Rating 4 / 5 ⭐

This is it. I’ve found your October read.

Nora and Mazzy are best friends who are both fascinated by magick and the occult. While you see glimpses of depth, overall they fell a little bit flat overall. There was potential for them to fleshed out more, especially with Mazzy having at least one side hobby to make her more multi-faceted.

The vibes were simply perfectly spooky. It takes place in the fall which definitely added to the darker vibes. The different locations they go to for rituals and research lend a lot to the overall eeriness which grows as they uncover more information. What starts as a potential coming-of-age story grows into something more complex and dangerous.

As their story progressed, I was hooked and felt like I was spiraling with them. I had a lot of questions about whether or not the narrator was reliable or not. I’ve never felt gaslit by a book before but here we are.

The magick was (mostly) based in real occult practices which I found fascinating. It definitely reads like the author did research or practices. I especially liked the contrast of how the girls approach magick and its safety.

As far as the budding romance side plot, it was sweet but felt unneeded. I liked him well enough but the book would have been complete even without it. Not everything needs romance and there was enough to keep me interested as they solved the mystery of what was happening. The ending also felt kind of rushed and the “who done it” reveal was slightly lackluster.

All that being said, I did highly enjoy this book. I’ll most likely reread it during Spooky Season as its an amazing YA witchy read. Honestly, this is one of the best YA books I’ve read in a while.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a darkly magical, emotionally-charged journey into the heart of grief, love, and the consequences of messing with death—because let’s be honest, no spellbook ever ends well when it starts with “Do not attempt.”

The story follows Selene Vire, a young witch reeling from the loss of her sister, who turns to forbidden necromancy in a desperate attempt to bring her back. What unfolds is part gothic horror, part coming-of-age story, and all wrapped in lush, eerie atmosphere. The worldbuilding is immersive (hello, haunted libraries and spirit markets), and the side characters add so much charm and depth—especially the dry-humored crow and the delightfully unbothered necromancer.

What stood out most for me was how well Blackmoor captured the rawness of grief while still delivering a plot full of magic, mystery, and genuinely unexpected twists. The pacing lagged just a bit in the middle, but the emotional payoff made it more than worth it.

Final thoughts: If you love witchy reads with heart, haunted aesthetics, and a little danger in your magic, this one's for you. I’ll be keeping an eye on whatever Blackmoor writes next.

A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Desperate is an absolute masterpiece that gripped me from beginning to end. The storytelling is rich, atmospheric, and hauntingly beautiful, with an enchanting blend of magic, mystery, and emotional depth. Desperate’s world-building is immersive, creating a captivating setting where the supernatural feels both otherworldly and intimately real. The characters are wonderfully complex, and their journeys are deeply compelling. The plot is expertly paced, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn. A Spell to Wake the Dead is a truly unforgettable read—magical, emotional, and absolutely deserving of five stars. Highly recommend!

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This books starts out creepy, witchy and downright spooky and I love it! Look, this is firmly in the YA category. (Not the borderline adult-level explicit fantasy/romance that sometimes hides in YA either. I would feel 100% comfortable if my 13 year old kiddo wanted to read this.) The two main characters are 17-year old girls and they act like it. They take risks, dabble in things with not enough knowledge of the consequences, and think moving away from each other is the worst thing ever. It’s authentic behavior for that age group. This was a refreshing escapist read. I loved the mystery, the use of the witchcraft and occult elements, and the overall friendship between Mazzy and Nora. Even the romance with Elliot was very PG adorable and sweet.

I really loved this! Is it outlandish? Absolutely. But I don’t think anyone is going to confuse reality here when there’s people using spells to light candles and paralyze enemies. That’s why it’s fantasy. I will definitely be buying a copy of this book! I highly recommend picking this up when it comes out at the end of August 2025. It would make the perfect start to spooky season!

This book was made for spooky season. Even though I read it early, it completely transported me to crisp fall nights, sleepy woods, and that cozy-but-creepy small town vibe. It’s more of a magical murder mystery than full-on horror, but the atmosphere? Immaculate. Ghosts, secret societies, ritual clues—it has it all. The writing is super visual too; I felt like I was right there with the girls unraveling it all. A perfect pick for autumn reading.

I loved this book.

Mazzy and Nora are 17, they’re best friends, and they’re witches. When they go to perform a spell Nora has found on the internet, things get weird.

The girls end up in a crazy whirlwind of cults, magic, and murder as they find bodies washed up near bodies of water with missing hearts, teeth, and hands.

They go to the local witch/apothecary and ask for a spell to undo the damage done by a previous spell, only to be thrust further into the vast darkness they’ve found. When Nora goes missing, Mazzy and the boy she likes go looking, and they find more than they bargained for.

This book felt YA but was unputdownable. I loved the simplicity of the romance and the bonds of friendship. The characters were well written and the twist was fantastic.

A beautifully written story that will keep the pages turning until they run out.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Young Readers for the ARC and the ability to leave an honest review.

Mazzy and her friend Nora like to dabble in the occult... just little spells with small successes. But when they go to a beach to perform a ritual, they find a corpse with missing hands and teeth and they become a part of a creepy cult of sisters trying to wake the dead.

I thought the girls were kind of not that smart to get more involved after finding the first body. This was just a story full of not nice feelings and the dark side of what the occult is. They have Elliot by their side who is not a believer but I think this boy was smarter than the girls and kept them safer than they would have been on their own.

The first half of this book was good. The second half spiraled way too out of control and felt like an entirely different genre. We go from a magical realism mystery to just outright supernatural horror. I really liked the tone of the first half and was disappointed by the final climax.

