A subtle, yet deeply thoughtful novel that made me think of lost friendships and loves. When Shirin and Kian unexpectedly cross paths after a decade, it’s as if they have a second chance to right the wrongs. But is love enough to heal the wounds of the past? The novel skillfully weaves the past and present, revealing the intricate and complex nature of their relationship, as well as elements of trauma, pain, racism, and broken trust.

🎧The audiobook narrators, Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy, delivered stirring performances. A lovely complement to the physical book.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted audiobook via #NetGalley

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Decent read, but didn't really connect. The characters were interesting just didn't draw me in.

This story broke me wide open. I absolutely identify with the experience of looking up from your day to day survival to realize that you have what you have been working for but are still miserable. One of my favorite types of relationships are the kind where those involved improve each other through unconditional support/deep connection, but they don't try to fix or solve problems. The characters in this book are learning how to find and embrace this type of relationship, both platonic or romantic, as well as deals directly with the very prevalent racism in white majority Western country. Brilliantly written and the narration added to the depth of the story, as well.

Audiobook ARC from the publisher via NetGalley, but the opinions are my own.

Honor Gillis and Maid Mehdizade-Vakiuheroy provide alternating narration of this story oftwo 20-something British-Itanians friends who reconnect at a party in London after not seeing each other for 10 years.

Shrin is an assistant editor at a publishing house, and there is much discussion about the microaggressions launched at her in the workplace where she is only 1 or 2 persons of color. There are also discussions of the state of publishing in terms of representation of persons of color in what is being published. Both are important subjects, an while they flesh out Shirin's parts of the story, there is an underlying menace of a sexual assault in high school telegraphed fairly early in the story. In an odd coincidence, the possible attacker is now a famous comedian with a book being published by another publisher.

Kian's story is more centered on family. His brother is in jail for a crime he may have played a part in, and his father had been very sick. Kian is a painter and wants to move to NYC,

As the two spend time together, we view their growing openness and closeness. It is a slow-moving slory, thoughtful and full of complications.

As someone who listens to about 100 audiobooks a year, I thought the choice of narrators was a mismatch. Honor Gilles is a very quiet narrator, hardly shifting her intonation when she voices the various characters. Her pacing is slow, and her quiet voice lacks moments of intensity. On the other hand, the male narrator was terrific.He clearly differentiated the characters, adding accents if appropriate, and his voice was vibrant and full of emotion. I don't read print books anymore, but my recommendation is to read this one in print if you are able.
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Heartbreaking and warming all at once, this novel beautifully captures the ache of unresolved history and the fragile hope of second chances. Shirin and Kian’s reconnection is tender and real, layered with vulnerability, regret, and the longing for clarity. Their story pulled me in from the start, and I was deeply moved by the emotional complexity and the way their shared past resurfaced in subtle, poignant moments.

I also appreciated the cultural richness woven throughout the narrative—it added depth and insight, especially around identity and belonging. A thoughtful, quietly powerful exploration of friendship, love, and the things we carry.

Shirin and Kian were best friends in secondary school before a brutal incident tore them apart. Ten years later, they reconnect at a house party in London, far from their northern hometown and tumultuous past. Shirin is working at her dream job in publishing, but is beginning to think it might not be her dream anymore. She's also struggling with her friendships, her family, and avoiding her past. Kian is working on his MFA in art, feeling the weight of his parents' expectations and fearing he doesn't belong in his program. Things Left Unsaid follows the two as they rekindle their friendship and try to figure out what the future holds.

This was a really beautiful and meaningful story about the characters finding themselves as adults. It covered a lot of important themes like racism, mental health, and cultural identities. The story was told mostly through Shirin's perspective with some chapters from Kian's perspective set when they were still in school. I listened to the a audiobook and thought that the narrators did a great job and I especially loved Honor Gilles. They did a great job setting the tone of the book. I was slightly less interested in Kian's sections of the story, but they did help develop his backstory, just at a bit of a slower pace. I would recommend this book to fans of Sally Rooney or readers looking for a meaningful new adult book.

Wow. I was not expecting to be so impacted by this book. It was amazing - so beautifully written. It was a lovely testament to lasting love and second chances. Shirin was a wonderful FMC - smart, honest, and real. The reader sees racism and sees the character's response to it. It was a little slow at times, and I do get a bit frustrated by miscommunication tropes.

Written by Sara Jafari and beautifully narrated by Honor Giles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy, this book is going to stick with me for a long time. Thank to you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and MacMillan Audio for the ALC.

This was a wonderful story of healing and growing into oneself. I really enjoyed Shirin's perspective. Sara Jafari did a wonderful job of building a layered and relatable character. I found her struggles with healing with past trauma and coming to terms with the reality of career and adult life to be completely enthralling. Though her experiences are so different than my own life, Jafari wrote in such a clear, incisive way that I was able to connect completely with Shirin. The relationship between her and Kian was also completely engaging. I loved watching the way their friendship and romance developed in tandem with their own personal growth. I strongly recommend this to anyone who enjoys personal awakening stories. I find the comparison to Maame to be very apt. I also enjoyed the audiobook narrators, they both effectively brought Shirin and Kian to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing and eALC in return for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio for my ALC of this book. This was a really hard book to read due to all the things going on in the world right now. It made me really angry at some parts because I know some people are judged based on their appearance/race and it is happening more and more recently. I did love the growth of Shirin throughout the book and the ending was great! This book makes you think a lot and I loved the way she put her views at the end. Confrontation is like eating kale. You may not like it at first, but you know it’s good for you in the long run. Would definitely recommend!

Beautifully Introspective and Deeply Moving**
Sara Jafari’s *Things Left Unsaid* is a heartfelt and emotionally layered journey through family, identity, and the power of truth. The narration was absolutely captivating—delivered with the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength that brought the characters to life. Every word felt intentional, every silence heavy with meaning. Jafari masterfully explores how the things we don’t say can shape us just as much as the things we do. Thought-provoking, touching, and incredibly well-written, this audiobook had me completely hooked from start to finish. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories that linger long after they end.

Things Left Unsaid was a Macmillan Audio pick and definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far. This book is an exploration of relationships between people, the past, and how to move into the future. It tackles things like first-generation immigrant experiences, bullying and abuse in high school, racism, lost and rediscovered friendship and love, identity, and coming into one’s power as an adult.

While the plot is relatively low stakes in that there isn’t a wild ride of action, the events of the book are poignant and emotionally weighted. Shirin grapples with the events of her past in parallel editing between the present at 26 and high school at 16. In his POVs, Kian shows his growth between a guilt-ridden teen and his adult life with a new relationship with his former friend, Shirin.

I loved following these characters through their pain and growth into empowered adults with so much love for each other. Shirin’s journey also navigates through her relationships with female friends, realizing that proximity and time known do not necessarily equal good friendships, and sometimes telling a friend the relationship isn’t working is necessary to either cut and run or strengthen the bond. She also learns that making friends as an adult can be as fulfilling, if not more, as those made during more formative years.

This book displayed racism in so many forms as well, from blatant bigotry to subliminal messages from those who’d claim allyship without actually putting in any work. I really appreciated the raw look at and subsequent fight against it!

I highly recommend this book to any contemporary fiction readers, and honestly think it’s a must read regardless of genre preference. The much-deserved HEA is so sweet and actually beautifully understated. I loved this book, five stars! And the narrators were excellent, it looks like this may be both of their first audiobook!

I had high hopes for this one – rekindled friendship and perhaps more after life changing events make them grow apart – but this fell flat for me. The story was interesting enough and there is plenty of description (maybe too much) so you feel what they’re feeling but the delivery in the audio was very monotonous and made it difficult to get into the story, not that there was much exciting going on. I just couldn’t get into it and at 40%, when I realized I was listening but not engrossed, I gave up.

If you loved Normal People, Things Left Unsaid will feel like a welcome companion—quiet, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant. Sara Jafari crafts a deeply introspective story that unfolds through layered character studies and delicate observations about race, gender, friendship, and the messy process of growing up.

It’s a novel that simmers rather than boils, inviting readers to sit with the unsaid moments, the things left hanging between characters, and the emotional weight of identity and belonging. The audiobook features dual narrators with delightful accents that are very fun to have in your head, adding extra texture to an already thoughtful story.

Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari was another audiobook that I thoroughly enjoyed. Narrated by Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy, their voices perfectly complemented the novel’s themes.
Like Normal People, Things Left Unsaid delves into the intricate nuances of class and race, as well as the complexities of family and friendship. However, these similarities are superficial. The novel is a painful and beautiful exploration of love and life’s journey. It has left a lasting impression on me, prompting me to contemplate the challenges and joys that lie ahead in our beautiful lives.
Thank you, Macmillan Audio via NetGalley, for providing me with this audiobook.

This is an important book with an important story. We meet Shirin and Kian in present day, and travel back and forth between then and high school, where many difficult experiences occurred, and continue to occur. The characters were written with raw and deep emotion, which translated beautifully in the audiobook. I found the story to be real, tragic, and so engaging. 4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC. These are my honest opinions.

Things Left Unsaid
A Novel by Sara Jafari
Narrated by Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy
Audiobook publishing day 4/15/2025

This audiobook is my first exposure to Sara Jafari. I was interested in reviewing this book because it made comparison to Maame, which I loved.
The book centers two characters with Middle Eastern background living in UK. As the title suggests, they knew each other when they are younger (about 15 year old), and ran into each other as adults at age 26. Shirin works for a publishing company, hiding her trauma from her childhood. She bumps into her childhood friend, Kian, in a house party, she starts to long for the connection they have once shared.

I felt the book is well written and interesting. It gave me a point of view which I wouldn't have an access to otherwise. This I always appreciate. There is an overtone of racial suffering throughout the book, which I am sure deserved but personally felt very heavy-handed at times. Still I hoped good outcome for Kian and Shirin. As to comparison to Maame, I felt they are two completely separate books - Maame is more hopeful. This book is more serious and deals with racial issues in England as well as in publishing industry, which seems like mishmash of other popular books at this moment.

Audiobook is well narrated by two individuals (male and female) who do a good job. Somehow, the female voice felt too matter-of-fact and flat to me personally which prevented me to feel close to the character.

An advanced copy of this audiobook was provided courtesy of NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for review purposes. My opinion stated herein is my own. Thank you.

Sadly this book missed the mark for me. However, I discovered after I selected this audiobook that it was recommended for readers who enjoyed Maame, which was also a big letdown IMO. Had I known that the two were similar, I would have passed on Things Left Unsaid.

The plot focuses on FMC Shirin and MMC Kian, who were close as teens, but naturally lost touch after high school. Ten years later, they reconnect after a chance encounter. While this sounded intriguing, unfortunately the plot was boring, as the characters just did a lot of "navel gazing" and nothing much happened. Additionally, the narrators of the audiobook were monotone, which likely contributed to my lackluster reaction to this novel.

That being said, if you enjoy coming-of-age character studies like Maame, then definitely give this one a chance!

Thanks you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Things Left Unsaid: A Novel by Sara Jafari is the story of Shirin trying to navigate through her 20’s while working in a publishing house in London. Viewing her life and relationships in dual timeline, we are taken on a journey of growth as Shirin tries to find her place while juggling family, culture and racism; ultimately finding her own voice and attaining her own agency.

I had the great fortune of having access to the book and the audiobook. I was able to seamlessly switch between the two. The narration by Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy was well done, and the writing was great. If you are a Sally Rooney fan, you will love this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and read the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Book Rating: 4 Stars
Audiobook Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Apr 15 2025
Audio Release Date: Apr 15 2025

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#StMartinsPress
#ThingsLeftUnsaid
# SaraJafai
# HonorGilles
# MajidMehdizadehValoujerdy
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Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari felt like reading someone else’s thoughts and then slowly realizing they mirror your own in ways you didn’t expect. As a 25-year old trying to make sense of who I am and where I come from, this book really resonated. It's not loud or overly dramatic, but it’s deeply reflective and emotional in this quiet, aching way that lingers.

The story follows two very different people, but the way their lives slowly intertwine felt so authentic. It reminded me how much grief, family pressure, and cultural expectations we carry with us and how often we stay silent about the things that shape us most. There were moments I wanted to shake the characters, tell them to just say what they’re feeling, but I also deeply understood why they couldn’t.

As a woman with mixed heritage, I really appreciated the exploration of cultural identity, especially the Iranian representation. It’s rare to see that kind of layered, nuanced portrayal, and Jafari wrote it with so much care. It reminded me that figuring out who you are doesn’t always mean having a perfect answer and that it’s okay to exist in the grey areas.

I took my time with this one because it felt like the kind of book you don’t rush through. While I wished the pacing had picked up at times, and I was left wanting a bit more closure, I still closed the last page feeling like something in me had shifted.

If you like character-driven novels that explore identity, belonging, and the things we never quite manage to say out loud—this one’s for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this novel by Sara Jafari, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Honor Gilles and Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

It’s been years since Shirin has seen Kian, her best friend, after an incident at their school tore them apart. Since then, Shirin has lived with the weight of things left unsaid between them. She’s struggling at work, burned out with the cultural atmosphere at the publishing house. Shirin and Kian are desperate to make up for lost time, but can they, or will life repeat itself?

This is a book that will definitely make you think about racism and having the courage and strength to stand up for what is right. I loved how Shirin and Kian were the best people they each needed at pivotal times in their lives. May we all have such friends. This also shows how our childhood shapes us and follows us. The writing is beautiful and allows you to emotionally connect with these characters. I also liked the peek into the publishing world. The narration was perfect and I loved having both forms to continue reading. This is a new author to me, and I’ll be looking for more from her!