Everything We Never Said is a gripping YA thriller that sinks its claws into you from the first page. From the grief-soaked hallways of Ella’s high school to the slow-burn, forbidden pull between her and Sawyer, this book delivers high-stakes drama and emotional whiplash in spades.

I figured out the “who” early on, so a lot of the tension for me was watching how the story would unravel — and it did not disappoint. The journey to the truth is filled with twists, gut-punch revelations, and a dark romantic undercurrent that makes you question everyone's motives. And let’s be real — Hayley’s mom? Literal trash. Her presence only added to the tension and made Ella's pain and guilt all the more palpable.

While it didn’t blow the mystery wide open for me, the intense pacing and character chemistry kept me hooked. A solid four stars.

An interesting approach to a YA thriller that just didn't work out for me overall and came out feeling a bit average. The premise is good, but the execution was maybe a little too overthought.

The read was really well paced and had some excellent plot structure, but the writing and character interactions just felt like they were trying too hard. Several characters were really over the top and cringy while others were too cookie cutter. I will say she nailed the ending and there was some fantastic tension created throughout the plot. The final third of the book was intense.

There are a lot of serious topics presented and for the most part I felt they were handled well. It's a quick and decent read that would possibly read more realistic for the intended audience (I would place this at the older YA/younger NA set due to some graphic violence and sexual scenes). In my particular case, it felt like the author was holding the reader's hand and leading them through the story rather than letting the reader come to their own conclusions.

Along those same lines, the protagonist's guilt was really piled on and the adults in her life were a bit overly absent. It was stated several times how good they were as parents, but that didn't really show through the narrative. Her choices were often rather illogical and seemed to just be there to further the plot rather than feel believable.

The narrative itself was mildly predictable. There were a few decent twists and one stellar one. The attempts at a red herrings were well considered, but presented in a way that laid it on a bit thick, making them more obvious. Also...it resulted in some characters really coming off as serious red flags even though in the end it was clear that the author intended for them to be "good". I'd specify more, but it would result in several major spoilers.

All in all, this book shows excellent promise for the author. This is a debut novel and she does have the framework for a really good novel. This was by no means a bad book. A little tightening and maturing of the writing along with giving the reader's understanding a bit more credit should result in some intense thrillers to come from Sloan Harlow.

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow
⭐⭐⭐½ | 🖤 Grief with a side of WHAT JUST HAPPENED

This YA thriller starts as one book and ends as something COMPLETELY different! What begins as a poignant exploration of grief and forbidden attraction transforms into a mind-bending psychological thriller that had me clutching my kindle in shock.

Following Ella as she navigates life after her best friend Hayley's death (which she can't remember and feels responsible for), we're pulled into her world of guilt, grief, and her growing feelings for Hayley's boyfriend Sawyer. The dual POV structure plus Hayley's diary entries creates this perfect storm of "wait, who do I trust here?!" energy that keeps you flipping pages.

The tropes we're tracking:
📓 Dead girl's diary reveals ALL
💔 Forbidden romance with emotional landmines
🌀 Grief spiral meets memory gaps
🔍 Nothing is as it seems (and I mean NOTHING)
⚠️ Hidden red flags becoming neon signs

The romance elements had me conflicted in all the right ways - chemistry was there, but the circumstances had me screaming "GIRL, WAIT" at the pages. Then the final act hits and everything explodes into this Criminal Minds-worthy twist that I'm still processing!

Some dialogue feels a bit young at times, and the whole "falling for your dead bestie's boyfriend" premise requires suspension of disbelief, but the exploration of domestic abuse, manipulation, and the aftermath of trauma is handled with surprising depth for a YA novel.

Perfect for readers who want their romance with a side of "trust absolutely no one" vibes!

Great plot, some of the twists I was able to see coming. I enjoyed the dual POV. First book by this author, need more now!

I'm a bit late in posting this. I really enjoyed this book! I suspected a few of the twists but not all of them! Despite the heavy themes, I read this book pretty quickly and enjoyed it. For YA, it definitely went darker than I expected it to. The abuse portrayed in the book felt real. As someone who has been through DV, I got triggered a little; however, I think that the story needs to be told. I appreciated the story switching back and forth between the viewpoints, each slowly unveiling the story. I really liked Ella and felt bad for her. Sawyer did grow on me. My heart broke for Hayley and what she went through. Overall, this was a great book. It's important that young people read it to know what red flags to be aware of. I'd definitely recommend this book, but I'd advise about the trigger warnings.

I found this one well-written, but difficult to read. Grief, the loss of a friend, and some really heavy themes.

I do think it's a good read for teens, especially with its focus on toxic relationships and grief, though!

heavy, but good!

3.5 stars rounded up. Everything We Never Said was an angst, dramatic suspense-y romance... or was it a romance-y thriller? Either way, it was an entertaining read. The twists were on-par for a YA audience. The story didn't stick with me, but it was fun while it lasted. It would make a great beach or airline read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Definitely better than a Colleen Hoover book, since this is about teens and aimed at a teen audience, not trying to be an adult book. Some of it was totally predicatable, other parts surprised even this seasoned reader! Harlow tackles some huge issues here: dating violence, domestic/child abuse, sexual abuse, grief, guilt. There are some detailed sexual scenes, but it still falls into the realm of YA fiction. I really appreciated that there was a frank discussion of doing the work and not allowing your emotions to be turned on the people you love. Anyone who wants to stop the cycle of domestic violence needs to hear that you CAN change, or work at regulating your emotions to protect yourself and your loved ones. Overall, this was ok, but I can see that teens would eat this up.

“Life might not be what you had hoped or expected, but it has a way of showing you a door to a place that’s better than you could have imagined.”

This was a surprisingly emotional read. Ella was having a really tough go of it after losing her best friend. As she struggling with her emotions over Sawyer, her guilt was still so thick. As we got closer to the end, I wondered if we'd get the conclusion the letter gave us and I was both surprised and emotional over the re-telling of what all had gone down.

The audio here was great - there were multiple narrators and each one really brought the story to a new level. This was a 3 1/2 stars rounded to 4 for the amazing audio. Great story, compelling, with an interesting conclusion.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

okay, unfortunately the pacing was off for me for this book. The plot line was alright but the twist I did not expect that at all

a fast-paced mystery told from the alternating perspectives of Ella and Sawyer, with glimpses into Hayley’s life through her diary entries. The dynamics between Ella, Sawyer, and Hayley, along with Hayley’s troubled relationship with her boyfriend form the emotional core of the book. The characters are likable, and their differing perspectives on the events leading up to Hayley’s tragic death offer some depth to the narrative.

The book explores heavy themes like physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, which are woven into the plot in a sensitive way. However, the pacing, while quick, makes the mystery feel somewhat predictable. I found myself anticipating the twists rather than being caught off guard. The dialogue and character interactions, unfortunately, felt painful at times, especially for readers who might have aged out of the target audience.

Everything We Never Said is a difficult book to review, mainly because I don’t want to spoil any of the twists and turns.
The story follows Ella, who has been in an accident and feels responsible for her best friend’s death. It’s an incredibly gripping and emotional story, with a plot that had me hooked from the very start.

I really enjoyed this book as it masterfully combines dark romantic suspense, keeping me completely absorbed from start to finish. I admired how the author portrayed the anguish of a teenager mourning the loss of her best friend, while also navigating societal pressures and peer expectations. The story is filled with teen drama, longing, and sorrow, all leading to an unexpected twist that left me craving more.

I was genuinely surprised by how suspenseful and twist-filled the ending was. Once I realized this wasn’t just another YA romance, I couldn’t stop reading. Although I had a vague sense of how it would end, the execution was still impressive. The book’s fast pace, combined with its complex, unreliable characters and the development of the characters' friendships, kept me hooked. It was incredibly rewarding to finally uncover the answers the main characters had been seeking.

I highly recommend giving this book a read!

Reeling from the unexpected death of her best friend Hayley, Ella is dreading the start of her senior year of high school. Last semester, Ella was driving home from a party when a tragic accident left Haley dead. When Ella finds Haley’s long lost diary, she begins to wonder if something much more sinister was behind the accident.

While I appreciated the fast pace and easy readability of this book, it fell short for me overall. I really enjoyed Sloan Harlow’s sophomore novel, All We Lost Was Everything, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, the romance felt a little cringe-worthy and it made me want to skim through the book. Similar to All We Lost Was Everything, I really appreciate how Harlow blends multiple genres together into one book and will definitely give her future books another chance, but this one was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I unfortunately had to dnf this around 20%. I think it might be a little too YA for me. I listened to the audio felt myself roll my eyes countless times. If I pick it back up, I will edit my review.

was not able to get into this book at the time it was due to be reviewed and was not able to finish reading. i am grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this book early and have heard nothing but good things about this author.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title, however, it was not for me. The pace was slow, the characters were unrelatable, and the plot was mediocre at best.

Ella can’t remember what happened that night but she does know she was driving the car that killed her friend. Now back at school, she’s racked with guilt and everything reminds her of Hayley.

Seeking comfort in the one place she probably shouldn’t, Ella starts to have feelings for Hayley’s ex Sawyer. But after finding Hayley’s secret diary when Hayley’s mom asks her to help clean out her old room, Ella thinks Sawyer may be a bad guy and there may have been more to his and Hayley’s relationship and maybe she shouldn’t be falling for him.

This story took some turns I definitely wasn’t expecting but I loved them all. I always love when there’s chapters with multiple povs so you get the story from different angles. I was not expecting the crazy twist at the end.

All of the characters were great. I especially liked Sawyers character because even without having all the details you can tell he really cared for both Hayley and Ella in different ways.

I feel like this novel wasn't really sure what genre it wanted to be. I thought it was going to be a coming-of-age story about Ella and Sawyer after their friend Hayley died in a car accident due to drunk driving and an analysis of escaping the cycle of domestic violence and it started as that, but I feel like I got whiplash from the ending. Turns out this is a thriller. Beyond that, I felt like it was a fairly well written novel. It's on par with a lot of the YA novels I read, but is probably more geared towards the 15+ age group.

A YA/NA romantic thriller that BLEW. MY. MIND.
🚗
It’s been a few months since Ella’s best friend, Hayley, died in a car crash while Ella was driving. Now Ella is back at school and everything reminds her of Hayley, especially Hayley’s perfect boyfriend, Sawyer. Both are deep in their grief and are naturally drawn together, bonding over their loss. Soon Ella is feeling guilty for another reason: loving her dead best friend’s boyfriend, but when Ella finds Hayley’s journal she learns that all wasn’t as it seemed in their relationship. And what she finds out could kill her.
📔
There is a lot to unpack here. 1. I think this falls into the New Adult category so HS librarians read this one for yourself to help you decide. 2. The twist! I somewhat saw it coming, but still—very surprised and impressed for this level of suspense thriller in a title for teens. 3. Loved the dual POVs! 4. I want more from this author because I was hooked the entire time and read it all in one sitting!

CW: domestic abuse, adult/minor relationship, toxic relationship, car accident, death, physical abuse, violence, emotional abuse, gaslighting, pregnancy, abortion, kidnapping, child abuse, injury, hospitalization, medical content, alcoholism, infidelity, abandonment, bullying, emesis, blood, panic attacks, sexual harassment

Very quick read. Story kept me wanting to read past my bedtime. I did however figure out what was happening about halfway through, but there were still some twists that made the book enjoyable. Will keep an eye out for more from this author!