Spells for Lost Things

August 15, 2022
A magical romance with a strong sense of place and a focus on family. Willow Haverford dreams of traveling the world, hoping to someday find a place that feels like home to her. Mason Greer is obsessed with studying the stars, but his primary goal is reuniting with his mother, whose struggles with addiction left her unable to take care of him. Willow and Mason both end up in Salem, Massachusetts, when Mason gets a new foster placement with an old friend of his mom's and Willow tags along while her mother settles an inheritance from a family member she's kept secret from Willow. Her mother refuses to talk about her past, so after the two teens meet and feel instant mutual attraction, Willow asks for Mason's help investigating a generations-old family curse. As they spend time together exploring Salem and attempting to find a series of hidden letters that are connected by a string of clues, they begin to realize that their definitions of home could extend to each other. While the romance is strong and believable, the bulk of Mason's and Willow's attention is focused on negotiating their relationships with their respective mothers, a subject that will resonate with many teens. Willow and Mason read as White by default. Readers will fall under the spell of this lightly magical, thoroughly enjoyable romance. (Romance. 12-18)

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September 15, 2022
Grades 7-10 Welch (Love & Gelato, 2016) charms in this romance enlivened by family drama and a dash of magic. Willow has felt alone and distant from her workaholic mother ever since they moved to L.A. after the divorce. Mason desperately searches for his own mother, an addict who disappeared years earlier. He moves to Salem, Massachusetts, for a new foster family placement with his mother's childhood best friend. Simultaneously, Willow's mother is summoned to Salem following the death of her twin, Sage. They are welcomed by an effusive trio of great-aunts, witches who lost Willow's mother when she fled the family curse as a teen. Willow and Mason meet by coincidence and are immediately drawn to each other. They grow closer while following a trail of family secrets left behind by Sage in the family mansion, until Mason takes a terrible risk that threatens their budding relationship. Welch expertly applies a light touch to an emotional, absorbing story featuring a host of appealing characters, cliff-hanger chapter endings, and a convincing connection between two teens seeking to belong.

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Starred review from September 19, 2022
Centering family and brimming with atmosphere, Welch (the Love & series) crafts a beguiling romance set in Salem, Mass. Rising high school seniors Willow Haverford and Mason Greer did not plan on traveling to Salem. Los Angeleno Willow, who has never felt at home anywhere and grapples with extreme wanderlust, accompanies her mother to the witchy haven to help settle the estate of an aunt Willow never knew existed. Willow is stunned to learn that she has several family members living in Salem—all of whom identify as witches—whom her mother has kept secret from her. Meanwhile, Bostonian Mason is moving in with his mother’s old friend after years of bouncing between foster homes. He hesitates to get comfortable; all he wants is to find his estranged mother, who struggles with a drug addiction. When the teens meet, Willow recruits Mason’s help in following the clues her aunt left about an ancient curse plaguing her family. Welch utilizes an extraordinary sense of place, a lightly magical story line, and the healing power of love—both familial and romantic—to great effect. Main characters read as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic.

December 23, 2022

Gr 8 Up-A travel-loving teen of a divorced parents, Willow is forced to spend the summer she expected to be filled with wanderlust instead stuck in Salem, MA, because of her mom. She connects to another teen, Mason, who is dealing with his own heavy family issues and time in foster care. While a romance brews between the two, they also work to solve a long family curse of Willow's. The dual points of view make for a fast-paced story where readers get to enjoy two very unique stories and how the main characters view each other. While this is a romance at heart, by touching on some serious topics such as foster care and addiction, it feels authentic to teens going through similar issues. There is also the hint of magic and the overall theme that while these two teens did not start where they wanted to, they found love and adventure, and a better understanding of their families along the way. VERDICT A decent purchase for collections where romance and the author's other books are books are popular due to the pacing and sweet ending.-Molly Dettmann

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