Spells to Mend Broken Hearts

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Author(s)

Marissa Macy

Publisher

Scholastic

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 15, 2026

ISBN

978-1546171935

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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 . . .

Editor review

1 review

Do you believe in magic?

July 26, 2026 (Updated: July 26, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Alex and her brother Stephen are uprooted and moved from Philadelphia to Goldview, Oregon. Their parents claim it is to help their mother's sister, Aunt Rose, run her shop while she battles cancer, but there is something more going on. Why couldn't Rose rely on her wife? The parents are always arguing, and Alex worries that they will separate. Stephen isn't as concerned about the move, since he'll be off to college next year. While helping out in Gold and Sage, her aunt's "witchy crystal emporium", Alex finds a book of her grandmother's, On Small Magics, and tries a spell to help her make friends. The next day, she meets Tess during a fire drill. Tess is dressed in Goth black, and does a tarot card reading for Alex. The two connect and are soon doing spells to help other students. Tess has broken up with Oliver, who was very supportive when she experienced personal tragedy, and is encouraging Alex to date his younger brother, Cameron, so she can get Oliver back.
Alex likes Cameron, and the feeling seems to be mutual, but Alex (who has had crushes on both boys and girls) starts to realize that her feelings for Tess might go beyond friendship. There are lots of things going on in her life, with her parents still arguing, her aunt's cancer going into remission, and Stephen running into some trouble, and there's even some tension with Tess over some misguided spells. Will Alex be able to get her life back on an even keel?

Good Points

Wouldn't we all like a little magic to help smooth the way through difficult situations like moving and having to make friends at a new school? And if one's family owned a shop to support ordinary magic, and one's grandmother had some skills, wouldn't that be even better? I loved that both Tess and Alex were willing to believe in some of the spells, and the way the drama unfolded made sense as well. Tess' desire to get back together with Oliver definitely would have motivated her to push Alex and Cameron together, and those two do share some sweet moments. There is plenty of teen drama that doesn't rely on horrible things happening or parents dying. The cover is great.

The characters in this book are in high school, but the suggested age range is 9-12. This is a little confusing. While I one hundred percent thought I could do magic with a book similar to On Small Magics when I was in middle school, I'm not sure that high schoolers still believe in magic and would try to hire someone to cast a spell. Alex's dabbling is written in a completely realistic way, and she doesn't completely believe in magic herself, but I wonder if the audience for this is more middle school aged readers. There are no mature language or high school situations.

This is a good choice for readers who liked Arlow's Almost Flying, Tracy's Pasta Girls, Bigelow's Drumroll, Please, or Dee's Star Crossed.