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doahdancer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
What I didn't enjoy was the spell constantly being broken by the unblievability of most characters' decisions. I'm not an avid reader of mysteries by any means, so some of this might be genre-typical and I'm not in-the-know, but the way everybody kept secret even the most benign thoughts and feelings after this huge tragedy did not resonate with me. When huge disaster strikes, I've always known people to discuss it at length with loved ones. They analyze it to death wondering if things could have been different. Not to be too IRL, but 9/11 is a great example for the Americans in the room. We still obsessively discuss even the smallest details of that day, where we were, how we felt.
So yeah, the secrecy plot device didn't work for me.
I also was really disappointed by the ending. There's a huge climax, everyone is involved, all the secrets come out... but last chapter? All you get is
Gah!! The experience of reading this book was so good so I'm still rating it pretty well, but the ending left me bitter.
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
kbairbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer
oneillkd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
imds's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
stagemanaginger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
slvt4b00ks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
robin_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
karenreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
lovelymisanthrope's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Spells for Forgetting" follows Emery, a young woman who as a teenager swore, she would never stay in her hometown of Saoirse Island. On the eve of her planned escape into the real world, her best friend is found murdered, and the court of public opinion places the blame on Emery's one true love: August. Now, well into their adult years, August has returned to the island to lay his recently deceased mother to rest. Can Emery and August rekindle what was stolen from them and uncover the truth about what happened decades ago?
This book is the perfect fall read, and I wish I would have picked it up in October. August's family owns an orchard and all of the details and descriptions about the island and orchard made me crave changing leaves and sweet apples. Small town, close-knit stories about places like Saoirse Island also always make me think of cooler weather.
This story was well-crafted and interesting. From the beginning, I was sucked into the story and committed to proving that August was set up and someone was hiding something far more sinister. I loved that this felt like Emery and August were getting a second chance, but their "love story" did not overshadow the mystery of this book.
I had a really great time reading this, and I look forward to picking up more from Adrienne Young in the future.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol