BOOK REVIEW
Spells for Forgetting: A Novel
By Adrienne Young
Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.
August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery. But 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.
REVIEW
FIVE STARS
I genuinely didn’t want this book to end.
From the very first chapter, Spells for Forgetting completely drew me in. Adrienne Young’s writing is atmospheric, lyrical, and deeply emotive — the kind of storytelling that makes you slow down and savour every word. Saoirse Island feels vividly real: the sea mist rolling in, the quiet weight of old legends, and the sense that the past is never quite done with you.
What stayed with me most were the characters. They are beautifully flawed and feel entirely human, which made their struggles and growth all the more affecting. Emery and August’s story is shaped by grief, memory, and unfinished love, and their connection feels raw, tender, and painfully authentic. I found myself fully invested in their journey, turning pages late into the night because I simply had to know how it would unfold.
The magic in this novel is subtle and understated, woven seamlessly into the setting and the emotional core of the story rather than dominating it. It enhances the themes of loss, forgiveness, and family legacy in a way that feels natural and deeply moving.
This is one of those books that lingers long after you’ve finished reading. If you enjoy character-driven novels with a strong sense of place and a gentle touch of magic, Spells for Forgetting is an absolute must-read. I couldn’t recommend it more.
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Adrienne Young
Adrienne Young is the New York Times, USA Today, and Indie list bestselling author of the Fable duology and the Sky in the Deep duology. She is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, sipping wine over long dinners or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
