Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young was beautifully written, albeit very slow in the beginning, which made it take longer for me to finish, but nevertheless a good read. Even though I read the premise of the book before I started, it still took me a while to realize that James, the main character was a female. I was a little disappointed that she didn’t have more character development in terms of her emotional well-being, but I did enjoy the dynamic between her memories of her and her twin brother Johnny. I feel like the book is a good reflection on grief and losing someone who you feel like is your other half literally and figuratively. There is an underlying romance between James and Micah, but I feel like the book would’ve been fine without that. Good read but could have been better.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. Adrienne Young has a strong talent for writing atmospheric books and this one is no exception. I felt this book was a lot slower paced than any of the other books I’ve read by this author and the ending was a little flat for me as well. I look forward to the next book by her as I have really loved her other books. Her “The World of the Narrows” series and “The Unmaking of June Farrow” are both really good. This one just missed the mark a bit for me.

I really wanted to like this one, since I absolutely adored “The Unmaking of June Farrow” by this author but it was just really not for me.

This book was very well written and I enjoyed it. Was a little different than her other books but still enjoyable. I honestly wasn’t expecting all the surprises I. The book. Finding out who was responsible for her brothers death and Autumn’s death 😳.

I was a little slow to start this book. Read a few pages, waited a few days, read a few more, etc. But once I got about 12% in, I was hooked.
James and Johnny, twins with a profound bond, share a unique connection. Upon Johnny’s passing, James experiences a strong sense that there is more to the story than what the authorities are disclosing. As she organizes his research, she uncovers additional aspects of his life that she had previously been unaware of.
The author’s portrayal of grief is truly remarkable. It captures the loneliness, darkness, and solitude that accompany this profound emotional experience.
This book effectively evokes a mood, drawing the reader in gradually before captivating them completely. While the slow beginning may deter some, I highly recommend this read for its insightful exploration of grief, and the intriguing mystery surrounding Johnny’s life and death.

This was so incredibly....boring. That makes me so sad.....this was my first Adrienne Young book and I had high expectations. I will definitely give other books a try but this one just felt lack luster and made me wanting more. I wanted to know about the twin connection and I just wasn't intrigued about the mystery it just felt very mundane.

“We were made in the dark.” Best opening line ever. I immediately knew that I was going to love the moody, dark, atmospheric vibes of this story. It’s a deep exploration of grief, what it means to lose someone and not have all the answers. It’s about reckoning with your past self, how we grow and change over time, and the ways that we, in each of us, have many selves. Young’s writing is, as always, stunning and evocative. Her characters are so deeply fleshed out and nuanced. The mystery kept me turning the pages. The little bit of magical realism in the story was powerful and captivating. Highly recommend! I can’t wait to read anything and everything she writes next. I really hope she continues with these adult novels because I just live for them every year - I’m obsessed with her masterful ability to craft a narrative. Easy five stars!

I love Adrienne Youngs writing, and this book made me realize she is becoming one of my favorite authors! I loved the second chance, slow (romance?) between James and Johnny. I did struggle a little bit with the slow pacing and having a hard time connecting with the other characters.

I am a little confused by this one. In the beginning, I was intrigued. As I read on, I was still interested to see where the story would go even though nothing was really happening. I kept waiting to see where the magical realism would play in because I have heard Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow are in the magical realism genre, that Adrienne Young writes amazing magical realism books, and this book is labeled as mystery/sci fi fantasy, however, the magical realism never really came into play, unless you consider twin telepathy as magical realism. If that is the case, that's a weak version of it. In the end, the mystery was weak as well, and the ending was no shocker. There was a bit of a romance subplot and I felt like the characters really had no chemistry or connection. I will definitely go back and read Adrienne's work since I know they are so beloved and I would love to give her another chance, but maybe A Sea of Unspoken Things is not her best work. I think Adrienne's writing is beautiful though and that's why this still gets 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, and Adrienne Young for the eARC.

This book was good but it was a little too slow for me and I think it could have been cut down a lot and still been the same story. That being said I did continue to read it even though it took longer than I would have liked. I liked the characters and I did like that there was some mystery.

I really enjoy the way Adrienne Young writes and this one was no exception. she really transports you into another world!

This author is an auto-read for me and this book was one of my recent favorites! Nothing compares to Young's atmospheric settings and sensory details. I loved the twin relationship between the main character and her brother as well as the speculative elements related to their connection. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, racing to the conclusion of the mystery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs an escape!

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young is moody, atmospheric, and had me hooked from the very start! It has the perfect amount of tension and kept me guessing about how the mystery would play out until the very end. The setting is so vivid -- it gave big movie vibes to me!

If you loved The Unmaking of June Farrow (which, by the way, I did!), this book is for you! Adrienne Young knows how to weave an intriguing mystery with just the right amount of emotional punch. Loved it!

The Unmaking of June Farrow was one of my top reads of 2024, for my expectations for Adrienne Young's next novel were sky high, and this did not disappoint. A Sea of Unspoken Things is a gorgeous, atmospheric, read that will have you enraptured from the start with the rich and lyrical writing. The story was lush, immersive, and dripping with suspense.

I was blown away by how magical realism came into play with this story. An absolute must read.

Tropes to expect:
- Small-town vibes
- Grief Representation
- Rekindled/ Second-chance romance
- Little bit of MAGIC

A Sea of Unspoken Things will go down as one of my top reads of the year. Adrienne Young knows how to write a book. The character building was done so well. I enjoyed that the characters were older (my age for once lol). This book made me stay up until early morning hours because I had to know what happened to Johnny! I appreciate that it was a stand alone and really enjoyed the ending. I cried many tears through this story. Can’t wait for the next Adrienne Young book!

3.5 stars rounded up!

This is a hauntingly beautiful tale that weaves together grief, love, and mysteries of the unseen. While I was captivated by her rich and immersive writing style, the story’s slow pacing and brevity left me wanting more - especially when it came to the romance.

The story follows James Golden as she navigates the loss of her twin brother, Johnny, whose tragic death brings her back to their shared, ominous past. Through a delicate touch of magical realism, this book explores the unbreakable bond between twins. The spiritual tie between James and Johnny was beautifully written, slightly ghostly, and incredibly moving.

While the atmosphere of this novel was enchanting and the prose was undeniably stunning, I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of the romance between James and Micah. Their connection felt promising, but with such a slow build-up, the story could have benefited from a few more pages to let their relationship be fully explored.

If you love atmospheric reads with hints of magical realism and enjoy slow-burn mysteries, this book might be for you. While it didn’t fully hit the mark for me, I’m intrigued enough to explore more of Adrienne Young’s works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an arc of this read in exchange for my honest review!

This is my third title by Adrienne Young and at this point she is an auto buy author for me. This story, while not exactly falling into the normal genre we’ve gotten used to from Young, is beautifully tragic and written so well. We meet James Golden as she is traveling back to her small mountain hometown following the sudden death of her twin brother, Johnny. James and Johnny have (yes, even in death they still have) an almost telepathic twin bond. Johnnys death being ruled an accident doesn’t sit well with James and she is determined to uncover what really happened the day he died.

I loved getting to know these characters and seeing how time had changed them, or not in some cases. This story shows how your past never really leaves you and history always repeats itself. Four 1/2 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Adrienne Young's writing is always so incredibly atmospheric. I always feel transported by her writing. This one didn't miss.

2.5⭐️
Adrienne’s slower, magical realism books just aren’t for me. There’s not enough plot speed that keeps my attention. This reminded me too much of The Unmaking of June Farrow.

Growing up, James Golden spent her life covering her twin brother Johnny’s mistakes with the help of his best friend and her high school boyfriend, Micah. After a tragic event that the trio swore to secrecy, she left small logging community Six Rivers for a life in San Francisco, leaving both Johnny and Micah behind. Now, twenty years later, Johnny has been found dead and she’s been pulled back to a place and history she thought was behind her, including hers with Micah. Is Johnny’s death an accident as she’s being told?

After my first experience with Adrienne Young’s writing in The Unmaking of June Farrow, I was an instant fan of her beautiful prose, immersive setting, and the threads of magical realism and sci-fi/fantasy, which were fully present here as well. It’s just a small touch in this one regarding the heightened sense of each other that some twins seem to share and how James is seeing glimpses of Johnny and hearing his voice even after he's gone. It was cool to read in the author’s note that Adrienne Young has a twin brother herself!

The story is told from James’ POV, and she’s processing a lot of questions and confusion about Johnny and her past, so you're in her head for the whole book. That's not a bad thing. It was refreshing to see a character struggle to understand their sibling and not just blindly defend them. Those questions added excellent tension to the story, as I dreaded what she might discover!

The romance is there but it’s secondary to the slow-burn mystery of Johnny's death. It’s also a character drama as James reckons with the town and people she left behind, who were fascinating characters in their own right. She has to honestly confront why she left and what life she wants for her future. I should also mention she has a cool wolf-like dog named Smoke. 🐺

Besides Johnny's death, there are two more compelling mysteries in the story and while I liked them all, I would say the reveals could’ve been just a little more dynamic and not so quick and easy after all that tension and waiting for the reveals. A small complaint overall as the writing was just so good.

This was another wonderful story which solidified why Adrienne Young will remain an auto request author for me. She’s such a gifted storyteller!