Spells for Forgetting

(2.5 stars rounded up to 3) I really wanted to love this one. The writing is really atmospheric, the witchiness is wonderful (though I could have used more) and the use of multiple perspectives and time jumps kept me engaged with the story. However, as other readers have mentioned, the characters felt flat and it was often difficult to tell their perspectives apart, and the “reveal” at the end was what I had suspected all along. I also hated the epilogue scene - it felt pointless. Additionally, I found the lack of consistency in the world-building, plot, and characterization too distracting really enjoy it. Let me explain what I mean.

In the opening, Emery mentions how cell service ends as soon as you get off the ferry boat, and how it bothers the tourists. But then, for the whole middle of the book, she and Dutch are calling/texting without issue. There's no mention of wifi. Then, at the end, when it is convenient for the plot, August suddenly has service issues again. She could have addressed this by mentioning that people had wifi, but she went out of her way to talk about how disconnected the island is. I find this to be lazy writing.

Similarly, Lily dies under mysterious circumstances, and even though we are told repeatedly throughout the book how everyone on the island does magic, no one ever seems to mention or investigate this. Given Leoda's perspective at the end, this is probably supposed to be intentional. But Jake has grown up on the island; surely he would at least recognize that the combination of weird details likely means magic was involved? That none of the characters seem to consider this once again feels too convenient, and frankly, lazy again.

There are other examples of this throughout the book. I had so hoped that this would be a favorite read of 2022, so perhaps I am being too harsh; but I was really disappointed with the reading experience.

Really disappointing. I was drawn to the whole mysterious magical aspect, but there was not a single piece of magic here. There are allusions to “spells”, dark magic, divination, but was barely used or displayed throughout the book. I expected a mysterious island that was a living and breathing entity (like the Whomping Willow), something that moved and reacted to its surroundings, that really lived alongside the people. Such a shame it wasn't like that at all.

The first 200 pages is an extremely repetitive slow-burn focused on Emery and August's guilt of the past and their longing for each other. I already knew from the super long book summary and the first few chapters that August isn't what the town thinks, and Emery has a deep connected past with him. Is it necessary to read chapter after chapter about the same thing?

The author really emphasized their emotions, it's very palpable and atmospheric, a reflection of how we dwell on our own thoughts and feelings in real life for days and even years, but reading about it is so tiring.

I only continued to see what the big secret was, and the payoff was not worth it. All of these secrets, revenge, sabotage, gossip, just for some fruits? It's almost like the town did not even consider waiting or discussing with August. It is hard to get behind the townspeople's motivations, especially Lily's grandmother. There's nothing particular about this island or its history that drives the people to feel this protective about it either - show it to us, don't just make the characters say this and that about needing to protect Saorise at all costs.

Emery mentions she made a magic-binding “oath” with August when they were teens to love each other forever. She refuses to sever their connection when given the chance. This is such a huge thing the author dropped and Emery did not admit the truth to August AT ALL, which made me completely put off by Emery. It's like she manipulated him into loving her forever, into tying his very soul and essence to her forever without his consent. It's not romantic, it's toxic. I don't care if they had this intense, weird love before the oath, the aftermath makes me wonder if anything between them is truly genuine or some seedy dark thing.

This would've been far more interesting to explore though.

Writing a review for this book is gonna be hard.

It has taken me months to finish it because I am a volatile mood reader, and this was an autumn kinda vibes book and I decided to start it the week the weather decided to change seasons 🥲

This year I've surprised myself by enjoying a couple of books that were mostly vibes. And this one was perfect for that strike... except when your mind decides it's in mourning over the last 5⭐️ books you've read... yeah, shit happens, you know where I am going with this 😅

My brain imploded, chose violence and made me wait for it to deem this book worthy of its time 🥲

But I am not gonna lie, August and Emery have my heart. The childhood romance gone bad was beautifully executed and even though I was rooting for a Romeo and Juliette kinda ending, I loved the wholesomeness and that it's-not-over feeling it left me with its last pages!

I feel like, when books are written on vibes, they tend to be quite... flat? As in, any possible turn of events comes across less dramatically than I'd like? I'm a sucker for books that destroy you so maybe it's just a me thing. But it kind of felt this way with Spells. Like even though the plot was unravelling before me, it was doing it so gently that it didn't even surprise me.

The one thing I liked for sure is the amount of drama the island and its citizens created. Like, dude, my neighbourhood meetings are dramatic, but that was on a whole new level. And if you sprinkle some magic in it? Fabulous.

Overall I enjoyed solving the mystery of Saiorse Island. It felt like playing Cluedo with a dash of romance. And as always Adrienne's way of writing is one of my favorites ever, so it had to be 4⭐️ stars for Spells ✨

Leuk, meeslepend en uiterst sfeervol. Helaas viel dit op het einde voor mij weg, door het ontgoochelende verhaal en vooral einde.

Het beste aan dit boek was echt het gevoel dat het opriep tijdens het lezen.
Het was boeiend en overspoelde me met een gevoel van betovering. Ik hield echt van de sfeer en de setting. Het claustrofobische gevoel van een kleine stad, dat nog werd versterkt door de ligging op een eiland. Een plek waar al generaties lang dezelfde families wonen en waar iedereen elkaar kent. Wrok en oude wonden zijn blijven etteren, spanningen zijn generaties lang opgelopen, waardoor een voortdurende staat van onbehagen en onheil is ontstaan.
Dit boeide me meer dan wat dan ook om door te blijven lezen. Het deed me een beetje denken aan tv-shows als Vampire Diaries of Riverdale.

Ook voor het verhaal zou ik de parallel kunnen trekken met de eerder genoemde tv-shows.
Het was aanvankelijk dwingend. Veel mysterie en kleine onthullingen die je aanspoorden om te blijven lezen, gewoon om erachter te komen wat er aan de hand is. Gedurende een groot deel van het verhaal vond ik het heerlijk om te ontdekken wat er was gebeurd. Ik hield van de langzame onthullingen, de toegevoegde spanning, het dreigende gevoel van dingen die naar een onvermijdelijke dramatische climax racen.
Wanneer die climax echter niet iets heel bijzonders oplevert, doet dat anders terugkijken op het vorige genieten. En helaas is dat bij mij het geval. Niet alleen was het einde extreem gehaast, de onthullingen waren ook net iets te dramatisch en ongeloofwaardig naar mijn smaak. Het past echt bij het soap-achtige gevoel van die tv-shows, die meestal ook geen indruk op mij maken. Het is snoep dat lekker smaakt tijdens het consumeren, maar je uiteindelijk gewoon ontevreden achterlaat en je ogen laat rollen over de domheid.

In een epiloog probeerde de auteur een klein beetje van de onheilspellende sfeer die zo succesvol in het begin was gecreëerd terug op te wekken, maar het werkte gewoon niet voor mij. Het voelde eerder gewoon goedkoop aan.

Over het algemeen voorspelde de titel mijn gevoelens voor dit verhaal. Goed zolang het duurde, maar over het algemeen vrij vergeetbaar.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! I went into this not knowing anything, and was pleasantly surprised with normalized witchcraft, a murder mystery, and a hint of romance. The atmosphere is very ominous, and the tight-knit community was believable. This definitely isn't a “magic and witchcraft” novel but it is well known in this island community that all the women use witchcraft, and it does play a major role in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed it! My only complaint is that I didn't feel any of the chemisty between the main character and her love interest, even though they were reunited childhood lovers.






Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.

Emery and August had a love they thought would last forever. They grew up together on the island of Saoirse. They dreamed of leaving the island and starting a new life far away.
One night changed everything. Emery's best friend Lily is found dead, and August is the prime suspect. Everyone may believe he's guilty, but there is no proof. August and his mom still leave the island because they can't deal with the constant stares and whispers any longer.

Fourteen years later, August returns to Saoirse to bury his mother there. His presence brings the night of Lily's death back for everyone. The truth must finally come out.

This isn't the type of book that I normally read, but I thought it was really good. Very atmospheric and perfect for the spooky season. I changed my mind about who I thought was guilty quite a few times and was still wrong. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

My love for Adrienne Young only grows stronger after finishing Spells for Forgetting. The woman can write so beautifully y'all! This story is unlike anything of hers that I've read. It was mysterious and haunting and eerie. So many questions, lies, secrets, and betrayals. I put off this book for a while because I didn't know how I'd feel about a mystery, and now I am wishing I'd read it sooner. Spells for Forgetting is a multi-pov story about an island in the PNW called Saoirse. This island is rooted in magic. 14 years prior to this story, tragedy struck the island: a fire and a murder. These events scarred the town and made the residents' trust in each other waver. Our FMC, Emery... I loved her and my heart broke for her when the questions began to be answered and she finally understands why things unfolded the way they did. Our MMC, August, is the town scapegoat for the events 14 years ago. When he comes back to town to settle some business affairs, the town becomes uneasy. I loved this story so much. I wanted all of the questions answered and for justice to be served, and for me, that kept the pages turning. There's a second change romantic element, but it definitely isn't the central theme. There is tension and steam/spice, and while some of it is on page, I found it to be more tame and not explicit. The twist I didn't see coming shocked the hell out of me! I really was so shook. The story had a great balance of being both plot and character driven in my opinion. This is a New Adult novel, 18+ for themes, language, and sexual content.

This novel is an atmospheric tale set on a mysterious, magical island where fourteen years ago a murder and a fire altered the lives and futures of several town members, especially the two main characters Emery and August. This book makes for an immersive, moody read.

August Salt was run out of town 14 years ago as a suspect in the death of Lily Morgan on the night of the orchard fire that nearly destroyed Saoirse Island. His then girlfriend and the victim's best friend, Emery Blackwood, is left behind on the island where she now runs the teashop and is in a complicated relationship with Dutch Boden, who was the fourth member of their group as teenagers. August returns to the island to bury his mother, but his presence opens old wounds and challenges the peace that the residents of the island have fought to establish. He and Emery begin to unravel the mystery of Lily's death, which leads them to discover truths about the community and the island that may be better left buried.

Young excels in this book at creating an autumnal, moody atmosphere that pulls the reader into the setting. While reading, it is easy to believe that you are there on Saoirse Island with the characters. I wish she had actually leaned more into the magical aspects of the setting. For most of the book, the magical element feels peripheral and unnecessary to the story. It becomes more a part of the plotline toward the end of the book, but it really could have been left out and the book would have been a good mystery and romance.

The main characters, Emery and August, are likable enough, but I did not feel invested in their romance. I would like to have seen more chapters from their teenage years to fully develop their relationship. The character development overall in this book could have better for me. There are a lot of secondary characters whose motivations are difficult to fully understand because the reader does not spend enough time with them.

Even though I would have liked some things to be a bit more developed, I did enjoy my reading experience with this novel. I would recommend it to readers who like atmospheric reads set in the autumn with some magical realism elements.

 Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

“There are spells for breaking and spells for mending. But there are no spells for forgetting.”

Synopsis:

“I've lived enough years now to know that there were some ghosts that haunted you forever. Saoirse had secrets, yes. But so did we.”

My Thoughts:

• Deliciously atmospheric, perfect autumn vibes
• Captivating story and prose
• Quite slow-paced, with the story interspersed with flashbacks to lead up to the fire and Lily's death interspersed well throughout.
• Multiple POVs, primarily Emery & August, but also other islanders and even the island at one point
• There is a palpable sense of longing between August & Emery
• Great supporting cast of islanders.
• The magic/fantasy aspect is very low-key and understated. More of a mystery with thriller vibes and a second chance romance aspect.

“This pain inside me was like broken glass clutched in a fist. I knew it was drawing blood. Bleeding me out, all day, every day. But still, I couldn't just open my fingers and let it go. Because this wasn't that kind of love.”

I cannot say enough about this book. The prose is beautifully written. It very much gives me a dreamy, magical, dreary PNW vibe which is everything to me TBH. The twists and turns in this book will keep you guessing until the very end. This murder mystery is laced with magic and tension and heartbreak. I still cannot stop thinking about this story.