Spells for Forgetting
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- Create Date：2022-09-05 07:52:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Adrienne Young
- ISBN：1529425352
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Summary
Emery Blackwood's life was forever changed on the eve of her high school graduation， when the love of her life， August Salt， was accused of murdering her best friend， Lily。 Now， she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence among the community that fractured her world in two。 She'd once longed to run away with August， eager to escape the misty， remote shores of Saiorse Island and chase new dreams; now， she maintains her late mother's tea shop and cares for her ailing father。 But just as the island， rooted in folklore and tradition， begins to show signs of strange happenings， August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that no one wants to remember。
August Salt knows he is not welcome on Saiorse， not after the night that changed everything。 As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard， Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods， shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer。 When he returns to bury his mother's ashes， he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from the past that has never healed—Emery。 But the town has more than one reason to want August gone， and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises that span generations threatens to reveal the truth behind Lily's death once and for all。
A rural island community steeped in the mystical superstitions of its founders and haunted by an unsolved murder is upended by the return of the suspected killer in this deeply atmospheric novel。 Evocative and compelling， Spells for Forgetting is a vivid exploration of lost love and the unraveling of a small town and its many secrets。
August Salt knows he is not welcome on Saiorse， not after the night that changed everything。 As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard， Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods， shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer。 When he returns to bury his mother's ashes， he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from the past that has never healed—Emery。 But the town has more than one reason to want August gone， and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises that span generations threatens to reveal the truth behind Lily's death once and for all。
A rural island community steeped in the mystical superstitions of its founders and haunted by an unsolved murder is upended by the return of the suspected killer in this deeply atmospheric novel。 Evocative and compelling， Spells for Forgetting is a vivid exploration of lost love and the unraveling of a small town and its many secrets。
Reviews
Mimi
，
Spells for Forgetting is unforgettable。 It’s a mystery taking place on Saoirse， an island full of magic， secrets， and treacherous residents。 The plot alternates among several POVs and includes details of events from 14 years previous as well as the impact those events have on the present。 Initially， it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who is involved in the dark plotting and， more importantly， why。 There are a lot of suspects to choose from。 Each character has some secret or lie from their past （and s Spells for Forgetting is unforgettable。 It’s a mystery taking place on Saoirse， an island full of magic， secrets， and treacherous residents。 The plot alternates among several POVs and includes details of events from 14 years previous as well as the impact those events have on the present。 Initially， it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who is involved in the dark plotting and， more importantly， why。 There are a lot of suspects to choose from。 Each character has some secret or lie from their past （and some from the present） that they are hiding， including the two main protagonists， Emery and August。 Tension builds as the main ringleaders change their villainous plans and decide to target one of the residents for death。 Filled with tension and an intricate mystery at its heart， Spells for Forgetting caught my attention from the onset and kept it throughout。 The last few chapters tie all the loose ends together in a surprising way。 Terrific suspense！ A very enjoyable read。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advance ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Emma Croone
，
This book was phenomenal！ Adrienne Young’s storytelling will always be a favorite of mine and this book did not disappoint in that area。 The story flowed effortlessly and made you feel like you were on Saoirse Island amidst the fog and changing leaves。 It had everything I could have wanted in a Fall read: mystery， magic and secrets that will make you have trust issues by the end。 😆 Overall， a stunning debut adult novel！
Rachael Mills
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{AD|GIFTED} This is the perfect book for autumn with its witchy vibes， murder mystery， and long-held secrets。 The claustrophobic atmosphere of Saiorse Island felt like a character itself and the inhabitants of the island felt so real。 I read this in one sitting as I was so drawn into the mystery that I couldn't put it down。 Highly recommended。 {AD|GIFTED} This is the perfect book for autumn with its witchy vibes， murder mystery， and long-held secrets。 The claustrophobic atmosphere of Saiorse Island felt like a character itself and the inhabitants of the island felt so real。 I read this in one sitting as I was so drawn into the mystery that I couldn't put it down。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Librow0rm Christine
，
Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 I was really excited to be approved for Spells for Forgetting as it sounded like a magical and mysterious read by an author whose work I have previously adored。 However， the story and I just did not gel， I can’t work out why though。 The book itself contains some great elements， an island full of mystery and secrets。 A community with cliques within cliques fi Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 I was really excited to be approved for Spells for Forgetting as it sounded like a magical and mysterious read by an author whose work I have previously adored。 However， the story and I just did not gel， I can’t work out why though。 The book itself contains some great elements， an island full of mystery and secrets。 A community with cliques within cliques fighting to keep their island alive。 Decent， strong and well constructed main protagonists with compelling reasons for their actions and investigations， especially Emery and August。 The mystery and plot themselves were well constructed and there was a decent bite in the tail。 The writing itself is great quality and the story is well structured， but that thing that makes something just click for me wasn’t there。 I suspect that I’m in the minority on this one， and it won’t stop me from loving Adrienne Young’s other work at all。 She is a fabulous author and I truly believe the old phrase “it’s not you， it’s me…” is definitely the case for this book。 And I’m really sad about this， as I truly wanted to love this book。 。。。more
Librow0rm Christine
，
Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 I was really excited to be approved for Spells for Forgetting as it sounded like a magical and mysterious read by an author whose work I have previously adored。 However， the story and I just did not gel， I can’t work out why though。 The book itself contains some great elements， an island full of mystery and secrets。 A community with cliques within cliques fi Thank you Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 I was really excited to be approved for Spells for Forgetting as it sounded like a magical and mysterious read by an author whose work I have previously adored。 However， the story and I just did not gel， I can’t work out why though。 The book itself contains some great elements， an island full of mystery and secrets。 A community with cliques within cliques fighting to keep their island alive。 Decent， strong and well constructed main protagonists with compelling reasons for their actions and investigations， especially Emery and August。 The mystery and plot themselves were well constructed and there was a decent bite in the tail。 The writing itself is great quality and the story is well structured， but that thing that makes something just click for me wasn’t there。 I suspect that I’m in the minority on this one， and it won’t stop me from loving Adrienne Young’s other work at all。 She is a fabulous author and I truly believe the old phrase “it’s not you， it’s me…” is definitely the case for this book。 And I’m really sad about this， as I truly wanted to love this book。 。。。more
Stephanie （abookandadog）
，
What a delightfully spooky read！ The essence of the PNW is perfectly captured somehow on the pages of this book。 I could see Saoirse in my mind’s eye so clearly with the tall intrusive evergreens and foggy darkness。 The characters and story are so deep and complicated， I couldn’t put this one down。 I had to know what would happen next！ Very clever use of perspective， especially near the end。 I’ve read the Fable duology and this book brings so much more to the table and it was everything I could What a delightfully spooky read！ The essence of the PNW is perfectly captured somehow on the pages of this book。 I could see Saoirse in my mind’s eye so clearly with the tall intrusive evergreens and foggy darkness。 The characters and story are so deep and complicated， I couldn’t put this one down。 I had to know what would happen next！ Very clever use of perspective， especially near the end。 I’ve read the Fable duology and this book brings so much more to the table and it was everything I could have hoped for。 Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
lisa （noah slade's version）
，
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with this digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 This review is my own， honest thoughts about this book。Fourteen years ago， a fire devastated the famous orchard on Saoirse Island， leaving behind the body of the young Lily Morgan。 In the wake of the tragedy， August Salt， a close friend of Lily， was pinned as the main suspect， although he was never charged with the crime。 Nevertheless， August an Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with this digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 This review is my own， honest thoughts about this book。Fourteen years ago， a fire devastated the famous orchard on Saoirse Island， leaving behind the body of the young Lily Morgan。 In the wake of the tragedy， August Salt， a close friend of Lily， was pinned as the main suspect， although he was never charged with the crime。 Nevertheless， August and his mother left the island and swore to never get back， leaving behind his love and Lily's best friend， Emery Blackwood。 Now， August goes back to Saoirse to bury his mother and opens old wounds on this isolated island。 I am always skeptical when a YA author ventures into the adult territory because it might be a source of tone problems， and unfortunately it was the case with this book。 The main characters （August， Emery， Dutch） are in their mid-thirties， but their voice still sounds very young to me。 Additionally， the voice of the side characters （who are slightly older） almost blends in， which renders the story very monotonic。About the plot， I have realized that small-town mysteries like this are probably not for me （see The Lighthouse Witches）。 However， I still do think that the plot in this book is very predictable， and almost follows a narrative structure that is repeated over and over again in this genre。 On the positive side， the atmosphere of the book is great， excellent even。 Adrienne Young's lush prose painted a serious， slightly eerie landscape of the island， which I highly appreciated。 It's a shame that the rest appears very lukewarm to me。Overall， it was not the best book I have ever read， nor is it the worst。 If you are familiar with the small-town mystery structure， you probably shouldn't read this。 If you are just in for the eerie vibe， I say go for it， it would probably be a fun time。 。。。more
Fantasyinpyjamas
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The main characters Emery and August were impossible not to fall in love with。 The island itself， Saiorse was the perfect setting。 I found myself completely transported and only wish that I could visit and go apple picking in real life。 I appreciated the fact that we got the perspective of the island and the story from multiple characters。 The end line was absolutely perfect however my one problem with the book was I felt the ending was a little bit rushed。 After all the atmospheric build up I w The main characters Emery and August were impossible not to fall in love with。 The island itself， Saiorse was the perfect setting。 I found myself completely transported and only wish that I could visit and go apple picking in real life。 I appreciated the fact that we got the perspective of the island and the story from multiple characters。 The end line was absolutely perfect however my one problem with the book was I felt the ending was a little bit rushed。 After all the atmospheric build up I wanted more out of the ending。 I felt there were a few characters we didn't really get a conclusion from and there were a few loose ends。 Apart from that this was such an easy read and very hard to put down Thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
CYIReadBooks （Claire）
，
Wow！ I loved this book！ I thought Fable and Namesake were good， but this one…amazing。Fourteen years ago， Emery， Lily， August， and Dutch were the best of friends。 That is until Lily dies under questionable circumstances。 August is the prime suspect in the investigation and the whole town on Saoirse is behind that allegation。 In the peoples’ minds， August is guilty。Wanting a fresh start， August and his mother， Eloise quietly and abruptly leave Saoirse leaving behind them scars from bad memories an Wow！ I loved this book！ I thought Fable and Namesake were good， but this one…amazing。Fourteen years ago， Emery， Lily， August， and Dutch were the best of friends。 That is until Lily dies under questionable circumstances。 August is the prime suspect in the investigation and the whole town on Saoirse is behind that allegation。 In the peoples’ minds， August is guilty。Wanting a fresh start， August and his mother， Eloise quietly and abruptly leave Saoirse leaving behind them scars from bad memories and the disdain from their former townsfolk。 August told no one of their departure and no one cared except for Emery — the girl that held August’s heart。Now August has returned to Saoirse。 It was his dying mother’s wish to be buried back in Saoirse。 It was a wish that August could not refuse。 While on Saoirse， August must confront the whispers and stares from the townspeople。 August expected an unwelcomed visit。 But he was prepared for it。 What he wasn’t prepared for were the secrets that would be slowly unearthed…Secrets that were long buried until his arrival back on the island。 And everyone had secrets。I loved everything about this novel。 The characters， the world building and the plot。 The characters are many and each of them added depth and breadth to the narrative。 The story is told from multiple points of view。 As such the chapters are titled after each character’s view。 These multiple points of view was just one of the things that I enjoyed about this novel。 It really gave insight as to the mindset of the characters and the goings on in Saoirse。The next thing I loved was the excellent world building。 Author， Young has got real talent for creating an almost realistic environment with some magical elements。 You can just taste the salt in the air and smell the herbs from the apothecary。The plot is complex and encompasses a whodunnit mystery with numerous twists。 But it’s not just a mystery/thriller， Spells also has some elements of fantasy — spells and potions， and a bit of romance。 There is a big and long reveal， but it is slowly exposed layer by layer through each of the players in the novel。 A reveal that is sure to surprise。Spells for Forgetting is a remarkable novel that blends the mystery， intrigue， fantasy， and romance genres into a nice complete package。 Five outstanding stars。I received a digital ARC from Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley。 The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
Viv
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~2。5-2。75-feel like this story would've been better setting itself up a few years after the incident， not a whole 14 （for such a big gap- the characters feel the same as their teenage counterparts- not people in their 30s）（it also read more YA than adult）-i do like the little insert of other characters perspectives but not when they all sound like the same person （view spoiler）[ the best/fave perspective was the island （hide spoiler）]-the climax/confrontation。。 it was something alright-this is f ~2。5-2。75-feel like this story would've been better setting itself up a few years after the incident， not a whole 14 （for such a big gap- the characters feel the same as their teenage counterparts- not people in their 30s）（it also read more YA than adult）-i do like the little insert of other characters perspectives but not when they all sound like the same person （view spoiler）[ the best/fave perspective was the island （hide spoiler）]-the climax/confrontation。。 it was something alright-this is from my own expectation but personally thought the love story was going to be a big driving force but it was just so-so， also personally thought it was going to be a bit more lustful and haunting too 。。。more
Lauren Is booked
，
Wow。 I knew 21% in that I would LOVE this book and what an adventure it was。 This had such a great modern twist on magic and it was written from different POV’s but it honestly made this story tie together and you get the answers you were questioning。 I didn’t expect it to be so much suspense but this was so good。 5⭐️ 。25🌶。
Idelmis Batista
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Loved！！！！！！
Rachel LaBerge
，
This book in 3 words: Spellbinding。 Particular。 Ambient。 💕August Salt has returned to Saoirse Island， where he was suspected of killing Lily Morgan， 14-years ago。 Emery， August's first-real love， is still on the island， and still paying the price for the tragic happenings of that graduation night。 When August returns， there's so much to find out about Lily's death， the island， and the secrets people keep。 🖤I couldn't stop reading this; it's a story that demands to be read。 The writing is atmosph This book in 3 words: Spellbinding。 Particular。 Ambient。 💕August Salt has returned to Saoirse Island， where he was suspected of killing Lily Morgan， 14-years ago。 Emery， August's first-real love， is still on the island， and still paying the price for the tragic happenings of that graduation night。 When August returns， there's so much to find out about Lily's death， the island， and the secrets people keep。 🖤I couldn't stop reading this; it's a story that demands to be read。 The writing is atmospheric and visceral with what felt like cameo-perspectives throughout。 I love that most of the key players each have a chapter， from their perspective， to help develop the plot。 The magical touch to the story is like a hazy fog I adored and couldn't get enough of。 It's always there but in the most unique of ways。I'm having a hard time categorizing this book。 Spells for Forgetting is: small town， magic， romance， thriller， mystery。 At its core， I think the strongest theme is relationships。。。 between lovers， family members， the island and its inhabitants， the orchard and the island， livelihood and the lengths people go。 👏🏻Is it weird that I would totally go to Saoirse Island？ MOST OF IT seems like a whole vibe。 Spells for Forgetting is going to be a key fall read in 2022 and readers won't be disappointed。 Out on September 27！ 。。。more
