Ella is your typical teen, trying to engage and do well in school, balancing family and friends with extracurricular activities. She’s a responsible girl who is known for making good choices. One night she’s driving her best friend home and loses control of the wheel, resulting in a crash that kills her best friend, Hayley.

Having been friends since basically forever, Ella and Hayley knew everything about each other. Missing her friend and desperate to feel close to her again, Ella begins to talk to and spend time with Sawyer, the boy Hayley was dating before she died. Both of them are deeply grieving the loss of their relationship with Hayley, and they eventually start to see each other as more than just friends with a mutual loss–Ella and Sawyer are falling for each other.

Despite the circumstances, Ella seems like she has everything under control and is working through her grief in a healthy way, even helping to clean out her dead best friend’s room so Hayley’s mom doesn’t have to do it. Which is how she comes into possession of Hayley’s diary, one of the few keepsakes she ends up taking with her as a memento of their close friendship. She doesn’t necessarily intend to actually read what is written inside, but she just can’t bear to throw it away.

As things between Ella and Sawyer begin to heat up, something seems a bit off with their relationship. Taking action on a thought that had been percolating for some time, Ella begins to read the diary she found in Hayley’s things, hoping to gain some insight into Sawyer and his behavior. That decision just seems to complicate matters more, to the point that Ella doesn’t know who she can turn to.

I’m always on the lookout for great new YA books, and if the cover and title catches my eye I’m usually game. Seeing this book being compared to a Colleen Hoover novel did make me hesitate a bit to even give Everything We Never Said a try, as I’ve read several of Hoover’s books and only been impressed with one, but I decided that I’d give it a go and see. Whether you came for the mystery and stayed for the romance or vice versa, at its core, this book has a pervading theme of hurt people just trying to heal.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Penguin Young Readers Group

Reviewer’s Note: While this is technically a YA novel, it does have quite a few themes and scenes that I personally deem more adult matter (see Content Analysis for more information). Growing up as the oldest of four girls, I was often the one seeking out new books to read and then passing them down to my younger sisters, as long as they passed the test of not having too much inappropriate content. It was frustrating, to say the least, as my parents were pretty strict with what content they would allow, and I can remember beginning a book and liking it only to have the letdown of having to discontinue reading. (I’ll admit that sometimes I’d continue reading the book because it was just too good not to finish.) Everything We Never Said would be a book that would not have been shared with my sisters at that time. Thankfully, this website exists and readers can easily browse reviews and content to assist in evaluating if a book will meet their preferences for content before they invest reading time.

I’ll bet you never had a senior year like this one. I was traveling along with the story, and I thought I completely knew the way things were going, then BAM! Harlow took a sharp turn, flipped everything on its side, and I realized that although I had the map the whole time, I was looking at it the wrong way. Bravo, Sloan Harlow, it’s been awhile since a story took me on a ride like that & had me stopped in my tracks saying OMG! Death, grief, friendships, relationships of many kinds, guilt, domestic violence, secrets, revelations and all the feels abound in this one. Harlow’s voice is fresh and her little points of wisdom noteworthy. Buckle up my friends, this is going to take you on one hell of a ride.

This romantic thriller did not disappoint! I was hooked from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced read.

It’s amazing to know that this is Sloan Harlow’s debut book. In addition to the overall story, she navigates difficult topics well and gives a voice to an age that’s too often overlooked when it comes to grief, toxic (abusive) relationships, etc.

That said… As an adult reading this, I would say some of the content is pretty mature for young adults the same age as the characters. However, I can also remember things I read at that age… but something to consider! It’d also be appropriate to check on triggers before proceeding (no matter your age).

I’m really looking forward to reading more from Sloan! Definitely give this one a read if you enjoy romantic thrillers, mystery, and uncovered secrets.

A sincere thanks to Sloan and Penguin Teen for the advance copy.

With its mix of friendship, love, loss, and dark secrets, Everything We Never Said gradually builds into a tense romantic teen thriller. Though the execution isn’t flawless, it’s still an edgy and entertaining read that comes to a conclusion that readers may not expect.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

Title: Everything We Never Said
Author: Sloan Harlow
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (3.75/5)

“Everything We Never Said” by Sloan Harlow is a poignant exploration of unspoken words and the emotional landscapes they shape. Harlow’s storytelling delves into the complexities of relationships and the often painful silences that define them.

🌟 Highlights:

• Character Depth: The characters are richly developed, with backstories that reveal their intricate motivations and emotional struggles.
• Emotional Resonance: Harlow’s writing captures the rawness of human emotion, making you feel every joy, sorrow, and regret.
• Narrative Style: The prose is both lyrical and accessible, making for a compelling read that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

📚 Thoughts: While the novel shines in its character development and emotional depth, it occasionally lingers too long on certain plot points, which can slow the pacing. However, the authenticity of the characters’ voices and the relatability of their experiences more than make up for this.

If you’re a fan of emotionally charged, character-driven stories, “Everything We Never Said” is a must-read. It’s a beautiful reminder of the power of words—both spoken and unspoken.

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!