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A review by exteenawreads
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
"I’d always thought that we were the same. That we were two shades of the same color. But as I sat there, watching Johnny swim back to the bank, I had only one thought: that he was a storm in the clouds, just minutes away from breaking."
You know how some twins have that phantom twin connection? Well, what happens when one twin dies mysteriously, and the other one feels it and knows it wasn't an accident?
(4.25⭐-ARC) I am definitely a fan of Adrienne's writing and the hypnotic way she lays out a story. Although I didn't love this *quite* as much as June Farrow, I was still entranced throughout this read. I do think the beginning was a bit slow and repetitive, dragging the mystery in front of the reader a few too many times. But, once things start to fall into place around halfway in, it was hard to put down.
This reads like a mystery/thriller with some a tiny dash of magical surrealism and some romance (though that is very much not the focus). The vibes felt like the video game Life is Strange, where there is a constant sense of unease and oddity as you explore the complicated ins and outs of a character and their community. I thought the twin phantom connection was super interesting, and the emotional twists and turns as James learns more about her old hometown and her brother were captivating. I did find the two romance side stories a little too undeveloped, they maybe needed to either be more built up or removed.
"A long, exhausted breath escaped his lips. 'We could fill the fucking ocean with the things we never said to each other.' "
It's true, you could, I wish you did though because I wanted to read those things!
Overall a thrilling, captivating, and mysterious read perfect for sitting by a window during a thunderstorm.
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press/Random House for the ARC!
You know how some twins have that phantom twin connection? Well, what happens when one twin dies mysteriously, and the other one feels it and knows it wasn't an accident?
(4.25⭐-ARC) I am definitely a fan of Adrienne's writing and the hypnotic way she lays out a story. Although I didn't love this *quite* as much as June Farrow, I was still entranced throughout this read. I do think the beginning was a bit slow and repetitive, dragging the mystery in front of the reader a few too many times. But, once things start to fall into place around halfway in, it was hard to put down.
This reads like a mystery/thriller with some a tiny dash of magical surrealism and some romance (though that is very much not the focus). The vibes felt like the video game Life is Strange, where there is a constant sense of unease and oddity as you explore the complicated ins and outs of a character and their community. I thought the twin phantom connection was super interesting, and the emotional twists and turns as James learns more about her old hometown and her brother were captivating. I did find the two romance side stories a little too undeveloped, they maybe needed to either be more built up or removed.
"A long, exhausted breath escaped his lips. 'We could fill the fucking ocean with the things we never said to each other.' "
It's true, you could, I wish you did though because I wanted to read those things!
Overall a thrilling, captivating, and mysterious read perfect for sitting by a window during a thunderstorm.
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press/Random House for the ARC!