Inspired by a terrifying true story from the author’s hometown, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota community where nothing is as quiet—or as safe—as it seems.Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of … their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.
All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale.
One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed—violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets start to surface. Then Cassie’s own sister undergoes the dark change. If she is to survive, Cassie must find her way in an adult world where every sin is justified, and only the truth is unforgivable.
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Jess Lourey does a masterful job building tension and dread, but her greatest asset in Unspeakable Things is Cassie — an arresting narrator you identify with, root for, and desperately want to protect. This is a book that will stick with you long after you’ve torn through it.
Part suspense, part coming-of-age, Jess Lourey’s Unspeakable Things is a story of creeping dread, about childhood when you know the monster under your bed is real. A novel that clings to you long after the last page.
Inspired by a true story, Unspeakable Things crackles with authenticity, humanity, and humor. The novel reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird and The Marsh King’s Daughter. Highly recommended.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it was incredible. The book is a historical fiction book placed in the 80’s. While the crimes described in the book were not real, the author was inspired to write this book based on actual crimes. Due to the author’s incredible power of description, I felt I was right there living these events. Which was unsettling, because the book is not a pleasant book. But I was amazed at how accurately she related 80’s culture. I had lived through the 80’s, but put so much of it out of my mind until I read this book. The book is written from the viewpoint of an 8th grader, who must deal with her dysfunctional family, worries that her dad will molest her, how to get the boy of her dreams, and with wanting to solve the mystery of who is attacking and raping boys in her town. The author captures both the naivete and gullibility of a pre-internet 8th grader perfectly. In spite of the subject matter, the book is not overly graphic, around a PG-13 rating. The suspense aspect of the story was very well done. The only mild criticism I have of the book is that it ended abruptly. Reading the Kindle version, I was surprised when I turned a page and the book was finished. While the ending was adequate enough, it really felt like there should have been another chapter, or at least an epilogue. This book probably isn’t for everyone, but if you like a mixture of 80’s culture and suspense crime, this is a superb book.
This story takes place in 1980’s small town Minnesota and is inspired by actual events that involved young boys as victims. The protagonist is a twelve-year old girl, with an older sister and hippy-like parents, barely scraping by. The father is an alcoholic and it is clear that the daughters fear him. Not only is the girl exposed to a dysfunctional family environment, but something strange, dark and secretive starts happening to boys of various ages within her community. The protagonist is an astute observer and nothing escapes her notice. By the time a boy she especially likes goes missing, her suspicions have already fallen on several possible suspects, some very close to home. This was a a fascinating, entertaining and unusual story, well worth the time to read.
Just released today and it’s a Kindle First Reads deal!
In Unspeakable Things, middle-schooler Cassie lives with her older sister and parents in small town Minnesota in 1983. There are serious, scary issues at home and she’s trying to figure out how to deal with that without much help. Then boys start disappearing and coming back changed. Reading this book, my heart hurt for the kids that come home and those that don’t, for those who are believed and those who aren’t.
I very much enjoyed Cassie’s voice as she attempts to investigate the attacks, while simultaneously trying to make sense of her home life and remain safe herself. Utilizing a middle schooler as the main character was perfect for this plot. Cassie’s point-of-view illustrates well the fear and confusion experienced by the whole community when something like this occurs, as well as the fact kids often know and are affected by more than you may think. A sense of foreboding permeates the entire novel. The subject matter addressed is not light or easy but the author does a fantastic job portraying this community and the stomach-churning anxiety the events create while also keeping a pace that has you soaring quickly through the novel. Unspeakable Things is about serious issues but it doesn’t preach. This book is a coming of age novel and a mystery, plus high suspense and tension from page one.
Content Warnings: sexual assault; homophobic language
Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #UnspeakableThings #mystery #suspense
DNF
To be honest, I only made it to 47% in this book. Nothing really happens other than being on edge waiting to see if their dad would snap and that got old. I was expecting something…. anything to happen since I had read almost halfway through, but nope! I think their dad is sketchy, but other than….this is just mundane and dull. As usual, I would suggest you read it and form you’re own opinion.
This was my first foray with this author and I must say it was just ok. There was so much happening and a lot of confusion (for me). Was there incest or not? If so, why would Peg stay with Donny, who by the way, was just strange!!
