Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

“One stormy summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hair clips and jewellery, but soon it’s clear that Rose has lost something bigger; something she won’t talk about.” - Publisher's blurb.

I know that they say not to judge a book by its cover, but honestly, that’s how I pick half the books that end up on my ‘to be read’ pile. Knowing nothing about this book other than the fact that it had an intriguing title and a beautiful cover I grabbed it from the new books shelf and had to read it.

I’m glad I did because it is a beautifully written, diverse story about the difficulties of being a teenage girl, loss and heartbreak, all set in a well-developed world of magical realism.

Two different groups of teenagers find the spell book, and use it to try and bring back what they lost; a bracelet, a diary, a mother, virginity unwillingly given. But in order to find what is lost, they have to be prepared to lose something even more precious.

Moïra’s writing is very lyrical and easy to read. I got wrapped up in the magic and lost track of the world around me. Clues left through the story helped me to slowly piece it together, and while I did guess the ending, it wasn’t until towards the end that I finally got it.

A great read for those who love magic, mystery and YA.

Posted by Sas

Catalogue link: Spellbook of the Lost and Found