I am so conflicted to say that I did not enjoy this book. I restarted it a few times because I just could not get into the plot line. What kept me coming back was how intricately detailed the shops, island stores, and the way the town ran. You can truly feel the energy and comfort of the sleepy little coastal town, however, I had a really hard time sticking with the story because it felt so drawn out and that the plot twist which didn’t come until the later 3/4 of the book was less climactic because it had taken so long to get there. I will say that the plot twist was interesting, but by the end of the story I was just ready to be done with it. I could’ve read for years about more things going on in this town aside from this storyline, but otherwise I adored all of the other elements of the story.

What made this novel a challenge to read comes down to its unusual structure. It's composed of a multitude of very short chapters, and each chapter is written from the viewpoint of a different character, and the chapters jump back and forth to different specific times and places. I've read many hundreds of novels in my life, and I have to say that this one is unique in a very good way. The characters were magnetic, and they took you on an adventure through a tiny, isolated island village that had more in common with the 19th century than the current 21st. But, the love story was heart-rending, and the obstacles they had to overcome were many and difficult. In the end, its quirky construction and dynamic characters make this a "must-read" selection.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for sending me an advance copy of this book! I was so eager to get my hands on this book when I learned that Adrienne Young would be making her adult debut. I enjoyed her Fable duo logy immensely and loved how easily she pulled me into the world of the Narrows. And suffice it to say she did that and so much more with Spells for Forgetting. The premise promised so much that I love—a rich atmosphere, magic, and second-chance love—and it did not fail in the least to deliver. The misty, ancient and eerie atmosphere of the book was what initially drew me into this story from the first page. This book is the epitome of a fall-time read. The bleary skies of Saorise Island, the warm cider, and waft of apples in the air all engrossed my senses and made Saoirse come alive on the page. The main crux of the story focuses on Emery Blackwood living in the aftermath of the fire that changed Saoirse and its residents forever and the first love that she has never fully moved on from. The mystery of the fire and the subsequent murder that was discovered is all-consuming and leaves you wanting to plow ahead and learn the truth of that fateful night, and yet Young expertly gives room for her characters and the plot to breathe and expand before hitting us with another juicy piece to the puzzle. You just don’t want to put the book down for all of these myriad reasons. I wholeheartedly believe Young’s adult debut to be a lush triumph. Her prose is exact and evocative; the story is familiar and yet entirely remade into something new. Emery is a character who can both frustrate the reader and garner acute sympathy from them in the matter of a few sentences—she feels fully fleshed out, flaws and all. When Young writes about Emery’s heartbreak it is visceral and had me tearing up several times. The emotion behind Young’s writing was one of the best things about this story. August was another character who just came alive throughout the story. Young made me wary of him and the secrets he was keeping, but also made it so I was rooting for his potential redemption in the town’s eyes and, most importantly, in Emery’s eyes. He is a tragic character that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. I loved the multiple perspectives that were used to help the story flow along and provide some more insight into secondary characters who had an integral role to play—but these perspectives weren’t overly used when not necessary which I appreciated. They were implemented when essential for the story. I also appreciated the time jumps to before the fire to establish context for who Lily was as a character, and who August, Emery, and Dutch were when they were younger. It makes the reader reminiscent for their younger self in a nostalgic and endearing way and helped to show the relationships between these characters on the page instead of just telling the reader about them. While I’ve enjoyed Young’s young adult books in the past, none of them have truly captivated me like her foray into the adult genre has. Spells for Forgetting will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time.

Is it a 4? Is it a 5? I'm not sure. What I do know, it was unexpected. I had my eye on this one for a very long time! I just knew it was going to be the perfect Fall read. I even started reading this back in July or August and immediately the descriptions were screaming Autumnal vibes so I had to force myself to wait so I could get the full experience. The story is fully giving with its atmosphere. I felt like I was walking the small streets of Saorise. And at about the 27-30% mark, I did not want to put this down. And when I absolutely had to, my mind was still with these characters on this island. This story follows Emery and August on the small island of Saorise and the timeline skips around. (But it lets you know when you're going back in time or returning to the present day.) It all begins with August returning home for the first time since vanishing when he was 18 after a fire on the island and the death of his girlfriend's best friend. It's been 14 years and August plans to get in and settle some business then be on his way. The island and her people have other plans. This small island is rooted in magic and it's said that anyone who leaves, the island will call home. August left behind his first love Emery when he left and she's still on the island 14 years later. No one is more surprised than Emery when August shows back up and out of the blue. You get to see both past and present day from a few different perspectives throughout. They say August killed Lily the night of the orchard fire and then disappeared but no one was able to prove it and then, he was just gone. At this point, I'm not even 100% sure what I originally thought this would be. You get some magic, thriller aspects, a love story, and small town vibes. My only reluctance to say this is a full 5 star is the the ending some what felt sudden and not as defined as I thought it would be. I'm in no way saying it was a bad ending, just not what I expected. I think after I sit with it for a while, I will come to appreciate it more. In the end, I am okay with the 5 stars because it did provide what I was looking for, for the most part. The mystery, the atmosphere, Emery and August as characters. I am not one that really ever wants prequels or novellas that dive deeper into certain aspects of stories that were briefly touched on in a full length novel but there are parts of this story that I would definitely like to know more about. Overall, this is a very perfect Fall read. I think most will find it as easy as I did to get lost in this small island town and you'll find it just as easy as I did to see the changing colors of the trees in your mind. Its also perfect for readers that want a little magic or whimsy but don't want to follow and learn a whole magic system. While there is magic, it's more of a character than a thing, in my opinion. Hopefully that makes sense. So, go forth and enjoy.