Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
”You promise we’re okay?” I say.
“I promise we are always okay.”
it's the raven boys, but better. In every sense of the word for me, because I got gay girls and a diverse cast (one is desi!!! And two are mixed!! and pretty much everyone is bisexual!!!) that being said, the thing that made me love this was the writing.
”If someone’s lost,” she replies softly, “it means they can be found.”
this is my favorite type of magical realism-where the real world is the one that’s magic, as opposed to being the “mundane” one. I think it’s a reminder that if you look hard enough, you can find magic in the little things of life. i loved the random feminist discussions, how different the characters were from each other and the story itself.
Not all losses are bad, he said to me the other night. Maybe we need to lose some things to make room for others. The everyday things we let go of so we can move on with a lighter load. If you don’t get lost, you’ll never be found.
There’s a scene at the end of the book where Olive, one of the main characters, talks about what being lost really means. How she has always felt like she was losing things: hair pins, friendships and herself. She realizes in that moment that being lost doesn’t mean you have to stop trying to be found. Because she’s never going to stop collecting losses, but if she collects findings, too, then she could still be okay. if she collects a feeling of love she found, she’ll be okay. and so on. i loved this scene in particular because it’s evident of how much the character has grown from the beginning. she thought she would always be somewhat lost, but now she knows it doesn’t have to bring her down every single day.
Hope rises like smoke from the forest. I can’t let myself follow it yet.
all in all, I enjoyed the plot A LOT. I loved connecting the dots, with Laura-el and all of that (it was somewhat like a mystery during these scenes) and I loved how we got the flash forwards and the flash backs and just UGH. I loved everything. I will gladly reread this again. I love every single of the main characters (maybe Rowan somewhat less, but he’s okay). The ending was wrapped up really fast, but it worked. Mostly the writing made everything enchanting so even when things should feel rushed, they feel set alight with enchantments. anyways y’all should read it!
”Do you think we can trust them?”
“Can we ever trust anyone really? With our hearts?”
“I’ve always trusted you,” she says.
”Maybe it’s about firsts. Maybe every first is a loss.”
Oh my god this whole dialogue was the best:
”I’ve never met anyone like you guys before.”
“Anyone like us?”
“You know. Painfully cool? Slightly tragic? Sad-eyed, tattooed hipster kids with no parental supervision and a tolerance for strong alcohol? Right now you’re alone in the kitchen of an abandoned house in the middle of the woods, drinking single-malt whiskey, shirtless, during a thunderstorm. Come on.”
“I’m not alone right now,” he points out.
“Touché.”
P.S. I love the cover!!! Almost as much as I loved the friendships in the book
P.S.S. I love hazel. that’s all. she was my favorite then olive grew on me and I was like Urgehehrh fine I’ll just love you ALL
P.S.S.S. The whole poetry being shouted thing. A++ also, fuck Jude or whatever his name
“I promise we are always okay.”
it's the raven boys, but better. In every sense of the word for me, because I got gay girls and a diverse cast (one is desi!!! And two are mixed!! and pretty much everyone is bisexual!!!) that being said, the thing that made me love this was the writing.
”If someone’s lost,” she replies softly, “it means they can be found.”
this is my favorite type of magical realism-where the real world is the one that’s magic, as opposed to being the “mundane” one. I think it’s a reminder that if you look hard enough, you can find magic in the little things of life. i loved the random feminist discussions, how different the characters were from each other and the story itself.
Not all losses are bad, he said to me the other night. Maybe we need to lose some things to make room for others. The everyday things we let go of so we can move on with a lighter load. If you don’t get lost, you’ll never be found.
There’s a scene at the end of the book where Olive, one of the main characters, talks about what being lost really means. How she has always felt like she was losing things: hair pins, friendships and herself. She realizes in that moment that being lost doesn’t mean you have to stop trying to be found. Because she’s never going to stop collecting losses, but if she collects findings, too, then she could still be okay. if she collects a feeling of love she found, she’ll be okay. and so on. i loved this scene in particular because it’s evident of how much the character has grown from the beginning. she thought she would always be somewhat lost, but now she knows it doesn’t have to bring her down every single day.
Hope rises like smoke from the forest. I can’t let myself follow it yet.
all in all, I enjoyed the plot A LOT. I loved connecting the dots, with Laura-el and all of that (it was somewhat like a mystery during these scenes) and I loved how we got the flash forwards and the flash backs and just UGH. I loved everything. I will gladly reread this again. I love every single of the main characters (maybe Rowan somewhat less, but he’s okay). The ending was wrapped up really fast, but it worked. Mostly the writing made everything enchanting so even when things should feel rushed, they feel set alight with enchantments. anyways y’all should read it!
”Do you think we can trust them?”
“Can we ever trust anyone really? With our hearts?”
“I’ve always trusted you,” she says.
”Maybe it’s about firsts. Maybe every first is a loss.”
Oh my god this whole dialogue was the best:
”I’ve never met anyone like you guys before.”
“Anyone like us?”
“You know. Painfully cool? Slightly tragic? Sad-eyed, tattooed hipster kids with no parental supervision and a tolerance for strong alcohol? Right now you’re alone in the kitchen of an abandoned house in the middle of the woods, drinking single-malt whiskey, shirtless, during a thunderstorm. Come on.”
“I’m not alone right now,” he points out.
“Touché.”
P.S. I love the cover!!! Almost as much as I loved the friendships in the book
P.S.S. I love hazel. that’s all. she was my favorite then olive grew on me and I was like Urgehehrh fine I’ll just love you ALL
P.S.S.S. The whole poetry being shouted thing. A++ also, fuck Jude or whatever his name
Bought this at Friends of Maui Library's secondhand shop for a quarter. This novel was rather slow to unfold and I'm not sure that the story ended up where it should have, if the plot had played itself out to its logical conclusion. There were also a number of threads that felt dropped. Can't say more without spoilers.
Perfectly fine, but to me at least it feels ultimately forgettable. I also dislike books that get wishy-washy about whether or not the magic was real - I suppose it’s more ‘realistic,’ and this did at least come down a bit more on the ‘it’s real’ side, but I still find it incredibly irritating and it makes me feel like I’m being gaslit.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! Queer girls, magic, spells, magical realism, rowdy teens, twins and an Irish setting-this book ticked all my boxes. This authors work is everything I need in life and I want her next novel.
That said this was a tad hard to get into to begin with, but well worth pushing through!
That said this was a tad hard to get into to begin with, but well worth pushing through!
Initial Impressions 9/11/17: 3 - 3.5 stars
I loved Moira Fowley-Doyle's atmospheric writing in her debut, THE ACCIDENT SEASON, so I was very excited to read SPELLBOOK FOR THE LOST AND FOUND which sounded fall-ish (it actually takes place in spring/summer. Oops) and I was very excited to start it when I received an audio copy for review!
SPELLBOOK FOR THE LOST AND FOUND has that air of magical realism and a touch of mystery, so it was an interesting read! The story overall didn't really catch me as much as I had hoped because I felt like it took a little too long to set up and get into all of the inky details (yes, that is a Zenon reference -- 10 points to you if you spotted it) and it felt a little lost (no pun intended) when trying to put the pieces together. Once the story really started coming together, it was actually really, really cool. There were so many things that I could have picked up on but didn't (I was also working while listening so my brain wasn't trying TOO hard to piece things together, which actually makes for a pretty fun experience sometimes) and I really loved the way everything resolved. The book didn't feel long per se but it also didn't really pull me through like I had hoped.
The characters were just... okay for me. Some of the personalities blended for a bit until I got to know them better towards the middle of the book, especially with essentially four different point of views happening in three to four different circles, until a few of the merged.
Hmmm I guess mild spoiler for the ending! I won't give anything away but you know, end-of-the-book-talk: I did like how everything concluded but I also wasn't sure if this really WAS supposed to be magical realism or just a "true story" (to the characters anyway) that only had seemingly magical properties. But then again, I think that was kind of the point. The characters are left wondering a little and there's still an element of magic there but at the same time, so much was rationalized out that it kind of took away from some of that magic. So to be perfectly difficult, I liked it but didn't all the same time.
AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS:
I've been horrible about giving my narrator impressions lately so here it is! The author/setting/characters are Irish so I'm glad all of the narrators were Irish as well! There were three different female narrators to take on the points of view that predominantly narrated the story. I love Irish accents but I'm not used to listening to them on audio so it was different and also fun! I'm really glad it brought that atmosphere and setting to the audiobook because I personally would not read an Irish accent to myself in my head when reading a print copy so it's nice to listen to those accents in an audiobook to keep me in the location that it takes place! All of the narrators were pleasant and I thought they did a great job! I didn't find anyone particularly excellent like omg I need to listening to everything she narrates, but I would also definitely be up for anything they did work on in the future -- I just wouldn't go seeking books out specifically for any of them like I do with some of my favorites.
I loved Moira Fowley-Doyle's atmospheric writing in her debut, THE ACCIDENT SEASON, so I was very excited to read SPELLBOOK FOR THE LOST AND FOUND which sounded fall-ish (it actually takes place in spring/summer. Oops) and I was very excited to start it when I received an audio copy for review!
SPELLBOOK FOR THE LOST AND FOUND has that air of magical realism and a touch of mystery, so it was an interesting read! The story overall didn't really catch me as much as I had hoped because I felt like it took a little too long to set up and get into all of the inky details (yes, that is a Zenon reference -- 10 points to you if you spotted it) and it felt a little lost (no pun intended) when trying to put the pieces together. Once the story really started coming together, it was actually really, really cool. There were so many things that I could have picked up on but didn't (I was also working while listening so my brain wasn't trying TOO hard to piece things together, which actually makes for a pretty fun experience sometimes) and I really loved the way everything resolved. The book didn't feel long per se but it also didn't really pull me through like I had hoped.
The characters were just... okay for me. Some of the personalities blended for a bit until I got to know them better towards the middle of the book, especially with essentially four different point of views happening in three to four different circles, until a few of the merged.
Hmmm I guess mild spoiler for the ending! I won't give anything away but you know, end-of-the-book-talk: I did like how everything concluded but I also wasn't sure if this really WAS supposed to be magical realism or just a "true story" (to the characters anyway) that only had seemingly magical properties. But then again, I think that was kind of the point. The characters are left wondering a little and there's still an element of magic there but at the same time, so much was rationalized out that it kind of took away from some of that magic. So to be perfectly difficult, I liked it but didn't all the same time.
AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS:
I've been horrible about giving my narrator impressions lately so here it is! The author/setting/characters are Irish so I'm glad all of the narrators were Irish as well! There were three different female narrators to take on the points of view that predominantly narrated the story. I love Irish accents but I'm not used to listening to them on audio so it was different and also fun! I'm really glad it brought that atmosphere and setting to the audiobook because I personally would not read an Irish accent to myself in my head when reading a print copy so it's nice to listen to those accents in an audiobook to keep me in the location that it takes place! All of the narrators were pleasant and I thought they did a great job! I didn't find anyone particularly excellent like omg I need to listening to everything she narrates, but I would also definitely be up for anything they did work on in the future -- I just wouldn't go seeking books out specifically for any of them like I do with some of my favorites.
Eh, this one was a bit of a struggle. It has an intriguing cover & synopsis, some pretty language, and an overall cryptic vibe that's good for autumnal reading, but other than that it fell flat for me. The audiobook version was pretty enjoyable though. It's read by three different Irish women, so eventually (after listening to this for weeks everyday in my car) my internal monologue started trying out a wee bit o' brogue herself (fyi it was a terrible attempt but highly entertaining). So honestly that was the most enjoyable part of this book for me, listening to the Irish lasses. There were 8-10 main characters in this novel with very similar names and personalities and I just couldn't keep up with who the fuck was who. [Honestly that's the main reason I haven't read the LOTR or ASOIF books yet - I know there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to keep track of all those hobbits and olde-timey-named folks.] So my struggles with keeping track of who's talking in the alternative POV chapters plus the iffy/spotty "magical" parts left me a bit frustrated. I wish the ending would've had more explanation as well - a whole lot of other stuff could have been cut to make the magic stuff flow stuff better instead of an abrupt poof, we're done.
3.5 stars
Spellbook of the Lost and Found has been a book I've been meaning to read for ages. This atmospheric contemporary fantasy about friendship and magic sounded like the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Moïra Fowley Doyle's storytelling as much as I thought I would
Spellbook of the Lost and Found follows the perspective of three teens wrapped up in the mystery of a magical spellbook. The first, Laura, uses the spellbook with her friend to recover their lost diaries. The second Olive finds herself [] and finally Hazel []. The three's stories interweave as the consequences of using the spellbook mount and their live are
The biggest hurdle with getting into Spellbook for the Lost and Found was its abundance of characters. The story has three points of view and each pov character has an entire worlds of close friends siblings and other people mkinging it initially hard to keep track of everyone and their relationships with each other.
Another road bump in this book's storytelling was how Moïra Fowley-Doyle framed romance. Romance is a huge part of the story and the plot relies on teenage insta love and intense dramatic emotions to fuel a lot of the character conflict and intrigue. While this occasionally works especially the darker more fantastical edge of the romance Laural and her friends have with the mysterious Jude. In Olive and Hazel's chapters, the rushed and melodramatic nature of their romances filed to connect with me. While our characters were feeling all these massive emotions about the people they liked I never felt swept away in that maelstrom of teen romance.
Despite those hiccups, I did enjoy aspects of the story, especially in its second half. While Fowley Doyle's romances didn't do much for me the friendship and sibling relationships explored in this novel were very well done. This book explores the ways relationships drift can apart overtime and how people fight to stay with each other in spite of that.
The individual character arcs were also solid. Seeing Hazel deal with her grief and anger at her mother for abandoning her and her brother for their abusive father was sharply written and Doyle captured the guilt and ultimate catharsis of that dynamic really well
I also adored Olive and Rose's friendship. Olive's passionate love for Rose and her willingness to fight anyone in her name.
This book also had great small reflections on life. Like the way Olive reflects on how much closer she's allowed herself o get to her sister after Rose became distant and the newfound connection she had with her because of that
I will say while the lightly speculative paranormal magic central to this book wasn't exactly my thing I could see anyone fond of which stories that see the magical in the mundane and use magic as a metaphor and storytelling device rather than something tangible or literal will enjoy this book. Fowley Doyle's ability to evoke a creeping dark magical atmosphere was brilliant and added d to the tension of the story well.
Overall I think I liked moments in Spellbook of the Lost and Found rather than its totality. I think its characters were well rendered and themes well executed but with we got more about the platonic relationship that were often overshadowed by uncompelling romance.
Spellbook of the Lost and Found has been a book I've been meaning to read for ages. This atmospheric contemporary fantasy about friendship and magic sounded like the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with Moïra Fowley Doyle's storytelling as much as I thought I would
Spellbook of the Lost and Found follows the perspective of three teens wrapped up in the mystery of a magical spellbook. The first, Laura, uses the spellbook with her friend to recover their lost diaries. The second Olive finds herself [] and finally Hazel []. The three's stories interweave as the consequences of using the spellbook mount and their live are
The biggest hurdle with getting into Spellbook for the Lost and Found was its abundance of characters. The story has three points of view and each pov character has an entire worlds of close friends siblings and other people mkinging it initially hard to keep track of everyone and their relationships with each other.
Another road bump in this book's storytelling was how Moïra Fowley-Doyle framed romance. Romance is a huge part of the story and the plot relies on teenage insta love and intense dramatic emotions to fuel a lot of the character conflict and intrigue. While this occasionally works especially the darker more fantastical edge of the romance Laural and her friends have with the mysterious Jude. In Olive and Hazel's chapters, the rushed and melodramatic nature of their romances filed to connect with me. While our characters were feeling all these massive emotions about the people they liked I never felt swept away in that maelstrom of teen romance.
Despite those hiccups, I did enjoy aspects of the story, especially in its second half. While Fowley Doyle's romances didn't do much for me the friendship and sibling relationships explored in this novel were very well done. This book explores the ways relationships drift can apart overtime and how people fight to stay with each other in spite of that.
The individual character arcs were also solid. Seeing Hazel deal with her grief and anger at her mother for abandoning her and her brother for their abusive father was sharply written and Doyle captured the guilt and ultimate catharsis of that dynamic really well
I also adored Olive and Rose's friendship. Olive's passionate love for Rose and her willingness to fight anyone in her name.
This book also had great small reflections on life. Like the way Olive reflects on how much closer she's allowed herself o get to her sister after Rose became distant and the newfound connection she had with her because of that
I will say while the lightly speculative paranormal magic central to this book wasn't exactly my thing I could see anyone fond of which stories that see the magical in the mundane and use magic as a metaphor and storytelling device rather than something tangible or literal will enjoy this book. Fowley Doyle's ability to evoke a creeping dark magical atmosphere was brilliant and added d to the tension of the story well.
Overall I think I liked moments in Spellbook of the Lost and Found rather than its totality. I think its characters were well rendered and themes well executed but with we got more about the platonic relationship that were often overshadowed by uncompelling romance.