Cover Image: Unspeakable Things

Unspeakable Things

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley for the Kindle version of this novel, but I would happily pay for it over and over! From now on when I am asked for book recommendations, this will have to be it. This is not just a coming of age story, but encompasses mystery and drama in a small town with a lot of secrets. It is beautifully written, and narrated with the innocence of a 13 year old girl, who is the central character. There are strong themes in this book that may affect some readers; I found the subtle way they were raised and addressed touching and moving in a way that a book has not done for a long time. I read this book quickly because I was hungry to find out what was happening, to understand the twists, but I was sorry when it came to an end and I think it will be difficult to find another book this year that will stay with me as this one has.

Was this review helpful?

This is a story of what happens in a small town. The blurb gave a promising story but the actual book was very slow with nothing happening in the first 2/3rd and then everything rushing to a conclusion. The characters are difficult to connect with, why the mother stays with the father is not explained, the girl is sometimes mature for her age and sometimes silly. The story has a good premise which could have been dealt better especially for a true event. 2.5 stars

Was this review helpful?

I thought this book sounded so good. I was so excited to read it! This one really just did not work out for me! It was very slow paced. And there was more about the family, than the abductions! Overall it was just ok for me!

Was this review helpful?

Unspeakable Things takes place in rural Minnesota in the 1980s. I'm a 1989 baby, but also from the rural midwest. I could relate to many cultural references in the book because of this, which made it easier to connect with.

Cassie, Cassandra, is our main character. She's kind of the outcast bookworm kid, but also floats around the cliques it seems. Being a young teen, 12 and turns 13, we see a lot of her figuring out the world. I am conflicted on her though because she seems immature for her age and very naive.

A rash of molestations and assaults on younger boys in Lillydale has the small town in an uproar. Cass has ideas of who is responsible, and embarks on her own journey to solve the case.

I usually love love love thrillers. This one was just OK for me. The writing style wasn't so great, it felt rushed and didn't flow well. I also was not a fan of the lack of character and plot development. The story felt like forever in forming a good plot line.

There were also a bunch of societal issues that kind of all jumbled together. There's gay bashing, issues with low income people, pedophilia, sexual assault...it was just too much for me. Sticking with just one or two major issues could have made a big difference in readability.

The author also left the book open ended, letting the readers decide what happens. I'm not a fan of that sort of ending. She did upload the epilogue on her website, however.

All in all. This one was just...ok.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a mixed bag for me. It's a combination coming of age story/mystery set in the 1980s over one summer with a 12 year old girl named Cassie as our narrator. It is fictional but based on the true story of children being kidnapped/molested in a small town in Minnesota in that time period. Child abuse is a major theme of the book.

For the most part, I liked Cassie. She's an interesting kid and she's curious about life and the adults in hers. Unfortunately, all the adults she knows are pretty wretched human beings. I felt at times that Cassie's voice wasn't accurate for a 12 year old, but I still liked her character. She was fun to follow along with. I liked the portrayal of the small town, and was curious enough about the different plots to want to keep reading.

That's where my enjoyment ends. The author decided to leave off an epilogue which is required in order for the prologue to make any sense at all. (You can read the epilogue on her website). The epilogue also helps tie up some, but not all, loose threads. Without the epilogue the story really has no ending. This is ultimately where the author lost me - there are simply too many points left unresolved. At times in novels this can be done skillfully to allow for personal interpretation, but in this book there were fairly heavy handed plot devices that then went nowhere. It felt either like the author forgot about certain points and had a poor editor, or was just trying to create drama in what is, despite all the abductions and fear, a fairly dull story.

Ultimately, I just don't feel that it was that well written. Adding to this were all the 80s references. Initially I though that was fun, being a child of the 80s myself. However, it quickly became annoying as these were dropped in with little finesse and soon just became painful in their obvious attempt to create a 1980s vibe. It didn't work anyway, with Cassie's family acting more like hippies on a commune in the 70s.

I was unable to enjoy the story as much as I had hoped due to constantly noticing problems with the writing. The book has some good reviews, so obviously plenty of readers looked past this without trouble.

Was this review helpful?

“Small-town kids are pebbles in a river, pushed around by the flow, forming pockets and piles, reforming when the current picks up and we find ourselves in a whole new cluster.”

