Everything We Never Said
Dark romance, high stakes, and plot twists abound in this paperback original YA thriller that's perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover.
What you don't know can hurt you....
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 dark, romantic thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin, Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.
What you don't know can hurt you....
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 dark, romantic thriller perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover and Laura Nowlin, Everything We Never Said explores the secrets in even the best of friendships and asks how well you ever know the ones you love.
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Everything We Never Said deals with heavy themes, suitable for young readers, Harlow delivers a story that is both gripping and addictive.
Storytelling
I was hesitant with this novel mainly because while this is a young adult book, the marketing called Harlow “the next Colleen Hoover.” I understand the marketing practice to appeal to the masses. However, we must remember that Colleen Hoover is not always suitable for teens younger than 16.
So that made me skeptical.
However, after reading it, I can safely say the novel is for books ages 14+.
The story follows Ella, who is still reeling from the death of her friend, a car accident she is partly responsible for since she was driving intoxicated.
While cleaning Hayley’s room, she discovers her diary and uncovers the many secrets her friend had. All while falling in love with her boyfriend, Sawyer, who has just as many secrets.
A dual POV novel, it goes between Sawyer and Elle and includes Hayley’s diary entries, making it partly epistolary. But Hayley never names anyone, calling everyone by their first initial, making her quite the unreliable narrator.
Given how the story unfolds, we don’t know who to trust or suspect, making it quite exciting and engaging to read.
Someone else was there the night of the car accident, but who?
While jumping between voices, we get a sense of these characters, who they were, and the complexities of their lives, making it a well-rounded narrative.
Final Thoughts
Everything We Never Said does deal with some heavy themes, such as mental abuse, physical abuse, and toxic relationships. However, Harlow develops these themes in a thoughtful and not explicit way. It forces the reader to look at the behavior in the book. It allows them to recognize what is bad behavior. It is a book worth reading, from a teacher to a class, to a parent to their child. Recognizing those signs is essential and should be discussed.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
A dark romance edged with mystery, Everything We Never Said hooks the reader in with a forbidden romance and a diary worth killing over.
Everything We Never Said deals with heavy themes, suitable for young readers, Harlow delivers a story that is both gripping and addictive.
Storytelling
I was hesitant with this novel mainly because while this is a young adult book, the marketing called Harlow “the next Colleen Hoover.” I understand the marketing practice to appeal to the masses. However, we must remember that Colleen Hoover is not always suitable for teens younger than 16.
So that made me skeptical.
However, after reading it, I can safely say the novel is for books ages 14+.
The story follows Ella, who is still reeling from the death of her friend, a car accident she is partly responsible for since she was driving intoxicated.
While cleaning Hayley’s room, she discovers her diary and uncovers the many secrets her friend had. All while falling in love with her boyfriend, Sawyer, who has just as many secrets.
A dual POV novel, it goes between Sawyer and Elle and includes Hayley’s diary entries, making it partly epistolary. But Hayley never names anyone, calling everyone by their first initial, making her quite the unreliable narrator.
Given how the story unfolds, we don’t know who to trust or suspect, making it quite exciting and engaging to read.
Someone else was there the night of the car accident, but who?
While jumping between voices, we get a sense of these characters, who they were, and the complexities of their lives, making it a well-rounded narrative.
Final Thoughts
Everything We Never Said does deal with some heavy themes, such as mental abuse, physical abuse, and toxic relationships. However, Harlow develops these themes in a thoughtful and not explicit way. It forces the reader to look at the behavior in the book. It allows them to recognize what is bad behavior. It is a book worth reading, from a teacher to a class, to a parent to their child. Recognizing those signs is essential and should be discussed.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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