Maybe I had higher expectations since I’d so many good things about this one, but I felt disappointed I guess you could say.
I will give this author another chance because maybe this just wasn’t the book for me. That’s not to say that others won’t find it amazing. Please read it for yourself and make your own determination.
#Cassie #Sephie #Peg #Donny #Strange #WasLeftWondering
Sometimes a book is so wonderfully powerful that it’s hard to put into words. This is one of those books! Boys are being attacked in a small town and a young girl is the only one really interested in finding the culprit. This book will keep you reading long past your bedtime, the pages almost turning themselves. The writing is skillful, with a complex plot and well-developed characters. Highly recommended!
I really enjoyed this book. It creates a tension that people abused as children may find uncomfortable, and as one, I still could not put it down. I could feel the fear and still I read it. Truly haunting.
This book is a dark and disturbing tale told through the eyes of a 13 year old girl in search of a hero or maybe trying to be one herself. It was an enjoyable read drawing you into the suspense and mystery. As told from Cassie’s POV the writing style makes sense. The things that the author shows us are things a normal 13 year old girl would focused on. Even considering that I wish the story had been a bit more fleshed out especially the ending which felt a little rushed. Overall I’m glad I picked it up and would recommend it to others with the warning of potential triggers.
I honestly cannot figure out why I even finished this book. It is well written, but not the kind of story I enjoy.
Author tried a little to hard to make a first person child novel, some dialogue seemed forced,
With Unspeakable Things, Jess Lourey has managed the near-impossible, crafting a mystery as harrowing as it is tender, as gut-wrenching as it is lyrical. There is real darkness here, a creeping, inescapable dread that more than once had me looking over my own shoulder. But at its heart beats the irrepressible — and irresistible — spirit of its 12-year-old heroine, a young woman so bright and vital and brave she kept even the fiercest monsters at bay. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time.
I finished Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey over a week ago and I kept putting off writing the review. I kept putting it off because I want to be able to give Lourey five stars on everything she writes because I’ve enjoyed her Mira James Mysteries and Salem’s Cipher has been on my TBR forever, plus she fosters cats and kittens. How could you not want to support someone who is obviously a wonderful person?!?
But this book… I just couldn’t. It started off well. Lourey played up the nostalgia of the 80’s and my childhood, so I was enjoying that trip back in time. Then we start getting into how dysfunctional Cassie’s family life is. Okay. While I don’t seek out books about children being abused, unfortunately it happens way too often in life, so if this is to enhance the non-fiction aspects of an actual crime that happened in her hometown, I’ll roll with it.
That’s where the interesting ended for me and it just kept getting more disturbing. And I enjoy reading and watching disturbing, but it just felt like Lourey kept trying to up the last crazy or abusive situation that happened. This felt more like an abuse survivor’s story, and if it would have been marketed that way, I would be writing a different and probably, rave review. Even though Lourey talks in the prologue about writing this book because of an actual crime, I am not writing this review based on thinking it is supposed to be a fictionalized true crime. But if Lourey had written Unspeakable Things with more of a true crime slant I think there was a lot of potential for it to be excellent.
It did give me a horrified feeling, although I enjoy this feeling more when I read horror, in regards to Cassie’s father slowly creeping up the stairs. Two stairs up this time and three the next time. Would the next time be when he finally comes into her room. And you know what would have been happening then, which would not have been something I would have wanted to read. And although this part of the book did stir up emotions, the fact that he was clipping his nails every time just made it weird and would pull me out of the story. I kept thinking, How often does this man clip his nails? I have never paid attention but I think I clip mine about once a month, and the way the story flowed it felt like he was doing it at least once a week, if not more often. I know it seems strange, but it really stuck with me.
And all the craziness was not just contained to her family, it seemed to be the whole town. Sex parties that lots of adults participated in, people producing and selling drugs, and cops not investigating the crime (although this is one thing that truly happened during the actual case). To me, it felt like Lourey crammed in every bad stereotype of person and event that you see in cops shows into one book and figured it would sell.
But it’s gotten some great reviews so Unspeakable Things may be one that I enjoyed, but you might. Although I will not be recommending this one, I will continue to read her past and future books.