Thank you NetGalley & Nicole Lesperance for the opportunity to read this ARC. I loved this book. The witchy vibes, the mystery and the character were just great and so well written. I could not put this down. I was fully invested in learning the real identity of May and seeing how everything was connected. I loved secret society aspect of the story and the overall creepiness the story brings. Overall I would recommend and this is one I will be adding to my personal library.

A Spell to Wake the Dead is out August 26th.

A Spell to Wake the Dead started pretty strong, but it fizzled out for me by the halfway mark. The plot was super far-fetched (and I'm talking about everything outside of the witchy aspects - I actually thought those were rather well done!), and the characters were a little 2-dimensional, so I found it a bit hard to connect with them even though they were mostly likeable.

I tried to keep going with it anyway, but the second half was filled with a lot of repetition and disconnected pieces that just didn't work well for me. I do think that a much younger audience might enjoy this more than I did, though!

A dark, chilling, creep-fest of a book, A Spell to Wake the Dead follows besties Mazzy and Nora as they stumble into much more than they bargained for in a moonlit spell.

This book was wonderfully crafted. The ambiance perfectly eerie, the Tarot and magical elements accurate and on point. The relationships between the girls, and their friend Elliot are sincere and believable. The plot thrilling and sinister. This was a deeply atmospheric ride into the darkness of humanity and magic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read and review this book.

4.5 stars

Just wrapped up A 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 and wow, what a ride. Two teens, a full moon, and a body on the beach—talk about thrilling! It’s got witchy vibes, some spine-tingling suspense, and heartwarming friendship goals that make it even better. Toss in a sprinkle of romance, and you’ve got the perfect concoction for your reading list. If you're craving something spooky with twists that'll keep you guessing until the very end, this book is calling your name.

Absolutely loved this book! It was the perfect combination of mystery, suspense, friends to lovers, and witchy. I am half convinced that Nicole wrote a spell into this book to keep me hooked! If there is a sequel, I will most definitely be reading it. It didn’t have as many twists and turns as I had hoped but as an almost 30 year old woman, it was a very good read!


Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Book Review: A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance

A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance is the perfect blend of eerie, atmospheric tension and witchy intrigue, making it a must-read for fans of the supernatural, especially during spooky season—or when you’re craving that eerie, haunted vibe any time of year. The novel captures the loneliness and isolation that comes with shorter days and the chilling transition of seasons, evoking a deep sense of both mystery and melancholy.

From the very first chapter, I was hooked. Lesperance’s talent for vivid, haunting descriptions of the occult world draws you in and keeps you captivated. The intricacy of the magical elements, the details surrounding witchcraft, and the eerie atmosphere of the book kept me on the edge of my seat. I found myself staying up late, desperate to discover what would happen next in the tense and gripping mystery at the heart of the story.

Though A Spell to Wake the Dead is technically a young adult novel, it reads with a maturity that turns the pages quickly. The themes of possession, dark magic, and uncovering long-hidden secrets, make it a great pick for anyone who enjoys a good grisly mystery wrapped in a witchy, supernatural package. If you love stories that delve into the occult with twists, tension, and emotional depth, this book is sure to cast its spell on you.

Lesperance has truly crafted a page-turner that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page. Whether you’re a fan of YA or just love a well-crafted spooky mystery, A Spell to Wake the Dead is one you won’t want to miss. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an unexpected twist! Two girls find a body and can't shake the feeling that there's just something more to it. Something unnatural. I love how everything unfolded for these two, and how everything just sort of started rolling when they found more info.

The Spell to Wake the Dead
By Nicole Lesperance

Summary:
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.

Review: 5-Stars
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. It sounded aright. Something I’d enjoy and take a day or two to read, feeling it would be just an average story, but was I wrong, oh so wrong.
This story from the first paragraph to the last is what I refer to as a page turner one that you can’t put down and have to continue to read from start to finish in one setting.
It engages the mind, trying to figure out just what’s really going on. The author really knows how to develop characters who are believable and feel real. She also paints a picture of what you’re reading, so it feels like you’re watching a movie, along with capturing the emotions of all the different characters. Hands down one of the best books I’ve read in years, one that I will pick up multi times.
Conclusion:
Will I recommend this book to others? YES
Will I read other books written by this Author? YES
Will I buy this book for others? YES

This is YA but it can totally draw in an adult audience. I related with these characters in so many ways especially from my own teen years. I was captivated by the mystery of dead bodies washing ashore and a possible occult cult. Some of it was predictable, but that didn't take away from the story. The witch stuff was what intrigued and held me to this story. Fascinating, and surprisingly quite well researched. I absolutely loved it.

I couldn’t put it down! Luckily to get the chance to read the ARC copy via NetGalley.

Nora was a little annoying while Mazzy was the standout character. This book has it all; friendship, found family, friends to lovers, murder, tension, witches, rituals, mystery…… I could keep going.

I flew through this book reading it in just over 24 hours. Loved every second and found myself lost in the story & writing.

MURDER MYSTERY IN CAPE COD 🥹💕 witchcraft and thrillers go really well together. This book made me miss halloweeennnn with all the spooky witchy reads. 10/10. Fell in love with the setting and characters immediately. Very relatable lol. I’m obsessed and will read again this October.

‘A Spell to Wake the Dead’ by Nicole Lesperance is a supernatural thriller that follows Mazzy and Nora, two teens who cast a spell on a Cape Cod beach and discover a mutilated body soon after. This sets off a chilling chain of murders tied to occult secrets. Lesperance creates an eerie atmosphere with her writing while maintaining a meaningful yet suspenseful plot. This book had so many twists and turns that it was hard to put down. Definitely a compelling read for fans of witchy mysteries and dark thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a voluntary and honest review.