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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Too many characters and perspectives, and none of them very compelling
When I discovered that Moira Fowley-Doyle had another book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I loved The Accident Season, so I had high hopes for this book. Spellbook of the Lost and Found definitely lived up to my expectations. The book focuses on three groups of friends--Olive and Rose, Laurel, Ash, and Holly, and Hazel, Rowan, and Ivy--in the aftermath of their town bonfire as everyone discovers their things are going missing. As diary pages start popping up all over town and the lives of these three groups begin to intertwine, the reader discovers that something darker than missing trinkets might be going on... This world had the same spooky, other-worldly feel to it as The Accident Season, the characters were just as nuanced and captivating, and the story constantly had me wanting more.
Review to come sometime tomorrow. A slow-burner of a book with the multiple viewpoints and mysterious elements, but a fascinating read. "Spellbook of the Lost and Found" had my attention from beginning to end. I had to start and stop this book several times only because it kept getting pulled by my library for holds and I couldn't finish it in time before I had to return it. I'm glad I was able to finish it and compulsively read the rest.
Another book that’s mainly set in a forest but this is one I wasn’t a big fan of. The writing in this story was very beautiful and definitely did give you a picture of Ireland. Due to this being set in a forest it is very dark and atmospheric. A lot of this story is also set at night. A lot of the things that happened within this story did happen at night which added to the darkness and atmosphere.
There were many characters in this story and they all seemed the same to me so I found it really tough to distinguish between all of them especially when it changed perspectives each chapter.
This was a beautifully written book but I got no answers to any questions I had which still frustrates me almost two months after reading this book.
There was also one scene that made me feel very uncomfortable that could make others uncomfortable involving one of the girls and a boy they find in the forest.
Throughout this story there was a lot of representation which I loved and made me smile. We had a biracial character, some LGBTQIA+ characters and a hard of hearing character who wears a hearing aid.
Although I wasn't a huge fan of this book it gives off very autumnal vibes and if you love books with an open ending with hints of magic this one is for you.
There were many characters in this story and they all seemed the same to me so I found it really tough to distinguish between all of them especially when it changed perspectives each chapter.
This was a beautifully written book but I got no answers to any questions I had which still frustrates me almost two months after reading this book.
There was also one scene that made me feel very uncomfortable that could make others uncomfortable involving one of the girls and a boy they find in the forest.
Throughout this story there was a lot of representation which I loved and made me smile. We had a biracial character, some LGBTQIA+ characters and a hard of hearing character who wears a hearing aid.
Although I wasn't a huge fan of this book it gives off very autumnal vibes and if you love books with an open ending with hints of magic this one is for you.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In Spellbook of the Lost & Found multiple people wake up in a field after a crazy neighborhood party, dazed and confused. But more importantly, than not they wake up and realize that they all have lost something. It could be a simple hair clip, a notebook, a diary, and maybe worse...maybe far far worse.
All these strangers happen to befriend each other and have their worlds collide. They all know they've lost something that one fateful night. They also all know they are finding random diary entries that talk about a group of three friends who mention losing and finding things through extraordinary and impossible means. Things get more intense when they all stumble upon a spellbook for the lost and found.
Who are the girls who cast this spell? Is magic even possible? Is everything lost worth being found? Is fate a reality?
And Moira Fowley-Doyle has done it once again. Created an eerie story that feels like an acid trip but still is super addictive. I don't understand how she does it in all honesty. I feel like I have to be in a very specific mood to want to pick up odd books but thankfully I was in that mood when I grabbed this book.
First of all, it is a perfect fall read. Second of all, Moira does a great job of creating a specific type of atmosphere that creeps you out but at the same time, you're not entirely sure why it creeps you out. It's the feeling of something being wrong but not knowing exactly what it is she is a master of creating that vibe with her writing and it's great. As a result for most of this book I felt on edge but also oddly warm.
I think it's slightly odd that most of her stories have this weird theme of incestuous relationships or the possibility of them (I've only read two and they both had something like that in them). But that along with how the story can sometimes drag are the only real criticisms I have for this book.
It honestly felt like an off-kilter and eerie fall fairytale and it was just chef's kiss. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a great and fantastic fall read that puts you on edge but is still oddly comforting.(less)
All these strangers happen to befriend each other and have their worlds collide. They all know they've lost something that one fateful night. They also all know they are finding random diary entries that talk about a group of three friends who mention losing and finding things through extraordinary and impossible means. Things get more intense when they all stumble upon a spellbook for the lost and found.
Who are the girls who cast this spell? Is magic even possible? Is everything lost worth being found? Is fate a reality?
And Moira Fowley-Doyle has done it once again. Created an eerie story that feels like an acid trip but still is super addictive. I don't understand how she does it in all honesty. I feel like I have to be in a very specific mood to want to pick up odd books but thankfully I was in that mood when I grabbed this book.
First of all, it is a perfect fall read. Second of all, Moira does a great job of creating a specific type of atmosphere that creeps you out but at the same time, you're not entirely sure why it creeps you out. It's the feeling of something being wrong but not knowing exactly what it is she is a master of creating that vibe with her writing and it's great. As a result for most of this book I felt on edge but also oddly warm.
I think it's slightly odd that most of her stories have this weird theme of incestuous relationships or the possibility of them (I've only read two and they both had something like that in them). But that along with how the story can sometimes drag are the only real criticisms I have for this book.
It honestly felt like an off-kilter and eerie fall fairytale and it was just chef's kiss. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a great and fantastic fall read that puts you on edge but is still oddly comforting.(less)
Hmm, OK. This is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. I love the author's writing style, but the magical realism tone here placed much more emphasis on the magical part than "Accident Season" did, and I felt it was weaker for it (also, I feel bad comparing the two. But I don't think I would have read this one if not for the first.) I still enjoyed it, but the dreamy quality made it harder for me to immerse myself in. I though the author did a great job juggling the different points of view.
http://www.ruthlilywrites.com/2017/07/review-spellbook-of-lost-and-found-by.html
Spellbook of the Lost and Found is a wonderful and magical book about the havoc wreaked by the titular spellbook, found in an old oak tree. We follow the stories of Olive and her best friend Rose, who begin to lose their things following the summer party in their little Irish town; Hazel, her brother Rowan and their friend Ivy, who are running away from terrible parents; and friends Laurel, Holly, and Ash, who first find the spellbook and cast the spell within to return their lost diaries to them.
As belongings begin to go missing all over town, the characters' paths cross leading them to discover more about the spellbook as items and loved ones of their own seem to be disappearing from right under their noses. The setting is wonderfully evocative, with all the closeness and tension of the small town, the dark and magical nooks and crannies of the old forest, and the eeriness of the abandoned housing estate.
Spellbook has a similar feel to Laure Eve's The Graces, with some characters believing there is magic taking place and others questioning and refusing to believe. There's a real sense of the heightened emotion and stakes of a teenage summer with stormy weather, new friendships being formed, and romances being sparked much like in The Graces.
There's a big cast of characters, but once you've got your head around which tree-named characters belong together it soon makes sense. There are twists and turns and magic and kissing and storms and hangovers and families and friendships and I had such a great time being immersed in this world. If you enjoy a bit of magical realism I'd definitely pick this book up. Bonus points for bisexual characters and same sex love making.
I received a copy of Spellbook of the Lost and Found from Penguin Random House in return for an honest review: which this is!
Spellbook of the Lost and Found is a wonderful and magical book about the havoc wreaked by the titular spellbook, found in an old oak tree. We follow the stories of Olive and her best friend Rose, who begin to lose their things following the summer party in their little Irish town; Hazel, her brother Rowan and their friend Ivy, who are running away from terrible parents; and friends Laurel, Holly, and Ash, who first find the spellbook and cast the spell within to return their lost diaries to them.
As belongings begin to go missing all over town, the characters' paths cross leading them to discover more about the spellbook as items and loved ones of their own seem to be disappearing from right under their noses. The setting is wonderfully evocative, with all the closeness and tension of the small town, the dark and magical nooks and crannies of the old forest, and the eeriness of the abandoned housing estate.
Spellbook has a similar feel to Laure Eve's The Graces, with some characters believing there is magic taking place and others questioning and refusing to believe. There's a real sense of the heightened emotion and stakes of a teenage summer with stormy weather, new friendships being formed, and romances being sparked much like in The Graces.
There's a big cast of characters, but once you've got your head around which tree-named characters belong together it soon makes sense. There are twists and turns and magic and kissing and storms and hangovers and families and friendships and I had such a great time being immersed in this world. If you enjoy a bit of magical realism I'd definitely pick this book up. Bonus points for bisexual characters and same sex love making.
I received a copy of Spellbook of the Lost and Found from Penguin Random House in return for an honest review: which this is!
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes