Predictable but Very Readable

Everything We Never Said is a YA romantic thriller about Ella, a 17-year-old high school senior mourning the death of her best friend, Hayley. Complicating manners, she finds herself developing feelings for Sawyer, who was Hayley's former boyfriend. The plot thickens with the mystery surrounding the night of Hayley’s death.

The story is narrated from the perspectives of both Ella and Sawyer, and readers get to know more about Hayley through her diary entries. The book explores the relationships between Ella and Sawyer, Ella and Hayley, and Hayley and her boyfriend "S". All of the characters are likable, and each offers a unique take on the events that lead up to the night Hayley died. Themes of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are also woven into the plot.

The pacing is fast, but the mystery is predictable. I found the dialogue and character interactions painful to read, but this might be because I aged out of the core audience. Moreover, the writing is overwrought with an excess of flowery language, eliciting many an eye roll.

Despite the predictable mystery, there is a good amount of tension and suspense. Overall, this is a decent, if not original, read.

I was lucky enough to win this book from a Goodreads giveaway!first-reads140 s52 comments Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme)458 299

It’s been months since the accident that killed Ella’s best friend, Hayley, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. Now Ella is back at school, and everywhere she looks are reminders of her best friend—including Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Little by little, they grow closer, until Ella realizes something horrifying… She’s in love with her dead best friend’s boyfriend.

Racked with guilt, Ella turns to Hayley’s journal, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Sawyer has secrets of his own and that his relationship with Hayley wasn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed.

Ella knows she should stay away but finds herself inextricably drawn to him—and scared of everything she never knew about him. Perhaps it’s his grief. Or maybe his desires, cut short by tragedy. Or could it be something twisted only Hayley knew about?

A terrifyingly realistic tale of dark romantic suspense, Everything We Never Said kept my eyes pinned to the pages. From characters that felt genuine and true to a plot that twisted and turned until a final timely reveal, the entire plot was quite chilling for even this adult reader. For that reason, while billed as a YA thriller, I think it was much more aligned to NA given the topic. Thanks to relatively explicit intimate scenesand a plot line that made a trigger warning essential, portions of this would have even been much more appropriate for an adult audience. It was only the characters’ ages kept it in the realm of NA.

Back to the winning attributes to this blindingly good book, though. A quick, easy read despite the heavy themes, I thought I knew exactly where the plot was going for much of the slow burn first half. So you can imagine my surprise when a twist to end all twists arrived on the scene. Shocking but also perfectly set up by the storyline, it took a straightforward tale and turned it on its head. Add in the adrenaline-fueled climax and smile-inducing conclusion, and this book hit all the right chords. Was it just a bit over-the-top? Well, yes—but given the age range, it made perfect sense.

My only hang up with this book was down to the genre. Namely, the strong romantic streak running throughout. Granted, I should have realized before I even picked this one up, but I was expecting something more akin to B.A. Paris, I guess. Instead, I found a twisted love story paired with a second half filled with plenty of thrills and chills. Ultimately, however, my discomfort with this was no fault of the plot. It was all down to me and my mostly anti-romance leanings.

All said and done, though, this was a story that all teens should read. Sometimes toxic relationships happen and kids—just adults—need to be willing to lean on others for help. From seeing red flags and then acting on them to learning to trust one’s instincts, multiple lessons were illustrated that are important for all ages to hear. I also got lost in the multiple POVs, authentic teenage behavior, and dark secrets. So much so, in fact, that I read this in just a single sitting. So if you’re looking for a book meant for more than one age group that addresses hard to tackle topics as well as possessing a killer plot, this is the one for you. Rating of 4 stars.

Thank you to Sloan Harlow and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers/Penguin Teen for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: May 28, 2024

Trigger warning: controlling relationship, domestic abuse, mention of: teen pregnancyadvanced-reader-copy domestic-thriller romantic-suspense ...more62 s4 comments Nilufer Ozmekik2,564 52.3k

Another quick read in the realm of YA romance and mystery, this novel was devoured in a single sitting. While a tad predictable and, in my opinion, maintaining a straightforward trajectory until the final third, the story primarily focuses on the forbidden romance between the best friend of a deceased girl and the deceased girl's boyfriend, who might harbor dark secrets. Fortunately, the author revs things up in the last third, injecting some excitement into the narrative, even though I discerned the plot twist early on after reading a few lines from a suspicious diary. Hence, I've settled on a solid three-star rating, signifying that this is a robust, fast, and easy-to-read YA thriller—a promising start for an author whose future works I look forward to enjoying a bit more!

Here's a glimpse of the plot: Ella, still a shadow of herself, grapples with the loss of her best friend, Hayley, who died in a car accident that she was driving. Coping with feelings of guilt, Ella returns to school, seeks the assistance of the school therapist, and rekindles her friendship with Seema, whom she became estranged from after getting closer to Hayley. However, the most challenging aspect is confronting Sawyer, Hayley's boyfriend, who stirs up complex emotions, intensifying her crush every time they cross paths. It appears that their feelings are mutual, with Sawyer struggling to contain his palpable attraction to her.

However, when Ella is summoned by Hayley's mother to pack up her deceased daughter's belongings—an emotionally daunting task—she discovers her friend's secret diary. Overwhelmed by curiosity, Ella succumbs to the urge to read it, despite feeling extremely guilty. What she finds within the diary presents another side of Sawyer—a version starkly different from the caring and loving boy she has come to know. Could this seemingly affectionate boy have harmed her best friend? Is she risking her safety by opening her heart to the wrong person? What if Hayley's death wasn't an accident? As Ella begins to piece together the events of that fateful night, a hazy image of a car trailing them emerges in her mind. Determined to unveil the mystery surrounding her friend's death, even if it puts her own life in jeopardy, Ella embarks on a journey that promises to shatter her heart into pieces.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers GROUP / GP Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for generously providing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.48 s Keila1,373 84

While I did enjoy this book, I am a grown adult. I think that this book misses the mark being targeted towards a YA audience, at least it should be NA. For me there are several reasons for this, with the first being the sex scenes, and then the amount of domestic violence present. I don’t think that YA books should have explicit sexual scenes. The second issue was domestic violence. This is a slight spoiler, and while I strive for spoiler free , this can be a triggering topic. Domestic violence was fairly prevalent in this book, and it wasn’t off page either. I do think the writing was very YA however, just for me these topics didn’t need to go into the detail that they did.

I do think that this book dealt with the complicated topic of grief in a wonderful way. Grief is not linear, and this book highlighted that. It’s also a very complicated emotion and it’s going to present itself differently daily, which was done well. The pacing was also enjoyable and kept me engaged throughout though it does start off a little slow, then it speeds up.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for this e-arc.38 s Carrie3,387 1,613

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is a young adult novel that starts off feeling more a contemporary romance but then takes a turn into a suspenseful thriller. The story in Everything We Never Said is one that switches the point of view between the main characters but also is told through reading past diary entries.

Ella has been recovering for months from an automobile accident that she feels was entirely her fault. Every day Ella has struggled with dealing with the loss of her best friend, Hayley, in that accident and now she needs to return to school which will never be the same with Hayley gone.

Everywhere Ella turns there are reminders of Hayley but the biggest reminder comes when Ella sees Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. The more time Ella spends around Sawyer the closer they become but Ella doesn’t feel that falling for Sawyer is fair to Hayley. To get some perspective into Hayley’s life before Ella begins to read her diary but what she reads shows a very dark side to Hayley’s life she never knew existed.

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is a debut novel so going in I didn’t know what to expect but when finishing I actually found I enjoyed this story. The book may not be for everyone with it really feeling it switches genres but being someone that loves both genres I was fine with the slow healing, romance building beginning before the suspense kicks in. Things take a nice twist and pick up adrenaline as you move through this one so if you enjoy a cross genre story this one may be for you.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more please visit https://carriesbook.com/netgalley28 s meg *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (semi-hiatus)81 82

First and foremost, I would to NetGalley and the publisher for lending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review.

Now I want to start off by saying, I am typically into reading about high schoolers just because of drama and I'm also 26 so it does not always appeal to me, but I saw this book and the synopsis along with other fellow goodreaders who mentioned this book, so I wanted to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did.

We dive into North Davis High where our female main character, Ella, is about to start her senior year of high school. Summer was dreadful, she lost her best friend, Hayley, in a car accident at the beginning and blames herself for what happened and has no recollection of the night. We also meet our male main character, Sawyer, who was Hayley's ex. We go in between their different point of views and how they want to be together, but how can they when they also feel they're betraying Hayley? Along with, what did truly happen that one night? Did Ella drink too much? Was Hayley okay? Were they being chased?

