This moody, slow-paced story mixes familial drama, magic, and romance to create a story perfect for reading during the Halloween/fall season.

In the Puget Sound lies the fictional island of Saoirse. Governed by a town council and the tendrils of witchcraft and magic, its residents and their livelihoods revolve around an orchard. When a fire damages the orchard on the same night that Lily, one of the town's teens mysteriously dies, events are set in motion that set the stage for the story, which switches between characters and years.

The main characters are Emery and August, tethered by their childhood romance and the events of that fateful night. Emery lost her best friend, yet also lost her boyfriend, since August was widely believed to be Lily's murderer and left the island to avoid the suspicion and harassment. When August returns to bury his mother's ashes on the island, his and Emery's romance and the truth about the fire and Lily's death finally come to light.

Young sets a terrifically atmospheric, charged setting. The fictional Puget Sound island of Saoirse is a character in-and-of-itself. I loved the descriptions of the trees, air, birds...just everything. It really helped anchor the mysterious and dangerous aspects of the story.

The relationship between Emery and August was done well, but I felt that the other characters didn't have enough presence (some had just one or two short chapters in their voices) to support the reveals at the end. And I wish the first half was as fast-paced as the second.

Overall, though, this novel is a great book for fall. If you love a cauldron of romance, intrigue, mystery, and magic, pick up this one today (see what I did there?).