Unspeakable Things

It's the last days of the school year and Cassie McDowell can't wait for summer to begin. Because this summer she's going to make Gabriel her boyfriend. He's the best looking and sweetest guy in her school and she has a plan to make him hers. But the summer starts off with news that someone is abducting and abusing local boys. Not only that, but Cassie's got her own troubles at home. Troubles she longs to get away from. Which is why she decides she's going to investigate and solve the case of the abused boys. And when Gabriel becomes the next victim, she's more determined than ever to save the boy she loves. Readers have been praising Unspeakable Things for a while now and it's been in my TBR just as long. But I did know that the subject matter was not exactly rosy, so I delayed diving in...until I read the sample at the end of Bloodline! Unspeakable Things is set in and on the outskirts of Lilydale in 1983, the same town but almost two decades later than Bloodline. Cass and her family live on a farm in the country (that's what we would have called it growing up). Her mother is a teacher and her father is an artist. They're known for their parties, which both Cass and her sister, Sephie, loathe. And for good reason, though we don't find out the details until much later. Cass is superstitious and somewhat fearful. She spends her nights under her bed (when she wants to sleep long) or in her closet (when she wants to sleep short). And it's clear from the start that her home life isn't exactly a happy or safe one. But the 80's setting means that Cass and her friends kind of roam wild. She goes anywhere her bike will take her and has the freedom, outside of finishing household/farm chores, to spend her time pretty much as she likes. Perfect for some tweenage detecting! As mentioned, this is not a light read. Nor is it a YA book even though our narrator is on the cusp of turning 13. There's a lot of heavy material squeezed into this book, made more disturbing by the fact that it's relayed via the eyes of someone who understands too much. This is the kind of book that so perfectly showcases a writer's talent and I think it's clear that Lourey is an immensely gifted author! Overall, this is the story of a child experiencing something she should never have had to face. It's a gripping story, one I read in one sitting (which I know is terrible to say when you consider how much sweat and effort goes into writing a book!) but I just could not tear myself away from Cass's story until I found out how it would all turn out. I do want to note that because of the content, this is definitely not a book for everyone, but I thought the subject in question, which is in fact based on a series of crimes that occurred when the author herself was young, was handled well without being gratuitous or overly graphic.

This is, perhaps, the vaguest story I’ve ever been exposed to. If you’re looking for a straightforward read that communicates explicitly, this likely will not work for you. Much of what the narrator experiences is told through obscure references and you, the reader, are left to decipher each implication. I think, however, as long as you have the life experience to guide you through the story’s coded message, you’ll be aptly haunted by this dark, convoluted tale. I found the way it was written to be quite effective in conveying the guarded mindset of the narrator looking back on the experiences she had while on the cusp of her teenage years. In a small town in Minnesota, boys are being abducted and molested. They return, but they are not the same. Cassandra (Cassie) tries to make sense of these events while fearing her father, hating the strange parties her parents throw, and dreaming that a boy named Gabriel will save her from the unhappiness her home life brings. Jess Lourey writes with raw, disquieting ferocity and I was truly enamored by her prose. It was both breathtaking and terrifying, as so much of it was true to life. She skillfully depicted Cassie’s growth and understanding as she learned that heros are not always what she once believed them to be and that small-minded prejudices can do great damage. The story, itself, is well-done. It’s a slow-burn with far more drama than mystery but the circumstances of Cassie’s life are overwhelmingly unsettling. Personally, I loved that this book was packed full of unspeakable things and that the author chose to let readers work it all out in their own minds. The main thing that I didn’t care for was the inconsistency in the maturity of the storyteller. As a narrator reflecting back on her life, Cassie’s observations sometimes felt unbelievably young - often even younger than the twelve year old version of herself that she was telling us about - and, at other times, she seemed so much older and wiser. It kept throwing me off, as I couldn’t figure out how old the actual narrator was supposed to be, although I knew she definitely was not meant to be a child. I was also a bit dismayed by the predictability of the main villain although, in truth, there are multiple monsters in this book, some more apparent than others. Aside from that big reveal in the end, I did enjoy the way this book closed. I can’t imagine a more fitting way to bring Cassie’s story to an end. Unspeakable Things is well-worth the read, especially with the right expectations in mind. It is not a thriller, although promoted as such, and while mysterious, the actual mystery sits on the back burner most of the time. If you like cryptic, dramatic tales and don’t mind the potential for triggers, I do believe you will enjoy this story.

I really want to love this story, but there are a few things stopping me. This was my first book by Lourey, and I don't think it'll be my last, as I do believe the writing itself was very well done. Simply put, I wish Lourey would have done a bit more research, more on that later. The worldbuilding was very well done. And I think that is what stands out the most to me. The countryside, the farm houses, the little town of Lilydale, it was all picturesque, clear and alive in the mind's eye, and that is thanks to the author's ability. I recognize this place (and story) are modeled from a real place and event, but that's not the point. Whether completely a figment of an author's imagination or a biographical retelling, it's the ability of the author to place the reader in the world of the story that matters, and Lourey has that talent. The characters were also fairly well done, not as well done as the worldbuilding, but well done none the less. They were each distinct personalities. Cassie was obviously the most fully fleshed character in the story, but even she felt just a touch off. The storyline itself was a great concept. Overall, I really liked the storyline. A child's perception of a major crime in her small town, and it came off very credible. I could imagine much of what occurred as how a twelve year old wound perceive them. My issue was the very misguided notion that all s€xual kinks equate to being s€xuallY devi@nt, and all devi@nts are the essentially same. If that was not the author's intent, that is certainly how it read. None of that is accurate in the least. A little more research could have gone a long, long way. I do grasp, too, that some of the intent was likely intentional to match the era of the story, but even in that era there was much of that was presented here that would not have been believed in that way. It really took me from the story, especially because do much of the book was so good. I'd recommend it as a decent read, enjoyable, and certainly keeps you wanting to know what happens next. I would just also caution that the actual nitty gritty details are not accurate in the least.

FYI: Subject matter is dark and adult. Sexual situations are inferred, not graphic. Language is clean. There are a few scattered grammatical/formatting/spelling errors. When I reached the last page of the appropriately titled UNSPEAKABLE THINGS, my December FIRST READS selection, I had tears in my eyes. Those tears were for what was going on in the story, as much as for the realization I was saying goodbye to Cassie. I'm going to miss the novel's plucky, irrepressible, funny, whip-smart narrator. Cassie, at age twelve, is already wise beyond her years. There is also so much she has to learn. As the book opens Cassie is looking forward to a long Summer, turning Thirteen, and leaving Seventh grade in the reveiw mirror. This will be the summer of learning and understanding. By summer's end, circumstances will force Cassie to leave behind any lingering, idyllic illusions she has about people, and see the darkness that hides in plain view, both in her community and her own family. This is a subtle story, where little is actually spelled out, but much is inferred. The author does a masterful job of slowly revealing the horrors that are taking place in this small Minnesota town. There is someone preying on the children of Lytteville and Cassie, who is a big fan of Nellie Bly , decides to follow in her footsteps and investigate the matter. Cassie is determined to find out who is responsible for brutally raping several boys, her and her sister go to school with. Cassie has a habit of being sneaky, eavesdropping and snooping through other people's things. She may be getting some of her information second hand, but there is no denying that these victims, who say the perpetrator wore a mask, are acting very strangely. Cassie has known these boys her whole life, but now she is afraid of them. Even her kind hearted older sister is not as sweet as she used to be. The reader is in the dark about the secrets that Cassie's family is hiding. Because we know Cassie, we know that something is terribly wrong, and the family is hiding something truly awful. What we do know is that Cassie is afraid of her father, a mean drunk, that the entire family tip toes around on eggshells. The author slowly reveals the disturbing ways in which the family's life is impacted by the absolute control Cassie's father exercises over the family. He is moody, angry, and unpredictable. He is also a raging alcoholic, a Vietnam Vet, with self diagnosed PTSD, a talented struggling artist, a big fan of pornography, and known to throw some of the county's biggest parties. Predicting and appeasing his moods, is a skill set his wife and daughters have gained through necessity. The excessive secrecy about all things "family", is only one of the things they use to avoid any attention being brought on the "family." They are expected to tow the line and fly under the radar. It is a difficult life for a child straddling adulthood, and every word of it rings true. Cassie is a joy and the book is a fast read. It is well written and I thought it was outstanding.

Unspeakable Things was dark, heavy, and emotionally exhausting in a way that only very powerful storytelling can be. This is not an easy read by any means. Please, please check your trigger warnings before diving in because this book covers a lot of very difficult subject matter. So much happens in this story that at times I had to stop and just sit with what I read. It’s sad, raw, and painfully honest. The author does not hold back, and the weight of everything the characters go through really stays with you long after you put the book down. This is one of those books that you don’t necessarily “enjoy,” but you appreciate for how boldly and realistically it tells its story. It’s impactful, unsettling, and unforgettable.

Cassie McDowell is a typical Minnesota seventh-grader. She loves her parents and her sister Sephie. She has a huge crush on the cutest boy in her class. And she seems to be living an idyllic life in the woods of Minnesota. Her parents also hold wild parties and neighborhood boys are mysteriously disappearing and reappearing after being sexually assaulted. Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey of Minneapolis, formerly Paynesville, Minn., pulls aside Cassie’s seemingly bucolic life to reveal a seedy reality that includes murder. Her novel, set in 1983, was inspired by the 1989 real-life abduction and murder of Jacob Wetterling from St. Joseph, 30 miles from Paynesville. Lourey has written an adult novel from an adolescent perspective that is spot-on. Few writers could pull off what she has done. We are right there, with Cassie, as her tender, adolescent world is dashed aside by the sordid realities around her. Lourey’s main character is totally convincing, captivating and as real as any person you ever met. Perhaps most disheartening for Cassie is how those closest to her change, including her father, a struggling sculptor and damaged Vietnam veteran, whose hidden income comes from selling drugs. “It was dangerous to talk to dad when he was like this, though. We wore his anger like knives, and you didn’t want them aimed at you,” Cassie observed. Her mother, a teacher, refuses to leave her husband even though Cassie begs her to flee. Tragically, she has fallen within the spell of her husband’s dangerous alternative lifestyle. Even Cassie’s older sister Sephie changes before Cassie’s very eyes, abandoning her childhood as she becomes an adult way too early. When Gabe, the boy for whom Cassie has a huge crush, disappears, Cassie sets out to learn what happened to him. What she learns is something too horrible to even imagine as she puts her own life in peril. Lourey’s characters step off the page with realistic dialogue. Their interaction is totally believable, making them multidimensional on many levels. A sudden shift in Cassie’s reality from a typical rural Minnesota upbringing to her parents’ sordid party life is shocking yet credible, due to the breadcrumbs of clues Lourey has laid before us. This is an amazing novel on many levels – a convincing adolescent narrator, offering a realistic sense of place and giving us the twists and turns of a great mystery. It’s a fantastic book.

This was the first novel by Jess Lourey that I have read, and I will definitely read more of her work. I am interested in finding out if her other novels are as unusual and suspenseful. I read a lot of Stephen King and Florida crime novels, but have never read anything quite like Unspeakable Things. I'm a 40-something man and was skeptical of whether I could get into a novel with a 12 year old girl protagonist. On top of that, the novel appears to start slowly, just describing normal day to day happenings of a middle school girl and her (unusual) family. Right when I was starting to wonder where it was going and how the things in the synopsis were going to fit into the second half I realized Lourey had been reeling me in from the beginning. A wind range of characters had been very well developed, so when the mystery began to present itself it was not clear at all what might unfold. There are several characters who are guilty of something and it's not clear how it might all intersect. I ended up relating to the protagonist after all. She was only a few years older than me in the early '80s when this is set, which was cool because Lourey does such a great job making a reader who was a kid at that time feel like they're back there again. Great job overall on setting moods, adolescent feelings, and descriptions of weather and scenery in rural Minnesota (I'm from Wisconsin). All this and there are some wild unexpected side stories that add a little craziness. It's a little dark in the mystery storyline, but she doesn't waste too much time on details. The reader only knows what the characters hear from local gossip and read in their small town newspaper, which adds to the uncertainty of what's really going on. Yet I think the best parts are often about the totally dysfunctional family and their very untraditional lifestyle. I think I would've liked this book even if it was a longer story about them with no mystery! Jess Lourey, write a prequel!! For now I'm going to choose another of her books from whats available on Kindle

Jess Lourey’s Unspeakable Things is a beautifully written book. The author’s grasp of 1980s teenage slang is impressive and colorful. She also has an uncanny knack for description. Words chosen as verbs often are not words one would think of as verbs, and yet they convey exactly and vividly what the author is saying. Likewise, often her adjectives do the same. I reveled in Lourey’s writing. The story she tells is a complex one, told through the eyes of a twelve-going on thirteen-year-old. Thus often many things are left unsaid—hence the title. The girl, Cassie, either doesn’t understand the actuality of what is going on around her, prefers to invent reasons for them, or simply, at her age, cannot face these realities. And so we, as readers, are left to make our own conclusions. As a mystery, the tale has many twists and turns, and I was constantly trying to figure out what was going on. As a result, I got bogged down, wondering if any of my own conclusions would be the ones Lourey comes to by the end of the novel. And, I must say, with four possible suspects—two of which I wasn’t expecting to be the perpetrator of the crimes—I was extremely disappointed when the reveal was made. Her perp, to me, seemed the second least likely of the four choices. And for that reason, I can’t say—despite all the wonderful writing—that I enjoyed this book.

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 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. Oh wow did I love this book. Written from the main character's POV, Cassie, who is a thirteen year old but this is not a childish book. Because Cassie is a child and innocent in many ways we see her draw incorrect conclusions about people and things that have happened, but at the same time the way she sees the world around her is unique and compelling and we're taken on her journey as she navigates the sometimes very dark world of adults. The dialogue between the children and adults or children to children is excellent. The writing is superb and so descriptive is makes your toes curl, it is creepy and dark. I loved sentences like, 'I jumped so high that I left my skin behind. ' I can just imagine a thirteen year old saying that, or, 'I was panting like a scared dog.' Yes the ending could have been better but I don't care because I enjoyed every nail biting moment I read this book.

I bought the book because how much people hyped this book on social media. Unfortunately i have to agree with the other 1 Star reviews. There is absolutely nothing happening at all until the last 4 chapters which is a total of 13 pages. I have to say that i really liked the book being written in the POV of a 13 year old girl. But i feel its more like a following of her life. I also like the way it was written BUT the title, the cover and the "scare" on the back of the book dont match whats written for the first 286 pages. Again ... nothing happens.

Captures perfectly the sonic, pulsing, ever-present dread of a child growing up in an abusive household, headed by a narcissist supported by his enablers; and in a place where kids must grow up fast as the adults continually fail them

I struggled a little bit getting into this but it was a decent read and I definitely am glad I read it.

This will keep you in the edges if your seat and will make you chew all your nails out. This is a hybrid of a psychological thriller, stark reality and unending suspense. I could relate to young Cassie and could picture every other character in their environment . A fabulous work