Lauren Don’tGoBrekkerMyHeart
，
TW: cancer （off page but discussed）， drowning， child abuse/ beatings， gun violence， immolation/ fire violence， attempted murder， murder， emotional abuse， gaslighting， misogyny， stalking， death of loved oneAdrienne Young's novels have always been a love-hate relationship for me。 I've fallen quickly in love with her lyrical sentences， dynamic characters， and interesting synopses， but the endings always lack resolution and a satisfying end。 Spells for Forgetting was my last ditch effort for Adrienn TW: cancer （off page but discussed）， drowning， child abuse/ beatings， gun violence， immolation/ fire violence， attempted murder， murder， emotional abuse， gaslighting， misogyny， stalking， death of loved oneAdrienne Young's novels have always been a love-hate relationship for me。 I've fallen quickly in love with her lyrical sentences， dynamic characters， and interesting synopses， but the endings always lack resolution and a satisfying end。 Spells for Forgetting was my last ditch effort for Adrienne's work because it's her first step into adult， which requires a different writing style， especially within the techniques of storytelling。 For basically 95% of this story， I believed wholeheartedly that Spells for Forgetting finally broke the trend when it comes to my relationships with Adrienne's books。。。 And with only 2% left in the story。。。 The climax ends abruptly， and we are thrown into a six years time jump that gives us zero answers or clues about what happens post-climax。 I'm planning to write a full spoiler review probably after the publication date because I REALLY want to get into the details via this book。But let's backtrack because I do want to talk about the elements I initially was in love with。 Spells for Forgetting made me think of Stars Hollow meets We Were Liars with a splash of island magic。 It was a wonderful blend of interesting plot elements， and I was DYING to read this。 I've been drawn to contemporary fantasy for all of 2022， so it was no surprise to me that this book fit the bill perfectly。 Anyway， there's multiple POVs， but the two main ones are August Salt and Emery Blackwood。 The two were high school sweethearts before the fateful night where their friend Lily was murdered and August's family orchard burned， leading the people of Saoirse to believe August as the prime subject。 Spells for Forgetting starts with August returning to Saoirse after nearly a decade and a half away from the island （his mom and him vanished shortly after he was not charged）， and he's returned to bury his mother's ashes and sell what's left of his family's orchard and belongings。 With romantic tension， unsolved mysteries， and cunning citizens of Saoirse， the story has loads of details and side plots to unpack as well as the overarching one。First up in terms of characters—August。 He was my favorite part of this story because he is in such a unique position。 He's been away from the island and the manipulative/ toxic tendencies embedded within the people who live there for over a decade。 But he's also felt the island calling out to him。 What is this and what does it mean—is a driving question for the book。 His mother wanted to be buried back on Saoirse for a reason， so what power does this island hold over its inhabitants？ Now in a separate vein， August hates his family history and connection to the orchard。 He has a lot of bad memories connected to it， so his feelings in returning to the island are not only complicated because Emery， the love of his life， is there but also his twisted family memories too。 Cue the cruel， horrific grandpa！ Basically， August's honestly just along for the ride because he's done very little wrongs to Saoirse （that was know of hehe）， yet everyone claims he's the biggest monster。Switching to Emery， I wholly enjoyed her character because she's also been through a lot， but in a different lens since she decided to stay on Saoirse。 I could never imagine losing a friend at such a young age， not to mention my boyfriend disappearing shortly after， and then being forced to move on with my life。 Her mini detective skills were amateurish but endearing to watch unfold too。 My one gripe is that Emery makes a lot of stupid decisions。 She's not careful when it comes to her clues， and she trusts the absolute wrong people。 Obviously， that's a main factor to the people of Saoirse and the plot， but I was not excited to see it happen。 Adrienne really leans into character mistakes， which I typically love， but at a certain point you have to cool it or you risk your character looking dumb。 Better yet make August look more dumb so its equally distributed haha and not just the woman lead。In terms of the island Saoirse— I have way too many questions and issues。 I touched on it a bit earlier with my question surrounding the island， but I thought the ending would give me plenty of closure about the particular details to the island's magic。 At times it seems as if the island is sentient。 It gives magic to certain individuals and can take it away。 It knows and feels what is happening。 Yet there is never a moment where this is truly addressed， and granted， not all stories need their magic systems to be addressed but the fact that Saoirse seems to surpass the normal parameters of an island makes me want more information。 A main quote sprinkled throughout the entire book is "if you left the island， it would always call you back。" Why is that？ It's certainly not the people， so again， what specifically is calling August and his mother back？ What is making their bodies feel drawn to this piece of rock floating on water？ I thought the climax would address this， but it didn't。Now I'm jumping into the deep end that is this ending。 There is simply too many open ended questions and parts to this story during both the climax and epilogue。 Honestly， the epilogue upset me even more than the climax because it doesn't even address the consequences of the final scene。 What happened to the bad guys？ The information？ The island？！ We are left dangling over a cliff， and instead of helping guide us down the rocky terrain， we're pushed off with no hope of a safe landing。 It's essentially just the two surviving characters running and then nothing。 I don't know if Adrienne is trying to purposefully leave the island and everything open to interpretation， but that decision was not good。 ALSO—complete side note—Lily was done SO dirty。 I can't really go into more detail at this point， but my mouth was gaping like a fish as I read her chapter。 I'm all for complicated female friendships， but this one was just。。。 Not good。I think what hurts the most is that the set up and first 90% of Spells for Forgetting were absolutely phenomenal。 I was so excited to unravel the secrets of Saoirse and its people， and for those secrets to be underwhelming and lacking detail just sent me off the rails。 My disappointment hasn't been this strong in a long time。 I'm leaving my ranking at a three because I want to acknowledge the lyrical writing and great start to my reading experience， but I cannot give this a four after what the ending did to me。 Thank you to Delacorte and NetGalley for the allowing me to review an eARC。9/3/22: RTC but that ending has waaaay too many issues and open ended questions。 We jump from the climactic scene to an epilogue 6+ years in the future？ Is Saoirse （the island） sentient or not？ And if it is—why is there never a clear scene depicting this revelation？ I’m so confused。 Make that make sense。I’ve always had a mixed feelings relationship with Adrienne’s books， but this one takes the cake because I actually REALLY enjoyed it。 It is her top novel in my book because of her dynamic plot， alluring setting/ tension， and even the complicated characters。 You can see her growth as a writer， and I was hyped during like 95% of this book。 BUT this ending made me mad， kinda enraged to be honest because I was enjoying it so much。 I was glancing nonstop between my 98% completed and the text itself because where was the rest？ There。 Had。 To。 Be。 More。 And there wasn’t。 I had no satisfaction with this ending， and it dropped this book from a ★ 3。75 or 4 to a ★ 3。25。 Maybe that’s too harsh but I’m truly so upset with this ending， essentially dropping me off into the ocean without a life jacket and drowning with the lack of closure and answers。 。。。more
Dwon Nave
，
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC！ This book is made for spooky season！ With spells， witches， an Apple orchard， and an unsolved murder。。。 what more could you ask for？I loved Emery and August！ Sometimes jumping time lines can be confusing but the author did a great job with it in this book and it was necessary for the story to be told and understood best。 The ending was very unexpected and yet oh so perfect！ A little bit of magic entwined with a love story was just what I needed to Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC！ This book is made for spooky season！ With spells， witches， an Apple orchard， and an unsolved murder。。。 what more could you ask for？I loved Emery and August！ Sometimes jumping time lines can be confusing but the author did a great job with it in this book and it was necessary for the story to be told and understood best。 The ending was very unexpected and yet oh so perfect！ A little bit of magic entwined with a love story was just what I needed to get in the mood for fall。 Absolutely recommend！ 。。。more
Karen （kmo。reads）
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Sleep is overrated。 This book definitely tops the list as best of the year。 Review to come。
Brooke （iambookish_brooke）
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This book was amazing。 If you like autumn and mysterious， dark， magical vibes， pick this one up！ From page one I was hooked。 There’s a murder that happened 14 years in the past and it was never solved… for much of the book， you’re trying to piece together the mystery。 This aspect was very well done。 It had me stressed and on the edge of my seat！I loved the multiple POVs， and the way we move back and forth in time。The setting- an island in Puget Sound that is full of magic- was incredible。 It was This book was amazing。 If you like autumn and mysterious， dark， magical vibes， pick this one up！ From page one I was hooked。 There’s a murder that happened 14 years in the past and it was never solved… for much of the book， you’re trying to piece together the mystery。 This aspect was very well done。 It had me stressed and on the edge of my seat！I loved the multiple POVs， and the way we move back and forth in time。The setting- an island in Puget Sound that is full of magic- was incredible。 It was so atmospheric， I truly felt immersed in the story。 Emery and August are such lovable characters in the midst of a dark-ish story。 Oh I love them。 Very satisfying ending。 Wow what a book！ Adrienne Young has been a favorite of mine for YA- now I’m looking forward to more adult books from her too！Thank you to netgalley and the publishers did the chance to read an advance copy。 。。。more
Ashley Hughes
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I will read anything that Adrienne Young writes， but I was not expecting Spells for Forgetting to be even better than her other books。 Adrienne Young breaks into adult like she was meant to be writing adult all along。 Her skills are versatile and she will be successful in any genre it seems！The plot was very similar to another book I read， except in that scenario it was the other guy friend （Dutch equivalent）。 In this day and age， it is almost impossible to finding anything completely unique tho I will read anything that Adrienne Young writes， but I was not expecting Spells for Forgetting to be even better than her other books。 Adrienne Young breaks into adult like she was meant to be writing adult all along。 Her skills are versatile and she will be successful in any genre it seems！The plot was very similar to another book I read， except in that scenario it was the other guy friend （Dutch equivalent）。 In this day and age， it is almost impossible to finding anything completely unique though。 The plot was gripping and trying to figure out Augusts' secret kept me reading late into the night。 I loved the characters， and would even love another story surrounding Augusts' mom， Jake， and Noah。 Em and August are the best written "lost love" couples I've read。 The only character I can't quite understand is Lily。 How could she be。。。 well no spoilers。 Her grandmother was impossible to quite understand。 The writing was fantastic。 The only frustrating part of the book is magic obviously exists， but felt like it was just used in order to make the end of the plot possible。 I think magic should have been a bigger part of the book in order for it to flow and make more sense。Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Tessa Gray
