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.

A book that truly fits into the YA genre. Just the right amount of mystery, occult, and spooky vibes.

For those who have a love for magic, witchcraft, and the supernatural, infused with a hint of Egyptian mythology, this book is sure to engage you!

This book had me captivated in an unexpectedly delightful manner. It was honestly really refreshing. Stressful? A little. Haha, but the book was a nice quick read and an immensely rewarding experience, and it may even be one of my favorites of 2025 and potentially one of my all-time favorites.

Mazzy was a highly relatable and expertly crafted character. I appreciated Elliot and Nora, although something about Nora seemed rather lacking to me, and I am not sure why; therefore, I would have preferred a more profound exploration of her character or a greater insight into her character. The interactions among the three were quite engaging; I appreciated their trio, and the subtle romance between Mazzy and Elliot attracted me.

While I typically steer clear of teen fiction for various reasons, this particular book has the potential to shift my perspective. The writing style is simple yet remarkably vivid, and the narrative unfolds with great craftsmanship. From the very first page, I found myself completely intrigued, unable to set the book aside. It proved to be an immensely enjoyable experience from start to finish.

My gratitude is extended to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for providing an eArc, which allowed for an honest review of the work.

An exciting and dark YA mystery/thriller. I was pleasantly surprised with how eerie and sinister this story was given that it’s targeted for younger audiences, but it really delivered in terms of consistent tension and suspense throughout the book. The witchy and cult background felt unique and enticing, and while it didn’t have many shocking twists and turns, it was still a very engaging story from beginning to end.

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

This book was good. I liked the plot. There is a lot magic in the book to make things harder on the kids. If you don't like feeling like something couldn't be done with magic then you won't like this. There are talks of dead bodies but it isnt too horribly descriptive. I would say it gave the movie "The Craft" vibes at first but once you get into the book it really becomes a whole murder mystery.

A fun spooky YA horror novel with lots of witchy and ghostly vibes. Definitely a fun read for any fans of witchy books.

A Spell to Wake the Dead is a hauntingly atmospheric thriller that masterfully blends witchcraft, mystery, and spine-chilling suspense. Nicole Lesperance weaves an intoxicating tale of friendship and dark secrets that will keep readers spellbound until the very last page.

YA eerie cult thriller

Some of the components are the story are rather DARK. So please be mindful of the age of the reader and what you feel comfortable as a parent letting your child read.

This was so good. From start to finish, it’s fast paced and filled full of a plot I love. Two witches find a bod, and ...... then another ...... and stumble into something worse than they could have imagined. The characters are really great and the story was amazing.

The story builds in intensity the more you read it. This is one book that can be finished in a day. There could have been more focus on the actual witchcraft and spells and the occult world but nonetheless, it did not take away from the story at all.

Thanks NetGalley for the gifted eARC.

A solid witchy thriller. Teen readers who like eerie atmospheres and murder mysteries will enjoy this one! If they're graduating goosebumps and are looking for similar horror lite this would be good

Gloriously witchy, dark, and lyrical—everything I love most about Nicole Lesperance's work. It's the moonlit murder mystery of my beachside dreams, and I adored following Mazzy as she ventured deeper into the strangeness surrounding her. Plus, I mean ... that COVER. Say less!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this incredible book.

It was oh so good!

I am going to go right back an do a reread it was so good.
Can not recommend highly enough. Just incredible.

Five stars plus.

Wow, what a ride! Up and down, all around, this book took me through it.
It kept me on my toes, thats for sure. I wasn't sure where it was going, until we got there and then it all came together so very well.

The first thing that caught my attention in A Spell To Wake The Dead was the gorgeous cover. I'd give it five stars just for that!

However, the book felt a bit slow at the beginning, and by the time I reached the end, everything seemed to happen too quickly. Some parts of the plot didn’t make much sense to me, and others bothered me a little — especially Nora’s actions.

