You can read the full review on my blog: http://avalinahsbooks.space/rules-of-magic-alice-hoffman/

You might have been able to tell from my headline that I really love Alice Hoffman’s writing. I started this year by reading Faithful and was insta-fanned right away (Yes, I just invented that word.) I also read Practical Magic in preparation for reading The Rules of Magic, and although I could feel it was written a while ago and wasn’t quite the same vibe, my love for Hoffman’s amazing prose only grew.

The topic matter? I believe we don’t have the need for me to sum it up here, do we? Most of you will have heard of the book and probably seen the movie. I love this story in either of its forms. Witches, jinxes, family history, mystery… It’s all so delicious. Just the kind of topics I like. In this book though, we follow the lives of the Owens’ family before the heroines of Practical Magic are born, and what’s interesting – this time it’s not only the girls! We have a male Owens to read about, and he’s a great character. If you’ve read the first book, you will be pleasantly surprised not only to learn more about the family history, the town’s history or their traditions, but to actually find out more about the story of Sally and Gillian – the girls from Practical Magic.

Those who know the struggle of the Owens’ family – to never find love, and if they do, to lose it the worst way imaginable, will not be surprised by the fact that this is the main theme here as well. However, it’s not a book of love stories. As many of Hoffman’s books, The Rules of Magic talks more about finding oneself, about forgiving oneself, about facing one’s demons and one’s true identity. Identity is questioned a lot, and I was surprised to find that it’s not only questioned traditionally. I don’t want to include spoilers, but let’s just say that this book is more diverse than I expected.

Another great thing about The Rules of Magic and the main reason why I liked it more than Practical Magic was that it didn’t have the ‘beauty wins love’ vibe that I didn’t like about the first book. In Rules of Magic, you deserve love whether you’re pretty or just plain. Everyone deserves love. And what’s more, they deserve the kind of love they want. And they must fight for their love, because only something worth fighting for is true, and it can’t come easy. There is also no insta-lovey fated love anymore – in this book, love is just what it is – the connection of souls, something more undying than everything else. I hope Hoffman doesn’t mind me judging her through her writing like that, and I do believe it’s probably not my place – but for what it’s worth, I would dare to say that I can sense the maturity in this book, the change in how she herself saw the world then and now. It’s amazing to see this change of the world she wanted to build for those characters and these ones. It’s like a living book.

Ultimately, Alice Hoffman ponders: is being fated to lose everyone you love the Owens’ curse, or is it just being human? What if it is just another inevitability of life, just as how it ends when your time comes and you lose your own self? Mix that with a few potions, a few sprigs of lavender, a few animal familiars, and you’ve got a recipe for a great book. So it’s not really big news that Alice Hoffman still writes magically, but I’ll say it anyway.

I thank Alice Hoffman and Simon & Schuster for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Let me start by saying I have NOT read Practical Magic (but now I really want to) and wasn't really aware this was a prequeal until I got started.

The Rules of Magic introduces us to Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens. Franny is redhaired, fair and more quiet and thoughtful. Jet has jet black hair (thus the nickname), and Vincent - well he is the baby and everyone is attracted to and loves Vincent.

Their parents are very disengaged from them it seems, especially for this time period (early 1960-ish), but they do have odd rules. Never wear red shoes, don't be out in the moonlight, etc. Then there is the 'never fall in love' thing because horrible things can happen.

The spend a summer with their mom's aunt and we all learn that they are witches (or at least believed to be). The three siblings are close in age and all share special gifts, such as reading people’s thoughts and being unable to sink in water. They descend from a long line of Owens witches and are avoided by most people in the community.

We watch the siblings experience a horrible tragedy, and attempt to navigate into their adult lives, along the way discovering who they really are and how to be true to who they are.

It was a a great read for the month of October, and I will definitely be looking for Practical Magic to learn more about the Owens trio!

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Read this. Read it even if you aren't interested in stories about witches or like magical realism or if you haven't read Practical Magic. This is a wonderful story of family and love. Hoffman has captured the essence of the 1960s but more importantly she's created wonderful characters in Franny, Jet, and Vincent, all of whom cope with the family curse in different ways. There are so many things I could write about this, all of them positive, but it boils down to the fact that Hoffman is a terrific story teller. This is the book that will take you away from the troubles for the time that you're reading it. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be an early reader of this and was richly rewarded.