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This was beautifully written and full of magic。 The writing made me want for Fall！
Nicolette
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For those of you who care， this is my favorite book by Adrienne Young。 I’ll admit， I have a bit of an obsession with stories in this style and setting。 If you are familiar with Wendy Webb， this book echoes that eerie otherness on an island with twisted history and family roots that run deep。 This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day。 In many ways， this story reads much like a murder-mystery thriller。 But， the omens and the mystical history of this island adds a unique flair to it。 Emery an For those of you who care， this is my favorite book by Adrienne Young。 I’ll admit， I have a bit of an obsession with stories in this style and setting。 If you are familiar with Wendy Webb， this book echoes that eerie otherness on an island with twisted history and family roots that run deep。 This is the perfect book to read on a rainy day。 In many ways， this story reads much like a murder-mystery thriller。 But， the omens and the mystical history of this island adds a unique flair to it。 Emery and August are… strange。 But， so is everyone else on Saiorise。 Nevertheless， I cared about them and what their love story added to the plot。 Who is my favorite character， you ask？ The island… Saiorise。 I love the way the setting was portrayed as more than just a place。 The author made it feel as if it was living and breathing。 “There were tales that only the island knew。 Ones that had never been told。 I knew， because I was one of them。” 。。。more
Jenny
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Firstly， a huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review。Spells for Forgetting is a Magical Realism book that was too easy to get lost in。 With it’s short chapters and multiple POV， “I’m just going to sneak a few chapters in” quickly became “gee whiz， I’m already halfway done！” Hauntingly romantic， I was equally drawn in and repelled by the mystical， at times sinister island and it’s inhabitants Firstly， a huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing- Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review。Spells for Forgetting is a Magical Realism book that was too easy to get lost in。 With it’s short chapters and multiple POV， “I’m just going to sneak a few chapters in” quickly became “gee whiz， I’m already halfway done！” Hauntingly romantic， I was equally drawn in and repelled by the mystical， at times sinister island and it’s inhabitants。 Murder， unrequited love， hidden agendas， family loyalty， betrayal， the lies we tell our loved ones in order to protect them that become broader strokes of a bigger picture in ways we could never imagine （and inevitably come back to bite us in the @$$）。 That irrevocable moment that separates your life into “before” and “after”， lots of good stuff in here！This was a very character driven book， in fact my only criticism is that I would have liked a little more history or background of the magic and island。 But Young really shines in fleshing out morally gray， relatable characters。 Some of the internal thoughts and battles gave me more goosebumps than the island itself。 Lots of dark themes interwoven into this story like jealousy and abuse but ones that I could easily identify with or recognize in others in real life （albeit less dramatically…hopefully）。 。。。more
Brittany | chasingmrdarcy
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Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book！ It was everything I hoped it would be and more！Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: New Adult Fantasy/ThrillerPub Date: September 27， 2022Spells for Forgetting was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022， and I am in love with this book。 It is spooky， suspenseful， a little heartbreaking， thrilling， and full of magic！ I love that the fantasy elements are pretty subtle in this story， and I feel like that is one of the major strengths to Adrienne Young Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book！ It was everything I hoped it would be and more！Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: New Adult Fantasy/ThrillerPub Date: September 27， 2022Spells for Forgetting was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022， and I am in love with this book。 It is spooky， suspenseful， a little heartbreaking， thrilling， and full of magic！ I love that the fantasy elements are pretty subtle in this story， and I feel like that is one of the major strengths to Adrienne Young's writing。 Her fantasy elements are subtly woven into the story （in her YA books as well）， and that broadens their appeal to people who might not usually read fantasy books。First off， I loved the alternating viewpoints on the chapters。 You got a lot from August and Emery， and other character POVs were sprinkled in to provide the backstory。。。and boy， what a backstory it is！ There are so many layers to this story， it will make your head spin！ But， they are presented in a way that makes them easy to follow， understand， and trust me when I say you will call for heads to roll by the end of the book！ I really felt August and Emery's heartbreak， and it struck a hard chord with me。 I honestly want more about them！Second， the atmosphere of the island was very dark and stormy and twisty， and I loved that。 I could see scenes playing in my head in a gray tinted screen， and it just made the book come alive for me！ I think this would make a great movie， TBH！Third， THAT ENDING。 I mean it when I say。。。heads need to roll！ The people of the island literally made me furious as I read， and I couldn't stand that they were getting exactly what they wanted at times。 I wanted Emery and August to stand up to them， and ultimately， they did in their own way。。。but I still wanted more vengeance！ I also feel like Dutch's story was left unfinished。。。so more books？ :）Overall， this book was fabulous。 It has dark fantasy elements， betrayal， first love， and second chance love all rolled into one heck of a story！ 。。。more
Alyson
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I loved the premise of this book， set on an island and filled with magic， but for some reason the premise the actual plot didn't quite tie up for me。 This essentially a love story between Emery Blackwood and August Salt。 On the evening of their graduation something terrible happens on the island and their plans for running away are scuppered。 When August returns some fourteen years later to bury his mother's ashes on the island， he is met with anger and hatred from the islanders who had driven h I loved the premise of this book， set on an island and filled with magic， but for some reason the premise the actual plot didn't quite tie up for me。 This essentially a love story between Emery Blackwood and August Salt。 On the evening of their graduation something terrible happens on the island and their plans for running away are scuppered。 When August returns some fourteen years later to bury his mother's ashes on the island， he is met with anger and hatred from the islanders who had driven him away。 Even Emery with whom he'd been so passionate about and who had loved him beyond all else is unable to believe he is back and that he is innocent of the things he stands accused of。 Slowly and eventually together they begin to unravel the secrets the islands have made and kept over the years and they are at last able to be together。 The book has a slow start and is told from multiple points of view in very short chapters which I found rather distracting。 I really liked the setting with the tea shop and the orchard and the town that wraps itself up for the winter when the tourists disappear。 I also like the foretelling with the sudden onset of winter and the starling strike - in fact I would have liked to read far more of this。 A couple of points jarred a bit。 Given how damp and rainy the island was I found it hard to believe that the Salt cottage had survived fourteen years with no work done on it and no one going inside。 I would have thought it would have been hideously mouldy and somewhat tumbledown。 And secondly， given how much of a loser Dutch was I found it surprising he was given control of the orchard given how important it was to the island。 I liked the characters and the personality of Lily was revealed carefully and well， creating just the right amount of mystery。 All in all， an interesting read， but something of a slow burn。 I would be happy to try another book from this author。With thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for an arc in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Lis | Custom Fit Books
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This was so atmospheric， I could feel the breeze， the autumnal chill。 The writing was so descriptive and good。 It was a little slow moving， but the pay off was so worth it。 Definitely a perfect spooky season read！Actual rating: 3。75 stars
Emily Blomquist
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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 “Spells for Forgetting” by Adrienne Young⭐️⭐️⭐️/5✈️ to: Puget Sound， WAAdrienne Young's newest book， "Spells for Forgetting" is both a small town murder mystery and a story about love and witches。 It definitely feels more like a mystery than a witchy love story， but it's a mystery that moves VERY slowly。 We are told numerous times that main characters August and Emery have a once in a lifetime type of love。 It's that very love th I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 “Spells for Forgetting” by Adrienne Young⭐️⭐️⭐️/5✈️ to: Puget Sound， WAAdrienne Young's newest book， "Spells for Forgetting" is both a small town murder mystery and a story about love and witches。 It definitely feels more like a mystery than a witchy love story， but it's a mystery that moves VERY slowly。 We are told numerous times that main characters August and Emery have a once in a lifetime type of love。 It's that very love that made Emery an outcast in her community and unable to commit in relationships。 And yet， I didn't feel that connection in August and Emery's interactions or flashbacks。 In fact， I didn't feel much for either character and generally thought August was a bit of a milquetoast 🤷♀️。 The best thing about "Spells for Forgetting" is the lush descriptions and gothic atmosphere that Young crafts。 And while there are many comparisons to "Practical Magic，" this book is more eery than whimsical。 I left feeling unsettled and unable to pinpoint exactly why。 👍🏻 What I liked: spooky descriptions of an island that draws people back to its shores， a thirty-something main character， the villain （not going to name them though！） 😉👎🏻 What I didn't like: the lack of chemistry between the main characters， not enough witchy stuff， a bit slow paced。 ✨𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: I'm very conflicted about this book， but if you're looking for an unsettling murder mystery disguised as a （not very） witchy romance then you might enjoy this one。 QOTD: If you've read this book， what did you think？ How 'bout them apples？ 🍎 。。。more
nookofnatalie
