Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow was such a great story. I was intrigued and thought the writing was amazing.
This young adult romance/mystery kept my attention from the very beginning.
The author's writing style is descriptive and immersive.
This had an interesting, gripping plot that kept my attention and left me satisfied.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

While Ella grieves the loss of her best friend Hayley, senior year is the last thing she wants to think about. The halls are full of pitying looks, judgemental stares and memories. The only bright light is her good friend Sawyer who is there to support her in more ways than one.

But when Ella finds herself in possession of Hayleys diary, she finds herself questioning everything and everyone.

First and foremost, teenage me would EAT THIS UP. It has drama, angst, friendship, love, SPICE!, plus an ending that you don’t see coming. As an adult, however, I felt a liiiitle bit weird reading the spicy scenes between teenagers. But, I’m happy to see it in a YA novel because… well things are intense when you’re young and it's believable.

My only real complaint with this entire book is the opening paragraph feels a little Edgar Allen Poe-y for a teenager's inner dialogue. But it doesn’t stay that way so keep going!

The story focuses on teen Ella who survives an accident that claims the life of her best friend Hayley. As Ella is attempting to carry forward she connects with Hayley's boyfriend Sawyer in an attempt to piece together missing memories from the night of the accident. As she slowly recovers pieces of her memory she discovers that there was more to the events leading up to the accident than she thought.

This one took me by surprise, in a good way. The characters felt real and the author lead you down a path where you were guessing which of several potential outcomes would actually play out. The ending was satisfying while not entirely perfect which was fitting for this story.

Wow, this book took me by surprise! I don’t usually read YA novels, but I was gifted this ARC on @netgalley and can honestly say I was not disappointed! I even shed a few tears toward the end 🥺

Ella is starting her senior year, learning how to navigate life after losing her best friend, Hayley.
Her last memories with Hayley were leaving a party together, and Ella was driving. She blames herself.
Hayley’s body has never been found.
The only person who understands the grief she feels, is Hayley’s boyfriend, Sawyer. Perfect, sweet Sawyer.
Ella and Sawyer have always been great friends, obviously because they were always with Hayley. The 3 of them were the perfect trio.
Now, without Hayley, Ella and Sawyer start to develop feelings for each other and the guilt is too much for Ella to handle. So when Ella helps Hayley’s mom clean out Hayley’s room one day, she finds Hayley’s diary and begins to read it so she can feel close to her again.
Ella doesn’t expect to find out what she does, that Hayley has been keeping secrets from Ella, and that ‘S’ is not at all who she thought she knew.

The twists in this book literally had me saying, “oh my gosh oh my gosh” out loud.
It is written in multiple POVs, with journal entries from Hayley’s diary.
Even though this is considered YA, there are some heavy topics discussed, along with some explicit sex scenes. I would consider this YA+

TW: domestic violence, abortion

Pub date is tomorrow, 5/28!!

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinteen @penguinbooks for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was really excited for this book but unfortunately it just did not connect with me. The characters were not developed enough and the story was a little boring.

✨𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀✨
• controlling/gaslighting
• domestic violence
• high school drama
• she loves her BFFs boyfriend

✨ 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
Ella finds herself falling for the boy who dated her best friend who died in a car crash she herself survived, but while reading Haley’s found diary she starts to discover a hidden darkness in Haley’s relationship.

✨ 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 ✨
The twisties in this book were slightly predictable but also surprising. There were things I was suspicious of that I was right about but others that caught me by surprise.

This story focused on domestic violence in a high school dating setting. The author did a great job touching on the subject without romanticizing or triggering with too many details. There is a spicy scene between teenagers, which wasn’t something I was interested in, but it was not overly detailed.

I would recommend this to high schoolers so that they can learn to be aware of the signs of an abusive partner in their relationship.

Everything We Never Said is the debut of Sloan Harlow. The cover line says: "Love makes us do bad things", which really caught my attention. This YA thriller is said to be perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, making me even more curious. Can this book stand up against my expectations?

