A review by yuna
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is peak whiteness and seems like no one local to the area had a hand in its creation. Saoirse Island sounds like it's meant to be a fictional (Irish??) addition to the San Juans, and the whole plot centers around these deep generational ties and witchy magic (and many mentions of the Puget Sound like it's the most Properest of Nouns), but everyone is white. Everyone. And there isn't even an allusion to the existence of the Coast Salish people.
Pacing is fairly even, and I appreciated that the many flashbacks were time-stamped at the start of every chapter. Same with the POV character, because omg are there a lot of POVs in this book, and they're all in 1st POV. I thought some of the "suspense/who done it" felt manufactured, especially toward the end when we start getting answers. The reveal of who one of the baddies is felt a bit rushed. Their reasoning is a perennial trope and I wanted to be more on board with it, but too much of the evidence/description came too late.
This book felt like it wanted to be more YA/NA than fully in the adult demographic.
I wish we could've gotten more background on August's mom and her relationships with people on the island. It's alluded to more than really seen, and the scene of her burial felt like it could've been more raw if the emotion had gone there.
This is nitpicking and I know it's fiction, but there's a difference between an arrest and conviction, and the characters don't think critically about this at all.
Pacing is fairly even, and I appreciated that the many flashbacks were time-stamped at the start of every chapter. Same with the POV character, because omg are there a lot of POVs in this book, and they're all in 1st POV. I thought some of the "suspense/who done it" felt manufactured, especially toward the end when we start getting answers. The reveal of who one of the baddies is felt a bit rushed. Their reasoning is a perennial trope and I wanted to be more on board with it, but too much of the evidence/description came too late.
This book felt like it wanted to be more YA/NA than fully in the adult demographic.
I wish we could've gotten more background on August's mom and her relationships with people on the island. It's alluded to more than really seen, and the scene of her burial felt like it could've been more raw if the emotion had gone there.
This is nitpicking and I know it's fiction, but there's a difference between an arrest and conviction, and the characters don't think critically about this at all.