A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance
Thank you to Nicole Lesperance, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Book Recap: High school best friends Mazzy and Nora enjoy practicing witchcraft, just a few simple spells here and there. When the full moon casts its light on the Cape Cod beach during one of their spells, a body washes ashore. Soon after, strange things begin to happen including hearing the dead woman’s voice guiding them to help solve her murder. As they follow the clues, they begin to realize that they may be the next to go.
Top Tropes/Themes:
👁️🗨️ Murder Mystery
🔮 Witchcraft
👥 Friendship
Spice Rating: 🫑(quick kiss)
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
Let’s Talk About It…
I love a good spooky story and this one definitely delivered. Mazzy, Nora, and Elliot feel like a realistic trio of friends wrapped up in a mess that is way over their heads. I loved the elements of witchcraft and paganism portrayed in a modern settings as the teens navigate taking down a magical coven when no one believes what they are experiencing is real.
What keeps this book from being 4 stars? I personally didn’t see the need for the half-baked love triangle between Mazzy, Nora, and Elliot. In this case, the triangle was caused more by a lack of communication rather than reality and while this is a common occurrence for teens, it seemed unnecessary and didn’t add to the story. I also found a particular story line with the younger brother to be underutilized.
However, there were plenty of things that did make me want to keep reading. I loved the mystery the teens were trying to solve. Each chapter lead to more questions and I didn’t want to put this book down. When I did have to put it down, it was still taking space in my head as I tried to work through the clues and figure out who was responsible.
Overall, I think this is the perfect stormy day read, especially in the fall!
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