The Price Guide to the Occult caught my eye with its coastal setting, witchy themes, and haunting tone — all elements I gravitate toward, especially as summer approaches. I’m always on the lookout for atmospheric reads that pair well with warm nights and crashing waves, and this one feels like it could be a hidden gem. Though I haven’t read it yet, early impressions promise a moody, magical story that fans of Forgotten Cove might also appreciate.
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Bookish Essentials
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Paranormal / Magical Realism
Series: Standalone Novel
Reading Age: 14+
Published: 2018
Pages: 284
From the Jacket of The Price Guide to the Occult
When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have benefited friendlier neighbors. Guilt and fear instead led the island’s original eight settlers to burn “the witch” out of her home. So Rona cursed them. Fast-forward one hundred–some years: All Nor Blackburn wants is to live an unremarkable teenage life. She has reason to hope: First, her supernatural powers, if they can be called that, are unexceptional. Second, her love life is nonexistent, which means she might escape the other perverse side effect of the matriarch’s backfiring curse, too. But then a mysterious book comes out, promising to cast any spell for the right price. Nor senses a storm coming and is pretty sure she’ll be smack in the eye of it. In her second novel, Leslye Walton spins a dark, mesmerizing tale of a girl stumbling along the path toward self-acceptance and first love, even as the Price Guide’s malevolent author — Nor’s own mother — looms and threatens to strangle any hope for happiness.
Why The Price Guide to the Occult is on My TBR
With summer just around the corner, I’m seeking an atmospheric beach read that captures the season’s mood — this witchy, coastal tale delivers exactly that. Its intertwining magic and mystery, set against a seaside backdrop, evokes the same haunting charm as Forgotten Cove, yet it carves its own path to tell a distinctly original story. At a manageable length, it’s perfect for those moments when summer days are full but you still want to lose yourself in a compelling, evocative read.
You Might Also Like
- The Bone Houses, by Emily Lloyd-Jones
- The Bone Charmer, by Breeana Shields
- These Witches Don’t Burn, by Isabel Sterling
Save Leslye Walton’s The Price Guiode to the Occult to your TBR
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