Adrienne Young weaves magic into her words!! This is mysterious and magical with a splash of romance ! I was intrigued, sad, and hopeful while reading. I love her writing! I will read everything she writes! Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review!

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

An intriguing mystery set in rural California, A Sea of Unspoken Things was full of twists and turns and old secrets being revealed.

I enjoyed A Sea of Unspoken Things but I think my expectations were slightly misled by people describing this as magical realism, which I wouldn’t really consider it. It doesn’t have magic in the way Young’s previous adult novels have, it’s more of a slightly unexplainable phenomena, which suits the book but does give it a very different feel to her other novels.

The setting had that small town feel and lent itself well to the mystery, and I liked the way the past and present intertwined. Certain aspects could definitely be triggering for some people, so I would recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading.

Overall, A Sea of Unspoken Things was an interesting read, but don’t expect the magic of Young’s other books.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. This book ripped my heart out and mended it slowly, but not all the way, back together.

James and Johnny are twins who basically have been on their own for most of their lives. James is called back to their hometown after her brother Johnny is found dead. James spends the next few weeks trying to figure out exactly what happened to her brother. She's also rekindled with her old love Micah. James has some dark secrets from her teenage years that she definitely doesn't want out. But she must comb through these past secrets to determine if her brother was truly killed in an accident, or if he was murdered. Some paranormal aspects. Not as much magical realism as in Adrienne's previous books, but definitely more on the thriller aspect.

I cannot recommend this one enough. I truly loved this book so much. You can absolutely feel every emotion James and Micah portray throughout the book. You can even feel the despair with the other characters surrounding the story. truly magical...

If you approach *A Sea of Unspoken Things* by Adrienne Young with the right expectations, it can be an enjoyable and engaging read. The story has a certain charm that makes it easy to get immersed in, though it’s important not to expect too much depth or complexity. The narrative feels tailored for a broader audience, which lends itself well to adaptation. In fact, I can easily imagine this being transformed into a one-season TV series or a movie. Its vivid settings, emotional undertones, and character-driven plot would translate well to the screen, creating something visually compelling and emotionally resonant. While it may not be a groundbreaking masterpiece, it has all the elements of a satisfying, binge-worthy adaptation.

I expected more magical realism and I would personally say this contained little to none. I would recommend but its more mystery than anything else and I think it is being mis-marketed.

I loved the mix between mystery and magical realism, the atmosphere, the town itself and the thought that we better say things while we still can. Assuming other know how we feel is a mistake and something that opens the door to misinterpretation, I loved the book 5 stars.

Here is my full review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMFnbgoWDYo&t=108s

I will forever and always be a romance reader, but never skip on the magical elements Adrienne Young puts in her books. I’M OBSESSED!!

There is just something about Adrienne Young's writing that transports you to another time and place. She did this with The Unmaking of June Farrow, and with all her books, really. This reminded me more of Spells for Forgetting. It was misty, mysterious, atmospheric, poignant, and emotional. Always with an underlying of tragedy. If you want to get lost in a book, get this one. You can thank me later.

Atmospheric. Memorable. Hopeful. And so very mysterious. I never read The Unmaking of June Farrow, which got SO much hype, but you can bet that after this one, I'll be adding the backlist to my TBR! Loved this.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is an atmospheric small town mystery, with a dash of magical realism. I really enjoyed the setting and the magical realism element of the book, but I somehow guessed one of the twists early on. Overall, I was enthralled from start to finish and definitely plan to read Adrienne Young's backlist.

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"He was there the first time my heart beat, the first time air entered my lungs, the first time the sun touched my face. But now, he'd gone back to the dark without me."

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I'm not sure why I'm always surprised that I don't guess the ending. Do I even try? No. I'm simply along for the ride, and this one was particularly atmospheric. Adrienne Young manages to create these stories that are so realistic that it feels like you could fall into the pages and physically be in the scene.

I do wish we'd gotten a *bit* more character depth from Micha and James, but seeing as they weren't necessarily the whole focus of the story, it really didn't ruin my enjoyment at all.

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"Johnny was gone, but he hadn't left this place. He hadn't left me. Not yet."

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Thank you to Random House Publishing/Ballantine, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This whole book was a true experience, an escape from reality, a vivid journey to Hawthorne, California to unravel a mystery. With her signature atmospheric writing style, Adrienne Young creates a vivid, tangible experience for the reader as you follow James Golden’s efforts to prove her brother’s death was no accident, rather a murder.

