Book Review: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

Title: A Sea of Unspoken Things
Author: Adrienne Young
Pages: 288
Publication Date: Jan. 7, 2025
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / Contemporary
Synopsis:

A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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I’m at a point now that I’ll read anything Adrienne Young writes. She’s one of those authors that just speaks to me. Her writing style, characters, and stories are always so rich, atmospheric, and well-crafted, and A Sea of Unspoken Things is no exception. Set in a small town with big secrets, the story follows James as she returns following the death of her twin brother. James hasn’t been back in years, and she quickly realizes that it’s impossible to run from her past and her feelings.

This is a mesmerizing read that I quickly found myself engrossed in – no surprise there. This happens every time I read a book by Young. I love the dark and atmospheric setting and tone, and how it sets the mood for the story.

James is such an easy protagonist to root for. Mourning the loss of her brother and trying to find out more about the mysterious events that unfolded before, during, and after his death, James learns secrets on top of secrets as well as their intriguing connections. Her brothers isn’t the only mysterious death in this small town, and each is complex and tragic. It’s so captivating, and there’s more than one twist I definitely didn’t see coming. Neither did James!

While looking into her brothers death, James learns more about herself and her relationship with her twin and her hometown. She hadn’t been back in twenty years, and she left friends and her love behind. Returning and facing the past changes James. It’s interesting – it took losing her brother to really know him and to learn more about herself. It forced her to confront her past, her trauma, her regrets, and her future. I thought she had a fantastic character arc, and her growth over the course of the story was exceptional.

On top of the mysteries and fantastic character development, there’s also a love story that I adored. It’s not the focus of the story, but it’s a hopeful spot in a dark and mysterious time for James, and I was so rooting for her to reconnect with her old love Micah. Oof, he’s wonderful and complements James so well. They have amazing chemistry, and the tension between them is top notch!

I thought this was a brilliant read, and I’m so thankful to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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We were made in the dark. I used to hate it when Johnny said that, but now I know it’s true.

Accidents are the cruelest of losses.

He was there the first time my heart beat, the first time air entered my lungs, the first time the sun touched my face. But now, he’d gone back to the dark without me.

Adrienne Young is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the Sky and Sea duology, the Fable series, and Spells for Forgetting. When she’s not writing, you can find Adrienne on her yoga mat, on a walk in the woods, or planning her next travel adventure. She lives and writes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

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