Headlines:
Twin echoes
Grief
Small town secrets

A Sea of Unspoken Things was the kind of story that built and built into a bundle of feelings that were quite overwhelming in the best way. James (she/her) returned to the small town she escaped once she was college-aged but her return was under the most difficult of circumstances, to wrap up her twin's estate. Old relationships came to the fore, just like old secrets and lies did.

This story was slow mysterious unravel and I had many theories alongside James, Micah and Johnny. None of them ended up being right but it was such a gripping journey. While the tale was heavy with a palpable grief, somehow the unfolding mystery cut through the grief so that it didn't weigh the book down too much.

There was a low level romance in this story and it felt right in how it weighed less alongside the story of this family. Nevertheless, I was incredibly invested in the second chance for James.

As with many of Young's books in this genre, there was a tangible connection to the land. I was able to imagine myself amongst the trees, catching sight of the owls, hearing the water pouring through a gorge; only the sounds of nature. That's because Young is an exceptional wordsmith not only in her description of nature but how she gets you feeling as one with the characters. I highlighted so many pieces of dialogue and text.

There was a poignancy to this read and I think that is because grief is a very individual journey, so that being alongside James and her twin senses through this felt so personal. I spent the last few chapters in tears on and off, which told me how connected I'd become to James and Johnny. This was a wholly memorable story.

"Goodbye is a lost language. A silent one."

Thank you to Quercus Books for the review copy.