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heatherjchin's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Self harm, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Animal death, Death, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, and Child abuse
ravenwolf_waf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.0
Review on my IG -> @Katie_the_Wandering_Reader
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
el393way's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book is to magical realism what La Croix is to flavor. For some people that’s enough, but for others it way too faint. This book is marketed as magical realism but is really just a slight thriller with like maybe 10 pages of light magic thrown in at the end and a loose sprinkling of hinting at witchy vibes throughout. It feels like someone spent a fall trip in Salem and got inspired by tarot and palm reading and spell book aesthetic. They were inspired to write a book but relocated to closer to Salem, Oregon.
This blood bonded love story that’s supposed to be so compelling is just pretty ho-hum. Their whole relationship happened 14 years ago and they hardly interact in modern times but we’re supposed to believe in their connection. It’s not bad but I felt pretty indifferent to it. High school, first loves feel pretty silly and not so serious. So the fact that we only really see then interact a bit as teenagers makes me want to roll my eyes and act like the old person I am not, telling them they’ll get over their first lost love.
Overall, I guess this book would have been FINE if it was just a cold case, ancestral politics, mild thriller without any magical elements. But I spent 75-80% of the book waiting for something other than plain old fiction to happen. Even with the tiny bit of magic I got, the ending was so incredibly unsatisfying. I appreciate the attempt at a twist/reveal that is not already done to death. But again, it happens so quickly and then you’re left to deal with a very quickly executed wrap up that doesn’t feel satisfying. Plus you get some super random extra characters thrown in and info-dumping loose ends.
I think this book falls victim to the over-explanation that can be common with first person narration.
This blood bonded love story that’s supposed to be so compelling is just pretty ho-hum. Their whole relationship happened 14 years ago and they hardly interact in modern times but we’re supposed to believe in their connection. It’s not bad but I felt pretty indifferent to it. High school, first loves feel pretty silly and not so serious. So the fact that we only really see then interact a bit as teenagers makes me want to roll my eyes and act like the old person I am not, telling them they’ll get over their first lost love.
Overall, I guess this book would have been FINE if it was just a cold case, ancestral politics, mild thriller without any magical elements. But I spent 75-80% of the book waiting for something other than plain old fiction to happen. Even with the tiny bit of magic I got, the ending was so incredibly unsatisfying. I appreciate the attempt at a twist/reveal that is not already done to death. But again, it happens so quickly and then you’re left to deal with a very quickly executed wrap up that doesn’t feel satisfying. Plus you get some super random extra characters thrown in and info-dumping loose ends.
I think this book falls victim to the over-explanation that can be common with first person narration.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Death
karenreadsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
courtneyb_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Oooops, I finished this within 24 hours. Really couldn't put it down.
It has so many things I love in stories. A mystery in the past that is being solved in the present. A small, isolated town (bonus points: on an island). Secrets everywhere. And witchy magic.
I absolutely loved the setting and atmosphere. The story takes place on a small fictional island near Seattle. It's autumn, it's moody, it's gloomy, windy, there are a lot of rain and storms. Mixed with the mystery of a dead teenager 14 years ago and the magical atmosphere in the air, it was perfect for me. Really loved the magic and supernatural elements here, I need more like this. Nature-based magic spells, spell books, herbs, every day witches just doing their thing. It was always there in the background the whole time, without being the main focus of the story.
I also enjoyed the plot a lot. Slowly piecing everyone's secrets together was engaging. I guessed the truth pretty early on, but I was still intrigued by the story until the very last page because it was actually well paced and made sense and everything fit nicely together at the end.
Was it overly dramatic for no reason? Yes. But somehow I didn't mind. I actually loved some of the more dramatic scenes because I could picture them so vividly in my head. And I was even rooting for the second chance romance. It just fit the vibes.
I have to say that it read more like a YA book, especially the way the characters behaved. But it really made sense to me, given the circumstances. And again, it fit the vibes.
It has so many things I love in stories. A mystery in the past that is being solved in the present. A small, isolated town (bonus points: on an island). Secrets everywhere. And witchy magic.
I absolutely loved the setting and atmosphere. The story takes place on a small fictional island near Seattle. It's autumn, it's moody, it's gloomy, windy, there are a lot of rain and storms. Mixed with the mystery of a dead teenager 14 years ago and the magical atmosphere in the air, it was perfect for me. Really loved the magic and supernatural elements here, I need more like this. Nature-based magic spells, spell books, herbs, every day witches just doing their thing. It was always there in the background the whole time, without being the main focus of the story.
I also enjoyed the plot a lot. Slowly piecing everyone's secrets together was engaging. I guessed the truth pretty early on, but I was still intrigued by the story until the very last page because it was actually well paced and made sense and everything fit nicely together at the end.
Was it overly dramatic for no reason? Yes. But somehow I didn't mind. I actually loved some of the more dramatic scenes because I could picture them so vividly in my head. And I was even rooting for the second chance romance. It just fit the vibes.
I have to say that it read more like a YA book, especially the way the characters behaved. But it really made sense to me, given the circumstances. And again, it fit the vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Cancer, and Domestic abuse
btaylorb's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I had a hard time keeping track of who the characters were in relation to one another to the point where some sort of dramatis personae at the beginning would have helped. However, I also associate that kind of pre-textual setup with a certain tone and genre, and it probably would not have fit with the tone of this particular story and the voices of the book's narrators.
I wish there had been a little more character development for the two main characters, beyond their reconciliation and solving the mystery. I feel like Adrienne Young has a skill for drawing out the essential threads of mystery and answering the big questions within the last 50 pages. She did this pretty effectively in the Fable duology as well.
I wish there had been a little more character development for the two main characters, beyond their reconciliation and solving the mystery. I feel like Adrienne Young has a skill for drawing out the essential threads of mystery and answering the big questions within the last 50 pages. She did this pretty effectively in the Fable duology as well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
sophmcgraw's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence and Domestic abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I received this book in a FairyLoot box, and I was very excited to give it a read!
"Spells for Forgetting" follows Emery, a young woman who as a teenager swore, she would never stay in her hometown of Saoirse Island. On the eve of her planned escape into the real world, her best friend is found murdered, and the court of public opinion places the blame on Emery's one true love: August. Now, well into their adult years, August has returned to the island to lay his recently deceased mother to rest. Can Emery and August rekindle what was stolen from them and uncover the truth about what happened decades ago?
This book is the perfect fall read, and I wish I would have picked it up in October. August's family owns an orchard and all of the details and descriptions about the island and orchard made me crave changing leaves and sweet apples. Small town, close-knit stories about places like Saoirse Island also always make me think of cooler weather.
This story was well-crafted and interesting. From the beginning, I was sucked into the story and committed to proving that August was set up and someone was hiding something far more sinister. I loved that this felt like Emery and August were getting a second chance, but their "love story" did not overshadow the mystery of this book.
I had a really great time reading this, and I look forward to picking up more from Adrienne Young in the future.
"Spells for Forgetting" follows Emery, a young woman who as a teenager swore, she would never stay in her hometown of Saoirse Island. On the eve of her planned escape into the real world, her best friend is found murdered, and the court of public opinion places the blame on Emery's one true love: August. Now, well into their adult years, August has returned to the island to lay his recently deceased mother to rest. Can Emery and August rekindle what was stolen from them and uncover the truth about what happened decades ago?
This book is the perfect fall read, and I wish I would have picked it up in October. August's family owns an orchard and all of the details and descriptions about the island and orchard made me crave changing leaves and sweet apples. Small town, close-knit stories about places like Saoirse Island also always make me think of cooler weather.
This story was well-crafted and interesting. From the beginning, I was sucked into the story and committed to proving that August was set up and someone was hiding something far more sinister. I loved that this felt like Emery and August were getting a second chance, but their "love story" did not overshadow the mystery of this book.
I had a really great time reading this, and I look forward to picking up more from Adrienne Young in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, and Hate crime
Minor: Alcohol
soobooksalot's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The island gave us the magic, but there were some whose hands couldn't be trusted with the work."
A book box so nicely introduced me to a title and author I otherwise might not have sought out.
Spells For Forgetting was my pick for the Halloween LitLove box, and what a memorable read.
I know many readers are familiar with Adrienne Young through her YA fantasy books (Fable, Namesake, etc.).
I'm not huge into fantasy, but her first adult novel combines just a touch of magic with mystery, romance and atmosphere.
It's one of those special books where the setting becomes a character of sorts, in this case, Saoirse Island.
I've read comparisons to the feel of These Silent Woods, and I would also add The Last Girl To Die. Not in plot for either, but creating atmosphere.
Spells For Forgetting was a bit of a different read for me and I'm glad to have taken the chance on it.
Recommended!
A book box so nicely introduced me to a title and author I otherwise might not have sought out.
Spells For Forgetting was my pick for the Halloween LitLove box, and what a memorable read.
I know many readers are familiar with Adrienne Young through her YA fantasy books (Fable, Namesake, etc.).
I'm not huge into fantasy, but her first adult novel combines just a touch of magic with mystery, romance and atmosphere.
It's one of those special books where the setting becomes a character of sorts, in this case, Saoirse Island.
I've read comparisons to the feel of These Silent Woods, and I would also add The Last Girl To Die. Not in plot for either, but creating atmosphere.
Spells For Forgetting was a bit of a different read for me and I'm glad to have taken the chance on it.
Recommended!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Alcohol