Romantasy Melody
A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young - Book Review
Feb 4
4 min read
Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Adult Paranormal Mystery
Spice: Medium
Summary:
James, an artist in San Franscisco, must return to her close-knit small town of Hawthorne, California when her twin brother, Johnny, is killed. Everyone believes Johnny was mistakenly shot by a hunter, but James just can’t seem to accept that. Even though her and her brother had been rather distant in recent years, James knew the second Johnny died; they’ve always had a connection that allows James to feel Johnny’s heightened emotions. And when she arrives in Hawthorne to wrap up a photography project Johnny was working on, she starts seeing and feeling him all over town. Johnny’s presence validates to James that she needs to stay and figure out what her brother is trying to tell her.
While she searches for clues under the guise of closing out Johnny’s project, she must face a past that she left behind when she left for art college in San Francisco. There’s the father of a high school friend who tragically died near the same spot Johnny was killed, Johnny’s old on-again off-again girlfriend, and a high school friend she hasn’t spoken to since leaving. But the hardest person for James to face is her first love, Micah, who grew up as James and Johnny’s closest friend. As she learns more about what Johnny was doing at the time he died, his presence gets stronger, while James’ belief in who her brother was wanes. She’ll have to decide whether to tell the truth or do what she’s always done: protect her brother.
Reaction:
I adored A Sea of Unspoken Things. The writing is beautiful, and the story intriguing, tragic, and heartfelt. As a mystery, it was so well executed. I literally suspected almost every character except for James herself as Johnny’s killer at some point. The author gives the reader just enough information at each point in the novel to keep you guessing. The presence of Johnny as a ghost-like specter that only appears to James adds to the mystique and emotions of the book, but by not focusing on the mechanics of how Johnny is present it avoids becoming the focus of the story. The author chooses to reveal James & Johnny’s past gradually throughout the novel. This contributes to a great character development arc for James as she faces the past and makes the reader care more and more about Johnny as the story builds. I also think the author did a great job of portraying James and Micah, who were closest to Johnny, experiencing grief and how that can impact their motivations and decisions. There was maybe one chapter a third of the way into the book where I felt a lull in the momentum, but it quickly moved on, and I couldn’t put it down. There is a bit of romance sprinkled into this mystery novel. I thought James and Micah’s relationship was sweet, and you know I loved the angst of a 20-year-old unrealized relationship. I think this book is a great read for everyone, but particularly for the fantasy stans it’s a nice change of pace if you want something quick and stimulating that still offers a mystique that makes a small town feel like a mysterious place.
What I enjoyed:
· The thing I liked most about James & Micah’s relationship was that the two must help each other acknowledge what their true relationships with Johnny were before they can acknowledge how they feel about themselves and each other. They are able to lean on each other as they try to heal, even when an interaction isn’t romantic in nature.
· Without giving anything away, I loved the Epilogue. A lot of times I feel authors will use the epilogue as fan service, or to tie a neat little bow on the story. While there was some of that in this epilogue, I thought it presented a nice contrast in James’s perspective on life that just highlighted how grief impacted her narrative throughout the novel.
· From the beginning, I thought James as a character was so interesting. On paper she might seem like a Hallmark movie character returning to her hometown, but James has way more baggage than an old boyfriend. James’ mother, who had James & Johnny right out of high school, then left when they were young, is barely mentioned in the book, but her legacy on James is very impactful. In a single sentence referencing Johnny’s typically male name in Chapter One, you learn how she influenced James’ perspective: “Like maybe she could somehow spare me her own fate if I wasn’t a girl.” James reveals that she’s always felt external pressure to get out of her small town and have some kind of success, and that the pivotal decision to give in to pressure and leave has been haunting her even before she left. I think James experiences feelings of regret for leaving because instead of avoiding getting “trapped” like her mother, she ends up leaving Johnny and Micah, who James considered her family, just like her mother left hers.
What I didn't enjoy:
