A Spell to Wake the Dead

by Nicole Lesperance

Overview

Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders—and save themselves from the same fate—in this twisty, witchy thriller.

“Steeped in uniquely New England coastal magic, A Spell to Wake the Dead kept me on the edge of my seat as the bodies and mysteries kept washing ashore. Lesperance weaves an enthralling, atmospheric thriller that pulls you in from the first page. Tense, twisty, and deliciously witchy, it was just about impossible to put down.” —Louangie Bou-Montes, author of Till the Last Beat of My Heart

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don’t expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can’t shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years—and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices—Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And the whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection—or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593856338
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Nicole Lesperance grew up on Cape Cod and graduated from Wesleyan University. She spent a few years in London and now lives near Boston with her family and two rambunctious black cats. She writes YA and middle grade books. Follow her on Instagram @nicolesperance or visit her online at NicoleLesperance.com.

Read an Excerpt

Down at the ocean’s edge, Nora screams.

We race toward her, our boots pounding the wet sand. There’s another tide pool between us and the ocean, and Elliot charges through while I find a shallower place to cross. Nora is still screaming, and in the moonlight, I can see her backing away from a large object on the ground.

Elliot reaches her first, bends low to look at whatever that thing is, and then staggers backward. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her away from it, and I still can’t understand what’s happening, can’t make out what the thing is. Maybe a dead seal or dolphin, washed up by the tide? But we’ve seen those before, and they wouldn’t make Nora scream like that.

And then I’m closing in and I see it, and my brain starts to understand. Dark hair splayed out like seaweed on the sand. A long, gray dress tangled around thin legs. Skin so pale, it’s almost glowing.

I crash to a stop beside them, hands clasped over my mouth. “Oh God, oh God,” I keep muttering against my frozen fingers.

“I th‑thought it was a dead animal,” Nora stammers. “Then I got closer and I thought it was a person sleeping. Like, maybe kids were drinking out here and somebody wandered off and passed out. Or maybe they ODed.”

It wouldn’t be the first time somebody overdosed around here. It happened to a girl from our school last year. She’d just graduated, and her friends were too messed up to call an ambulance to save her.

Through the wet fabric of her dress, the dead woman’s ribs stand out like the rungs of a ladder. I can’t tear my eyes away from her.

Nora’s teeth are audibly chattering. “I c‑came over to try and wake her up before the tide came in. And when I touched her shoulder, she . . . she rolled over. And . . . oh God, she was so cold.” She buries her face in Elliot’s chest and he hugs her tighter, and underneath the shock and horror, for a tiny, selfish moment, I wish that was me.

The tide is slithering closer, tiny waves licking at the ends of the dead woman’s hair. It’s impossible to tell how old she is— or was. Her eyelids, just barely cracked open, reveal a glimpse of white inside. Her cheeks are sunken holes. But what keeps drawing my gaze is her mouth. It hangs open, revealing torn gums. Sour nausea floods my own mouth.

“Where are her teeth?” I say.

“Where are her hands?” says Elliot.

I peer at the lace sleeve that’s draped across her stomach, and my throat closes up. He’s right. There’s no hand under there. I can’t see her other arm— it’s tucked under her back at an unsettling angle. This woman didn’t just overdose or pass out. Somebody killed her and took pieces of her. Eyes watering, I swallow hard.

“It seemed she was going to sit up, right before she rolled over.” Nora sobs. “I still keep thinking she’s going to wake up and say something.”

“God, I hope not.” I take a big step back and pull out my phone. “We need to call the police before the tide pulls her out.”

Maybe we should drag the body closer to the shore, but I can’t bring myself to touch it. Plus, every cop show I’ve ever watched has told me that’d be tampering with evidence. It takes me three tries to type 911 into my phone, and as I hold it up to my ear, the wind roars harder, blotting out all other sound. The dead woman’s flimsy sleeve flutters over the place where her hand should be.

“Hello?” I yell, only faintly able to hear the person on the other end of the line. “I’m on Mayflower Beach, and there’s a dead body here.”

Editorial Reviews

★ “This suspenseful horror delivers on everything that a reader could hope for from the genre. Readers who are drawn to suspenseful supernatural fiction that will keep them up at night will want to pick this up for their next read.” —BCCB, starred review

“Lesperance utilizes sharp and evocative prose to present a witchy, friendship-focused tale that boasts creeping, gothic ambiance and whirlwind pacing.” —Publishers Weekly

“A hair-raising adventure. Plot twists will keep readers on the edge of their seats.” —Booklist

“The perfect mix of mystery and witchcraft. This is a fun, spooky read that will keep readers hooked until the end.” —SLJ

“The plot is deftly woven with escalating danger...[and] spiked with spooky, menacing moments.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A Spell to Wake the Dead hooked me right away and kept me up late into the night. When dead women start washing ashore in Cape Cod, best friends and budding witches Mazzy and Nora feel an inexplicable pull to the case. I love the creepy seaside setting, the murderous magical cult, the atmospheric writing that darkens from an overcast sky into a powerful storm, and above all, the unbreakable bond between Mazzy and Nora that is the throbbing heart of this twisty story.” —Romina Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Castle of the Cursed and Lobizona

“A dark tale, yet full of heart, A Spell to Wake the Dead combines cult horror and teenage witches to create a truly fresh story. Initially introducing themes of friendship and a budding young romance in a contemporary setting, Lesperance lulls you into a false sense of security before driving an unshakeable chill down your back—bodies will be unearthed, rituals will have horrifying consequences, and what quite literally haunts the narrative will haunt readers too.” —Zoe Hana Mikuta, author of The Coven Tendency and Off With Their Heads

“Steeped in uniquely New England coastal magic, A Spell to Wake the Dead kept me on the edge of my seat as the bodies and mysteries kept washing ashore. Lesperance weaves an enthralling, atmospheric thriller that pulls you in from the first page. Tense, twisty, and deliciously witchy, it was just about impossible to put down.” —Louangie Bou-Montes, author of Till the Last Beat of My Heart

From the Publisher

2025-06-13
After a spell goes awry, two Cape Cod girls find themselves connected to the spirit of a murdered woman.

Mazzy and Nora have practiced witchcraft for years with some success. But one day, during the off-season, everything changes. The friends have different approaches: Mazzy likes “to do things by the book (as in, literal spell books)” and Nora “believes the best magic comes from intuition.” When Nora suggests using a spell from the internet designed to uncover hidden things—she says it’ll bring clarity to their lives—Mazzy agrees, despite her misgivings. Under a full moon, they trek to the beach, where they find the mutilated remains of a woman. Nora feels compelled to discover her identity, but while scrying for answers, Mazzy has a vision of hooded figures conducting a ritual. Soon Nora hears the dead woman whispering to her, pushing her to hurry. The friends start to believe the woman’s death is linked to the Hand of Nephthys, a local cult known for human sacrifices and necromancy. As their investigation deepens, it becomes clear they’re in danger, and Nora’s connection to the dead woman becomes all-consuming, leaving Mazzy to chart her own risky path to the truth before more tragedy strikes. Though the plot is deftly woven with escalating danger, both white-presenting leads feel as if they exist only to propel the plot and never stand out as fully realized characters.

Spiked with spooky, menacing moments but lacking in depth.(Paranormal thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews