SPELLS FOR LOST THINGS

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.