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novellearts's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.0
I don’t have much to say about this one. I absolutely adored The Unmaking of June Farrow but A Sea of Unspoken Things felt incredibly underwhelming to me. The story wasn’t bad by any means, but I guess my expectations were too high after June Farrow. I wasn’t too engaged by the story and felt like my mind was wandering at times while I was reading this. I will say, this cover is stunning though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
elenikin's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Another good story from Adrienne Young! You know it's a good mystery/thriller when you can't predict the ending! I liked following James as she returned to where she grew up, and dealt with people and things from her past. This book was dark but thought provoking, particularly about family and what you'd do to protect them. The twin bond thing was interesting, as well. I was happy that James and Micah made it work, in the end. I'm a sucker for second chances! Overall, this was very well written, albeit dark, with a good mystery and poignant storytelling about family and relationships. I think that Spells for Forgetting and The Unmaking of June Farrow are a little better, but I still quite enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail
littlelizzieborden's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Violence, and Pregnancy
manda_reads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
2.75
In this novel, James must return to her hometown of Hawthorne, California, to settle her twin brother's affairs after his sudden death. Once home, she is confronted with the shared sinister past of her and her brother, Johnny. The catch is only one person knows of her past, her one true love, Micah. Upon digging up her past, James doubts that she knew Johnny. Both of them are masterful at secret-keeping. Now, James faces the harrowing task of piecing together Johnny's death by choosing which truths to shed light on and which shall stay hidden forever. The twist regarding Griffin wasn't that shocking. I figured that was where the story was headed. However, the details of Johnny's past and subsequent death threw me for a loop.
This is my first time reading a book by Adrienne Young. I don't think her writing fits my reading style. I read this book because the premise sounded unique. The actual book was slow, with more elements of mystery than thriller. It took until chapter 27/28 for the book to exhibit suspenseful thriller vibes.
This is my first time reading a book by Adrienne Young. I don't think her writing fits my reading style. I read this book because the premise sounded unique. The actual book was slow, with more elements of mystery than thriller. It took until chapter 27/28 for the book to exhibit suspenseful thriller vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual assault, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Violence, and Suicide attempt
erinnh's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
In A Sea of Unspoken Things, James returns home to Six Rivers, an isolated logging town, in order to settle her twin brother’s affairs after his accidental death in the woods. She hasn’t been home in years, and not only is she having to face long buried emotions and secrets from her own past, she is starting to realize she may not have known her brother, Johnny, as well as she thought she did. Worse, she has a sinking feeling - an intuition - that his death wasn’t accidental. As James investigates Johnny’s death, she connects with faces old and new, as she tries to uncover the truth of what happened, and who Johnny really is.
While this novel is a short and engaging read, it has a slower pace. It has an intricate plot that slowly unravels, and there’s a lot of atmospheric writing and attention paid to the setting. You’ll enjoy this if you like books that take place in the sort of classic archetypal small rural towns. This novel also features some very minor elements of the supernatural, but they don’t feature prominently. Some themes include interconnectedness with one another and nature, familial relationships, returning home, grief and loss, and family secrets.
My personal favorite aspects of the books were the strong sense of place and the plot. I was especially entertained by the plot as the book got rolling, and I was drawn in by trying to solve the mystery of what happened (and the twists and turns that popped up along the way). I will say, there were a few times where I felt like the dialogue, small town elements, and romantic subplot got a bit corny and clichéd. But, the plot overshadows all of that, and I think the romantic subplot isn’t the main attraction anyway.
This is my second Adrienne Young novel. My first was The Unmaking of June Farrow. Both had intricate plots, so I think that is definitely a talent of hers. So far this book is my favorite of hers, and I look forward to trying more in the future. I would recommend to any readers who enjoy slow burning suspense novels with intricate plots, especially with small town settings and/or atmospheric settings.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine for providing an eARC to review!*
While this novel is a short and engaging read, it has a slower pace. It has an intricate plot that slowly unravels, and there’s a lot of atmospheric writing and attention paid to the setting. You’ll enjoy this if you like books that take place in the sort of classic archetypal small rural towns. This novel also features some very minor elements of the supernatural, but they don’t feature prominently. Some themes include interconnectedness with one another and nature, familial relationships, returning home, grief and loss, and family secrets.
