Spells to Mend Broken Hearts

Rebecca Stead meets Sarah Mlynowski in this enchanting, relatable, and commercial middle grade novel about dealing with divorce, friendship breakups, and how much we wish that magic could fix it all.

Alex is pretty sure the universe is conspiring against her. Friendless in a new town and with her parents constantly fighting, Alex spends her birthday unpacking alone when she comes across her grandmother’s book of small magic. Alex doesn’t believe in that stuff, but with no birthday plans and nothing to lose, she performs a ritual from the book to attract a friend.

It’s just a coincidence that Tess crashes into her life the very next day…right? Their friendship forms fast and strong, and the way Tess makes Alex''s heart flutter definitely feels like some kind of magic. Together, they make their way through the book’s spells and rituals, healing Tess’s recently broken heart and trying to mend Alex’s broken family.

But it feels as though the book is turning on Alex when her parents announce they’re separating. And when Tess uses a ritual to win back her ex-boyfriend, Alex is forced to face a truth she had not considered. Maybe the magic she felt with Tess was more than friendship . . .