Great YA spooky read involving witchcraft, ghosts, deaths and mystery in a small town. If you love creepy vibes this is the book for you!

This was a fun YA thriller- Mazzy and Nora are practicing magic when a body washes up on the beach, without hands or teeth… As Mazzy and Nora work to move past this, someone or something keeps dragging them back.

+ action packed
+ fun FMCs
+ magical realism
+ cult

- almost too fast paced? Felt like there could have been more natural lead up to some of the events

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC!

I read this book as an ARC through NetGalley. It is a YA novel, but it didn’t feel like one, other than the characters being teenagers. It’s well written and fun, the characters are cool people I definitely would’ve wanted to be friends with in high school. I enjoyed this book, it kept me guessing and was quite the magical journey.

Mazzy, her best friend Nora, and their friend Ethan sneak down to a Cape Cod beach to do a spell during the full moon. They end up finding the body of a woman missing her hands and teeth. They call the police, but feel drawn to the spirit of the woman. The girls decide to use magic to contact the woman, and this starts off a scary and mysterious chain of events that has the girls chasing the secretive and dangerous cult, The Hand of Nepthys while trying to find the killer.

This was such a fun and enjoyable read. I loved the girls use of magic. I thought it was cool that these young women decide to take the investigation into their own hands with spells. The adults in their lives keep telling them to stay out of it, but in true teenage fashion, they don’t listen. I also enjoyed that Mazzy and Nora were more than just witches, they have hobbies, friends, and goals. The mystery was twisty and interesting and kept me reading.

If this sounds like a fun read, get your own copy on August 26, 2025.

Wednesday Addams meets CSI, if she and her BFF were raised by muggles and often experimented with magic out of their league. In the style of Freida McFadden - short chapters where every word counts. I devoured this in a day and now have a hangover. I want more mischief with these girls. When is the next book coming out?!?!?!

I loved the way this book is written. You can tell the author isn’t speaking from ignorance there’s a clear level of research behind it. The story is incredibly engaging, pulling you in from the very first page to the last. I simply adored how smoothly the narrative flowed, completely immersing me and making me crave more.

The characters are brilliantly crafted; you truly understand their motivations and connect with them. Plus, the atmosphere is so well-developed that, more than once, I regretted reading it at night because the chills made me want to turn on the light.

I was extremely bored the whole time and never cared about the mystery because it was so dumb and reminded me of pretty little liars where nothing makes sense. I never cared about any of the main characters since they are very flat and have zero personality. I liked the setting with the spooky beaches but that's about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s just a full moon ritual, what could go wrong?
Well… Apparently a lot.

If you’re looking for a good creepy read for a rainy Autumn night, look no further! Nicole Lesperance has you covered with “A Spell to Wake the Dead”,

Best friends Mazzy and Nora meet on the night of the full moon to do a ritual by the sea, seems simple enough, but when the ritual is done things start to get weird. The body of a murdered woman washes ashore, she’s missing her hands and her teeth.

Don’t you just hate when that happens?

What was meant to be a spell to help has now turned their lives upside down and soon Nora finds the body of another murdered woman sending the girls spiraling to uncover the truth of the murders and the dark secrets buried in their town.

I was hooked right from the beginning, almost like magic 😉 The action started right in the beginning and never slowed down, this was a fast paced, heart stopping wild ride! Equal parts spooky, eerie and magical.

From start to finish I was guessing, suspecting everyone that walked through the pages. The setting was so beautifully done I felt as though I was roaming Cape Cod with the girls.

(ARC from NetGalley, thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review A Spell to Wake the Dead!)

I really got to love these girls! I wasn't sure at first, because I felt I'm past the age where 17 year olds aren't just cringey to me, and the witchcraft wasn't the most promising, but they are just so sweet. The mysteries behind characters were very good and unexpected at times. I feel like every loose end for tied up by the end and that just fills my little heart. There was just the right amount of romance that made me remember both that they are just so young and that they got stuff going on outside of the circumstances they got themselves into in this book.

A deliciously spooky read perfect for the autumn season! If small town horror is your thing, you will love this creepy, atmospheric read about teenage witches.

As grateful as I am for this arc and getting to read this in March, the actual release date of this book is set perfectly because reading this book would hit different during the fall. This book is peak romanticism of the fall season. It even romanticizes the feeling of comfortable loneliness you get when the clocks roll back and life gets darker sooner. This feeling that you get from a book…this is what reading is all about. It was able to transport me to my favorite time of year.

This book still has the YA feel but with all the excitement you’d expect from a supernatural murder mystery. The girls stumble upon a dead body of a woman who is missing her hands and heart (yikes) and suspect that the culprit is a secret magical society called hand of nephthys, an evil cult who perform ritual murders. The book then dives into a magical murder mystery essentially, filled with teenagers communing with ghosts, researching evil magic societies, mixed with a murder mystery. It deals with everything from an evil cult obsessed with Egyptian mythology to a spirits of the dead communicating with the girls in their heads. It’s very much a murder mystery rather than a horror novel, but with plenty of magical and supernatural elements. There’s even a creepy song that’s a clue to part of the mystery. It’s spooky, atmospheric, and so autumnal.

Aside from that, this book is just plain well written. You know how some authors tell but don’t show? Literally from page 2 I clocked that Nicole Lesperance is not one of those authors because I instantly felt transported into this sleepy town. From the first page I could tell that she’s a gifted writer. She transports you into a place of lonely, empty roads surrounded by sleepy woods and Victorian homes, the evening soft and silvery from the moonlight. Everything is written so visually and easy to picture. This book isn’t anything groundbreaking of a massive standout necessarily, but it’s exactly what you’d expect going into it. And absolutely perfect for spooky season.

