PNW finally got the memo that it is fall, and this is the perfect dreary weather read. Spells for Forgetting, is something I think we all have wondered about, wouldn’t it just be easier if you could just forget something that hurts deeply? This book takes place on a fake island in Washington’s Puget Sound. You can definitely see mixed elements of some of the San Juan islands, as well as down near Seattle areas too.
August Salt’s life seems to be transcribed to him even if he doesn’t want it. He is a teenager on “Saiorse Island” pronounced: “Sor-ch-a.” Typical of all small towns EVERYONE knows EVERYONES business. Emery Blackwood, love interest of August has to pick up the pieces when August leaves suddenly with his mother without telling a soul. Young love that is more intense and heartbreakingly real, mixed with a little bit of magic, and maybe some dark magic too.
The real question, is who murdered Lily Morgan the night of the fire? And why were the circumstances so weird to the evidence? How far will a little town try to “protect” itself or how far will greed consume the soul.
This book gives off vibes of the intense pain of no closure, mixed with very VERY unreliable narrators- oddly enough, it seems the island is also a silent but deadly character in this book. It is moody, and highly readable, and may be triggering for some that have dealt with traumatic situations- but it is worth the read. I really enjoyed it!
The Whistling Pen 