I always enjoy Adrienne Young’s books and this was no exception. This wasn’t my favorite but it’s still a solid read. I think I was hoping for more magic and less hunting at magic or the supernatural. Also, I think the ending wrapped up too quickly. In the last 10%, we had all but given up hope of ever finding justice for Johnny and I thought that seemed odd. I wanted the reveal to be a bit flashier.

Overall, I’d recommend reading this one if you like Adrienne’s other adult books.

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Overall, I liked book. I’m not a fan of murder mystery, which this very much felt like to me, but the ending was good enough. I’d probably give it 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because it’s not my fave genre, but it wasn’t a bad book either. There’s a touch of magic in her other books that I’ve read. I didn’t care for it in this book, as it didn’t seem to help the story along. I received this book as an ARC and I’m grateful for the opportunity to read it.

This story had me at the edge of my seat from the very beginning! I’m not usually one for suspense and mystery… mostly because I’m a scaredy cat about everything 😅 but I was hooked.

We follow James, our FMC, as she returns to her quiet rural hometown of Six Rivers. Her twin brother Johnny has passed, and the moment she feels it in her body (quite literally) before the call even comes in, you know this is going to be a heavy one. There’s a deep, almost unexplainable connection between them and is written in such a haunting way, it gave me goosebumps at times.

James doesn’t believe Johnny’s death was just some accident. And even though she left town twenty years ago to escape the past and the weight of old secrets, she finds herself going back in forced to face it all if she wants the truth.

This book had a GRIP on me almost immediately. The way the author starts the story sets that eerie, emotional tone right away, and I found myself flying through the pages needing to know what was coming. I had to literally force myself to put it down and take care of IRL responsibilities.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s my first time reading Adrienne Young, and after seeing so much love for her work, I truly get it now. Her storytelling pulls you deep and immerses you that makes you want to keep reading (no matter what you need to be doing instead!). I’ll most definitely be diving into more of her books.

Thank you to Adrienne Young, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for the chance to read this story in exchange for an honest review.

Nice writing and descriptive leading to a very atmospheric read but I never connected to the characters. Not very suspenseful, I kept waiting on it to make a turn.

This book was very different from the authors past. I wanted a little more paranormal aspects from this. I thought it would go down the ghost route but it was simply a family drama.

While not my favorite Adrienne Young book, I did enjoy this much more than June Farrow. As always, her writing is lush and atmospheric. She's so good at setting the scene and creating a beautifully layered, slow-burn story. I rated this highly just for that. Unfortunately, there was just something missing that kept this from being a 5-star read for me. The pacing was a little too slow, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I was also hoping for a touch more of the magical realism/supernatural, although in the end I did like how it was just a bit out of reach. It really contributes to the slightly spooky atmosphere and enhances the central mystery.

Overall a solid book from a favorite author, and I will continue to read anything she writes!

After not loving Adrienne Young’s last adult book (The Unmaking of June Farrow), I was a little wary going into this one. Fortunately, this reminded me more of Spells for Forgetting, which I really enjoyed.

The story focuses on James, who returns to her secluded hometown after her twin brother's sudden death. While his death was ruled a hunting accident, James can’t help feeling there’s something more going on. As she digs deeper into Johnny’s life and his secrets, she becomes convinced his death was not an accident after all.

As always, Young’s writing is beautiful, and she has such a knack for setting the scene. The atmosphere of this book felt so eerie, and the touch of the supernatural lent itself beautifully to the mystery. The pacing is a bit slow to begin, but picks up speed after about the halfway mark. I was genuinely surprised by some of the twists and did not predict the outcome at all.

Overall an enjoyable read, and definitely recommended if you’re looking for a mystery with a touch of magical realism.

I loved this book. A Sea of Unspoken Things is everything I adore about Adrienne Young’s writing—lyrical, emotional, and totally immersive. She has this magical way of creating characters who feel so raw and real, and a world that pulls you in from the very first page.

The story is beautifully layered, with so much quiet power in the way it explores grief, healing, and connection. It’s not a loud or flashy kind of book—it’s the kind that sneaks up on you, hits you right in the heart, and lingers long after you finish. The writing? Gorgeous. The emotions? Gut-punching. The atmosphere? Pure Adrienne Young magic.

Honestly, she’s one of my favorite authors for a reason, and this book just proves it again. I didn’t want it to end.

If you love emotional, character-driven stories with stunning prose and all the feels—this is it.

A Sea of Unspoken Things is a rainy, stormy day book. The whole thing is just shrouded in a darkness like the cloudy sky, intense and gently lurking, but leaving you not quite sure what to expect, other than something. The sleepiness of a gentle rain? The drama of a downpour? Or maybe something like the intensity of a thunderstorm? Somehow this book is all of those things and none of them.

It follows James as she wrestles with the grief of losing her twin brother Johnny, who she was once close with, but less so in the last 15 years. It starts with James returning to her hometown, a place she hasn’t visited since she left straight out of high school. James has always shared a strange connection with her brother, but once she's back in town, she finds herself faced with his ghost as she tries to piece together what exactly happened to her brother while dealing with other metaphorical ghosts of her past.

I loved the eeriness of this story. It was never scary or really even spooky, but there was always that lurking feeling, waiting for the other shoe to drop and wondering who was in the shadows. Sometimes you’d wonder what was even going on. With that, James and Johnny’s “strange connection” was done so well. Their connection is more to each other’s feelings which seemed to add more to the vibes of the story that the kitschiness of reading each other’s minds would have ruined. Without spoiling anything, I would like to say I enjoyed how the connection expanded after Johnny’s death. It made me wonder if James and Johnny’s desire to keep secrets when he was alive kept them from understanding just what they could do with their connection.

I also loved the backdrop of the small town hidden in a little forested pocket in the mountains. To me, it felt so vivid and real. The people are just as much so, too.

James’s character is so well done as we see her grieving her brother and coming to terms with the fact that maybe she didn’t know him quite the way she thought. I also liked seeing her revisit the town and comparing the ghosts of her past and the people and things she knew with what’s there now. I also liked seeing her relationship with Micah after where they left things when she disappeared after high school.

The mystery element of this book was so well done too. It leaves you uneasy, waiting to figure out what’s going on and trying to see if you can piece it together yourself. The ending was a little predictable, but also not at all. Part of it left me shocked, but also it felt right. The other part seemed pretty clear throughout the last chunk of the story. For a split second, I was a bit frustrated that we weren’t going to get all the answers, but we did eventually. It is a bit of a slower paced book, but Adrienne Young uses the space so well and things came together perfectly.

I loved the blend of genres in this book and how it was never any one thing. It’s mystery, magical, romance all wrapped up in one book. However, it is so not a thriller. There is hardly any threat to our main character with none of the action or fast pace you’d expect from a thriller. I feel like this needs to be said and noted by readers before going in.
Definitely a must read on any given rainy day!

A Sea of Unspoken Things is haunting, lyrical, and emotionally charged in all the best ways. Adrienne Young has such a gift for crafting atmosphere—you can practically feel the salt in the air, the weight of secrets, and the ache of everything left unsaid between the characters.

This story is as much about what isn’t said as what is. The emotional tension runs deep, and I found myself completely wrapped up in the slow unraveling of the past and the delicate way relationships were portrayed—both romantic and familial. The characters are beautifully flawed, and their connections feel raw and real, layered with regret, longing, and hope.

Young’s prose is, as always, stunning. Every sentence feels intentional, and the pacing gave just enough breathing room for the emotions to land without dragging. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you emotionally—quiet but powerful.

If you’re in the mood for a moody, introspective read with gorgeously crafted writing and characters who linger long after the final page, A Sea of Unspoken Things is absolutely worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review "A Sea of Unspoken Things." For a thriller it was a very slow burn. I felt it was more of a realistic drama than a thriller. I had high hopes for this acclaimed author, but the book was very slow.

3.5 stars! Character driven. Atmospheric and lush. Adrienne Young’s writing is always so engaging, beautiful, and captivating. It has some elements of magical realism but I wish there was a little more from that.

Secrets surround James twin brother’s death back in the town they grew up in. She left her own secrets behind and an old flame, almost 20 years ago. She comes back into town to get his things in order and starts pulling at the thread of his death that was ruled an accident. What will her questions reveal? And what happens when her ex gets involved with the investigation?!

If you liked Spells for Forgetting this one feels like an echo of that.

I loved the atmosphere of this story! Adrienne Young is always so great and telling a story that you can feel as you’re reading it.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

This was my first book by Young, and I went in completely blind. Based on this one… I have to say, I don’t get the hype.

This book suffered from being horribly mid. The characters were mid. The setting was mid. The plot was uninspired, and… mid.

Like, what was the point? Aren’t there hundreds of other books with this exact plot?

This book is beautifully written. The way things are described I felt like I was there. The first half is a little slow, but the second half is devoured in one sitting.

There are lots of emotions and the main one seems to be pain/loss. Unraveling the mystery of what really happened to Johnny is complicated and intriguing. Johnny himself is a mystery. James the twin sister who comes home to put the puzzle together went through a lot in this small town. That makes her return weigh on her.

There are twists and turns. You keep thinking you have something figured out and then a new twists leaves you once again questioning.

There is mystery, drama, family dynamic, love, loss, friendship, and enemies. I definitely recommend this book. I have yet to read an Adrienne Young book that I wouldn’t recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this book.

3.5 rounded up. Adrienne loves a good mystery . The magical realism i expect from her adult writing wasn't as prevalent as I was hoping. However, the book was still well written and kept you guessing.

The only downside i would say is that the whole griffin mystery didn't need to be dragged out so long. Though I get why James kind of wanted to ignore it for the significance of what she learned about her brother. All of this could have been helped with actual communication. Everyone in this book needed therapy. Lmao it almost seemed like there was too much going on at once. I suppose that was the intent though.

I love this author and will read anything she writes. June Farrow is one of my top favorites of all time. This was good but very different than her other work. I enjoyed it!

This was so good. I loved the plot and characters. It was paced perfectly. I didn't wanna put it down and was on the edge of my seat. Adrienne Young never let's me down!

When James’ brother Johnny dies in a suspicious hunting accident, she returns to her tiny, remote hometown to take care of his things and investigate his death. As she dives deeper into her brother’s life, she begins to realize she didn’t know him as well as she thought. And as she dives deeper into the mystery surrounding his death, she begins to uncover truths about her home and her past that she never expected. This book blends magical realism and mystery so well, and was incredibly immersive and atmospheric. I didn’t figure out the twist, and the ending was very satisfying. I’m excited to read more of Adrienne Young’s books!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for my copy! ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one definitely kept me guessing. I was immersed in James' journey from the very start, and I loved the glimpses at her growing up years, too. The romantic elements were lovely and just spicy enough, but they were secondary to her journey to discover the truth about her brother and her past. A haunting meditation on love, loss and the choices that shape us. It's beautifully written, too! I also wanted to go explore the forests of the PNW immediately. Definitely worth a read!