I did not know until just prior to reading this book, that it was a prequel to Practical Magic. Upon finishing The Rules of Magic I don't feel one would have to read the other, it seems to be a stand alone story. That being said, I will read Practical Magic to see how things play out.

A story of 3 siblings, 2 sisters & a brother. They live with their parents who seem rather aloof to me, especially given that the story starts in or around 1960. The siblings have a lot of freedom, but there's also "rules"....no red shoes being one of them. As they each turn 17 they head to MA to stay with their mother's aunt & she grooms them in the art of being a witches.

Many tragedies along the way.

For almost the first 1/2 of the book I was not sure where this was all headed but then things started to fall into place & I actually enjoyed the 2nd 1/2 of the book much more than the 1st 1/2.

Not a scary book, a story of family & love & fear of love & tales, some true & others just myth, passed down for many generations which shaped the future for these siblings.

Thank you Netgalley for this book & the chance to give a fair & honest opinion.

This book is fearless and magical. I was swept away by the people and their lives. Swept away by the language and imagery of the story. We should all be as unlucky in love as the Owens family. It's an interesting thought that unless we die very young, we will all lose our loves to heartbreak or time. The trick is to "Love more, not love less."

I will admit to having a problem with Vincent's age at the beginning. I just felt so bad for his loss of childhood. I was so relieved when he finally found happiness.

I know that I read "Practical Magic" back in the day and I can't wait to read it again.

The Rules of Magic, like all of Alice Hoffman's books, is beautifully written. For fans of Practical Magic, this book is a must read. Franny, Jet and Vincent's early years and teenage loves, losses, trials and tribulations provide insights into the adults they become. How their escapades impact on the lives of their progeny is also hinted at. For an escape into the sometimes fabulous, sometimes sinister world of magic, potions, spells and familiars, The Rules of Magic is certainly recommended. Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC.

Finally a prequel to Practical Magic. In the 1960's, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are different and unique. One of her rules is to never fall in love. If you loved Practical MGic, you will love Alice Hoffman's new novel.

This somehow lacked the flow and magic of Practical Magic and while the story was okay, it just fell kind of flat for me

This story is the prequel to Alice Hoffman's best-selling story, Practical Magic, which focused on the lives of two sisters, Frannie and Jet, who are modern-day witches. It was turned into a movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, and I am bummed to say that I've never actually seen, something which I plan to rectify soon. This book takes us back to their childhood and we get to see how they handled dealing with what they were, their heritage and how to reconcile that with their lives. This was further complicated by a family curse that affects their love lives. I was quickly sucked into their world and was immediately drawn into the 1950s and 1960s right along with them. There were also several occasions that will bring tears to your eyes. I really enjoyed the story and now I need to read Practical Magic. I highly recommend this story.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

4.5 stars. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

It's been many years (and many, many books) since I read Practical Magic, but I have continued to be a big fan of Alice Hoffman's work all along. And it really didn't matter at all that I can't remember the details of that book. This one can easily stand alone. I love books that seamlessly enmesh magic with reality, and this book does it so well. The characters are all so interesting, and the settings come alive, whether it's NYC, Paris or Aunt Isabelle's place in Massachusetts. I find Hoffman's writing very enjoyable to read. There is a fair amount of sadness in this book, but mostly love and hope. I may now need to re-read Practical Magic so I can continue the story and enj0y the characters again. Very much recommended, as long as you're ok with magical realism.

Practical Magic is one of my favorite books, so I jumped at the chance to read & review the prequel. I was not disappointed. It was every bit as good, if not better, than Practical Magic.
The Rules of Magic starts with the curse that has been hanging over the Owens family for centuries: all love is to be ended in tragedy. We get to meet the children of Susanna Owen and follow along as they fight the curse, try to outwit the curse, and lose the love of their life to the curse. This book is delightful and will keep you spellbound until the very end!

When a book encourages me to go back and read previous books in the series that I have never read, I think it has accomplished it’s mission. I enjoyed getting to know Franny, Jet, and Vincent and am curious to see how the rest of their lives play out. If you like coming of age novels with a bit of a twist, I would definitely recommend checking this book out.

