Spells for Forgetting: the spellbinding magical mystery, perfect for winter nights

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Overall, Spells for Forgetting is interesting, dark, atmospheric, and mysterious thriller with touch of magical realism but it didn’t turn out as good as I expected. It sure needed spell for speed and magic.

Adrienne Young never disappoints me. I just love the way she can immerse her readers in a story and how she is able to vividly bring the scenery to life with her words. Spells for Forgetting is so different from her Fable series and wasn't what I was expecting, but I loved it, and for me it just showed her diversity as an author. This book has so many of elements that I enjoy, lyrical writing, highly atmospheric small town setting, secrets, interesting characters (especially Albertine) mystery, magical elements, and spells (although I do wish there was a little more magic involved). My only minor issue was the pacing with a slow start and an ending that felt a little rushed. 4 magical stars. We see that it’s second chance romance from the beginning but we don’t get much romance! Like I said we see the emotional and romantic depth in character, not the actual chemistry before last 30% of the book. Class. I hadn’t thought about my classroom on campus for weeks, and the view of the orange-hued wooden risers in the light streaming through the tall arched windows made me feel even farther away. “Not until next semester. I took a leave to take care of my mom.” You want two different things at the same time: you are so curious to find out how the mystery unfolds and you don’t want the book end. Oh my…what in the world…. Spells for Forgetting was exactly the story that a book craving soul like me wanted to get lost in after all the turmoil and struggles of the daily grinds of life and I have half a mind to binge read all her published works.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. The problem with this book is that Emory and August (omg), our star-crossed lovers, are both very boring people who have not done anything in the years they've been apart. The most interesting parts of their lives happened to them as teenagers, and since then they've been going through the motions. VERY minor spoilers: As adults, they're even incapable of solving the crime. Instead of having Emory and/or August solve any part of the mystery, there are about seven additional perspectives added to the mix to reveal vital pieces of information. This makes the whole thing pretty unsatisfying and makes it feel like a YA book, because the teenage years and memories are the best parts of the story. I'm not sure why the time gap is necessary - it would have been much better as a contemporary teen mystery. Or you could give it a couple years if you wanted a time shift. (Like Veronica Mars!) I don't believe in these characters as thirty-somethings. The story is about lies, betrayal, secrets, family, community, magic, and young undying love. It was interesting to figure out what happened fourteen years ago. Mystery of murder and why August was accused of murder stays at the forefront of the story. The book is well written but this is almost entirely a love story. The most magical thing that happens is the leaves changing overnight. Besides that, you get thunder at opportune times and the presence of starlings and other little things that any story would have to set a tone. There’s a couple other magical things, but i found this book in the fantasy genre and that’s definitely not what this is. Similarly, if you’re looking for a thriller as it’s also listed as, this is not for you. Only the last few chapters are suspenseful. The major content of the book is the main characters pining after lost love. Again, the love story was well done, but it took the MC till 3/4 of the book before she started wondering who may have killed her best friend. Before that, it’s sort of hard to be interested in the murder mystery because the MC thinks only about her love interest. No. The orchard was taken care of in Henry’s will.” I answered, my voice catching just slightly on my grandfather’s name. I hadn’t spoken it in years. “It’s just the house. Maybe a few pieces of old farm equipment left on the property or something.”

That’s right.” His tone shifted just slightly. “Well, get all of this sorted and then get the hell out of there.” Spells for Forgetting is a story with an unsolved mystery at its core, surrounded by hints of the practice of magic from one generations to the next, and a second chance at romance. The island setting and menacing residents give an eerie, dark tone to this Fall seasonal read. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and the dark, atmospheric setting. The author also did an excellent job at incorporating secrets, guilt, and betrayals in a way that connected the characters and created depth in their relationships. However, the first 30% of the book was painfully slow and honestly quite boring. Almost nothing happened, and it wasn’t until about 40% through the work that we began getting hints to the mystery and began to feel a sense of foreboding. Breathless excitement this one and fingers crossed I can get to the much acclaimed Fable that much sooner. 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 Forgettingis a vivid exploration of lost love and the unraveling of a small town and its many secrets. Review of Spells for ForgettingThere were tales that only the island knew. Ones that had never been told. I knew, because I was one of them. One of the common things that many people looking for these forgetful spells want to forget are lost, lovers. Because you shared such intimate parts of your life with someone, it may be a huge challenge for you to get them off your mind even though it is in the best of your interest to do so. Sometimes all you want to learn is how to make someone forget you. All these are problems that such spells can help you to solve. Abuse of an erase memory spell The town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all.