1980's Minnesota. Cassie is a 12-year-old girl living with her sister and her parents on a farm.
One day news gets out that young boys in her town are getting molested by a stranger wearing a mask. There are a few possible suspects, including Cassie's dad...

I kept seeing great reviews of this book, so I thought I'd give it a go, but I'm disappointed to say that the book didn't live up to all the hype surrounding it.
Looking at the story through Cassie's eyes was a nice change from the usual perspective but it was the only positive thing about the book.
I hadn't been aware it was based on a true story until I finished it, but even if I had, I'd have expected more suspense. As it is, it offered none. I was constantly waiting for something to happen, but once I was deep into the second half of the book, it became apparent that nothing would.
The ending left me with many unanswered questions and no sense of closure.
Luckily, I discovered that the author published an epilogue on her website, so I headed over there. While it did provide some answers, it seemed like it didn't belong to the book. Perhaps it was because it was the voice of an adult Cassie, but either way, it seemed like a good idea to leave it out.
My initial thought was to give it only one star, which is a very rare thing for me to do, but because in the end, I did get some sort of a conclusion, I rate it 2 stars.
My recommendation would be not to bother with this book, but given that it got so many good reviews, I imagine it might be to someone's taste, so if this book was on your radar, then check it out for yourself.

I enjoyed this book. Although it was slow at times, it was very interesting to "see" the events unfold through the eyes of the young female protagonist. The plot thickens gradually throughout the book and it speeds up in the last few chapters. I do not know if I would recommend it to a fellow reader, but it kept me entertained for a few days.

This book is very disturbing. I like the story being written from Carrie's point of view. Books in the first person are my favorite. That being said, child molestation is something I don't enjoy reading. I know it's reality and I do appreciate that it was not too graphic. I was squeamish at gutting the chickens. I thought the character development was good. I think I could cast the movie. The end was not a good wrap up. Thanks #netgalley for the digital copy.

Unspeakable Things is a fictional story that was inspired by true events that occurred in the author's hometown in Minnesota.
On the outside, Cassie McDowell's life is seemingly ordinary. She lives on a farm in MN with her sister and parents on the outskirts of a small, safe town. Yet, everything changes when local boys start getting attacked by a masked man. Meanwhile, Cassie's home life is slowly revealed, and the reader learns what life is really like for her. As she tries to survive through her father's dark moods, Cassie also vows to solve the mystery of the local attacks. What follows is a suspenseful, nail biting, page turning novel that gets more and more bizarre as the story unfolds. I read this one in a single day as I couldn't put the book down without finding out how it all ended. The author also originally wrote an epilogue to the story, but removed it from the book because she wanted the readers to imagine Cassie's future. However, if you go on her website at jessicalourey.com you can find out what the author had in mind for this brave and resourceful protagonist.

Set in the 1980s in small town Minnesota, this creepy story is told entirely from twelve year old Cassie’s perspective. This is a whodunit story. When young boys are attacked, raped, and beginning to disappear, Cassie becomes personally invested in solving the case. The suspects are the creepy recluse neighbor, the homosexual teacher, the shady cop, and Cassie’s father, the drunk swinger. While exploring the suspects, we also get to experience a bit of middle school drama and coming of age for Cassie. It is a very quick, fast-paced journey. If you love a small town, mystery, this one will keep you guessing. I just wish I had more closure at the end! .

Great book! This compelling thriller pulls the reader in from the first page! Themes of child abuse and sexual deviancy is a small town are driven by the voice of Cassie, a young girl trapped in a dysfunctional dangerous family situation.

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey is a crime/mystery story influenced by actual events.  Lourey writes about secrets. She is the bestselling Agatha, Anthony, and Lefty-nominated author of the critically-acclaimed Mira James mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing "a splendid mix of humor and suspense."

There are several likable things in this novel, like the 1980s setting and pop culture references.  Secondly, Cassandra, the narrator and central character in the story, is very likable.  Not quite thirteen, there is still quite a bit of innocence in her interpretation of events, even though she is an adult when telling the story.  It gave me the same feeling as the narration in the movie "Silver Bullet."  The inserts of  "Ripley's Believe It or Not" throughout the book also brought back memories.  There is a good deal of nostalgia in the story. 

Other parts of the book are too obvious or unexplained.  The parent's parties are pretty obvious, even though it is not explained until later in the book.   Other things like the number of stairs the father climbs add an extra layer of creepiness to the story.  Although the implication it's not difficult.  Other repeated events like the clipping of nails is a weird aspect of the story and not explained at all. 

There is a level of creepiness that runs throughout the book.  It doesn't build or subside as the story progresses but remains constant.  The mother is a teacher that seems like an old hippie with healthy food, home remedies, and openness on some issues.  The father is a creep and a drunk but is often left in charge of both daughters. The sheriff and some of the other townsfolk are just as bad. 

