Honestly, i requested this on a whim, liked the cover and hit request. And oh my god was it good!
A found family trope, witches, secret societies and such good writing. It's one of those books that you can't put down once you pick it up
Nora and Mazzy really gave me a dynamic I love in thrillery books, and thank GOD i read this mostly during the day cause oooh boy was it creepy. I recommend to save it for a gloomy rainy nights!

what do you get when two best friends who dabble in spellcraft and all other things witchy find a washed up body on the beach in the dark of night? a lot of spooky twists tbh!!! mazzy and nora def have their hands full in this book.

i didn’t expect to read this all in one night but i could not put it down. i know the genre has been done before, i get it. but this was such an engaging read and will keep you wondering what will happen next.

a perfect read for the fall! witchy, spooky, murder mystery? obviously.

𝘵𝘺 𝘨𝘱 𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 -

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I had a very hard time getting into it and I was not able to finish it!

Band class and color guard by day. Spells and witchcraft by night.

Mazzy and Nora find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation after stumbling upon a dead body at the beach. The two teen witches are now faced with a whispering dead girl, a dangerous cult, and a suspicious detective.

Henry drawing that picture gave me the creeps in the best way. This is the perfect spooky YA murder mystery to read in the fall. I could practically smell the salty cold air. The author really does a great job putting the reader in Cape Cod.

This book truly reads like a YA. The girls are definitely immature at times. I had to remind myself that these are high schoolers, and yes, they probably would be giggling after almost being locked in a mausoleum. I did think the budding romance between Elliot and Mazzy was adorable, and it really does bring you back in the time of first crushes and curfew.

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️

4☆

A fast-paced and gripping read with escalating tension and constant twists, Nicole Lesperance writes an engrossing story with engaging spells and paranormal chaos. The coastal setting steeped in witchcraft creates a chilling and immersive atmosphere that never lets up. Unexpected touches of gore and horror add to the thrilling edge while the simple writing makes it easy to get lost in the story. Every reveal will pull you deeper into the sinister spiral of events.

RELATIONSHIPS & CHARACTERS -
Mazzy - Mazzy is a by-the-book witch who needs to be extra sure about her magical practice before completing any spells, even though she has had little success so far with them. She is anxious about the dangers that come with spellwork but she is certain that she has this calling, even when her family thinks she is just going through a phase.

Nora - Nora, Mazzy’s best friend, is the complete opposite. She is a witch based on intuition, aesthetics, vibes - whatever she wants her magic to be based on in the moment. She is carefree and willing to try anything, which is how they end up finding a dead body and interacting with more than they knew existed. They are a great contrast to each other and add both sides of witchcraft to the story.

Elliot - He is (un)fortunately just along for the ride. The skeptic of the friend group follows his two best friends around as they perform spells and talk of seemingly ridiculous things, but he is happy (and scared) to be there. His expressions provide a bit of comedic relief.

The Relationship - I think the relationship actually took away from the story and did not need to be included. It was fine for what it was, but not necessary due to the sudden changes in tone and how it was unrelated to what was happening.

ENGAGEMENT & ENJOYMENT -
This was a very quick read and there was never a dull moment. In the synopsis of the book, it mentions that they find two dead bodies, however it is quite a while until the second one is found, and the waiting for that reveal was a bit slow. However, the intricacies of the spells they perform, the people they interact with from the shop and investigation, and all of the paranormal results that come from their meddling makes it so there is never a lull in the events and the stakes are always increasing. There were also times where it went down a slightly gory path or was lightly horror, which was unexpected but thoroughly enjoyed. Everything about this will grip you and each reveal, whether a twist or not, will enrapture you. This is written very simply, and it is extremely easy to fall into.

ATMOSPHERE & SETTING -
An off-season coastal setting with creepy witchcraft, suspense, mystery, and progressively more aggressive and dangerous sinister/paranormal beings makes for a rather perfect read. The atmosphere and setting are certainly one of the driving forces of this book and they are done very well and are maintained throughout the entirety of the book. There are enough details within the witchcraft practices, covens, and their rituals to enliven the occultism, and there were enough details to distinguish the various places they went. All of the details, of course, were meant to be unsettling.

