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A review by emilyreads15
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
ARC REVIEW: Thank you so much to Adrienne Young and Delacorte Press for gifting me a physical arc of this lovely book in exchange for an honest review!!
Adrienne Young develops of the concepts of grief, past trauma, and romance in this beautiful novel! Her writing was truly beautiful to read and very enjoyable! The detailed descriptions heavily added to the story, making it feel truly real and haunting!
To start off, A Sea of Unspoken Things takes place in a small town within Six Rivers National Forest. In the midst of late autumn/early winter the setting is eerie and as I mentioned before haunting but also cozy and peaceful in a way that creates the perfect scenery for a thriller! This is definitely an amazing read for the fall!
Our fmc James, returns to her hometown after the death of her twin brother, Johnny. The author explores their connection to each other through magical realism, representing that their bond goes beyond the world of the living. As James retraces her brother’s steps in his final months she discovers a whirlwind of secrets hidden within the town while confronting secrets of her own past. The plot of this book as we follow James’s confrontation with her past and her present grief is so unique and interesting! While the book did start off a little slow to set the scene, it picked up after a few chapters creating an exciting and mysterious thriller. I was always trying to guess what happened next and follow the clues, making my own predictions just like the characters. For me, none of it was predictable. I truly didn’t really figure it out until a little bit before the characters!
On top of the mystery plot there was also a side-plot of romance! James reunites with her first love as they work together to reveal what truly became of her brother, Johnny. James and Micah’s relationship was a complex but overall beautiful second chance romance. I really enjoyed their relationship and watching them help to heal each other’s traumas. This book is an Adult book however there is hardly any spice. While there are some allusions to sexual content, the author keeps it all closed door with no explicit details. The closed door scenes can also be skipped as they only add a little bit to the romance side plot rather than the main plot.
The only reason this book gained 4 stars from me was because it did take a few chapters for me to really get into it! Also the final chapter included a trope that I don’t really think was necessary due to the way it was added. Sadly I also don’t like that trope in books. I won’t say what it is bc no spoilers but I’m sure some of you could guess.
But overall, this chilling thriller was entertaining and beautifully written! Adrienne Young never fails to amaze me with her atmospheric writing and storytelling! You can definitely tell she did her research or had prior knowledge on things mentioned in the book and it makes it even better that she is a twin herself!!!
100% recommend this book! It was a perfect thriller and so enjoyable! I can’t wait to see what story the author tells next! Once again thank you to the author and publishers for gifting me a physical arc of this book!
Adrienne Young develops of the concepts of grief, past trauma, and romance in this beautiful novel! Her writing was truly beautiful to read and very enjoyable! The detailed descriptions heavily added to the story, making it feel truly real and haunting!
To start off, A Sea of Unspoken Things takes place in a small town within Six Rivers National Forest. In the midst of late autumn/early winter the setting is eerie and as I mentioned before haunting but also cozy and peaceful in a way that creates the perfect scenery for a thriller! This is definitely an amazing read for the fall!
Our fmc James, returns to her hometown after the death of her twin brother, Johnny. The author explores their connection to each other through magical realism, representing that their bond goes beyond the world of the living. As James retraces her brother’s steps in his final months she discovers a whirlwind of secrets hidden within the town while confronting secrets of her own past. The plot of this book as we follow James’s confrontation with her past and her present grief is so unique and interesting! While the book did start off a little slow to set the scene, it picked up after a few chapters creating an exciting and mysterious thriller. I was always trying to guess what happened next and follow the clues, making my own predictions just like the characters. For me, none of it was predictable. I truly didn’t really figure it out until a little bit before the characters!
On top of the mystery plot there was also a side-plot of romance! James reunites with her first love as they work together to reveal what truly became of her brother, Johnny. James and Micah’s relationship was a complex but overall beautiful second chance romance. I really enjoyed their relationship and watching them help to heal each other’s traumas. This book is an Adult book however there is hardly any spice. While there are some allusions to sexual content, the author keeps it all closed door with no explicit details. The closed door scenes can also be skipped as they only add a little bit to the romance side plot rather than the main plot.
The only reason this book gained 4 stars from me was because it did take a few chapters for me to really get into it! Also the final chapter included a trope that I don’t really think was necessary due to the way it was added. Sadly I also don’t like that trope in books. I won’t say what it is bc no spoilers but I’m sure some of you could guess.
But overall, this chilling thriller was entertaining and beautifully written! Adrienne Young never fails to amaze me with her atmospheric writing and storytelling! You can definitely tell she did her research or had prior knowledge on things mentioned in the book and it makes it even better that she is a twin herself!!!
100% recommend this book! It was a perfect thriller and so enjoyable! I can’t wait to see what story the author tells next! Once again thank you to the author and publishers for gifting me a physical arc of this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content