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dblue236's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm fairly certain this is the first book I've read by this author, and it was any indication of the quality of the rest of her work, I can't wait to start reading more of it. The story was beautifully told, the setting was so vividly written I could see it in my head as I read, and I was really invested in the characters even when I didn't necessarily like all of them all that well. I loved the subtle paranormal aspect of the story and was genuinely surprised when the ending was revealed. This was one of the more memorable reads I've picked up so far this year and I definitely recommend it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
afrenette's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
ejsullivan's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
cmfruin2012's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship
lauramar850's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Suicide attempt
inked_in_pages's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Since I first picked up Spells for Forgetting, Adrienne Young has solidified her place on my bookshelves as an auto-buy author. When you open an Adrienne Young novel it is a guarantee you'll get atmospheric writing, small sparkles of magic, and a story that keeps you enthralled until the very last page.
A Sea of Unspoken Things is another beautiful story of love, healing, and mystery. This is the type of book that has the reader wanting to cosy up under a warm blanket with a cup of hot coffee and immerse yourself in the story. Young does a beautiful job of describing scenery, atmosphere, and inner thoughts of characters - I always feel as if I am in the Pacific Northwest when I'm reading one of her novels.
Young seems to write her novels by a formula at times - you can expect some romance, a mystery and a little magic - but there is something so comforting about her writing that it's easy to dismiss the feeling that you've read the story before.
While not my favorite of her novels, A Sea of Unspoken Things solidifies Young as a must read author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual harassment
harleyglynn's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
“The light had changed, too, adding to the stillness. The canopy far above diffused the sun into nothing more than glowing, golden air that hovered, suspended between the trees. The whole scene gave the innate feeling that you were leaving the world behind, entering into some imaginary place that didn't really exist. I wished that were true.”
I finished this in 48 hours. While this was a solid mystery that kept me suspicious of everybody right up until the end, the real draw for me was the captivating storyline beyond the mystery itself - something I've come to expect from every one of her books.
Adrienne Young has quite possibly become my new favorite author. For the past year, anytime someone asked for a recommendation my immediate response was The Unmaking of June Farrow. I absolutely adore that book. But after reading this one, I think I might have to broaden my future recommendations. Between June Farrow, Spells for Forgetting, and her newest A Sea of Unspoken Things you just can't go wrong. In my opinion, the way Young writes her characters and settings is unmatched. You are fully transported into the story through her gorgeous, atmospheric way with words. I want to live within the pages. She consistently delivers stories that I continue to think about long after I've finished them. I can easily say I will forever read everything and anything that she comes out with as soon as I can possibly get my hands on it.
I finished this in 48 hours. While this was a solid mystery that kept me suspicious of everybody right up until the end, the real draw for me was the captivating storyline beyond the mystery itself - something I've come to expect from every one of her books.
Adrienne Young has quite possibly become my new favorite author. For the past year, anytime someone asked for a recommendation my immediate response was The Unmaking of June Farrow. I absolutely adore that book. But after reading this one, I think I might have to broaden my future recommendations. Between June Farrow, Spells for Forgetting, and her newest A Sea of Unspoken Things you just can't go wrong. In my opinion, the way Young writes her characters and settings is unmatched. You are fully transported into the story through her gorgeous, atmospheric way with words. I want to live within the pages. She consistently delivers stories that I continue to think about long after I've finished them. I can easily say I will forever read everything and anything that she comes out with as soon as I can possibly get my hands on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Self harm, Violence, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
arobertson13's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Murder
joannedrake's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
AY’s books are always engaging, there is always emotional resonance, there is aching and longing. It resolved in ways I was completely expecting, but that being said, I can’t imagine why James, our heroine of sorts, would choose what she did at the end. It just seems masochistic, like, she had the opportunity to break some generational and family trauma, and then…didn’t. So I was kind of onboard for 98% of the book, then my world got rocked, now not sure how I feel about all of it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
greatlittlestories's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
James Golden hasn't returned to her tiny hometown of Six Rivers, CA since she left for art school, despite her seemingly supernatural connection to her twin brother, Johnny. When Johnny is killed in what appears to be a hunting accident while he was working on his ecological photography project in the local gorge, James is forced to return to Six Rivers, to the cabin she and Johnny grew up in, and to the past she had hoped to escape permanently. In facing her secrets and her history with her former love, Micah, she begins to unravel Johnny's web of secrets, too; and she fears that his are hiding more than she could possibly imagine. The more James finds out about her brother's life outside of her, the more she feels him as a near-tangible presence in Six Rivers, leading her to answers she's not entirely sure she's ready to learn.
Adrienne Young is on my short list of authors whose books I snatch up immediately when they're released. She is exceptional at atmospheric, relationship-delving novels with a touch of magical realism, and this one is no exception. Revisiting a place or time of one's history can carry various levels of fear and trauma, and James faces her trepidation with determination and what she thinks is a straightforward to-do list. Unraveling the layers of her life alongside that of her twin brother's takes the reader on a journey that is filled with both tension and sweet memories, and James' dichotomy of regret and confidence in her decisions is relatable on many levels. Going home again can be bittersweet, especially when balancing what has changed with what remains the same. Young uses the pull of twin magic, the power of sense memory, and the tension of death to create a gorgeous, moody tale that will stay with me for quite some time.
Adrienne Young is on my short list of authors whose books I snatch up immediately when they're released. She is exceptional at atmospheric, relationship-delving novels with a touch of magical realism, and this one is no exception. Revisiting a place or time of one's history can carry various levels of fear and trauma, and James faces her trepidation with determination and what she thinks is a straightforward to-do list. Unraveling the layers of her life alongside that of her twin brother's takes the reader on a journey that is filled with both tension and sweet memories, and James' dichotomy of regret and confidence in her decisions is relatable on many levels. Going home again can be bittersweet, especially when balancing what has changed with what remains the same. Young uses the pull of twin magic, the power of sense memory, and the tension of death to create a gorgeous, moody tale that will stay with me for quite some time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death