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

I was very excited to be chosen to read this book as the title and description sounded very interesting to me. This book did not disappoint! I literally read it in one day because I was so invested in seeing what truly was going on with the kids and their interactions with May. I really appreciated the way the author made me question all of the characters and their intentions and motives. I truly didn't trust anyone in this book! I am a big fan of murder mysteries and really enjoyed the supernatural element in this book. Thank you for such an entertaining book! I would highly recommend it to my friends.

You had me at witchcraft and murder mystery! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this read. I was hooked from page one. Excellently creepy YA book, strong character development, interesting dip into the witchy world of two young women, and I appreciated that LGBTQ characters were treated the same as straight characters (refreshing!).

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a witchy thriller that delivers an eerie atmosphere, supernatural intrigue, and dark magic, making it a compelling read for fans of YA occult mysteries. The story follows Mazzy and her best friend Nora, who, after casting a spell on the beach one night, stumble upon a horrifying discovery - a woman’s body missing hands and teeth. Their attempts to investigate through spellwork uncover a sinister history of disappearances in their Cape Cod town, pulling them deeper into a web of dangers that threaten their lives.

One of the most surprising aspects of this book is how deeply it leans into magic. Rather than treating it as something hidden, magic is woven into the world in a way that feels natural and totally accepted.

The eerie tone and chilling twists kept me quickly turning pages, but the book falters when it comes to character development and plot cohesion. While Mazzy and Nora are likable (although Nora tested my patience at times), they lack the depth to make me feel truly invested in their journey. The fast pacing sacrifices a deeper emotional exploration, leaving many of the side characters feeling like mere plot devices rather than fully realized individuals. This lack of connection becomes especially apparent in the climax, where the impact of a certain reveal fell flat for me due to the minimal backstory given to this person.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, dark and magical thriller, A Spell to Wake the Dead offers an entertaining ride. However, for readers who crave more emotional depth and character-driven storytelling, it may not leave a lasting impression. Overall, I had a lot of fun and it was a quick read!

Nora and Mazzy performing actual magic to solve a murder in Cape Cod. This was a cute book, but it felt more like a slightly fleshed-out outline, rather than a full blown YA. I felt some of the plotlines were far-fetched. But I loved the characters and the magical themes. It was a quick and fast-paced read. I may seek out other books by the author.

Thanks to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A dead body right off the rip!? Loooove it. Can you imagine the anxiety of casting a spell and then mutilated bodies start appearing! Eeeeeek!

And of course, give me all the evil covens.

I sometimes get worried that in my mid thirties I’m getting too old to read books that include high schoolers, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it!! Would recommend to my friends 🖤

Wait, this was so cute? Haha I don’t think cute is the write word for this dark witchy book but it gave the same feels all the same. I am actually obessed with this concept. I am a sucker for a good thriller and this book gives a great sense of mystery! I liked the world but wish there was more detail about the characters so I could become attached to them a little more. I found myself having trouble connecting to the characters (not saying there isn’t a good development of them; just wish there was more) I love that it’s two besties just doing what they do but felt tension sometimes. Reminded me of how my friend and I sometimes butt heads but our head and hearts are in the right place. This is a great spooky time read. I want to get my hands on a physical copy so I can cuddle up and read this on a rainy autumn evening.

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a fast-paced, witchy, YA thriller. The storyline felt a little rushed, but I guess that's better than having it drag out. This book didn't quite do it for me, but I think there will be a lot of other readers who love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ebook copy in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released August 26, 2025.

Dead bodies, mystery, teenage witches, tarot cards, and a secret Egyptian occult group…

Everything about A Spell to Wake the Dead was written really well!! The mystery was fast-paced, the witchcraft and occult aspects were intriguing, I enjoyed the strong friendships, the little bit of innocent romance, and the atmosphere was on point too!

I just wish there was even more background information on the HoN! I was really, really wanting more about them. Fingers crossed in the future we get a book all about the HoN. I think there is a lot more than can be explored! Maybe if we all ask the author very, very nicely? :)

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a wonderfully spooky, mysterious, witchy, atmospheric and absolutely spellbinding read!! I loved it!

Sometimes you and your bestie stumble across a dead body and decide you need to solve the mystery of her death and with magic! Just normal things for young girls to experience.

This was a fun and rather quick read! I found the pacing to be pretty fast and captivating, it felt like things were always happening. And I really like that in this spookier kind of book, don't let me get bored.

I just wish that the characters were a little bit more developed, they didn't feel super complete to me. And they didn't really get much of an arc and I really do love seeing characters get a full arc. I feel like finding a dead body, doing magic with dead people and dealing with a secret society would give a person some character development.

I had a good time with this and I can definitely see its YA audience LOVING it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Mazzy and Nora are best friends, who like to dabble in a little magic. Unfortunately, they are thrown into a series of murders at the hands of occult magic and secrets. Things get shaken up in this small Cape Cod beach town.

I am on a YA thriller kick at the moment. This book brought a wonderful supernatural/murder mystery thrill. At first, this story moved a tad slowly, but as we progressed things got a little faster. I didn’t get that best friend connection or vibe that I like. It was more like they just tolerated one another just by some of the actions of the characters. I love good, strong bestie relationships in books. This is definitely a good book to check out if you are in the mood for a witchy murder mystery.

Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in August. Yeah this was definitely a solid thriller! It had more twists than a game of twister and kept me guessing. Everyone was suspicious.