Spells for Forgetting

Spells for Forgetting (2022) is a fantasy novel by American author Adrienne Young. It combines elements of the romance, magical realism, and mystery/thriller genres in an imagined Pacific Northwest setting. Spells for Forgetting was Young’s first novel for adults, following a sequence of successful young adult fiction.

This guide refers to the 2022 hardcover edition published by Quercus.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss physical assault, domestic abuse, substance use disorder, murder, and death.

Plot Summary

August Salt returns to Saoirse Island after 14 years away. He left the island after a tragic fire destroyed his family orchard. A teenage girl named Lily Morgan was found murdered on the same day. Now, August wants to bury his mother Eloise’s ashes near her home. His former girlfriend, Emery Blackwood, who was also Lily’s best friend, is involved with their mutual friend Dutch Boden. Dutch wants Emery to marry him, but Emery is still in love with August.

When August returns, the townspeople are hostile because they believe that he was responsible for Lily’s death. The island itself holds magic tied to its inhabitants, and this mystical force seems to guide the events and emotions of those living there. August searches for the deed to his old property so that he can sell it, but Emery has kept it hidden. She realized on seeing it that August’s signature had been forged, leaving the orchard to the town council. August’s return stirs up old rivalries and animosities, and someone sets fire to his truck to make him leave.

Meanwhile, Emery discovers some old letters between her mother and August’s mother after the family’s departure; she reads August’s mother’s sadness and shock as an admission of August’s role in Lily’s murder. August and Emery reconnect and decide to uncover the truth about the murder. Through a series of visions and cryptic messages from the island’s magic, they start to piece together what really happened. August confesses that he started the fire out of desperation to escape his destiny and abusive grandfather. Their inquiries lead to August being kidnapped by the town council, including Emery’s uncle, and they lead him away to be killed. Emery and her father intervene and save August, promising to leave the island and keep their secrets in exchange for their freedom.

The island reveals what really happened to Lily: Incensed with jealousy and rage after Emery and August made plans to run away together, Lily attempted to curse Emery to drown. However, the curse turned on her, and she drowned instead. The island’s magic, both protective and vengeful, played a key role in Lily’s fate. Years later, Emery and August have started a new life on the mainland and have two children. One of their children begins drawing a picture of Saoirse Island, showing that the island’s magic remains a part of them.