I found this piece to be exceptionally well-crafted, and I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to delve into more works by this author. Given its potential popularity among our library patrons, we're certainly looking forward to adding it to our collection

You know those stories that take you to the edge of what seems possible and you think, well, if the stars aligned just so this could actually all be true. This story does that but I think takes it one step too far into the "there is no way that is how that happened and how that worked out". I did very much enjoy unravelling the diary and wish that had been leaned into a little more and started a little earlier in the book.

But for fans of Colleen Hoover, especially Reminders of Him, this book is for you!

Everything We Never Said started out a bit slow and had me questioning if I’d be able to stick with it. The premise felt quite juvenile for a book that was advertised as a dark romance. Thankfully as the book progressed, the flow of the story picked up speed and I became more engaged with the characters. The introduction of a mystery plot really grabbed me. While I didn’t really care for Ella (the FMC), she was tolerated enough just to see what would happen next. This YA romance thriller had some heavy “real life” issues that I think are important to address with high school aged readers! I had my suspicions about the plot twist but was still surprised by some of the events that unfolded! The HEA at the end sealed my positive outlook on this book. A solid 3 star read for me!

It throws me off a little that this is YA and also recommended for fans of Colleen Hoover. There are definitely some dark and complicated topics, but they’re all a reality for some high school students. Some of the topics are found in CH books so maybe that’s why?

This new YA thriller meets dark romance – and let me tell you, I was not expecting the spicy scenes to be a spicy as they were considering the genre. Nothing overwhelming but still surprising. I also think that the author did an incredible job capturing the stages of grief and how overwhelming and all consuming it can be.

Ella feels immense guilt and loneliness after the death of her best friend, Hayley. She blames herself for the car accident that killed her and it trying to come to terms with what happened. She’s back at school and everything reminds her of Hayley, especially her boyfriend Sawyer. They find comfort in each other and Ella slowly realizes she’s falling in love with him.

Add in finding and reading Hayley’s private journal, she begins to learn things about Sawyer that are cause for concern. This book gets exciting but predictable at parts, and I couldn’t complain about how fast it moved. It’s one of those one-sitting reads, and if I didn’t have to work, then it would have been one instead of two!

The pacing is fast, but the mystery is predictable. I found the dialogue and character interactions painful to read, but this might be because I aged out of the core audience. Moreover, the writing is overwrought with an excess of flowery language, eliciting many an eye roll.

This book had me hooked from beginning to end. It was such an engaging story and deals with some very sensitive topics. The main character has been in a terrible accident and lost her best friend. She’s filled with guilt and blames herself for the accident and loss of her best friend. I thought I had figured out who was behind the accident but was wrong and then finally figured it out before the end. 😅

Please be sure to check trigger warnings for this story. There are mentions of domestic violence. Such a thrilling and suspenseful story.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!

First of all a special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced copy of this book.

This YA novel is a Romance/Thriller is focused on High School students. With the death of her best friend, Hayley, and navigating her senior year of High School without her best friend, Elle is determined to keep her head down and finish off the year. Everything changes when she starts to realize she is falling for Sawyer, Hayley's boyfriend. Finding Hayley's diary, Elle realizes that Hayley kept secrets of her own that she told no one, not even Elle.

This book dives into the lives of these high school students and portrays how people do not know what truly happens behind closed doors, with domestic violence being one of the main topics. I will say that it was a slow read for me at the beginning and picked up halfway through where all the secrets that Hayley had started to come to light.

Rating 3.5/5

"Everything We Never Said" by Sloan Harlow is a powerful and emotionally resonant novel that explores the complexities of human relationships, the weight of unresolved grief, and the healing power of forgiveness. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque seaside town, Harlow's story unfolds with grace and sensitivity, drawing readers into the lives of its deeply flawed yet utterly relatable characters.

At the heart of the novel is the relationship between siblings Mia and Ben, whose bond is shattered by a devastating tragedy that leaves them grappling with guilt, regret, and unresolved emotions. Through alternating perspectives, Harlow skillfully delves into the depths of their pain and explores the ways in which their shared history continues to shape their lives, even as they try to move forward.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its portrayal of grief and its aftermath. Harlow captures the rawness and complexity of loss with honesty and compassion, depicting the myriad ways in which it can manifest in the lives of those left behind. From Mia's crippling survivor's guilt to Ben's struggle to find meaning in the wake of tragedy, the characters' emotions are palpable and achingly real, inviting readers to empathize with their pain and journey toward healing.

Equally compelling is the novel's exploration of forgiveness and redemption. As Mia and Ben confront their past and the secrets that have long haunted them, they are forced to reckon with their own shortcomings and mistakes. Through moments of vulnerability and introspection, they learn that forgiveness is not just about letting go of the past, but also about finding the courage to forgive themselves and others. Harlow handles this theme with nuance and sensitivity, reminding readers of the transformative power of compassion and grace.

In addition to its poignant themes, "Everything We Never Said" is also a beautifully crafted story, filled with vivid imagery and lyrical prose. Harlow's evocative descriptions bring the seaside setting to life, immersing readers in its sights, sounds, and sensations. Whether she's describing the crashing waves against the rocky cliffs or the warmth of the sun on a summer afternoon, her writing is imbued with a sense of place that adds depth and texture to the narrative.

In conclusion, "Everything We Never Said" is a deeply affecting and beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page. Sloan Harlow's exploration of love, loss, and redemption is both poignant and hopeful, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of forgiveness. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a heartfelt and thought-provoking read.

"𝑰 𝒌𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒉𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝑰'𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

Special thanks to @penguinteen @sloanharlowauthor and @netgalley for my #gifted physical copy and eARC.

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

MY REVIEW:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This YA book is more of a romance/suspense, with mostly romance and friendship at the heart of the storyline. It's told in multiple POVs and dual timelines.

It begins with a tragic car crash in which Ella loses her best friend Hayley. The weight of the consequences are tearing at her. While she looks for answers to her missing memory, she starts to fall for her dead best friends boyfriend, Sawyer. As the story goes on, more secrets start to unveil themselves, but she isn't sure what to make of them. Who can she talk to? Who can she trust?

But that ending..... will have you reeling your jaw off the floor!

This is a great slow burn for fans of Coleen Hoover!

PUB DATE:
MAY 28, 2024

QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️Did you ever date or think about dating your best friends boyfriend/girlfriend in high school? What happened?

AOTD - I always thought about it. Never happened, tho.

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#mysteryandthrills #sloanharlow #everythingweneversaid #yathriller #upcomingrelease #friendstiltheend #bookbuzz #tbrpile
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Well done!  This story was engaging and pulled me in from the start.  The multiple POVs keep the plot interesting, as what happened is slowly revealed. Don't be too sure you know, when you think you do.  Harlow has some twists up her sleeve that will mislead you into making haste predictions. That ending...I'm not sure if I should be mad or happy.  There is a lot about this book that makes my teacher's heart mad/sad. The story is about young teens and is marketed as a YA novel. I know teens are sexually active, but this novel has sexually explicit parts that would keep me, as a teacher, from making that recommendation to a student (even though I know some would love it). 
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

First I must state that Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is considered a YA book and I am much older than that. In the beginning I was going to give up on the book feeling that I was just too old for the sex scenes. I continued on and really enjoyed the book. There were some great twists.

Ella is a straight A student, a high achiever and comes from a very functional family. Her best friend Hayley and Hayley’s boyfriend Sawyer are completely opposite of her. They do not care about their grades and they come from divorced families, where domestic violence has occurred. Everything We Never Said, is a very fast paced book. Please note that there are quite a few explicit sex scenes along with domestic violence.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s only fair to start this review by explaining that reading is an escape for me. It’s how I relax and shut out the world.
While I have no hesitation reading books that talk about abuse situations, when the story is the abuse? That’s difficult for me.
That being said, this book is very well written and a fairly quick read. The author does a great job leading you to what she wants you to feel toward the characters. There is a twist, but I did kinda see it coming.
I’d say if you’re someone who likes books like Haunting Adeline, you would be 100% ok with this. There is nowhere near the detail, but it deals very much with the emotional trauma.

3.5🌟

I definitely did not want to put this book down when I started it! I loved the dual point of views, as well as the diary entries with Ella's best friend Hayley. The diary entries gave an insight into what Hayley was going through, as Ella tries to piece together what really went on with Hayley behind closed doors that she didn't have a clue about. It was raw, emotional, and took a deep dive into what a domestic abuse victim goes through and how they try to reason with their abusers actions. The book was full of twists and turns and I loved every minute of it!

I definitely enjoyed the storyline of this book and the theories that I came up with. However, I felt slightly uncomfortable reading the spicier scenes as an adult seeing as they were about teenagers. It is something to definitely consider that before reading.

I really debated my rating on this book, because the first half of it was very so so for me and the last half was very good!
The one thing I really didn’t like was reading about explicit scenes between teenagers, it made me very uncomfortable and I don’t feel it was at all necessary.
I really liked the multiple POVs and reading Haley’s diary along with Ella. I love that we only got bits and pieces of the diary at a time so you were constantly kept guessing.
I really felt like we were being lead to believe a certain thing throughout the book and had my suspicions about what really happened.
I turned out to be right, but that didn’t take away from the reveal at all.
I think the author has a great writing style and the story was very well thought out.
Thank you NetGalley for my arc, I am leaving this review on my own.

This was a quick read that hooked me and kept me reading because I wanted to know how it ended. Somehow I missed that it was a romance novel and until I read the line about a Romance Thriller I didn't realize that was what I was reading. I'm not sure I would want a 10-13 year old reading this book but I do think that high school students will enjoy.

3.5 Stars

This is marketed and reads like a YA novel given the High Schooler age of the main protagonists. Their relationship is mostly sweet, I certainly wouldn’t say this is a dark romance. At least for the romance elements. There are certainly adult themes - it deals with domestic abuse, death, hints at child abuse and other much more adult themes. However I do see the value of marketing towards a younger audience from education perspective, and how to deal (and not deal) with difficult situations and emotions. I enjoyed the two POVs, and it didn’t give anything anyway when the mystery swirls around at least one of them. Overall this was a quick read, kept me interested, but was also a little forgettable once I moved onto my next TBR book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for an unbiased view.

Every once in a while I do try to stray outside of my preferred genres to see how the rest of y’all are living. So when the publisher reached out about coverage for this YA thriller, I thought “why the heck not!” I was also drawn in by the promise of an interesting romance between two characters who both lost their close friend/girlfriend. So, let’s dive right in!

The challenging thing about reading outside of my typical genres it that I’m less familiar with the conventions and tropes of this type of book, and thus a bit more unsure when trying to distinguish between my own preferences and opinions and what is simply true to the genre, but not something that I’m as familiar with. That said, there were several things that worked for me unequivocally. The first thing is the sheer “readability” of this book. Even when I was coming across things that left questions in my mind, I still felt a draw to continue reading, swept up in the fast-moving plot and approachable style of storytelling.

On top of that, both Ella and Sawyer were very sympathetic characters, and I enjoyed spending time in both of their heads. Of course, much of the story revolves around their complicated feelings for their deceased friend and their own budding romance, but there were a lot of smaller looks at the different relationships they each have with their parents. Both their experiences with their families and with the various social groups at school were of the sort that I think will greatly appeal to many YA readers.

And, of course, the love story was very sweet. Now, it also walked right up to the line of “instalove,” so that’s something to keep in mind. But, again, the readability of the book carried me through this aspect of the storytelling pretty effectively. Stepping back, I think this love story will appeal to many readers, especially teenagers themselves. As an adult, I will say that I did struggle to believe that a teenage boy was quite as, um, romantically adept as Sawyer was presented, but this is one of those cases where no one really wants a true-to-life portrayal of the awkwardness of the teenage years.

As for the mystery of Haley’s death and the thriller aspects of the book, I did struggle a bit more. There were several “believability” issues that began to pile up as the story continued. For one thing, right off the bat, we are told that Haley died in a car crash when Ella was driving, after being seen drinking at a party. It strains every plausible explanation that Ella walked away from this situation with no consequences. Beyond that, she has many people reassuring her that Haley’s death wasn’t her fault. But…wasn’t it kind of, with this version of events?

I also found some of the late game reveals to be a bit predictable, but this is definitely a “mileage will vary” situation from reader to reader. There were several red herrings presented and their success as such will depend on readers’ familiarity with conventions, likely. There were also chapters from Haley’s old diary interspersed throughout the story, and I really struggled with these. They were written in a way that belied belief, with Haley seeming to be able to recount entire scenes verbatim in these entries. I get the purpose these entries were serving, but the style of writing was so removed from anything that resembled an actual diary entry that I found myself often skimming through these sections.

All of that said, I still had a mostly fun time with this book! It was a fast read, and my interest in Ella and Sawyer’s stories was enough to carry me through some of the other aspects that I struggled with. YA readers who enjoy thrillers and romances will likely enjoy this one!

Rating 7: Some parts of the the mystery were a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the fast-paced storytelling and the sweet romance at its heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

It throws me off a little that this is YA and also recommended for fans of Colleen Hoover. There are definitely some dark and complicated topics, but they’re all a reality for some high school students. Some of the topics are found in CH books so maybe that’s why? The twist really threw me for a loop and was definitely not what I was expecting! I was struggling a little with feeling the story wasn’t progressing (and would have rated 3 stars), but once the twist hit I couldn’t put it down! For that reason I bumped it up!