ABOUT THE BOOK
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?
MY REVIEW
A fatal accident, amnesia, guilt, forbidden romance, and a revealing diary. It’s a slow build of secrets creeping towards an ending full of shock and awe.
Ella’s grief is heartbreaking as she returns to high school a broken girl and no memory of what happened that night with her best friend Hayley. Reconnecting with Hayley’s boyfriend, Sawyer, who is dealing with his own anguish, their feelings become more than friends and it feels like a betrayal.
The book tells the story from the perspectives of Ella, Sawyer, and Hayley through her diary entries. It explores their relationships and delves into themes of abuse. The pacing is slow at first, but it picks up about three quarters through the book with a mystery triggered by Hayley’s diary, and a plot twist full of suspense and tension.
Though the mystery is predictable and I figured it out early on, the book does a good job dealing with loss and grief. It is a complex emotion and the author shows how it presents itself differently with everyone.
I recommend this gripping and emotional YA thriller that explores the complexities of grief, abuse, and resilience. It’s a compelling debut novel and I look forward to reading more novels from this author.
Thank you to Ms. Harlow for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sloan Harlow was interested in writing from a very young age. Everything We Never Said is her debut novel. She lives in Georgia with her black cat, Pabu, where she’s trying to eat as much ube ice cream as possible.
Follow Sloan on Instagram.