I couldn’t really feel a genuine connection between the two protagonists. Nora always seemed to look down on Mazzy and her more cautious nature, while Mazzy seemed to tolerate Nora, probably because she thought Nora was cooler and more popular. Their friendship felt more like a convenience than a true bond, which became clear in several situations throughout the book. But that didn’t stop me from continuing because I was really curious about how the story would unfold.

As for the romance, I don’t have much to say. It was cute, but it’s not the main focus of the book, which I liked. The romance and the protagonist’s feelings didn’t get in the way of the plot, which made the reading experience lighter and more enjoyable.

Overall, it’s a good book. I’m a big fan of YA stories with supernatural themes, mystery, and suspense, so A Spell To Wake The Dead managed to bring together everything I love in one book.

Best friends Mazzy and Nora are amateur practioners of witchcraft, with the disbelieving third of their friend trio, Elliot, often along for the ride. It's an occasion just such as this that a spell goes wrong, setting a chain of events into motion that has far reaching, and sinister consequences. After discovering a body on Mayflower Beach, and somehow unintentionally tying themselves to its spirit, this trio races against a cult of sinister witches, a detective who may not be on the side of good, and an out of state stalker to solve the mystery of who "May" was, and what got her killed. Set in the spooky, atmospheric Cape Cod in its off-season, this novel gives creeps, chills, and thrills almost from start to finish.

What kept this from being a five-star read for me was the fact that I feel like so many elements were added to the plot of this book that we didn't really get a satisfying resolution to several things. With less elements, additional focus could have been put on developing the character arcs (as we see resolution on the romance arc by the end of the novel, but no growth or resolution really on some of the things that were hurting Mazzy and Nora's friendship).

A Spell to Wake the Dead will leave you hooked from its atmospheric opening to its spell-binding conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam Sons for providing me with an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nicole Lesperance sets up a delightfully eerie premise—witchy teens, ominous omens, and bodies washing up on shore like some kind of morbid beachcomber’s jackpot. There’s a spellbinding (literally) mystery at its core, but getting to the real action feels like wading through knee-deep seaweed. Then, just as you’re finally about to confront the creepy villain—boom—you’re hit with a tidal wave of plot resolution that’s over before you’ve even adjusted your goggles.

Also, there’s a love story? I suppose there is. It’s there, much like that random driftwood on the beach—present, but not exactly necessary.

All in all, the book has great atmosphere, solid supernatural elements, and some genuinely creepy moments. But if you’re looking for a page-turner, just know that most of those pages will be turned at a leisurely pace until you reach the last bit—at which point, you’ll be flipping like you accidentally set your Kindle on fire. 3.5 stars!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books, for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for my honest review. While this one didn't hit the spot for me, maybe her next book will!

4.75 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for me! This was just the right amount of creepy and thriling for YA magic/horror with the tiniest pinch of romance. I will definitely be recommending this for October reads!

A Spell to Wake the Dead follows Mazzy and Nora, two teenage girls who just lightly dabble in witchcraft. And they've had some success with minor spells, so why NOT do a spell on the beach that uncovers hidden things? You never know what you'll end up finding....even if it's a dead body :) With this one spell, the girls and their friend Elliot are thrust into the world of the occult, based on Egyptian mythology.

•Definite witchy magic happening - things that can't be explained
•Strong female friendships
•Family ties

Man, this freaked me out and had me jumping at every noise when I was home alone. I LOVED that it wasn't just like a Mythbusters type situation and there actually WERE creepy things happening. Mazzy and Nora's curiosity is so on point as teenagers - would I have been scared to death if I were in their situation? Yes, but I probably would have done the same thing too. Their unwavering belief in each other was perfect for the story. I am no expert in witchcraft, but it also seems like the author took care to research it as a focal point in the story, which I appreciated.

Nora was reaaaaaally frustrating to me as a character a lot of the time. In the end, I understood why she was acting that way, but I really didn't like her at points.