In the beginning of this book I was searching for the red line in the story. Ella can't remember much of the accident and therefore goes on with her life. Even though she misses Hayley, I didn't feel like she was griefing a lot. However when she gets the opportunity she finds comfort in Hayleys dairy, which soon takes a conserning twist. Was there more behind the accident? Can Ella trust her new love and Hayley's ex Sawyer?

I soon knew there was more to the accident, but couldn't figure out what it was. However I had a gut feeling about how this book would end, and I was right. Is this book predictable? I wouldn't say so, I just had a gut feeling. I feel like this book is a decent debut and see much potential in this author. Therefore I give Everything We Never Said a 3,5 star rating.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for approving me for the ARC of this book. This book kinda hit me in the feels. It explores themes of grief and learning to move on, but also has a mystery component and twists to it that I wasn't expecting. The author did a good job with helping me relate and empathize with Ella. The spice was a little more mature for a YA novel, but that it by no means a bad thing. Just something for readers to keep in mind.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

This was a very quick read as it kept you guessing and wanting to know more the whole way through. The subject matter was heavy and dark through many parts of it so I would advise checking trigger warnings. This book is marketed as YA, and the main characters are high school students, but I was surprised at some of the content and the level of spice 🌶️ throughout!

I can’t elaborate on this more because it would be a major spoiler, but this would have been a solid 4 ⭐️ for me had it not been for one of the twists. This is a personal trigger/issue in books for ME and likely would not bother most.

Overall this was a really entertaining story and it totally kept me hooked the whole way through.

3.5


Thank you Penguinteen for sending me an early copy of this debut novel. I’ve been eager to get back into YA since it’s been a comfort genre for me for a long time and this one didn’t disappoint. It had a slow start in the beginning but quickly I became intrigued in what was happening next. I thought i knew what was happening but definitely didn’t expect what did happen! I love the dual perspectives and sawyer was my fave character.

be sure to check your local book stores on 5/28 when this debut novel comes out it’s an easy read and you’ll definitely not want to put it down.



Check trigger warnings as well.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it! I'd recommend it.

A surprisingly good young adult fiction mystery/thriller. The characters were relatable and the story was unexpected. The romance was intense yet believable. Definitely worth a read.

This was a really good read. I fell in love with Elle and her sweet nature, definitely a baby bird until she found herself towards the end. Sawyer is someone every single person with difficulties from past trauma can aspire to be.

I was shocked by the plot twist towards the end of the book! I felt off and uncomfortable about Mr. Wilkens throughout the novel, but was not expecting that. Or the other twist that quickly followed.

Definitely would recommend this one.

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is a young adult novel that starts off feeling more like a contemporary romance but then takes a turn into a suspenseful thriller. The story in Everything We Never Said is one that switches the point of view between the main characters but also is told through reading past diary entries.

Ella has been recovering for months from an automobile accident that she feels was entirely her fault. Every day Ella has struggled with dealing with the loss of her best friend, Hayley, in that accident and now she needs to return to school which will never be the same with Hayley gone.

Everywhere Ella turns there are reminders of Hayley but the biggest reminder comes when Ella sees Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. The more time Ella spends around Sawyer the closer they become but Ella doesn’t feel that falling for Sawyer is fair to Hayley. To get some perspective into Hayley’s life before Ella begins to read her diary but what she reads shows a very dark side to Hayley’s life she never knew existed.

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is a debut novel so going in I didn’t know what to expect but when finishing I actually found I enjoyed this story. The book may not be for everyone with it really feeling like it switches genres but being someone that loves both genres I was fine with the slow healing, romance building beginning before the suspense kicks in. Things take a nice twist and pick up adrenaline as you move through this one so if you enjoy a cross genre story this one may be for you.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Let me start by saying that I’m the furthest thing from a typical thriller reader- I don’t enjoy being scared when reading but the way the suspense built here created an effect that was ADDICTING.

I was taken off guard more than once as it unfolded and it was impossible to put down the last 20%.

Reeeeeally well done. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Would definitely recommend!

4.5 stars rounded down. Everything We Never Said is a hard book to review, largely because I don't want to give too much away. The blurb states that this would be enjoyable by Colleen Hoover fans, and I 100% agree with that sentiment. Everything We Never Said stars Ella, the mild-mannered, docile, and very agreeable best friend to Hayley, who is essentially the opposite. When Hayley dies, Ella's life is turned upside down, and Ella is wracked with grief, feeling responsible for Hayley's death. The only person she seems to be able to find any comfort or solace with is Sawyer, Hayley's former boyfriend. The more that Ella tries to deal with her grief, the more she finds herself falling for Sawyer, which ultimately makes her feel even guiltier. But the more time she spends with Sawyer, the more she realizes that something just isn't right. Is Sawyer the guy she thought he was? Confusion compounds when Ella finds Hayley's diary, which seems to corroborate Ella's growing fears and really makes her wonder whom she can trust. Everything We Never Said is an emotional story heavy on the drama. Readers need to 100% be aware of trigger warnings, which include domestic abuse and assault of minors. In addition to these heavy topics, there's also a bit of a mystery going on, and I would 100% classify this one as a thriller. I was able to figure things out, but that did not detract from the story at all. Truly, this was a really quick read and although I had my suspicions (which were ultimately correct), I wanted to keep progressing with the story to see how things ended up. I really applaud Harlow's portrayal of teenagers. Her characters were so emotional and hormonal and everything was high stakes, and it really made the story feel realistic. All in all, I definitely recommend Everything We Never Said. Although this is YA, I think because of the subject matter and discussions of sex, this is probably more suitable for older teens rather than pre-teens (and younger). And of course, this is also suitable for 35 year olds, like me 🤣.

Thank you so much to Harlow, Penguin Teen, and netgalley for sending me an eARC and physical copy in exchange for my honest review.

I ended up really liking this one. I love the first half, the middle was a bit skeevy and I was uncomfortable with the fact that the main characters were in high school with what was happening between them. But I guess, it does happen in real life. But still. It felt like this would have been better as a adult novel, not a YA novel.

Ella's best friend Hayley is gone. She doesn't know what to do now, trying desperately to survive without her other half. Sawyer is grieving too, and Ella feels so guilty that they're coming together for comfort. Guilty for betraying her friend's memory and for liking Sawyer. But he's feeling the same, and they can't stay away from each other.

Secrets begin to reveal themselves as Ella finds Hayley's journal and reads it. She feels horrible but just can't believe that Sawyer would do the things she wrote about. Could he? Ella starts to remember part of the accident, and goes to the school guidance counselor, Mr. Wilkins, for help.

After a series of events that lead to Ella going to his house to avoid Sawyer after someone broke into her bedroom, she realizes that nothing in her life has been what she thought it was, and struggles to figure out what to do next.

There were so many moments that had me so shocked, and it really turned it around for me at the end.

Ella and her friend Hayley were driving home from a party one night. Ella wrecks and is injured. Hayley disappears and is assumed dead.
Ella begins dating her friends boyfriend Sawyer. She later discovers Hayley’s diary and it has devastating consequences for her.
This was an excellent read that had me quickly flipping the pages. Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for this ARC that will be published May 28, 2024!

Thank you Netgalley, Sloan Harlow, and Penguin Group for the ebook! Wow! I'm not sure what I was expecting with this book but it took me through about everything. Started off with heartbreak and then turned into a thriller with some twists and turns that just had me dizzy! Then the end dropped a bomb I wasn't quite expecting! Enjoyed this!

Language: R (111+ swears, 1+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG+
The sexual content is very intense for high schooler characters, and I was done reading it less than halfway through.
The mature content rating is for alcohol use, including underage drinking; discussions of periods; mentions of pornography, orgasms, adult toys, and sex; innuendo; sexual harassment; intense making out; groping; humping; and partial nudity. The violence rating is for death and jokes about murder.