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A review by lilifane
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
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