I picked this new Adrienne Young novel up after finishing up The Unmaking of June Farrow a few months ago - I wasn't a huge fan of the book but wanted to give another story from Young another go. I'm not sure I fully loved A Sea of Unspoken Things but I did find it interesting. The relationship between James and Micah, the small-town-claustrophobic setting and the mystery of what happen to Johnny and later Autumn kept me engaged (albeit a bit slowly) however I felt like the book didn't really pick up until the back half of the story. Which judging by what other readers have mentioned in their reviews are par for the course for a slow burn mystery, which I'm learning isn't something I vibe with in mysteries.

That said, I think Adrienne Young's work has a particular sense of paranormal-adjacent energy which is pretty fascinating and I'd love to see her try a full blown ghost story. A Sea of Unspoken Things was the right book to kick off the month of October and I truly appreciate Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy for an honest review. 4⭐️

Wow, what a beautifully written book! Adrienne Young is always able to transfix her readers within a few pages! I was hooked right away, getting sucked into James' hauntingly beautiful world and felt like I was in Six Rivers with them. She does such a good job at bringing the duality of beauty and pain of the world into her books. It was a wonderful read that I will continue to recommend to those around me.

This book exceeded all my expectations. It has heart, unpredictable twists, and the charm of a small-town setting. While the first half felt a bit slower, it beautifully laid the foundation for an unforgettable, captivating story. It made me reflect on whether we truly know the people closest to us and how far we’d go to protect our loved ones. The supernatural twist was seamlessly woven into the plot, making it feel surprisingly relatable—everyone has that person their soul connects with. If you love a blend of romance, small-town vibes, thrills, and just a touch of the paranormal, this is the book for you!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Young writes such lush but heartbreaking women and James is no exception. I loved her flaws and her battle to uncover the truth even if she really didn’t want to know or to acknowledge some things from the past. The mystery itself was excellent and well done.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This book is a slow burn mystery that really excels at drawing you in and letting you get cozy with all the characters. Then the second half of the book slaps you in the face with unexpected twists and makes you second guess every single thing you believed about the people you’ve just met in this cozy little town.

This story centers around James, having just lost her twin brother, Johnny, under suspicious circumstances in the small town they grew up in. James returns to town to find out the truth about what happened to her brother and she has to reconnect with people she hasn’t seen or talked to in 20 years to accomplish her investigating. Old and new dramas unfold and ask the question: how far would you go to protect your family from their mistakes?

If you’ve like Adrienne Young’s other recent books, The Unmaking of June Farrow and Spells for Forgetting, you will like this one too! Her illustrative and atmospheric writing draws you into the magical corner of the world where these characters exist and you can leave the real world behind for just a little while.

This was what I enjoy in a slow burn mystery. The sense of atmosphere, the pieces unraving and coming together, fleshed out characters, and an air of the unknown. The author consistently nails it!

What a ride this was! The story takes place in a small town in North Carolina where James returns to settle the affairs of her late twin brother Johnny. As soon as James returns to Six Rivers, the supernatural connection that she has always felt with her twin returns tenfold causing James to start to dig into whether her brother's death was truly an accident. In addition to trying to uncover what happened to Johnny, James is also forced to confront the feelings that she has for Micah, the boy that she left behind when she went away to school. "We could feel the fucking ocean with the things that we never said to each other."

I loved the small town vibes of this story and that mixed with Adrienne Young's beautiful writing made this a five start read for me. I will admit that the beginning of the story was a little slow for me, but once I got 100 pages in it was unputdownable!! The twists were twisting!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eArc of A Sea of Unspoken Things in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Adrienne Young is a genius and can never do any wrong. This was perfect in all aspects, and I fear I will never shut up about it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ability to read this in advance of publication.

In the last year I have eagerly snatched up nearly everything Adrienne Young has written and I've yet to be disappointed! A Sea of Unspoken Things was just as fabulous as I anticipated. James Golden is thrust back into her past and her memories when she learns of the death of her twin brother Johnny. Returning home is never easy, it's even worse when everyone, including you and your deceased twin, are hiding something and the town itself is less the hospitable to outsiders. The first third and last third of this book were exceptional, 4+ stars across the board. That middle third, however, dragged a bit more than I anticipated. Overall, I LOVED this story, and just when I thought I had the mystery figured out, AY revealed what was behind door number three.

I love this authors whimsical magical almost spooky story telling! Loved it ! Thank so you so much for this arc! It’s a Captivating , twisty . small town mystery :)

Adrienne Young is the master of creating atmosphere. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the small towns and eerie, mysterious atmospheres she creates. This story wrapped me up in a flannel coat and left me shivering beneath the snow clad trees. This story was written so hauntingly and beautifully. I wanted to know what happened to Johnny, not resting until I had my answers. I’m excited to read whatever Young comes up with next.

I’m sure this book is great—the first bit was so atmospheric already! Unfortunately, too much on the spooky side for me to finish, but as always, loved Adrienne Young’s writing!

The pacing was all wrong on this. It was so slow until the final 10%. All atmosphere no plot. Then in the end it became a whirlwind of action. Just felt so strange. I didn’t care about the characters or the mystery but the vibe was fully established.

This was a captivating small town mystery that will have you guessing with each twist. There’s something about Adrienne Young’s writing that allows you to feel like you are right next to the character and transports you right into the book.

A Sea of Unspoken Things follows James, who is grieving her brothers death. She goes back to the small town of Six Rivers, where she hasn’t been back to in many years. During her time there she uncovers secrets and starts questioning what happened. James starts investigating to find out the truth. Within the story, you see James supernatural connection with her brother and how she navigates grief.

The beginning was a bit slow and picked up about halfway. Once it did, I was hooked and could not put it down. I did end up guessing one thing right but I was completely shocked at some other twists!!

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the Arc!

“Always, the owls.”
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! What an incredible and heartbreaking read. Our main character, James, goes back to her hometown after her twin brother, Johnny, is killed in a hunting accident… or was it an accident? I really enjoyed the mystical aspect of James and Johnny’s sibling hood. How she can see and feel him, even after he’s passed; even feeling him get shot and see what he saw as he gazed up at the trees. This story was filled with secrets, mystery, love, and the small-town atmosphere that can be unsettling. I absolutely loved it!

A big thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for a digital copy of this arc. Adrienne Young has done it again. Her writing is refreshingly atmospheric, a lyrical feast for the senses. I was able to smell the trees, see the owls, and feel the breeze she described in James’ hometown of Six Rivers. I especially love the way Adrienne writes within the container of “small town” and everyone is included in her puzzle. The paranormal element between James and her deceased twin brother Johnny added a delectable layer of suspense, and kept me invested in the outcome of the story. Young’s ability to grab the reader’s attention from page one will leave you under her spell and be surprised right to the very end. I am looking forward to buying this when it is released.

This mystery is not going to be a face paced thriller, but rather a slow burn with the beautiful prose of Adrienne Young. It will keep you guessing the whole time, some mystery some romance and a twin connection. Young delivers every bit of beauty we know and love.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!! This book is so so good. I just love the way she writes so much. The story follows a woman returning home after her twin mysteriously dies. James is forced to recount her teenage years while trying to figure out what happened to her twin and everybody is a suspect. The twists at the end just kept coming and I loved it!!!

James returns to her hometown in Northern California to look in to the death of her twin brother, Johnny. The official story is that Johnny died from an accidental gunshot from a hunter but James knows deep down there is more to the story. As she digs to find the truth, she starts to question if she really knew Johnny at all.

I loved The Unmaking of June Farrow but I loved this book even more! Nobody writes a more atmospheric novel than Adrienne Young … you will feel like you are amongst the redwoods of NoCal along with the characters.

Read if you like:
✨slow-burn mysteries
✨books about the familial ties that bind us
✨dark and moody reads set in small towns

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Will post the review on the publication date.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If I could describe A Sea of Unspoken Things in one word, it would be “atmospheric”. I really enjoyed the small-town mystery feel of this, and I’m a sucker for a plot with supernatural elements!

With that being said, unfortunately, this fell a a bit flat for me. The first 50% of this book was quite slow, and I didn’t feel like too much really happened in the first half of the story. In my opinion, the author did not need to take the entire first half to build the plot and set the scene; while the scene she set was indeed beautiful, I do feel that the buildup took a bit longer than it should have.

Once I got to the halfway mark, though, I found it so hard to put the book down! Once the plot started to thicken and the twists and turns began, I really was intrigued to see where the story would end up. It was slightly predictable for me (curse my love of reading a ton of thrillers!) and I did predict a major plot point fairly early on. Despite that, I very much enjoyed the writing and can say that this will not be my last Adrienne Young novel!

Overall, I think I’m going to land on a 3.5 stars for this one, but rounding to 3 for review purposes.