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey is the story of Minnesota in 1980s, inspired by true events in the author’s life. The story is told by Cassie McDowell, who is intrigued and worried by the mysterious disappearances of a few boys from her school who seem changed somehow when they return. As the accusations run wild around the town, Cassie can only pray to have enough time to figure out the culprit.

The plot of the book seems interesting—the blurb had me thinking this was a YA fantasy with vampires/werewolves. It isn’t. Instead, this book touches upon issues like child abuse, dysfunctional families etc. with a seemingly sunny set up. I felt the author put in way too many unnecessary events in the middle of the plot and the characters saw no growth throughout the book. Every time something mildly interesting came up, the protagonist would mull over it for a second then happily go about her chores—what even? I understand that the protagonist’s character is young, but it seems weird for even her character to simply dally when a new piece of information is discovered. The writing is nice but I think it should’ve been structured more. I think the plot had a lot more potential than it offered and the ending was plain unsatisfactory. I know the epilogue was removed to make readers wonder, but all it did was annoy me. In all, I definitely expected more that what was offered.

Was this review helpful?

This is an intense, coming of age story with a mystery element running through it. The narrator, Cassie, is 12 years old and the book describes her very disturbing family life. She is also living in a small town where her classmates are being abducted and sexually assaulted. I found Cassie’s character to be incredibly likeable but the story itself was dark, intense, and although a lot is hinted at rather than said, it’s a difficult read at points. I read it quickly though, eager to find out who it was that was abducting the boys, I wasn’t a big fan of the ending until I read that the author had actually written an epilogue (which you can find on her website) but that she’d removed it from the book so the reader could decide themselves what happened to Cassie. I prefer a clear cut ending so I was happy to find out what the author believed was Cassie’s ending, even if parts of it did leave me feeling sad.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not really sure what to think about this one. There was so much going on. This was supposed to be a story about kidnapping and children disappearing, but that felt like the side story and not the main one. I felt like it was more about a child in a home or abuse. The story was still compelling, but it just felt like there were two competing main plot lines.

Was this review helpful?

This was an interesting book but slow in some parts. Twelve-year-old Cassie is living in a small town in Minnesota with her older sister, Sephie and her parents. The story is told from her point of view and it becomes apparent very early on that this is a dysfunctional household where the parents frequently host "adult" parties that terrify both girls. And then when some of the local boys go missing and return with sinister and "darker" personalities, Cassie decides to play detective and get to the bottom of these disappearances. Mixing fact with fiction, Lourey recounts the events that plagued a real town in the 1980's. I enjoyed the story but it ended rather abruptly and I would have liked more information about the characters.

Was this review helpful?

[[partner]] Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for providing me a free copy of Unspeakable Things. This was a very unique and fun read!

Unspeakable Things is a cross between an 80’s coming of age story and also a chain of abductions occurring in a small town. I really enjoyed the story of Cassie and her unconventional family. I was rooting for her as she faced many challenges in her life. I definitely feel like the book was more focused on her story, with less about the abductions. I think I would have liked a better balance between those two elements but overall I thought it was an enjoyable read!

Was this review helpful?

This book was really good! It is fast paced and kept me reading til I finished! The story is written well and keeps you hooked. I would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

“Basements were where men kept their secrets.”

When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued by the premise of the blending of a real occurrence with an imaginative tale. However, as I settled down into the story, I felt...disconnected.
I couldn’t gel with the narration style of Cassie, which at times seemed far more advanced than her age and immature at others.

I grew increasingly frustrated with the slow pace, and lack of action, as the story progressed, and had to resort to skim reading to get through it. In saying that though, the last few chapters were a lot more interesting, but after the slow burn to get there, they felt rushed, and were far too little, far too late to change my earlier feelings.

I wanted to like this more, but I unfortunately I guess it wasn’t for me. 1.5 stars.

Thank you to Jess Lourey, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for a Read Now arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

“Bad news still finds you on sunny days.”

Unspeakable Things it’s an emotional story told through 12 years old girl’s eyes and is inspired by the true events. Although the subject matter is very disturbing and unsettling the book itself is not very violent and graphic which is refreshingly different to the usual thriller.

Young boys are being abducted by a stranger in a mask in a small town of Minnesota. As Cassie follows the local events she becomes determined to discover what happened to the molested boys.
However it‘s not the only problem that occupies her mind. We soon find out Cassie struggles with her very own personal nightmares - lack of friends, abuse and constant fear of her father.