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3/5 starsThank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！I'd never read Adrienne Young before， but this was a strong introduction to her works。 From the very beginning there is beautiful prose， good showing （not telling）， and the atmosphere of Saoirse Island is very clear。 I was kept on my toes the whole time， trying to figure out the mystery， and it unraveled slowly for me alongside the characters。The information given is perfectly drawn out。 The little hin 3/5 starsThank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！I'd never read Adrienne Young before， but this was a strong introduction to her works。 From the very beginning there is beautiful prose， good showing （not telling）， and the atmosphere of Saoirse Island is very clear。 I was kept on my toes the whole time， trying to figure out the mystery， and it unraveled slowly for me alongside the characters。The information given is perfectly drawn out。 The little hints we get are done SO well - at times， I couldn't even tell they were clues until the mystery was revealed and I had an "a-ha！" moment。（view spoiler）[When Lily （I think？） mutters that the orchard was stolen， or when she tells Emery that she'd rather be loved than pretty。 They're sprinkled in and while I don't think much of them at first， it becomes very clear at the end that they were important points。 （hide spoiler）] I also found the magic system a little lacking until the very end - at times， I wondered to myself if there was magic at all。There are quite a few POVs in this story， and I wish they weren't necessary。 It felt a little cheap that we were getting information only by using the wide cast of characters。 I will say， though， that each character had their own distinct personality; however， they all had the same voice。 If I didn't see the name of each character at the beginning of the chapter， I wouldn't know who I was reading about。Speaking of voices， the main characters， Emery and August， did not read like they were in their 30s。 The time gap honestly wasn't needed。 The pacing is also a little off。 The novel is fairly slow for the most part， but not slow enough that I got bored。 It picks up at the very end， which was exciting。 Unfortunately， I found the ending a bit unsatisfying， but I could definitely see why it ended the way it did。 （view spoiler）[ Half the town was in on this secret and no one gets what's going for them， Emery and August just leave。 I did see that coming - at a certain point， I really didn't know how they were going to get any kind of justice when everyone was in on the secret except them。 I was hoping for a different ending， but alas。Emery really finds out that her best friend tried to murder her and had NO reaction？ And why are we still doing the age-old fighting-over-a-guy thing？ Lily and Emery grew up together and Lily was still ready to kill her for August？ （hide spoiler）]Overall， I really enjoyed this book。 It definitely convinced me to pick up her other published works。 。。。more
Jamie
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5 stars with no qualifications。 Atmospheric is a perfect description of this book。 Set on the mysterious Saoirse Island， the novel follows August Salt & Emery Blackwood- high school sweethearts who are devastatingly separated by the unsolved murder of their friend Lily， a decade， and， perhaps， the innate magic of Saoirse Island itself。 Adrienne Young did an incredible job。 Your heart starts off broken for August and Emery， long before you even find out what happened the night of their high schoo 5 stars with no qualifications。 Atmospheric is a perfect description of this book。 Set on the mysterious Saoirse Island， the novel follows August Salt & Emery Blackwood- high school sweethearts who are devastatingly separated by the unsolved murder of their friend Lily， a decade， and， perhaps， the innate magic of Saoirse Island itself。 Adrienne Young did an incredible job。 Your heart starts off broken for August and Emery， long before you even find out what happened the night of their high school graduation。 I wish I could read this book again for the first time。 It was magical。 。。。more
Samantha Gil
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Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Delacorte Press for this digital ARC！This little town of Saoirse Was giving off Mare of Easttown vibes if you have watched that show。 Throughout the book I’m wondering what is going on？！？！ So many secrets！ It was a slow start but I was hooked by the end of it all， wanting to know more of the crime that occurred on the island。 Who did it？！？！ I enjoyed this book very much。 Albertine’s house gave me practical magic vibes and I w Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， Delacorte Press for this digital ARC！This little town of Saoirse Was giving off Mare of Easttown vibes if you have watched that show。 Throughout the book I’m wondering what is going on？！？！ So many secrets！ It was a slow start but I was hooked by the end of it all， wanting to know more of the crime that occurred on the island。 Who did it？！？！ I enjoyed this book very much。 Albertine’s house gave me practical magic vibes and I wish there was more of her story told/more of the story set at her house。 If there was a book on Albertine herself， I’d be interested in reading it！ The end of the book had a few loose ends for me and I was hoping those would be tied up， but still it was very enjoyable。 。。。more
Olivia Hooper
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I have no words to describe how much I loved this book。
Anns Bibliotherapy
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With vivid storytelling and world building that will have you feeling like you're sitting in the middle of an orchard that's either haunted， magical or both this story draws you in and keeps you spellbound until the very last word。 August and Emery both have reasons to want leave， to forget， to never come back， but somehow here they are back where so many of the things that shaped their lives started and will be finished。With history comes regrets and what ifs and this book has those a plenty， y With vivid storytelling and world building that will have you feeling like you're sitting in the middle of an orchard that's either haunted， magical or both this story draws you in and keeps you spellbound until the very last word。 August and Emery both have reasons to want leave， to forget， to never come back， but somehow here they are back where so many of the things that shaped their lives started and will be finished。With history comes regrets and what ifs and this book has those a plenty， you see life， death and magic seem to be the only constants on the island， and thats not likely to change anytime soon。 I had very set idea of what I was going to find in this book and it surprised me， by the end I realized when it comes to Adrienne Young I need to stop trying to figure things out beforehand and just enjoy the ride。 This is a solid 4。5 star book and I loved it。 Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for review in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Spells for Forgetting
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Spells for Forgetting&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Spells for Forgetting&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0