I don't want to spoil too much in my review just in case anyone else wants to read this book, which I HIGHLY recommend.

This book has just the right about of romance (some spice but not a lot) and a lot of THRILL!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
wow, just wow. i was not expecting what happened, at all.26 s1 comment Lizzy Brannan99 16

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rounded up!
This YA gem offers everything needed in a superior dramatic thriller! After reading this, I can't stop thinking about the important message within these pages: Be careful, be wise, and use discernment when pursuing relationships. Not everyone is as they seem.

What you don't know can hurt you...It's been 4 months since the accident that killed Ella's best friend, Hailey. Ella is ridden with guilt and is trying to just get through the first day of school. Everything reminds her of Hailey, especially Sawyer, Hailey's boyfriend. Ella is drawn to Sawyer - and is slowly falling for him. When Hailey's mom asks Ella to come over to clean out her room, Ella discovers Hailey's diary. Reluctantly, she begins reading through Hailey's entries, hoping to find anything to bring her comfort. Instead, she finds important information about Sawyer that helps explain why Hailey was acting so strange in the weeks leading up to her death. Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.

I see that I am the exception in giving this a 5 star rating. I'm ok with that. I give it this rating not only because this has all of the makings of a great thriller, but because of the message it sends to young adults, teens, and even adults. Some of the toxic relationships, strategically developed by Sloan Harlow, happen daily in the real world, leaving many traumatized and left to pick up the pieces. This book is not only entertaining. It's a warning. And I can't help but want to encourage every young person to read it. After all, writing and reading are not solely about being entertained. Rather, a good author should leave the reader changed.

Thank you Sloan Harlow, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for this enlightening thriller ARC in exchange for an honest review.24 s Mallory1,517 214

This romantic suspense was dark and interesting. I did think the plot was a little predictable but overall it was enjoyable. I think it did fit young adult, but there was a little more sex on the page than other young adults. I wasn’t bothered by the domestic violence and I don’t think it makes it unsuitable for teens, but there should be a trigger warning for it. It’s been months since Ella’s best friend Hayley was killed and Ella blames herself and sees Hayley everywhere. She also keeps seeing Hayley’s boyfriend Sawyer who only makes her feel guiltier. Ella doesn’t remember anything about the day Hayley died but she knows it must be her fault because she was driving the car. Despite knowing it is wrong Ella is drawn towards Sawyer in a way she can’t explain. This book is heavy emotionally and definitely a quick read. It is a suspenseful story and it was well written. 17 s Kimberly R 284

Ella and her friend Hayley were driving home from a party one night. Ella wrecks and is injured. Hayley disappears and is assumed dead.
Ella begins dating her friends boyfriend Sawyer. She later discovers Hayley’s diary and it has devastating consequences for her.
This was an excellent read that had me quickly flipping the pages. Thanks NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for this ARC that will be published May 28, 2024!netgalley-202413 s1 comment Jill McGill 230 179

Everything We Never Said by Sloan Harlow is so much more than I thought it would be. It's a story full of raw emotion, grief, twisted lies, and deep dark secrets. But are those secrets worth killing for...
Ella is struggling with the guilt from her best friend Hayley's tragic death. Every single day, Ella blames herself for causing that accident, but for some reason, she can't remember the details from that tragic day. Things really take a drastic turn when Ella finds Hayley's journal while cleaning out her room. She can't help but turn to the pages of that journal, hoping it will bring her some peace from all that has happened. Instead, it only opens the door to a very dark and twisted secret that Hayley kept from her. Things aren't so perfect after all.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, Sloan Harlow, and Penguin Group for providing me with this ARC.12 s Clara Levi223 7

Messy, messy, messy. Tbh this is the closest thing to a Colleen Hoover book I will ever read. 9 s1 comment Trevor Abbott286 17

She was messy AND filthy7 s Stephanie475 57

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I d the writing style of this book! I felt my daughter might enjoy it more than I did since it was young adult romance and thriller. The characters were well developed but I found the plot fairly predictable for the most part. There was only one twist I didn’t see coming. I would recommend for young (high school age) readers who are into psychological thrillers, mysteries, with a little bit of spice!6 s Chelsey (a_novel_idea11)563 149

Thank you to PRH Audio for the copy of this book. My review is my own.