The author captured the horrifying events very well and created a great story of suspense. I could sense the atmosphere of mystery and dark secrets from the very first pages. I absolutely loved a first person narration - I could almost feel Cassie’s horror and vulnerability and my heart ached for her all the time.

The only disappointment for me was the ending which leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I would like to know what happened to Cassie and her family after the evens unfold, especially her relationship with father.

I understand it may not be an easy read for some and it is most definitely heartbreaking and unsettling reminder that the monsters might live among us.

Was this review helpful?

“Unspeakable Things” follows Cassie, coming of age in the 1980’s, and her older sister Sephie as they navigate both a troubled home life as well as rumors of children being taken in the town of Lilydale, a small community in Minnesota.

This is a slow burn mystery, with multiple red herrings at play – tension is building up to something sinister, and it seems that almost any of the adults in town could be implicated. Most of the action, and the best parts of the story, take place in the final chapters of the book. Unfortunately, the final reveal does not come as a surprise.

I really enjoyed parts of this book, and found others to be wholly unnecessary. Without giving too much away, there are elements at play which do nothing to move the story forward, but I suppose are rather to establish a dysfunctional home life for the sisters. But, we already know that some of the people closest to them are unreliable, so there are things I could do without.

Strangely, the incredibly important epilogue was left out of the book. To read this final section, readers must head to Jess Lourey’s website to see where the central characters end up. To me, the epilogue was critical to my full understanding and resolution of the story, so it seems an odd choice to leave it out.

Note that this book does have descriptions of abuse towards children, as well as implied assault by a parent. It’s not extensive, but this could certainly be a troubling read for some. Overall, it was ok. I liked Cassie and rooted for her, and found myself moving very quickly through the book at the end.

Was this review helpful?

this is a very disturbing story about child abuse.- involving a community that has two faces or double standards.
I was shocked at how the people turned a blind eye to certain activities and condemned others.

Was this review helpful?

This book is a dark and disturbing tale told through the eyes of a 13 year old girl in search of a hero or maybe trying to be one herself. It was an enjoyable read drawing you into the suspense and mystery. As told from Cassie's POV the writing style makes sense. The things that the author shows us are things a normal 13 year old girl would focused on. Even considering that I wish the story had been a bit more fleshed out especially the ending which felt a little rushed. Overall I'm glad I picked it up and would recommend it to others with the warning of potential triggers.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to read this book because it was based on true events. "Unspeakable Things" was even better than my expectations. It was so well written. I fell in love with the innocent main character Cassie, a thirteen-year-old girl at the time of the abductions. I couldn’t put the book down. Not only because I was interested in solving the mystery, but because I had so much concern for the main character Cassie. I wanted to hear the end of her story and hoped for a good ending for her.

I look forward to reading more books by Jess Lourey.

If you liked Glass Castles, you will like this book.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

Well, I started this last night and read until past midnight- not a good idea since I get up very early- and then I finished on my break today. WHEW! This story was so fast-paced and important to me for many reasons. I NEEDED to make sure the characters in the book were going to be okay. My heart broke for all the kids that were taken by the town creeper and I couldn't wait to solve the mystery. I loved the author's writing style! I could see the surroundings and smell the air and taste the foods. Some of her sentences are so beautifully written that I reread them 3 or 4 times and made highlights on my kindle. I will 100% read this author again. I loved all the 80s details that made me remember the good old days of being a kid.

Was this review helpful?

I'm still reeling from this book. There was a lot to process and truly disturbing but I couldn't put it down.

Was this review helpful?

Book #10 for 2020 for me was Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey and what a slow burn this one was!
.

.
I’ve always been a bit fascinated with True Crime, and loved Lourey’s Author’s Note about growing up in the same town that Jacob Wetterling was abducted from. This book was haunting and eerie, while also reminding you of the innocence of what it was like being a kid and knowing that something wasn’t quite right around you. The writing was great and I absolutely loved Cassie’s inner dialogue throughout.

Here’s the summary: Cassie is a 12 year old girl growing up in small town Minnesota navigating her dysfunctional family, looking forward to summer, when something dark begins happening in her quiet town. One by one, boys have been going missing, only to be returned changed— violent, withdrawn, moody. When Cassie realizes that there is a connection between the missing boys she decides to take things into her own hands, but can she help save these boys, while also trying to save herself from those closest to her?

Thank you Netgalley for my copy! Check this one out guys

Was this review helpful?