Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Corgi Childrens (2017), 416 pages
Description
Fantas Young Adult Fictio Young Adult Literatur LGBTQIA+ (Fiction HTML:The highly anticipated new book from the acclaimed author of The Accident Season is a gorgeous, twisty story about things gone missing, things returned from the past, and a group of teenagers, connected in ways they could never have imagined. One stormy Irish summer night, Olive and her best friend, Rose, begin to lose things. It starts with simple items like hairclips and jewelry, but soon it's clear that Rose has lost something much bigger, something she won't talk about, and Olive thinks her best friend is slipping away. Then seductive diary pages written by a girl named Laurel begin to appear all over town. And Olive meets three mysterious strangers: Ivy, Hazel, and her twin brother, Rowan, secretly squatting in an abandoned housing estate. The trio are wild and alluring, but they seem lost too�??and like Rose, they're holding tight to painful secrets. When they discover the spellbook, it changes everything. Damp, tattered and ancient, it's full of hand-inked charms to conjure back things that have been lost. And it just might be their chance to find what they each need to set everything back to rights. Unless it's leading them toward things that were never meant to be fou… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member booksandmunches
I'm going to dive right in with the one thing I didn't like - and it's probably my own fault - which is the confusion that tortured me during the first couple of chapters.
There was an overdose of characters and it made everything so confusing. I kept going back to be sure that I was piecing
After a while I finally had it figured out though, so the fun could begin! But the confusion kinda stuck. This time, in a good way.
None of the characters knew what was happening exactly, how things were getting lost and found and lost again. Their confusion confused me as well, up to the point that I had very weird theories completely thought out - detective-mode activated, haha!
I honestly love it when a book grabs me like that; getting me that invested and without frustrating the hell out of me? Even when I turn out to be wrong, several times? Kathy = happy!
A fun and nice touch to this book are the chapters.
For starters, each chapter has a different POV - and, remember, there are a lot of those - but they also all start with saying what was lost and/or found during that chapter.
Just reading that little part alone made you wonder how they lost or found those items. So instead of a chapter ending with a cliffhanger, you get another way to motivate - more like tempt - you to keep reading.
As for the characters themselves.. For some reason I couldn't really connect with any of them. I understood them, their thoughts and actions. I just couldn't feel them. Maybe the overload of characters made them all a little bland for me, even though they all have their distinct characteristics.. But it didn't bother me at all - honestly, I'm just realizing this while writing out my review so it couldn't have been that bad!
All in all I loved the story, the originality, the way all the twists and turns came perfectly together at the end and - this has to be mentioned! - the presence of bisexual characters!
For this, I'm giving Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle 4 / 5!
Kathy
I paid full-price for this book. This is my honest review for which I'm not being compensated in any way.
There was an overdose of characters and it made everything so confusing. I kept going back to be sure that I was piecing
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everything together correctly. It could've easily been me being distracted and thus getting frustrated was my own fault. Who knows..After a while I finally had it figured out though, so the fun could begin! But the confusion kinda stuck. This time, in a good way.
None of the characters knew what was happening exactly, how things were getting lost and found and lost again. Their confusion confused me as well, up to the point that I had very weird theories completely thought out - detective-mode activated, haha!
I honestly love it when a book grabs me like that; getting me that invested and without frustrating the hell out of me? Even when I turn out to be wrong, several times? Kathy = happy!
A fun and nice touch to this book are the chapters.
For starters, each chapter has a different POV - and, remember, there are a lot of those - but they also all start with saying what was lost and/or found during that chapter.
Just reading that little part alone made you wonder how they lost or found those items. So instead of a chapter ending with a cliffhanger, you get another way to motivate - more like tempt - you to keep reading.
As for the characters themselves.. For some reason I couldn't really connect with any of them. I understood them, their thoughts and actions. I just couldn't feel them. Maybe the overload of characters made them all a little bland for me, even though they all have their distinct characteristics.. But it didn't bother me at all - honestly, I'm just realizing this while writing out my review so it couldn't have been that bad!
All in all I loved the story, the originality, the way all the twists and turns came perfectly together at the end and - this has to be mentioned! - the presence of bisexual characters!
For this, I'm giving Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle 4 / 5!
Kathy
I paid full-price for this book. This is my honest review for which I'm not being compensated in any way.
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LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
I really liked this story. I read most of the book in a single day and captivated by it. I decided to read this book because I was intrigued by the blurb and I am really glad that I did. This was one of those books that made me want to keep reading "just one more chapter" until I had reached the
This book is told from multiple points of view and it works very well for this story. Every point of view in this book really added something to the add to the overall story. I really liked each of the points of view equally which was a big plus for this book. I feel like Olive's point of view was the dominant one in the book that really pushed the story forward. Laurel and Hazel's points of view were equally important and usually gave me something to think about.
I enjoyed the way the book was laid out. Some things were lost and some things were found. How did all of this happen and what does it really mean? How do you get back the things you have lost that are important to you? I found myself really thinking about these questions as the characters made their way through this story. I wasn't sure how things would end up connecting and ran into a few surprises during the story.
I liked the writing. This was my first experience reading Moïra Fowley-Doyle's work and I am quite impressed. She was able to create a large cast of characters in this book that really came to life. There was just enough unknown to keep me guessing throughout the story. The descriptions were vibrant and I could really visualize what was happening at any given point.
I would recommend this book to others. I think it is a unique story filled with an interesting group of characters. I plan to read more from this talented author in the future.
I received an advanced reader edition of this book from Kathy Dawson Books via First to Read.
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end.This book is told from multiple points of view and it works very well for this story. Every point of view in this book really added something to the add to the overall story. I really liked each of the points of view equally which was a big plus for this book. I feel like Olive's point of view was the dominant one in the book that really pushed the story forward. Laurel and Hazel's points of view were equally important and usually gave me something to think about.
I enjoyed the way the book was laid out. Some things were lost and some things were found. How did all of this happen and what does it really mean? How do you get back the things you have lost that are important to you? I found myself really thinking about these questions as the characters made their way through this story. I wasn't sure how things would end up connecting and ran into a few surprises during the story.
I liked the writing. This was my first experience reading Moïra Fowley-Doyle's work and I am quite impressed. She was able to create a large cast of characters in this book that really came to life. There was just enough unknown to keep me guessing throughout the story. The descriptions were vibrant and I could really visualize what was happening at any given point.
I would recommend this book to others. I think it is a unique story filled with an interesting group of characters. I plan to read more from this talented author in the future.
I received an advanced reader edition of this book from Kathy Dawson Books via First to Read.
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LibraryThing member seasonsoflove
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
A spellbook appears. A town begins to lose things big and small. Diary pages begin to appear in bunches of flowers and on the side of the road. And
This book is so beautifully written. It's just got this gorgeously surreal tinge through it all, but Fowley-Doyle also manages to make it feel so real and immediate. I cared deeply about the characters and what was going to happen to them.
There are also some unexpected and amazing twists and turns, especially towards the end of the book.
For me personally, there really wasn't anything not to like about this book. The ending felt a little pat, but I actually liked that, which isn't typically the case for me. I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it, even though this is definitely not the typical genre I gravitate towards.
Definitely try this book. Not everyone seems to have liked it, but I found it very beautiful, and a quick read.
A spellbook appears. A town begins to lose things big and small. Diary pages begin to appear in bunches of flowers and on the side of the road. And
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through it all, various girls lose themselves and try to find themselves again, through friendships, romance, and ties to the past and future, all with the help of some magic.This book is so beautifully written. It's just got this gorgeously surreal tinge through it all, but Fowley-Doyle also manages to make it feel so real and immediate. I cared deeply about the characters and what was going to happen to them.
There are also some unexpected and amazing twists and turns, especially towards the end of the book.
For me personally, there really wasn't anything not to like about this book. The ending felt a little pat, but I actually liked that, which isn't typically the case for me. I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it, even though this is definitely not the typical genre I gravitate towards.
Definitely try this book. Not everyone seems to have liked it, but I found it very beautiful, and a quick read.
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LibraryThing member kbranfield
In Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, a small town's annual bonfire is the catalyst for some very unusual occurrences.
A meandering tale with chapters alternating between three points of view, the novel has a unique premise that, unfortunately, quickly becomes repetitious and
Olive is one of the few voices that is distinct and easy to follow. Her family is also unique and their interactions are truly delightful and incredibly enjoyable. Olive's friendship with Rose (who is rather distinctive) is quite heartwarming and their text messages are hysterical. Olive's sister Emily is also a breath of fresh air and she is wise beyond her years.
Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle's does have some unexpected plot twists and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. However, readers will need plenty of patience as they work their way through this convoluted, incredibly slow-paced young adult novel.
A meandering tale with chapters alternating between three points of view, the novel has a unique premise that, unfortunately, quickly becomes repetitious and
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lacks any type of forward progress. The many soundalike names (Olive, Rose, Ivy, Hazel, Rowan, Laurel, Holly, Ash, etc) make is virtually impossible to tell the characters apart. The chapters are narrated in first person and with the exception of Olive, the voices are so similar, it is impossible to tell them apart. Much of the supporting cast is also somewhat bland with little to distinguish them from the others.Olive is one of the few voices that is distinct and easy to follow. Her family is also unique and their interactions are truly delightful and incredibly enjoyable. Olive's friendship with Rose (who is rather distinctive) is quite heartwarming and their text messages are hysterical. Olive's sister Emily is also a breath of fresh air and she is wise beyond her years.
Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle's does have some unexpected plot twists and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters. However, readers will need plenty of patience as they work their way through this convoluted, incredibly slow-paced young adult novel.
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Awards
Irish Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-06-01
Physical description
416 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
0552571318 / 9780552571319