Synopsis (from Goodreads):

A deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings.

But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming. The morning she wakes to find that every single tree on Saoirse has turned color in a single night, August returns for the first time in fourteen years and unearths the past that the town has tried desperately to forget.

August knows he is not welcome on Saiorse, not after the night everything changed. As a fire raged on at the Salt family orchard, Lily Morgan was found dead in the dark woods, shaking the bedrock of their tight-knit community and branding August a murderer. When he returns to bury his mother’s ashes, he must confront the people who turned their backs on him and face the one wound from his past that has never healed—Emery.

The town has more than one reason to want August gone, and the emergence of deep betrayals and hidden promises spanning generations threaten to reveal the truth behind Lily’s mysterious death once and for all. 

Review:

If you have read my other reviews, you would know that I am a fan of books about small towns.  They usually have a mix of different characters, and everybody knows each other's business.  But those books are usually heartwarming sagas of small town life,  Spells for Forgetting, by Adrienne Young, does have those elements, but with a distinctly sinister twist.  And there's actually very little magic in the novel.  Except for a surprising plot twist, it really was irrelevant to the story. 

Having said that, this is a tale of generations of grudges and misdeeds coming to roost.  As we get to know each character, we learn their backstory.  Slowly, the pieces come together so that we can understand why things are happening.  It would be almost worth it to read it once, and then read it again knowing all the information.  This is an atmospheric mystery that is perfect to read in the Fall, as the temperature drops, and we want to cozy up with an engaging book.  I loved it.

What I liked:

Atmosphere:

The story is set on a small island off the coast of Oregon, where the locals are completely dependent on tourism to survive.  Ferries take mainlanders to the picturesque island to pick apples, drink cider, and take in the quant little village shops.  Everyone is all smiles when the tourists are around.  But once they leave, the townspeople are full of people with various personalities.  Some are easy-going hippie types, while other are resentful of the town's reliance on outsiders to provide income.  There is also a undercurrent of magic in the woods.  Trees turn to autumn colors not gradually, but overnight.  The ever-present fog insulates (and also traps) people in their homes.  The message is, "Don't go out at night"!

Characters:

The two main characters, August and Emily have a love story for the ages.  August left the town as a teenager, when he was accused of killing one of his friends.  He denies it.  But there's a lot of evidence that points to him.  Emily was his girlfriend at the time, and she was devastated by him and his mother leaving without so much as a note.  When August returns, so many feelings arise between the two.  Each is trying to figure out if the other has feelings for them.  It's obvious that they still love each other.  But will that be enough to erase the hurt that was caused?

There are many supporting characters who add depth to the story.  It seems that each generation has a cohort of BFF's who's friendships really do last forever.  August, Emily, and Lily all had mothers who were best friends.  And all their grandmothers were besties, as well.  This leads to generations of strong ties, and stronger resentments. 

Story:

This essentially the story of the old adage, "You can go Home again".  But, in August's case, he shouldn't go back because everyone thinks he murdered his  friend!  But, he is determined to bury his mother's ashes, settle her affairs, and then leave.  But, there is a lot to settle, especially with the girl August left behind. This is also a story of second chances, and redemption.   Will the people of the town every trust him?  Can he ever explain what happened to Emily? Maybe the only way to do this is to figure out who actually killed Lily.  But that leads to other secrets being revealed that could destroy the town.

I loved this story for the many layers in it.  There's the initial mystery of who killed Lily.  But there's also domestic abuse, and people who looked the other way.  There's town resentment and greed.  And there's a hint of magic.  It's a delight to unravel this web.

Trigger Warning for domestic abuse and child abuse!

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  October 8th, 2022

Author:  Adrienne Young

Publisher:  Delacorte

Genre:  Magical Realism

Page Length:  352 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source: NetGalley

Recommendation:  This is a moody look at small town life, with a little bit of magic thrown in.  I enjoyed the characters and the atmosphere of this island.  I think this will be a great read in the Autumn.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

For all of Emory's life she's been told who she is. In town she's the rich one--the great-great-granddaughter of the mill's founder. At school she's hot Maddie Ward's younger sister. And at home, she's the good one, her stoner older brother Joey's babysitter. Everything was turned on its head, though, when she and Joey were in the car accident that killed Candy MontClaire. The car accident that revealed just how bad Joey's drug habit was.

Four months later, Emmy's junior year is starting, Joey is home from rehab, and the entire town of Mill Haven is still reeling from the accident. Everyone's telling Emmy who she is, but so much has changed, how can she be the same person? Or was she ever that person at all?

Mill Haven wants everyone to live one story, but Emmy's beginning to see that people are more than they appear. Her brother, who might not be cured, the popular guy who lives next door, and most of all, many ghostie addicts who haunt the edges of the town. People spend so much time telling her who she is--it might be time to decide for herself.

Inspired by the American classic Our Town, You'd Be Home Now is Kathleen Glasgow's glorious modern story of a town and the secret lives people live there. And the story of a girl, figuring out life in all its pain and beauty and struggle and joy.

Review:

I had the pleasure of meeting author Kathleen Glasgow several years ago when she was promoting her debut novel, Girl In Pieces.  She was so kind, and open about her life struggles.  Her books pack an emotional punch that can be difficult to take sometimes.  However, like her first novel, You'd Be Home Now, is worth it.  I think I like it even better than her previous work because it is very relatable for most people.  I think nearly everyone knows someone who has struggled with addiction.  By looking at this topic from the viewpoint of a relative, the author shows us how the opioid epidemic effects not just the user, but their entire family, as well.  I really hope this novel finds an audience, despite the challenging topic, as it is so important for teens to find stories and characters that they can identify with.  This is a very special novel.

What I Liked:

Themes:

The theme of the book is that everyone has hidden addictions.  Some addictions are more obvious than others, but everyone has something.  While her brother Joey's addiction to drugs takes center stage, Emory is struggling with an addiction of her own.  She craves attention from a boy so much, she is willing to do what she is not comfortable with, just to be with him.  

The other theme of the book is that addictions affect everyone in a family and in a community.  Even if you don't know anyone personally who has gone through this, you can see the aftermath of addictions:  poverty and homelessness.  This is another thing I really liked about the novel.  The author shows how easy it is to dismiss the people who are homeless as somehow broken, and not in need.  But the characters learn to see the people in these encampments as individuals who are worthy of respect and help.

Characters:

Emory is kind of a mess, but it's understandable for a teen in her situation.  Because her brother has taken up all the oxygen in the room for so long, she is mostly overlooked by her family.  But they do rely on her way too much to be her brother's keeper.  This is such an unfair and unhealthy burden to place on a sibling.  It's no wonder she acts out in other ways.  But what seems harmless to Emory, at first, becomes her own addiction.

Joey is the older teen who is struggling with drug addiction.  His is a cycle of using, guilt, contrition, and then back to using again.  He is not a bad person.  He has an illness.  But it's easier for his parents, and others, to just tell him he's selfish and weak.  It lessens his parents own responsibility for how he became addicted in the first place.  This novel really shows how people can go to rehab and be so full of hope and good intentions.  But then, the pressure to follow so many rules proves to be too much, and Joey backslides into using again.  I think this book makes a good case that there should be more than one approach to handling addiction.  While rules help with accountability, the pressure it creates might be just the thing that puts someone over the edge.

Story:

The story follows Emory as she recovers from a terrible accident (not caused by drugs) where a popular girl at school was killed, and her brother Joey almost dies of an overdose.  While Joey goes to rehab, Emory must physically recover from breaking her knee.  But she also has to deal with other people blaming her and her brother for the car accident.  It wasn't their fault.  But Emory is in no position to argue the point.  Everyone knows that her brother is a heavy drug user, and they make the easy assumption that he is to blame.

As the story progresses, the novel also shows how many people in this small town are affected by drugs, and addictions.  The homeless population keeps growing, but people who can offer help, like her mother who is on the city council, turn a blind eye.  As is so often the case, Emory's parents are only moved to do something when it affects them directly.  When Joey goes missing, they start to see that he could be one of those faceless people under a bridge.  

The novel also deals with Emory's addiction to the attention of a boy.  Together they get more and more sexually involved.  But he doesn't want to acknowledge her to his friends.  Red flag if I every saw one!!!  Later she is slut-shamed for some of the things she does, while the boy comes off unscathed.  Sadly, this is reality.  But I like how the author shows Emory working through her embarrassment.

What I Didn't Like:

The book is promoted to be inspired by the Play, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder.  This is one of my favorite plays.  If you hadn't told me that it was "inspired" by Our Town, I never would have known it.  I was a little disappointed because I was expecting this to be Our Town, with drugs.  But it was nothing like the wholesome play that explores life and death in a small town.  But the only resemblance to that famous show is that this story takes place in a small town, and that some of the character's names are similar to those is the play.  That's it!  

Trigger Warnings for Drug Use

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  September 28th, 2021

Author:  Kathleen Glasgow

Publisher:  Delacorte

Genre:  Contemporary YA Fiction

Page Length:  400 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  This is a book filled with characters who will haunt you.  I think many teens and adults will relate to the situations in this novel.  I highly recommend this book.