I loved her other YA books but this adult fantasy didn’t quite make the cut for me. I rated it a 2.9/5 stars but I actually skimmed the second half.
Here’s my live thoughts while reading:
The first chapter of “Spells for Forgetting” was about August returning to his home town to bury her mom’s ashes even though he swore he’d never return. Why?
The second chapter is about Emery and how she’s seeing many omens in her hometown that don’t look promising right before the ferry lands at port.
I like the vibe and doomed energy that’s being established, as well as the foundation of both Emery & August’s relationships. Emery’s father is Noah, who seems to live across the way from August’s abandoned childhood home. Emery’s uncle is the Marshall who first spotted August when he returned to the island. What I can’t tell yet is who was responsible for the fire- Emery or August of both. Were they lovers or friends in the teens? Why did he leave so quickly? Why was Emery ignored by all her friends after the fire? What are rumors and what is the truth?
In chapter 6, the timeline goes back to a few hours after the fire. So I guess I’m about to find some answers.
Page 50 is usually when I decide to keep reading or stop. This books is more of an atmospheric ambience type instead of an action fast paced plot. I’m very curious about who the murderer was and what happened to Lily, so I’ll keep reading.
The next chapter is from Emery’s current boyfriend’s point of view. Apparently he’s already proposed but she hasn’t accepted. I’m a tiny bit unsure of their age, maybe 32ish?
Oooh chapter 11 brings me to sixteen months BEFORE the fire.
The secret letters are a whole new level of betrayal and hurt!
At page 100 I’m wishing the pace was a bit faster and things were more intriguing. Not much has happened and I’m starting to get a bit bored so something needs to shake things up. I do want to know what secrets the island holds but need more of the in between breadcrumbs spilled along the way.
With all these different points of view, the characters all sound the same with their voice. It’s all falling flat emotionally.
At the halfway mark, I’m still loving the energy of the setting and detailed descriptions but compared to her previous novels I’m so disappointed. The characters are only focused on the past so there’s no forward momentum. And they don’t feel their age. Everything feels stuck and a bit plateau. I’m considering reading spoilers just to know the ending so I can move on.
I want to thoroughly be enjoying the experience but I can’t. So far it doesn’t feel like fantasy but mystery with some mystical elements.
This is a mood read for October feels but I read spoilers for the climatic scene and I’m glad I didn’t continue because it sounds like I would’ve been upset that it ended abruptly without closure or all the answers. The reader doesn’t get a layout if they got through 300 pages awaiting the answers and then don’t receive them.
Cassie Swindon 