My personal favorite aspects of the books were the strong sense of place and the plot. I was especially entertained by the plot as the book got rolling, and I was drawn in by trying to solve the mystery of what happened (and the twists and turns that popped up along the way). I will say, there were a few times where I felt like the dialogue, small town elements, and romantic subplot got a bit corny and clichéd. But, the plot overshadows all of that, and I think the romantic subplot isn’t the main attraction anyway.
This is my second Adrienne Young novel. My first was The Unmaking of June Farrow. Both had intricate plots, so I think that is definitely a talent of hers. So far this book is my favorite of hers, and I look forward to trying more in the future. I would recommend to any readers who enjoy slow burning suspense novels with intricate plots, especially with small town settings and/or atmospheric settings.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House, Ballantine for providing an eARC to review!*
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Violence, and Murder
caitlynd93's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
i love adrienne young's adult novels, spells for forgetting and the unmaking of june farrow, and i was so excited to hear about a sea of unspoken things and receive an arc. a sea of unspoken things has all of the things that i've come to expect from an adrienne young novel; lush descriptions, an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're part of the story, and character's that feel real and distinct.
as someone who lives in the san francisco bay area, i loved that this book was set in northern california. though i live in a very populated city and not a small town like six rivers, it was so easy to picture six rivers and the woods. it felt familiar to me, it felt like a place i've visited countless times before and that was really special to me. throughout the book james talks about six rivers being removed from the city, of the forest having a sort of magic and feeling alive and i felt that through every page. young has a real talent for making her books feel alive, and i think that's my favorite thing about her writing.
i thought all of the characters were great and really well explored. i loved being in james' pov, and really felt for her throughout the story. the explorations of twins and what happens when one of them dies was really so interesting, and james and johnny gave me major nell and luke crain from the haunting of hill house vibes, which was just everything. the grief that james felt over losing her brother was heartbreaking and overwhelming, and i thought that this book was a really beautiful exploration of grief and how it affects all of us differently, and the complicated feelings that come with grief, especially if in their death, you uncover secrets about the person you're grieving. johnny may have died before the story began, but he felt so alive throughout the book and james and micah's memories of him, and the rest of the town's as well.
this is much more mystery focused than young's previous adult novels, and as a reader whose favorite genre is mystery, that was great for me, and i loved the way the mystery unfolded. this is not a fast paced mystery; like the town it's set in, it's a little sleepy and slow, but it grows as time goes on and once you get hooked it's hard to leave. i won't lie, it did take me a little while to get into the story, but once i got into it i didn't want to stop reading, it had a slow build that i really enjoyed. there were a few different ways the mystery could've played out. one of the reveals i didn't see coming, but i thought it made complete sense and i was surprised that i didn't pick up on it right away, but the hints were there all along. one of the reveals i did see coming, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking.
overall, i really enjoyed a sea of unspoken things and think it's another great edition to adrienne young's body of work. if you've enjoyed her other novels, i definitely suggest checking it out!
as someone who lives in the san francisco bay area, i loved that this book was set in northern california. though i live in a very populated city and not a small town like six rivers, it was so easy to picture six rivers and the woods. it felt familiar to me, it felt like a place i've visited countless times before and that was really special to me. throughout the book james talks about six rivers being removed from the city, of the forest having a sort of magic and feeling alive and i felt that through every page. young has a real talent for making her books feel alive, and i think that's my favorite thing about her writing.
i thought all of the characters were great and really well explored. i loved being in james' pov, and really felt for her throughout the story. the explorations of twins and what happens when one of them dies was really so interesting, and james and johnny gave me major nell and luke crain from the haunting of hill house vibes, which was just everything. the grief that james felt over losing her brother was heartbreaking and overwhelming, and i thought that this book was a really beautiful exploration of grief and how it affects all of us differently, and the complicated feelings that come with grief, especially if in their death, you uncover secrets about the person you're grieving. johnny may have died before the story began, but he felt so alive throughout the book and james and micah's memories of him, and the rest of the town's as well.
this is much more mystery focused than young's previous adult novels, and as a reader whose favorite genre is mystery, that was great for me, and i loved the way the mystery unfolded. this is not a fast paced mystery; like the town it's set in, it's a little sleepy and slow, but it grows as time goes on and once you get hooked it's hard to leave. i won't lie, it did take me a little while to get into the story, but once i got into it i didn't want to stop reading, it had a slow build that i really enjoyed. there were a few different ways the mystery could've played out. one of the reveals i didn't see coming, but i thought it made complete sense and i was surprised that i didn't pick up on it right away, but the hints were there all along. one of the reveals i did see coming, but that didn't make it any less heartbreaking.
overall, i really enjoyed a sea of unspoken things and think it's another great edition to adrienne young's body of work. if you've enjoyed her other novels, i definitely suggest checking it out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Suicide attempt
astoriareader's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
SYNOPSIS
- A grieving twin sister returns to her gloomy hometown to settle her late brother’s affairs. As she navigates her loss, she begins to uncover long-buried secrets about her brother, herself, and their past.
MY THOUGHTS
- While the premise had promise, the execution didn’t quite deliver. The book read more like a YA novel, which made it feel less impactful than I had hoped.
- The gloomy setting was atmospheric and fitting for the mystery, but the slow pacing often bogged down the narrative.
- I would categorize this book as a mystery with some magical realism sprinkled in.
- Character development was one of the book’s weakest points. I never felt like I got to know anyone, and I was never invested in any of the characters.
- The ending was particularly disappointing. After all the buildup, the resolution felt anticlimactic and unsatisfying, leaving me wishing for more depth and closure.
- While the setting and hints of magical realism were intriguing, the lack of character development and the slow pacing made this a less-than-memorable read. If you’re looking for a light mystery with a somber tone, this might be worth a try, but it’s unlikely to leave a lasting impression.
TL;DR: ⭐️⭐⭐️ A promising premise with an atmospheric setting, A Sea of Unspoken Thingsultimately falls flat due to slow pacing, underdeveloped characters, and an unsatisfying, anticlimactic ending.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press & Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on January 7, 2025.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts
kari_f's review
4.0
If there is one word that sums up all of Adrienne Young’s adult books so far, that word would be “atmospheric.” Whether it’s a remote island village, a mountainous farming area, or a small town in the middle of the California redwood forests; you feel as if you are there with the characters in an incredibly visceral way.
I don’t tend to gravitate toward thrillers because I solve them quickly and then tend to be bored if there isn’t enough character depth and development to hold my interest. The ones I enjoy flow like this one, where the suspense builds slowly and the story is built upon the character layers and development in such a way that it’s tied to the mystery. I had my suspicions early on, but the mood, the characters, the setting, and the hints of magical realism kept me entranced even after I was pretty sure about what happened and why.
The pacing is deliciously slow because we are unpacking so much history and emotional content between the main character and the town she left behind twenty years prior. We are on her journey to figure out what caused the death of her brother, but we also see her journey toward combining who she was in the past and who she is now to figure out what she wants for her future.
For me, this was another hit novel by Young, and I’ll be sticking around to see what she comes up with next! Thank you so much for the advanced copy of the book, Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Murder
teaand_tomes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Adrienne Young, Delacorte Press, and PRH Audio for the free book!
A Sea of Unspoken Things is a hauntingly atmospheric tale that blends mystery with emotional depth. James, still reeling from the death of her twin brother, Johnny, embarks on a journey to uncover the secrets of his life and death. The deep connection she had with Johnny—almost supernatural in its intensity—continues to pull her into his world, revealing truths that shake everything she thought she knew about him.
The relationship between James and Johnny, and later between James and Micah, is rich and compelling. The emotional depth, especially as James confronts her past, makes this story so much more than just a mystery. It’s a journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with the secrets we hide, even from those we love most.
The Pacific Northwest setting is absolutely perfect for this story—its dense woods, foggy atmosphere, and looming mountains create the ideal backdrop for this mystical, eerie narrative. I could easily see this novel translated into a film.
Christine Lakin’s narration was another highlight. Her smooth, emotive voice added so much to the emotional weight of the story, enhancing the haunting and suspenseful vibe of the plot.
Overall, this was a captivating, emotionally rich mystery with plenty of twists and an incredibly immersive atmosphere. Perfect for fans of atmospheric, mysterious tales with a touch of the supernatural.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Gun violence and Grief