I might have to just accept that YA isn't for me. Overall this was a good premise and at the halfway mark, it really picked up. It even ended up surprising me in part which is always a plus.

However, I knew where this book was going about 5 pages in. Besides being ultimately fairly predictable, hot and heavy romance between two underage teens always skeeves me out and there were times that this one went a little too far for me. Maybe this would be better received by a 16 year old, but I was all set.

I also struggle with the overly flowery writing in YA. Everything has two descriptors and just feels over the top. There are endless "hot tears" and the "release of breaths they didn't know they were holding" and it all just gets to be a bit much.

It also pained me that Ella didn't sit down and immediately read Haley's diary. I honestly can't imagine a situation where someone finds the diary of a someone they think they killed and they DON'T read it immediately, but that's neither here nor there I suppose.

That being said, this is a quick and entertaining read. The pressure Ella must have felt knowing she killed her best friend, the guilt over falling for her ex boyfriend - they were big emotions for anyone to grapple with, particularly a teenager. The chemistry between Ella and Sawyer was well developed and I d the building of tension, I just would have preferred a little more closed-door scenes because they were young.

I listened to this novel on audio and didn't love the narrators for Ella and Sawyer. Ella's voice was a little whiny and felt too young whereas Sawyer felt too old. The narrator for Haley was generally fine.

Overall, this was a decent read but not one that will stick with me. Thank you to Penguin Teen, PRH Audio, and Netgalley for the copy.audio-books giveaways-arcs6 s Janie405 94

Ella and Hayley are best friends until an accident kills Hayley. Now, Ella is left to try and move on as well as Hayley's boyfriend, Sawyer.

Forgive me, Hayley. For all of it. For Sawyer. For this. Is Ella starting to have feelings for Sawyer?
I'm a mess. I don't know how to get through this. In fact, I don't think I can. I'm ruined without you and the only person who can get me through losing you.....is you. Now, Ella begins to read Hayley's diary.

Something is happening to Hayley. She locked the dead bolt, fled to her bedroom, made sure all the locks work on her windows and the door is secure. She had eight missed calls from S. She checked her face in the mirror. It's not as bad as it feels. My lip is split, and there's a reddish splotch where his knuckles hit her cheekbone. Ella is reading a scary scene between Hayley and S. S is jealous of anyone and everyone.

This is a good, quick and easy YA read, Ella is such a strong character!
Forbidden Romance, Dark Secrets, and Fast Paced! 3 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 5/28/24.5 s Kara410 94

Quick read. Not really YA, has pretty graphic sex scenes described as well as domestic violence that to me don’t fit the genre.

Main character has this clueless self absorbed trait that definitely feels YA but couldn’t really make myself her or relate to her.

Could feel that S described in diary wasn’t going to be what you thought it would be.

Overall was okay read, not making my favorites list. Was going to let my teen daughter read but have decided against that.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. netgalley6 s Andi ♡303 8

Holy heck that was a wild ride!

“It’s not his fault he’s emotionally covered in third-degree burns.”

Ella’s best friend Hayley is dead and it’s all her fault. She was the one driving after all. The worst part? She can’t remember anything from that night-the last day she spent with Hayley. Everyone seems to blame her and she believes them. Then, Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend, tells Ella it’s not her fault and she can breathe a little easier. As they bond over shared grief, they start to get closer and Ella realizes she has a crush on her dead best friend’s boyfriend. If that’s not horrifying enough, Sawyer might her back.

When Ella finds Hayley’s diary, she tells herself she’s just keeping it safe so Hayley’s mom can’t read her innermost thoughts. But she pulls it out whenever she needs to talk to Hayley-it’s the next best thing after all. As Ella reads Hayley’s diary, she discovers that nothing Hayley told her about Sawyer was true. The truth is much worse, much darker. But what if she finds that darkness irresistible? When her memories start coming back in flashbacks, is everything she thought she knew about everyone wrong? Will she be able to fight the darkness or will she be consumed by it?

This book had me from the very first page and I was hanging on every word. Told in Dual POV with excerpts from Hayley’s diary, this is fast paced and a real page turner.


Autor del comentario:
=================================