and warm! I went into this one pretty blind, so I was interested from the beginning to learn about the mystery surrounding the main character's brother's death. It seemed as if her preomonitions or connections with her brother were going to be a big factor in solving what really happened. Though that isn't exactly how this played out, Young once again took me on a ride where I was so invested in the characters! The love interest in the story was one of my favorite tropes and I enjoyed the way the two characters got to know each other again. It also was such a dreamy setting! Honestly, I kept imagining myself in Forks, Oregon (the place where Twilight takes place). I will for sure be recommending this one!

What a pleasure it is to read Adrienne Young. I have to admit I was not a fan of "A Spell for Forgetting" but I did enjoy June Farrow and very much enjoyed this one. These books are "quiet" until they're not and really keep you turning the page. Very atmospheric, very cozy. I really really liked this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was kind of a letdown compared to Young's previous books. I like her adult novels a lot, especially the magical realism elements that both Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow have. This one dialed down the magical realism a lot, and the mystery wasn't compelling. I didn't like the main character, and the reveal was pretty underwhelming.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is the story of James and her twin brother Johnny, boy/girl twins, who always had an other worldly connection between them. After leaving their hometown of Six Rivers to attend art school in San Francisco, james stays in San Fran, drifting apart from her brother and his best friend Micah. When she gets the phone call to let her know that Johnny was dead, she already knew since she felt the bullet enter her own body as Johnny lay dying in the ravine. Returning to Six Rivers, James reconnects with Micah and her other friends from high school while trying to piece together the clues about Johnny's death that she feels may be coming directly from him. There's also a mystery about another death in the ravine, years earlier, that the three had all lied about - but why? There are so many intertwined stores here that the author untangles and lays out so clearly that I felt like all the missing pieces were there at the very end of the story. And it gave me the happy ending that I love so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this book was going to be focused on the mystery aspect, but it was so much more than that. It was a story about love, loss, finding your way back home, and all the hidden parts of loved ones that you never understand or see. Beautiful and atmospheric, this book felt like getting lost in the woods and slowly making your way back home safe and sound.

Yet again, another Adrienne Young book I devoured & loved.

This book follows James, our main female character, on her journey to discover what happened to her twin brother Johnny who was killed in their home town. James, now a city girl, travels back to her home town to tie up some loose ends in regard to her brothers death. In returning, James unearths old memories and love lost as well as secrets surrounding her brothers death.
James must determine what secrets should stay hidden and which she should unearth while also trying to determine what emotions she should keep hidden and what she should show.

This book is a small town murder mystery to its core with unexpected twists and turns that kept me entertained from the beginning.

This novel was an engaging read that became impossible to put down once the story picked up and James set out to uncover the truth about the death of her brother Jonny. While the beginning felt a bit slow, it ultimately added to the suspense and depth of the plot. I found myself particularly drawn to Micah and even wished for more time with this character, so I was pleased with the additional revelations towards the end. The fantasy element, especially the bond between brother and sister, was captivating, and the plot's twists and turns kept me hooked until the very last page. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a digital review copy of this book.

3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed The Unmaking of June Farrow and was very excited to read this.

Overall, the writing and the story were enjoyable. I love Young’s ability to create great storylines that gracefully weave magical realism into the plot. I felt like the exposition was a bit long and drawn out and, by the time things started happening, it felt rushed. It may just be the thriller aspect, but I wanted more to happen sooner.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for an advanced copy of this book.

I just don't know how to explain Young's writing - it's just so atmospheric and captivating. She puts you right in the story while you're reading it and A Sea of Unspoken Things is no different than he others in that regard.

I love stories about twins - I'm a twin so it's always interesting to me how others interpret those relationships. I was intrigued by James and Johnny's relationship - it was complicated and messy and challenging but despite all those things the story never shows that there was anything but love that they felt for each other. I was on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns that Young wove me through in this story and was surprised at the outcome when the full story came out.

Thank you for the chance to read this for review early!

Wow. I tend to read solely romance or fantasy books, but on the rare occasion that I pick up a book with a mystery aspect, I always hope it will be one that will keep me guessing until the last second. This book did that.

I knew after reading The Unmaking of June Farrow that I wanted to read more of Adrienne Young’s books and I am so thankful I was chosen to read an ARC for this story because I truly could not put it down once I started. This book had so many twists and turns, I was constantly convincing myself I had solved the puzzle, only to have my theory debunked pages later.

This was a quick & entertaining, and definitely secured a spot near the top of my mystery/thriller reads!

So so good. From the moment I started reading I didn’t want to stop. Every chapter kept me wanting more and more and I became emotionally attached to their characters straight away.

Adrienne has a beautiful way of giving depth to these characters and creating mystery in a way that has you questioning everything and everyone.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very different from the Adrienne Young books I read up until now. This is the very dark story of James, a woman who grew up in a small town in the middle of the wilderness. She left the place after graduating from high school, went to college in Byron, and then became a professional artist. She is now 37 and has to go back to get her twin brother's stuff after he was found dead in the gorge. She always had this very strong connection with her brother. A twin thing. She could always feel what he was feeling, and he has doubt about this accidental death. She makes it her goal to understand what happened to twin brother Johnny, and she ends up opening a whole can of worms.

The book was slow paced, very dark, borderline depressing, and I was a little disappointed. But it is a good book on second chances and finding your place in the world, figuring out where is it you belong.

A nice winter read.
3.5 🌟

If you were to compare this to the Unmaking of June Farrow, I would say A Sea of Unspoken Things is like the more angsty and dark cousin. The imagery is great in this book, but I thought the glimpses of the brother were not necessary or added that much. I enjoyed the 'plot twists' and the incorporation of people from James' past. This book was an easy read and would recommend.

My only experience with Adrienne Young was The Unmaking of June Farrow, so I guess she does slightly supernatural kind of books? I could 100% be wrong here.

Honestly, I could have done without about 20% of the internal crisis/questioning. The book felt slow and slightly repetitive, with characters and situations introduced...only to have nothing to do with the ending. There were portions that were beautiful, and I am slightly obsessed with the last line of the book: "Maybe we were made in the dark, but we'd found a way to create our own kind of light."

It was a solid 3.5/3.75 stars, but not enough to be a 4 star book. Would certainly recommend if you're good with a slower pace.

i LOVED this book!!! it had everything you could want- mystery, romance, lots of layers & twists i did not see coming.
the story was incredible and as always adrienne young’s writing is just beautiful. the way she describes six rivers makes it so easy to picture that it really feels like you’re there.
4.5/5 stars !
• thank you netgalley for the ARC !

Another masterfully magical tale from Adrienne Young, this story follows James, a woman attempting to pick up the pieces of her twin’s brother messy life after his unexpected death. As twins, James has always felt a strong connection to her brother, Johnny, and small town secrets catch up with her as she unravels more than she anticipated when she returned to her rural hometown. I really enjoyed this book! With dreamy descriptions of familiar childhood memories and daunting consequences of young adulthood, this book delivers a cozy mystery, guaranteed to keep you guessing. Young’s writing style is very artful, so if you are a reader that craves more fluff rather than a direct narrative, this book is perfect for a frosty, late autumn morning!

Adrienne Young is absolutely magic when it comes to writing - her imagery is untouched. SUCH an incredibly talented author and I can never get enough of her books.

Following James as she comes back to her hometown after the death of her twin brother Johnny, we witness her catching up with her past - Micah, Olivia, Sadie - and other people and memories.

No spoilers here, but the way everything unravels in the story and one mystery turns into two, how we never really feel like we can trust anyone until the truth is finally revealed...my body felt so tense as I was reading this book in the best way. To be able to actually FEEL the story - smell the forest air, etc.

A huge thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC <3

The one thing that you can always find in an Adrienne Young book is the rich atmospheric writing. The details from a creek in the floorboard or the breeze felt in the hair paints the scene perfectly and I love that about her books, and A Sea of Unspoken Things delivers on that. The second thing I'm expecting to find is the magical realism. In this story, there is a supernatural connection between twins, which makes solving the mystery of the death of her twin brother interesting, even after Johnny has passed.

In this story, James, returns home from a place she fled, to come to terms with her twin brothers death. She soon believes it was not an accident, and instead decides to solve this mysterious murder case herself.

There were some twists I was not expecting, and at times made you believe certain things about the characters that surprised you if they were true.

As along time Adrienne Young fan, from both YA and her adult novels, this would be my least favorite of her adults, as it took awhile to be fully invested in this story, where at times I just wasn't interested or could keep the introduction of the many characters straight in the beginning. Once I hit the 55% mark though, I couldn't put this down, and was rewarding in the end. Can't wait to see what next Adrienne will write!

A very thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC of this book!