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greenlivingaudioworm's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Death, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Abandonment, and Terminal illness
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Car accident, Death, and Vomit
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death, Addiction, and Grief
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent
The story centers around the loss of one main character's aunt, and the other main character's experience in foster care due to his mother's experience with addiction.theespressoedition's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I wasn't expecting to be so blown away by this book but I'm so glad that's what happened! Spells for Lost Things really took me on the most emotional journey and I actually felt like I was walking in the shoes of both Willow and Mason (and some of the other fantastic characters introduced along the way).
While the story takes place in the summertime, I still found it to be the perfect read for October. It's set in Salem and has all the witchy goodness that I was craving during the Halloween season. It's contemporary, with magical elements that create an air of mystery and wonder.
Speaking of mystery, I was completely HOOKED on that aspect of the plot. There were so many pieces of the puzzle that needed to come together and I couldn't put the book down until I had figured everything out. While parts of it felt slightly predictable, for the most part, I was impressed by the answers to the questions the reader is asking themselves from the beginning.
These characters have phenomenal depth. Quite frankly, they felt a lot older to me than 15-16 years old. While it was very obviously a YA novel (parents planning dates, school discussions, and teenage angst), the way the heavier topics were handled was really mature (though still age-appropriate). As an adult reading YA, I often get annoyed by the characters and their childish behavior (while still realizing that it's totally normal for this age group), but I didn't feel that way with Spells for Lost Things. It was completely enjoyable despite being unable to "relate" to their particular issues.
As I just mentioned, there were some pretty challenging topics discussed in this book. Things like substance abuse, abandonment, grief, and other tough content were navigated throughout the story. I personally felt as though the author navigated them beautifully. It made my eyes well up in the best way and I really connected to the different characters, despite having never gone through any of the struggles they have.
I truly hope that Jenna decides to write more books like this because I am in love.
While the story takes place in the summertime, I still found it to be the perfect read for October. It's set in Salem and has all the witchy goodness that I was craving during the Halloween season. It's contemporary, with magical elements that create an air of mystery and wonder.
Speaking of mystery, I was completely HOOKED on that aspect of the plot. There were so many pieces of the puzzle that needed to come together and I couldn't put the book down until I had figured everything out. While parts of it felt slightly predictable, for the most part, I was impressed by the answers to the questions the reader is asking themselves from the beginning.
These characters have phenomenal depth. Quite frankly, they felt a lot older to me than 15-16 years old. While it was very obviously a YA novel (parents planning dates, school discussions, and teenage angst), the way the heavier topics were handled was really mature (though still age-appropriate). As an adult reading YA, I often get annoyed by the characters and their childish behavior (while still realizing that it's totally normal for this age group), but I didn't feel that way with Spells for Lost Things. It was completely enjoyable despite being unable to "relate" to their particular issues.
As I just mentioned, there were some pretty challenging topics discussed in this book. Things like substance abuse, abandonment, grief, and other tough content were navigated throughout the story. I personally felt as though the author navigated them beautifully. It made my eyes well up in the best way and I really connected to the different characters, despite having never gone through any of the struggles they have.
I truly hope that Jenna decides to write more books like this because I am in love.
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Grief
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