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. There is no author that pulls you into the shadows of her characters like Alice Hoffman and still shows you their light just as well. This story is exquisite - even more so if you have read Practical Magic and see all the tie ins. Hoffman does a brilliant job filling in the story of Franny and Jet and how the love curse is one of the many threads that holds their family tree together. The book covers a lot of ground which really helps you to know and grow with the characters. You cannot go wrong picking up this book when it comes out.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from Simon & Schuster and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

My Thoughts: In the early part of The Rules of Magic, when Franny, Jet, and Vincent were children, I struggled to stay interested. I only connected with the story when the characters grew into adulthood. The magic, curses, and potions were the least interesting aspects for me. I did enjoy the setting and the era: Manhattan in the 1960s, with a short summer visit to Aunt Isabelle’s home in Boston. Massachusetts was a dreaded place, according to their parents, who clung to the old stories of witches being burned at the stake there.

The children, however, loved the relative freedom of Aunt Isabelle’s home. Her rules were simple: 1) Do as you will, but harm no one; 2) What you give will be returned to you threefold; 3) Fall in love whenever you can.

As we follow the adventures of the siblings, we learn a bit more about the ways they strive to avoid love…and how they each fail at it in some way or another. Tragic things do happen around love, but is it because they allowed love into their lives, or because they are human?

Would they find their own answers? Would they finally come to terms with the love issue? How does this prequel set things up for Practical Magic, the story that follows? 4 stars.
***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Alarmingly quickly, you will be sucked into the world of the Owens, where magic is passed down from generation to generation, along with a fatal curse. Magic is an absolute truth in this world, despite the resistance of its inheritors. You will learn its rules, along with Vincent, Franny and Jet. They are uncompromising.

There is plenty of sadness in this book, enough to break your heart, but also enough happiness to heal and remind you what it means to live.

As always, Alice Hoffman writes beautifully in her new prequel to Practical Magic, but I finished my reading with mixed feelings. I didn't love it the way I'd expected, and I certainly couldn't hate it for being different than I'd imagined. In many ways, this simply wasn't as magical for me as Practical Magic, and I think maybe I was ruined for this story by that one because I love it so much. I would still recommend this book to people, but I might suggest it as more family saga than magical story.

Three siblings grow up knowing they are different than others. Their mother tries to keep their heritage hidden from them. But “what is meant to be is bound to happen, whether or not you approve.” In June, 1960, an invitation arrives and the teenagers take off to stay with their great aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts.

Every book of Alice Hoffman’s is different. The only thing in common is the wonderful writing. This book is described as a prequel to Practical Magic, which I haven't read. And it's not necessary to have done so. It easily stands on its own. Usually I'm not one for magic and potions and everything else witchy. But here I bought into it, hook, line and sinker. Each one has a gift; the ability to read minds, clairvoyance, kinship with animals. The one thing they are forbidden is love and it's the one thing they are all seeking. In fact, the entire book is about love. Love found and love lost and what we will do for those we love. It's a bittersweet book.

My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this truly magical book.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/10/05/the-rules-of-magic-practical-magic-0-by-alice-hoffman/
I confess I wish I had Alice Hoffman’s way with words so that I could review this book in a way which it deserves. Perhaps I could seek a charm to improve my ability to conjure the best things to say to entice you to pick this up. As it is, well, I’ll have to make do and just gush profusely at every opportunity because as much as I expected to love this book, having read a good few books by this author previously, this still exceeded my expectations in every way.

Beautifully written, this story has a light, almost ethereal touch. It tells the story of three children born into a family with a curse and looks at the ways in which they try to overcome the limitations they face and at the same time come to terms with who they really are. Strong character focus is key to the story. The characters are wonderfully developed and I simply couldn’t help falling in love with them a little (okay a lot). Hoffman sketches them in an easy way, making it appear effortless, which is far from the truth. The story builds with a sense of ‘impending doom’ and the fact that the characters are so enjoyable to read about just helps to increase the sense of foreboding that you feel as you read on. On top of that this is well paced and enchanting. There’s a whimsical feel to it all particularly in terms of the times and places depicted. Those are my immediate feelings, now for a little bit more.

In terms of plot. Hundreds of years ago the Owens family were cursed. The history of why and how will be explored in good time but in the meantime this is a look at one particular branch of the Owen’s family tree. Susanna Owens removed her three children to New York, where she lives with her husband, many years ago. Susanna is desperate for them to enjoy a regular childhood, she knows they’re different and realises how dangerous this can be. Susanna has many strict rules about what the children can and can’t do but no matter how much she exerts her authority their own natures will eventually surface. Franny, Jet and Vincent are the three children and their stories make for wonderful reading as we watch them struggle with their abilities, their differences and their desires. It’s difficult to go into great depth really. This isn’t a story that can easily be elaborated upon as ultimately it’s a coming of age tale. Each of the characters has their own individual storyline, although they’re all intertwined, but what comes across really strongly is the strength of feeling that they share as a family and this is something that holds strong throughout.

The three of them finally begin to make their own voyages of discovery when they first visit their aunt in Massachusetts. The people in the village where Aunt Isabelle lives believe the stories of witchcraft and fear the Owen’s family, at the same time they all, from time to time, pay visits to the family home in search of more than tea and sympathy As soon as the three arrive things start to fall into place. Vincent is the first to embrace who he really is with the two sisters following at their own reluctant pace until they finally reveal the extent of their own family gifts and discover the truth behind the family curse.

Now, I realise I’ve probably made this all sound very tame and I’m certainly not going to pretend this is an action packed, war filled adventure because it isn’t. It’s a magical tale, written with style and compelling to read. I cold barely put this down and must have read it in two days at the most, even though I was at the same time desperate for it not to finish.

For information, The Rules of Magic is a prequel to Practical Magic. I think I can confidently say that you could read this without having read the earlier book – in fact, if you haven’t read Practical Magic you could pick it up when you finish this one.

I loved this, it has such incredible heart and soul, The characters are wonderful and I adore stories about witchcraft. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending.

I received a copy courtesy of the publisher for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I have to confess I’m really struggling with how to rate and review this. I finished it quite late in the evening yesterday and hoped that after a good night’s sleep I’d know how I felt about it but unfortunately my feelings are still all over the place.

I think it’s pretty safe to say when I first started reading it I struggled. Practical Magic is one of my favorite films (I haven’t read the book – sorry) so I think I was expecting something very similar in style and tone. When I was faced with a slow and drawn out story that felt more like a family saga I have to admit I was disappointed. Hoffman’s writing is brilliant and very vivid and she really makes siblings Frances, Jet and Vincent come to life but it’s done in such a slow and meandering way that it just couldn’t hold my attention.

The focus of the story is very much on the family and the relationships between them. There is however a lot of magic in this book, particularly in the beginning as the siblings set out to discover who they are and what they can do. Forbidden by their parents to dabble, they learn first from a hidden magical text and some experimentation and then from their Aunt Isabelle all of the rules, potions and spells they could ever need to know.

Like a lot of the story though there is no big bang or excitement when it comes to magic. It’s all very gently introduced with a focus on the theory rather than the practical. As information on what each and every herb could be used for or what ingredients are required for specific potions was presented I must admit I found my attention wandering. I began finding excuses to put the book down and go do something else and on a few occasions I was pretty close to just giving up on the whole thing.

This wasn’t really helped by my inability to really connect with any of the characters or the relationships between them. With Hoffman’s wonderful writing ability they are drawn beautifully and you get a real sense of even the most minor characters but there was something about them that left me a little cold. They are all well rounded, with both strengths and flaws but I just couldn’t relate to them. Given the nature of the story, it should have been packed with emotion but I just couldn’t feel it.

I think it was around the midpoint, when Franny, Jet and Vincent are on their own, that I finally began to feel and it was at that point I became engrossed in the story. Whereas previously I’d been struggling to pick it up I began to find it difficult to put down. I’m still not sure I really liked any one particular character, a lot of the time I wanted to shake them, but somehow, very stealthily they managed to sneak in and I found myself truly caring about them and hoping things would work out for them.

This is a story about family, love and accepting who you are more than a story of witchcraft and magic. The pace is slow and the writing full of vivid imagery and detail. There isn’t much in the way of fun or light and to be honest the whole thing left me feeling pretty depressed, I cried a lot, but overall I am glad I stuck with it and read to the very end.

It’s probably not a book I would recommend everyone reads, I think it’s more suited to the type of reader who likes a slow paced story about family and relationships rather than one looking for magic and excitement, but I did enjoy it.

I do not like fantasy books, I do not like magic books, I will be upfront and say that right away. Alice Hoffman has a new follower now. I didn't care for the witchcraft piece of it but you fall in love with the characters. There are 3 main characters and you can't help but want to know what happens next. You have Franny, Jet and Francis who are all siblings and are decedents of true witches. There are rules they need to follow and some of them are followed and some are not and the consequences that happen because of both sometimes you don't see coming. I really liked this book.