DEVELOPMENT & PLOT -
This was an incredibly fast-paced story that kept adding new elements to increase the stakes and suspense. From what started as a simple spell to uncover something, it quickly turned into a nightmare that seemed impossible to escape. With each new reveal, mysterious interaction, and questionable lead, more was continuously introduced as everything made its descent into chaos on the path toward death.

Thank you Nicole Lesperance, Penguin Young Readers Group, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts and review!

A Spell To Wake The Dead is a great fall read and with all the witchy vibes and magic, it is great for the upcoming spooky season! Two teenage girls (Mazzy and Nora) who dabble in witchy things, stumble upon a body washed up on the Cape Cod coast. Despite ensuring others they would let the police handle things, the two stay involved and find not only more bodies but get wrapped up with the dangerous Hand of Nephthys group! I loved the spooky and eerie atmosphere of the book and all the weird almost unexplained things that kept happening to Mazzy and Nora. I kept turning pages trying to figure out what was going to happen. The occult and Egyptology parts were so interesting and the group called the Hand of Nephthys was definitely full of bad people and things! Add this to your TBR for spooky season!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an eARC of this book!

This was such a fun, spooky, and weirdly wonderful read. I really enjoyed the atmosphere that Lesperance conjured (pun intended) from the first page with the haunting setting of a mostly deserted Cape Cod in the off season and the main characters Mazzy and Nora who dabble perhaps a bit too far into some mostly harmless witchcraft. This is exactly the kind of contemporary fantasy I love where the world of the supernatural bleeds into ours in a way that almost feels plausible and very real. It probably helps that the writing was so immersive and the characters were so beautifully developed that I felt like I had grown up with them, known them my whole life, could turn around and strike up a conversation as if they were really there. With fall approaching, this is the perfect time to dive into this beguiling story of ghosts and witches and secret occult societies!!

Wow! Just wow! I'm normally a slow reader, but I read this in three days because I could not put it down. This book throws you right into the exciting incidence right in the first chapter and then it never has any dips or lulls. Interesting things are constantly happening that hold your attention. It's rare for me to find YA books, let alone any books, that do that successfully. So, thank you!!!

Just know that this book is not for the faint of heart. However, if you are intrigued by witches, ghosts, possession, creepy cults who perform deadly ceremonies, then this book is for you.

I honestly thought this was a perfect, creepy YA story. There is friendship, a tiny romance and lots of mystery.

4.75 rounded up to 5. The only thing that I took off 1/4 point for was that since the story had such an awesome pace, we didn't always get a lot of background or development on characters and backstories.

This was such a good spooky time I will definitely be picking this back up around Halloween time. A great little murder mystery

A perfect fall read! This story leaned heavily into YA, which took some getting used to for me, but I think most readers will enjoy it under the right circumstances—specifically: with a PSL, a knit blanket, and a crackling fire nearby.

We follow Mazzy and Nora, best friends who’ve dabbled in witchcraft with varying degrees of success. On a beach day spell-casting adventure, they uncover something sinister…a discovery that sets them on a dark and dangerous path. But these girls are determined. With a mix of spells, quick thinking, and a little supernatural assistance, they chase answers to the very end.

Nicole Lesperance is a new-to-me author, and I found her writing incredibly digestible and enjoyable. You don’t need to overanalyze or dissect meanings; it’s pure vibe fiction. The atmosphere was so rich and vividly drawn that I felt instantly transported to a crisper, cozier time. I read this during the heat of summer and couldn’t stop myself from lighting a pumpkin candle.

The friendship between Mazzy and Nora was nostalgic and sweet. Thy made me miss my own childhood besties. The characters felt real and likable without falling into the usual YA clichés. That’s a rare treat for me, since I’m pretty picky about YA voice and tone.

