Spells to Forget Us

June 17, 2024
The lives of two Boston teens—one witch and one nonmagical mortal—are turned upside down following their meeting and subsequent decision to date in this enchanting second-chance romance by Brophy (How to Succeed in Witchcraft). Aoife Walsh, who has light brown skin, is part of an influencer family whose business revolves around creating content about her life. Black teen witch Luna Gold is trying to ignore her family legacy. As next in line to head the Witch Council, Luna can’t be caught associating with a “mundane” like Aoife. While Luna struggles to navigate her duties and her desire to live a more typical teenage life, Aoife desperately tries to free herself from her content creator parents’ camera lens. Determined to make their relationship work, Luna persuades Aoife to undergo a ceremony that Luna believes will make their lives easier—but there’s a steep price to pay. Conversations surrounding colorism and fetishization, and their effects on the girls and their relationship, occur alongside increasingly comical magical antics. The result is a charming tale about a persistent teen whose every effort to make true love run smoothly results in further calamity. Ages 12–up.

July 15, 2024
A memory spell goes awry, causing a witch and a nonmagical girl in Boston to forget each other every time they break up. In order for Luna Gold and Aoife Walsh to date, Luna must lift the Veil for Aoife, allowing her to perceive the existence of magic. Luna, a fat Black lesbian witch, must also cast a memory spell that will cause Aoife, a biracial (white and Black) bisexual mundane, to forget about her if the two break up. But once the spells are cast, a flood of memories comes back--and both girls realize they've dated before. So begins a cycle of meet-cutes and breakups in which Luna and Aoife seem destined to find each other--but also destined to be pulled apart. Meanwhile, Aoife's parents continue to cross her boundaries as they share information about her on their blog, The Wonderful Walshes, and pressure from Luna's grandmother is mounting in anticipation of Luna's taking her grandmother's seat on the Witch Council. The girls are on a path to discovering whether they can make their relationship work, but equally as pressing is whether they'll be able to stand up to their families. There's an authenticity to the teens' sweeter moments as well as their moments of struggle. Chapters alternate between their first-person perspectives, making for rich characterization that supports the action-filled storyline. A compelling urban fantasy about love, familial obligations, and one's power over fate.(Fantasy. 13-18)

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November 2, 2024

Gr 9 Up-When super-powerful teen witch Luna meets semi-famous influencer Aoife, she can't believe her luck. Aoife is gorgeous, exactly Luna's type, and they have mad chemistry together. As soon as they make things official, however, Luna and Aoife are shocked to remember this isn't the first time they've dated. Somehow their memories of the last time they got together, and their horrible breakup, were forgotten. After some reconciliation and a heart-to-heart, they decide to give falling in love twice a shot. Unsurprisingly, magic and life get in the way. Brophy captures the struggle of coming of age in two very different households with incredibly high familial expectations, and the angst, people-pleasing, and self-loathing that come with it. Both Luna and Aoife are on the cusp of starting their adult lives and their relationship is the catalyst that helps them stand up and set boundaries for what they want for their futures. The setting of magical Boston, coupled with fun worldbuilding and great characterization, adds to the charm of a story that, at its heart, is about finding someone who helps you help yourself-and finding them again despite everything. VERDICT This title will make a good edition to any YA collection where sapphic stories and cozy magical romances are popular.-Jolie Hanlon

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