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A review by aksmith92
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book had me vested! I was more interested in the mystery/thriller aspect of this book than anything else. I love a good book about a screwed-up town with residents who lie way more than they tell the truth - a murder, a cold case, and some incredible whispers filled the town of Saoirse, and I was ready to see the ending. Sometimes in these types of books, I get frustrated with all the lies; here, while there were so many, it didn't bother me all that much!
First and foremost, I enjoyed the premise. I had no clue who to trust. This book does not deliver on character development, but I get that, being that it mostly takes place in the present time for about a week or so. Some readers may not enjoy this that much, but I actually liked the flashbacks, even if they weren't necessarily in a particular order. Did the characters have unique voices, though? Not so much. But I do think they all were relatively interesting.
Here is what I didn't love: the magical/fantasy element. Saoirse is steeped with magic - many of the women in the town seem to have access to spells and witchcraft. In theory, I loved the idea. In practice, it felt like a plot that ran parallel with everything else until it didn't. Without spoiling anything, I was deeply disappointed with how the magic intersected with the love story, and all around just felt it was odd and convenient only at certain times.
I'll put a spoiler on this because while it doesn't give the plot away, it may lead to some assumptions: What I also just hated is the pinning of best friends against each other because of love, boys, and a town. Way too dramatic. Not worth it and always makes me sad. I can't find it in my heart to love a book when it does this. A magical system can be super expansive, this was a cheap shot.
Otherwise, though, I was gripped from the start and wanted to figure out what was happening! I also really enjoyed the poetic prose and writing. It was a solid read!
First and foremost, I enjoyed the premise. I had no clue who to trust. This book does not deliver on character development, but I get that, being that it mostly takes place in the present time for about a week or so. Some readers may not enjoy this that much, but I actually liked the flashbacks, even if they weren't necessarily in a particular order. Did the characters have unique voices, though? Not so much. But I do think they all were relatively interesting.
Here is what I didn't love: the magical/fantasy element. Saoirse is steeped with magic - many of the women in the town seem to have access to spells and witchcraft. In theory, I loved the idea. In practice, it felt like a plot that ran parallel with everything else until it didn't. Without spoiling anything, I was deeply disappointed with how the magic intersected with the love story, and all around just felt it was odd and convenient only at certain times.
I'll put a spoiler on this because while it doesn't give the plot away, it may lead to some assumptions:
Otherwise, though, I was gripped from the start and wanted to figure out what was happening! I also really enjoyed the poetic prose and writing. It was a solid read!