There’s definitely a spooky factor here: the eerie small-town energy, the dark magic, and a chilling method of murder. But at its core, this is a supernatural mystery that’s fast-paced, well-structured, and brimming with fall energy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5⭐️
This is a YA witchy murder mystery. I really enjoyed it. Kept me guessing to the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for ARC.

Such a fun spooky time!! Love a good spooky romance and this would be perfect to read around Halloween time!

This was a really great book. Like with all the YA mystery novels where the teens think they can solve crimes that the professionals can't, there were times when I wanted to shake Mazzy and Nora to try to get some sense into them. But their mystery was so much different than everything else I've read, and it had me sitting on the edge of my seat with the hair on my neck standing on end. This was creepy and fascinating and at times, very sweet. I loved Mazzy more than I wanted to knock sense into Nora. Elliott and Henry were sweet additions to the story, and the ending was just so perfect.

Fantastic story, definitely worth the read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

4,5☆

This was sooo good. The book does a fantastic job of mixing mystery with magical elements. I loved the main characters so much and felt that they were very multidimensionally written.

The plot progressed in a way that felt fitting and exciting. This kept me hooked and I constantly wanted to know what happens next. The ending was perfect in every way.

I really recommend this to both mystery lovers and those who love books about witches!

I received an advanced copy of A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance through NetGalley — thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun, creepy read. It’s a YA murder mystery with a horror vibe and a bit of romance thrown in — think slow-burn male/female connection but nothing explicit. The friendship between the two female leads is strong, but it’s their curiosity with magic that gets them in over their heads. They stumble across a coven committing human sacrifice and from there it gets darker, stranger, and much more dangerous.

The pacing is steady, not rushed, which worked for the build-up of tension. I had to stop reading one night because it was honestly getting a bit creepy — and I’m not usually spooked by books.

There’s a decent twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed this as a quick, engaging read that kept me guessing.

#ASpelltoWaketheDead #NetGalley

This was such a dark, atmospheric read with just the right amount of witchy suspense! I loved the eerie Cape Cod setting and how the supernatural elements slowly crept in, building tension with every chapter. Mazzy and Nora’s friendship felt real and raw, and the mystery kept me hooked until the very end. Perfect for fans of twisty thrillers with a touch of the occult. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author!

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a fast-paced YA thriller/horror with a creepy, witchy vibe throughout.

This book hits the ground running with the opening scene. The writing is rich and descriptive in a way that sets the tone (haunted) and pulled me right into Cape Cod (which I knew almost nothing about).

The girls have a close best friend dynamic that slowly twists with the plot. I spent a lot of time questioning whether one of them was lying, imagining things, or an unreliable narrator. It’s unsettling and keeps the creepiness going even when the plot slows in the middle.

Even though this is a story about witches, magic is rarely a deus ex machina. Every action has consequences. The girls make a lot of questionable choices and then have to deal with the results. Ultimately the ending is unpredictable yet satisfying. I stayed up past midnight to read the last quarter!

The writing is really fresh and original. It’s sometimes hard to find ‘if you liked this’ recommendations, but I’d put this on a list with The Craft and My Best Friend’s Exorcism.

Spells to Wake the Dead passed the vibe check—it's spooky, eerie atmosphere meshes well with the witchy murder investigation, and instantly hooks you. Loved!

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a great, spooky, witchy story. Despite the fact that this a YA book, I was pretty fearful in some places. I’m not a big horror fan, but I found that I really enjoyed this book despite some of the scary scenes.

The atmosphere of the book was nice and creepy, the magic spells performed by the two main characters well crafted, and the story itself very engaging and entertaining. I was really hoping there wouldn’t be a neatly tied up ending where the FMC was just imaging things, and I was not disappointed. Overall, this book delivers. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Reader Group for the advanced copy of this book.

"Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders - and save themselves from the same fate - in this twisty, witchy thriller.

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don't expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can't shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years - and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices - Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And the whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection - or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach."

See, step one, if you find a dead body missing it's hands and teeth perhaps don't try to reach out to it beyond the veil... It's a very bad idea.