Another home run from Adrienne Young. James Golden is one-half of a set of twins that grew up in small town USA. Unlike her brother Johnny, James escapes to the big city to pursue an art career, leaving their life behind. Forced to return home when a tragedy takes place, James reconnects with those most influential in her youth. Secrets and old feelings are dug up, and the accident bringing her back is not as much an accident as it seems.

Adrienne Young writes stories that leave nothing on the table. This was well written, with characters I related to and liked. The twists and turns were not predictable, and I could envision every single thing because it was so well written. This author has quickly become one that i will always read when something new comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unpopular opinion, but this book didn’t live up to my expectations. Don’t get me wrong—the writing itself was very well done, but the pacing left a lot to be desired. The first 80% felt like nothing was happening, and then suddenly, the last 20% dumped everything on you at once.

I was definitely flabbergasted by the twists and turns, and there was one plot point that felt completely out of left field, but even that wasn’t enough to rate it higher. It honestly felt like this book was written specifically to become a TV show or movie.

Maybe it’s just me not being super into the mystery genre, but I felt like we could’ve learned more about everything. It lacked the pull to make me care about the characters, which made it hard to really get into the story until the very end. Overall, it was just very okay for me.

4.25/5⭐️

I enjoyed this book (as I have all of Young’s other books), however there was a bit of suspension of belief at times.

It’s a story about the bonds between siblings (twins to be exact), friendships forged in childhood/hard times, and small town secrets and their consequences. There’s jealousy, envy, blame and guilt. So lots going on here.

I had sort of a love/hate relationship with both the heroine, James and the hero, Micah. They definitely had a sea of unspoken things between them.

I think Young does “atmosphere” so well. I always feel submerged in the worlds she creates, both physically and spiritually (as most of her work has touches of paranormal to them). I always look forward to the immersive experience I know is coming when I pick up a new book from her.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine for providing the free early arc of A Sea of Unspoken Things for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

4.5✨ this author does such amazing job at immersive and descriptive writing that you feel like you’re living inside of the pages, and there’s nothing I love more, especially with the beautiful setting in this one. The mystery, secrets, and overall feeling this book gave me was so good.

First I would like to thank the publisher, Ballantine, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but man did I love it! From the opening chapter to the very last word, I was drawn into the story of James, Micah, and Johnny and the small town that harbors their secrets. If you are even remotely a fan of Adrienne Young's writing, this is definitely a must read!!! Solid atmospheric vibes, good twisty mystery, 4 stars overall!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I have never met an Adrienne Young book I didn't like--when I tell you that this practically had me foaming at the mouth at the end because of how much I loved it?! I think this one more so dappled in the thriller realm with hints of magic rather than the full on magical realism we see in her other books, but that in no way took away from it.

After James' twin brother dies, something she intrinsically feels the moment it happens, she's drug back to the small town that she escaped nearly 20 years ago and has to come face to face with her past and present while trying to understand why she can still feel and see her brothers presence. In A Sea of Unspoken Things we see two mysteries unfolding in front of us at once: What happened to/with Griffin, and what happened to Johnny.

I could. not. put. this. down. This book had me questioning everyone and everything at every turn of the page. My heart was racing at times. And the end? THE END? My jaw was on the floor for the last 30 or so pages.

Adrienne Young always creates such amazing visuals with her descriptions and words that I feel like I can truly see the book playing out in my head as I read, and I could 1000000000% see this being turned into a movie or limited series.

Also Micah i love u k bye.

I'm still dying to know though: why did Johnny pay for Autumn's schooling? Was it truly just an act of kindness? I feel like that wasn't really answered, and maybe that's done purposefully, but I feel like that was definitely one lose end that was kind of left out there.

I absolutely cannot recommend this enough. What a book to end 2024 with.

The Sea of Unspoken Things is a compelling, atmospheric read. It was so easy to fall into James’ story. Being from a small town myself, I recognized so many of the small-town attitudes and prejudices. If I had one criticism, it would be that I wanted more about the connection between James and Johnny, but I was ultimately totally satisfied with how it ended. Was I surprised by the true villain? Yes, but it fit perfectly. Just another reason why I will always read Adrienne Young.

I struggled to get invested in this story, but I blame it completely on the timing I began reading it. I was traveling a lot and it made it so I was only able to read it here and there for almost two months. I forced myself to finish it this week and I’m glad I did!
I just love Adrienne Young’s writing so much. She tells stories so beautifully. I love how she writes a mystery! I found this one to be very atmospheric and I loved going into depth on the small town and relationships there.
I will always be an Adrienne Young fan! I need to get to her other books now!!

Huge thank you to Random House for the ARC!

For context, The Unmaking of June Farrow was an absolute knock-out 5 star read for me. Safe to say my expectations going into this one were sky high!

While it did have so many elements of a great book: amazing characters, character development, mysteries elements, great writing, etc., I found myself bored more often that not which really pains me to say. I saw many reviews that it was a slow start, etc, and even tempered by expectations and still was let down.

I'm still hopeful for her future releases and will read whatever she puts out next!

I’ll start by saying that I love Adrienne Young’s writing and the way she is able to draw you into a setting. However, the only other book of hers that I have read is The Unmaking of June Farrow. I adored that novel, and so it’s hard not to compare the two. For me, this just didn’t have the same magic.

From the beginning, the reader is made aware of some event in the main characters past that is a shrouded in mystery. It is eluded to often and after a while it started to feel very repetitive.

The larger mystery of the novel is very nuanced and I think done well. Young leads you to make assumptions that throw the reader off the track. I like to be surprised and I was!

Although I was a bit disappointed, it was an interesting novel that I think a lot of readers will enjoy.

I loved this book. I think it was the most well done with the mystery aspect since Young switched to adult books. The romance wasn’t quite as compelling but a great read.

I really love Adrianne Young’s writing. It’s always very atmospheric and immerse you in the story and characters. The first half of this book was admittedly, a little slow for me, but by no means was I bored reading. The second half picked up a little bit and overall was a wonderful read.

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and Delacorte. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*

Wow! I just loved this one! Adrienne Young did it again with another hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric read. Filled with mystery, suspense, magical realism, and a gorgeous small town setting, this is one that you won’t want to miss.

James and Johnny Golden have only had each other. For as long as James can recall, her connection with her twin Johnny has gone so deep, she can actually feel what he feels. Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, and James knows even before she gets the phone call, that he is gone, and she is well and truly alone for the first time.

When she arrives in her hometown to settle Johnny’s affairs, she is forced to face some hard things from the past that she and Johnny shared. And she must finally talk to Micah, the only other person who truly knows. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.

James soon discovers that the connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone like she originally thought. As she spends more time in the place she grew up, she has more questions about her brother, the person she thought she knew. She finds herself trying to figure out what Johnny was up to leading to his accident.

I enjoyed these characters and this setting so much and I hope that Adrienne continues to write more stories like this one. If you enjoyed Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow, I think you’ll like this one too.

Highly recommend!

Adrienne Young’s writing is so smooth. So early to read.

This story follows a set of twins and their “family”. Small town gossip, feelings, and problems are brought up as one twin suddenly passes away due to a “hunting accident”

Things come into question about his death as answers are being uncovered. How much can your trust your hometown and these people you grew up with??

This was fantastic. Kept me sucked in the whole time! Loved the twists!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte press for providing the ARC!

I am giving this book a 3.5 rounded down. This book is a dark mystery book that tells the story of a grieving twin returning to her hometown to finish up her brother’s affairs. But as she stays longer, the more memories start to arise, and the more secrets can’t stay hidden.

This book is very akin to Bittersweet in the Hollow. It was fun, kept me on my toes, and the reveal halfway through kept me engaged all the way until the end. I appreciated how James went through her grief, and the almost supernatural element kept up that creepy cozy vibe throughout the whole story.

I think I would have loved to see more connection between James and the other characters in the story. I felt like when the reveals at the end of the book came to light, I was left wanting more in a sense. The best way I can describe it is that Johnny was so enigmatic that anything secret/reveal related to him just didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to. I think the pacing was interesting but didn’t hit until halfway through the book.

I look forward to reading the Unmaking of June Farrow!

Adrienne Young is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of all time. This small town mystery with some magical realism sprinkled in made this book a very addicting escape. Her writing is so beautiful and I always forget I’m reading! Yes this book is a slower pace, however, I was so captivated by this story it didn’t matter. This book is one that lots of people will enjoy with the mystery, suspense, twists, touches of magical realism, and romance.

Highly recommend picking this one up! Get your preorders in now. This book releases on Jan 7th.

When James Golden returns to her hometown of Six Rivers, California, it is with a heavy heart. After being away for nearly 20 years, James is home to bury her twin brother, Johnny. Although they’ve been physically separate, they’ve always shared a nearly supernatural connection, able to feel each other’s emotions as if they were their own. And because of this connection, James knows there is something more to Johnny’s death than an accidental hunting shot.

Six Rivers holds many secrets and regrets for James, and she’ll have to face the past head on if she hopes to find justice for Johnny. Along with her ex and Johnny’s best friend Micah, James will have to decide if the life she’s made for herself in San Francisco is the life she still wants.

This was a great read! There were lots of characters with their own secrets that intertwined to create a captivating mystery. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading to discover the whole truth. There were many layers to this story, and the way they connected and built upon each other was so well done. The setting of Six Rivers was both eerie and comforting at the same time.

The combination of magical realism, mystery, and the slow burn pacing that ramped up as the story progressed make this a must read.

I really liked this book. The characters, the setting, the mystery…I just found myself wanting more from the plot. I felt like the whole thing was foggy but maybe that was the point, with the main character being shrouded in grief. Excellent offering from Adrienne Young. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I devoured this in two sittings, and stayed up WELL past my bedtime for both of them. Needless to say, I really, really enjoyed it.

This lands as much more of a mystery to me than a fantasy, which felt a bit different for Adrienne Young, but was enjoyable regardless. The small fantasy/magical realism aspect did add something unique and interesting to the plot, but what really drove me forward was all the moving pieces, the complicated emotions explored between our characters, and all the different players in the mystery. This really is an exploration about things left unsaid between people who love each other and who have a very complicated and storied past. All of these characters are really complex based on their pasts and the way they connect to one another, and I also really really enjoyed the PNW forest town setting. I was completely surprised by literally every twist and turn, and it was so so so hard to put this down as a result of it.

I'm knocking off a star here because I wanted to be much more invested in the romance. It felt like it bloomed a bit late and as a bit of an afterthought, which is not what I've come to expect from Adrienne. I still really enjoyed them together and found them to be compatible, but I didn't feel super *excited* about them or their future together after the story ends.

Overall, if you like a mystery with a magical-realism bend, a complex exploration of family and small-town dynamics, and multiple converging murder mysteries with constantly changing suspects, I think you will really love this. If you're chasing a similar level of fantasy and romance to what you can find in The Unmaking of June Farrow, this definitely hits a bit different from that. Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for this eArc!

This is absolutely a me problem, because Adrienne Young is SUCH a popular author and I see her books getting raved about all the time, but for some reason I couldn’t get into this one. I went into it with an open mind, and tried to read it a couple times, and it just wasn’t for me. The writing style is something to be admired though, and Adrienne Young is very obviously talented, but I just didn’t love this one.