Mandy here! I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch, which presented the perfect opportunity for my first Incoherent blog post!
There are NO spoilers in this review!
Spells for Lost Things was precious! It's a teen read that follows Willow, a teenaged girl with severe wanderlust, through the fallout of her parents' divorce and a journey of discovering her family's secret past. Her relationship with her mother is tenuous at best as they travel to Salem, Massachusetts to close out a recently deceased relative's estate, and Willow learns that she is descended from witches! As many point out throughout the book, no witches were burned in the Salem Witch Trials, just people. But now? Now Salem is full of witches, spells, and magic! While I don't have a mother as seemingly stoic as Willow's mother, I vividly remember the feeling of misplacement after your parents' divorce, so I definitely felt drawn to Willow in that regard. She's very, very relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenaged girl.
In Salem, Willow meets Mason, the other main character/POV in this story. Mason is the child of an addict, who has fallen through the cracks of the foster care system, and has grown up in less than ideal circumstance. Mason's story is heartbreaking but inspiring, showing that you don't have to be the product of your upbringing if you don't want to be. Mason is incredibly smart, and his love for astronomy made me want to go stargazing.
Fate brings Willow and Mason together, and they help each other to uncover the mysteries of their pasts. I felt myself grinning like an idiot through a lot of this story because I remember what it's like to be a teenager, falling for someone new, and feeling like the path to the whole world lies at your feet--all you have to do is take that first step.
The story was at times predictable, but overall a very cute, enjoyable read that I wholeheartedly recommend! Spells for Lost Things releases September 27, 2022 at all major retailers!
xoxo,
Mandy