James & Johnny are twins who have always had a special, almost otherworldly bond. So, when Johnny is killed in the woods of their hometown, James felt it…truly felt it, like the gun pierced her skin as well. She felt the fear in her brother before he was killed and knows in her gut it was no accident. Returning to her rural hometown after leaving many years ago has caused her to unearth the memories from her past and forced her to confront the only man she’s ever loved. But, as she sinks deeper into the life she once knew, her connection to her brother becomes stronger and the closer she gets to the truth, the more lies she uncovers.

Adrienne Young has a special gift for creating a setting & characters that feel so real you get lost in their stories. You’re immersed in their journey and their complex feelings. Her characters are so open with their thoughts you can’t help but feel their lived experience with them. There is so much shrouded in mystery and the opening scene when James enters her secluded hometown gives you an ominous feeling that sticks with you through the whole book. This book was like slowly peeling back the curtain on layers and layers of betrayal and secrets, while simultaneously endearing you to the town and the people. This combination made the twists and turns of this book hard to comprehend because at some point you were feeling for these characters and the trials they were facing. Beyond the mystery is a second chance love-story for James and her first love, Micah. The care they have for each other is tender, protective, and cloaked in the understanding of a shared past. Watching them come back together was so very heartwarming. I really enjoyed this book and the uniqueness of the writing. Would definitely recommend!

3.5 stars. This book has everything I've come to expect from an Adrienne Young adult book - atmosphere that jumps from the page, gritty characters and places that feel real, a touch of magical realism, and beautiful writing that makes me reread lines. However, for some reason, I didn't connect with this story and these characters as much as I did with Spells and June (which were both 5 star reads). It was interesting that the character who was the most dynamic was the character who was never on the page. I left this story feeling empty, like I'd read a good story but it wouldn't stay with me. It almost feels like this book mimics James's paintings before she left for Six Rivers: reliable. Overall, this book was enjoyable with impeccable writing, but I never felt myself sinking into the story like I have with Adrienne's past books.

Adrienne’s storytelling and prose never fail to amaze me. Her writing is so transportive, She has an unmatched talent for weaving emotion, depth, and beauty into her storytelling.

A Sea of Unspoken Things explores the mystical bond that goes on between twins, even after death. James returns to her small hometown to sort out the last of her brother’s things after his untimely death. She quickly becomes entangled in trying to figure out what kind of life he was leading while unraveling the mystery of what led to his death.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another atmospheric and beautifully written story by Adrienne Young. I truly love her writing style and always feel swept up in her words, setting and storytelling. This mystery set in a small logging town in Northern California, slowly uncovers layers of each character and uncovers secrets hidden throughout the years. I enjoyed the transcendental element between twins, James and Johnny. They shared this connection that only they could understand. Lastly, there were many unpredictable twists that held my interest and I loved how the story ended!

This is my second read by Adrienne Young. I read and really enjoyed the Unmaking of June Farrow last year. This book is less magical realism, and more mystery in my mind, which I really enjoyed in a different way. I loved the small town setting, the romance, and twists and turns. It is a bit of a slow burn, but so worth it in the end!

So here is what I loved about A Sea of Unspoken Things:

►I loved the romance aspect of this one. Okay Idk why I even fell so hard for the romance between James and Micah, but I did, and I won't apologize for it.

►I also loved the small town secrets thing. Small towns are so messy! Especially when everyone knows everyone, and they're all isolated, etc. Fabulous!

►The vibe as a whole was pretty solid. I mean, you felt the uneasiness, and the isolation. As always, the author nailed it.

►The mystery definitely kept me wanting to know what happened. Even if I did guess a few of the things, I was never sure-sure, if that makes sense?

There were some moments that I did find a little predictable, but not too much so. And look, there were also a lot of things I didn't figure out, so that was good! And it was perhaps a little slower in some places, but again, nothing that was a dealbreaker.

Bottom Line: Overall, a solid mystery/romance/thriller, and I am eagerly anticipating whatever Adrienne Young writes next!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
A Sea of Unspoken Things follows a woman’s return to her remote hometown following the sudden death of her twin brother. The two shared an almost supernatural connection, able to feel each others’ pain and intuit the other’s thoughts, but she discovers much about his life that causes her to question how well she really knew him.

I found the setting and supporting characters to be almost out-of-time, seeming so old fashioned for what was intended to be a contemporary story. The only WiFi in the town being available at the diner run by a single mom, made Instagram and texting feel anachronistic. It was all a bit twee for me.

I also didn’t love the twist of who was responsible for what ultimately became not one, but two, suspicious deaths. The groundwork for one killer in particular did not work for me.

Overall this was a fine, quick read. I am interested to read another of Adrienne Young’s books to see how similar or different it might be from A Sea of Unspoken Things.