Creepiness aside, this felt much more like a young adult novel than the promoted Adult Fiction tag.  Parts were too simplistic for an adult reader, and other elements that might be accepted by younger readers are questionable to adults.  The prologue would have the reader believe the narrator is an adult. Still, the telling of the story is undoubtedly that of a young teenager without any adult clarifications or added hindsight information.  The writing well done as it draws the reader into the story, and Cassandra is very likable.  The story has some twists, and although it is not predictable, there are plenty of unanswered questions that could have added to the account or created a bit of complexity.

I read a lot of dark/thriller books and this one....this one was almost too dark for me.

Written from a 12=year old's perspective, this story is about a girl in 1980's Minnesota. She love school, lives on a farm and has a crush on the nicest boy in her grade. Her parents, however, have frequent odd parties with parades of strange people.

Then---local boys go missing. They return, but something is missing. They are moody and angry. Rumors surround the town. Then Cassie's own sisters transform into the dark and angry....and Cassie has to try and save her.

WHEW.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of Unspeakable Things.

This was an okay read. There were a lot of untold details and vague info that would've been nice to have earlier on to make the story make more sense. Unfortunately I felt the story could've been so much more.

Unspeakable Things is a work of fiction based on the disappearance and assaults which were happening in the authors home town in Minnesota in the 80’s.

I knew I was going to really like this book from the first couple of pages. The writing just pulls you in and I loved hearing the story unfolding through the eyes of 12 year old Cassie. Oh and I love anything set in the 80’s and small towns.

This book was heartbreaking and haunting in the literally “unspeakable” way. You were never exposed to graphic violence or terror but given hints along the way to form your own conclusions/assumptions.

I so wanted to give this 5 full stars but I was left with so many unanswered questions. The story came to an end too quickly for me and left me frustratingly checking if there were more pages somewhere. There weren’t! That is my only gripe, I feel I didn’t get enough closure.

Overall great read and would recommend! 4.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed reading this book but at the same time it was sometimes hard to read. It is very suspenseful and kept me on edge. Even though it is about incest, kidnapping, abuse and swinging it is very well written and the fact that it is based on true events makes it even better. The only negative for me was the holes I felt were left in the story and a rather abrupt ending. However I think it is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Jess Lourey, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy of this novel. As a someone who was in middle school and high school in the 1980s, who also loves mystery novels, I was very excited about the premise of this novel. Lourey does an excellent job narrating from the point of view of a young girl in the 80s, and the pop culture references (which were plentiful) were appreciated. She is also skillful at setting a very unsettling, creepy scene. I was creeped out by the second page!

That said, I did not love this book. As the book wore on, I found that I was skimming. I thought the ending/resolution was quite rushed and left too much hanging. Also, there was something about the overall tone of the novel that didn’t work for me — the fun 80s references and teenage/middle school social issues seemed jarring and almost inappropriate when set against such horrific subject matter. Perhaps that was the author’s intent, but for me, it just didn’t sit right.

Still, there was a lot here that worked. I’d be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

Cassie McDowell is a 12 old girl who enjoys school but is looking forward to summer vacation. She doesn’t have a lot of friends as she lives in an isolated area at the edges of town but she and her older sister Sephie share secrets and enjoy each other’s company. She likes band, reading, her kitty clinic and daydreams about a popular boy in class. What sounds like a normal 12 year old girl is far from it though. Cassie also sleeps under the bed or in the closet, straining her ears for her father coming up the stairs. Her parents throw swinger parties that even a member of the police department attends and is hiding something in the basement that she has been warned to never enter.
The last week of school there are rumors that a boy had been taken . Local boys begin to disappear, only to come back changed. Rumors about what happened are whispered about and a curfew is imposed but no one is caught. Cassie decides to find answers on her own to protect the new boy who is her neighbor and her first friend.
This is a difficult book to read. It is told from a young girls perspective but is not a book for teens or young readers. There is incest, swinger parties, molestation. The author states that it is based on a true story from her own hometown but I didn’t see information about that case.

Spoilers-

I would only give this 3 stars because there are so many unanswered details. Where does their mother keep going to in the evening ( the school doesn’t make sense) and why would she leave the girls with a husband that behaves the way he does? Towards the end it is revealed that Sephie had been abused by their dad but he had not come to the top of the stairs yet. in Cassie’s telling. What was the significance in cutting his nails? What was the truth regarding her aunt?

This is another book it would have been nice to have an epilogue. I think most readers would like to know the resolution. Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my opinion.

Cassie McDowell is a twelve year old growing up on a farm in Lilydale Minnesota during the 1980's.
What appears to be an idyllic childhood on the surface, is filled with unspeakable things.
The story is told through Cassie's perspective. She lives at home with her parents and older sister Persephone "Sephie" who is fifteen years old. Mom is a teacher and dad is an artist who drinks too much and is prone to bad tempers, controlling the family.
School is almost over with for the year. Cassie is thinking of ways to see her "crush" Gabriel over the summer.
Her parents are planning another one of their disturbing parties.
And Cassie's dad continues to warn the girls not to go down into their basement.
Suddenly the boys in town go missing. As they each return, they are changed. Taken by a masked man, they come back savage and remote.
Then Sephie goes through a change after her parents latest party.
And Gabriel disappears and does not return.
Cassie is determined to look into these strange happenings and find out what is going on and who is responsible.
I literally could not put this book down. It gripped me and wouldn't let go.
Full of dark menace and sinister undertakings.
I almost held my breath as my apprehension and uneasiness grew, and the suspense intensified.
The writing style was captivating, a perfect blend of Cassie's beguiling personality and the horrific events surrounding her.
A must read!
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

I was initially drawn to this book by the premise. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the fact that it was based on true events. A sucker for true-crime, I was all in.

Unfortunately, this book was really just ok for me. Cassie and Sephie live a pretty rough life. Poor doesn't even touch what they are, and it's not because their parents are uneducated. Both have Master's degrees but their dad is a self-proclaimed artist, who always seems to be working on something. Their mom works hard to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, but with their dad drinking all the time, they go without a lot of things.

Their parents are known for the 'parties' they hold, parties that the girls know involve lewd behavior by the adults that attend, all taking place in their barn. So, when boys in town start being assaulted, it's anyone's guess who could be the culprit...but the girls dad is a suspect, at least in their minds.

I wanted to really like this book more than I did. It did keep me reading until the end but I felt the author left a lot of things unanswered. Part of that I think was deliberate, in the way it was written it leaves you to infer what has happened without really going into details. And while that is ok sometimes, I felt there were areas that needed to be fleshed out a little more.

If you have read this one, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A must read suspense thriller. Narrated from the view of a 13 year old farm girl she tells us the story of boys being abducted and abused in central Minnesota. With the underlying truths being the main stay the story telling is top notch. Absolutely loved it. Highly recommend.

ARC fro Net Galley

Great use of the "wise" 13 yo as the author relayed the fears and doubts of this minor detective as the story builds and tightens down to a thrilling mystery. A unique approach from that stand point and the fact it is based on real events made it only better for me,

Unspeakable Things is a thrilling and suspenseful coming of age novel told by a 7th grade girl, Cassandra. Cassie lives with her older sister and their parents in the small little community of Lilydale, Minnesota. Strange happenings has Cassie in fear, her anxiety high as she tries to make sense of her home life while also secretly investigating the people and events that take place in her surrounding area, including her own Dad.

The subject matter addressed is disturbing and disconcerting, my heart hurt for all the children involved within the pages as well as those affected in real life. The whole town has secrets to hide. From page one there is a sense of foreboding that permeates the entire novel. Lourey blends spine-tingling tension, with eerie dread, and hellish events that nightmares are made of. This book will stick with me for a long time.

It took me back in time as I remembered all the cultural references Lourey threw in to remind readers of the 80's era. I could visualize everything perfectly.

This would have been a five star book if only there wasn't so many plot holes and unexplained things left for the reader to wonder about.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer, Netgalley and Jess Lourey for the advanced readers copy. The opinions in this review are honest and voluntarily left because I wanted to review this novel.

Cassie is not your average twelve year old. She lives with her parents and older sister in a ramshackle house on the outskirts of town. She is smart and has an inquisitive mind, but few friends since her home life is anything but normal. When young boys suddenly go missing, then come back, changed, Cassie is on high alert. She knows what bad men can do, after all, her father Don wrote the book.
Cassie never describes what happens at home in great detail. Rather, we get glimpses of her life; the way Cassie behaves when she goes to bed, the way she never discusses her home life with anyone, the way people act when her parents throw a party, and the ominous changes in her sister. Not knowing why Cassie reacted in certain ways, sent my imagination into overdrive.
Cassie is the kind of character that I immediately cared about and I just wanted her to find a way out. The ending, like the story, doesn't wrap everything up into a neat little package. Unspeakable Things was a well-paced chilling tale that kept me on the edge of my seat. The tension was unbearable at times and as the story progressed, it only got worse. My first read by Jess Lourey and not my last.

There were plenty of 'unspeakable things' in this book and like the title, they were mainly alluded to rather than specifically described. Incest, PTSD, rape, 'swingers', abductions. In a way, having them just be hinted at in most cases made them even more horrifying. Lourey does a great job of making the readers' imagination do the work of bringing out the details.

Cassie is a mix of Scout from 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and Nancy Drew. For the most part, she's believable and a sympathetic character. The father is horrible - - but so is the mother for closing her eyes to what was happening.
The author does a good job of feeding small hints throughout the story as to what exactly was happening. The fact this story was based on a true occurrence - - and something that no doubt happens every day somewhere - - made it all the more horrifying.