I've been looking out for more Alice Hoffman, ever since Faithful this time last year, which I loved.

I picked up The Rules of Magic, written in 2017, but a prequel to Practical Magic, which is her most famous book, and has been made into a movie. Even though this was written later, I thought I'd read it first.

The Owens family know they're different. Not just unique in an 'everyone is special' way. Really very different. Talented. Which makes them awkward. And odd. This may be easier for the adults, it's the children who have to navigate a world that expects them to be normal. Franny, who has skin as pale as milk, blood red hair and communicates with birds; Jet, who reads everyone's thoughts yet is shy and reserved and Vincent, who is highly musical, and so charismatic - even as a baby, someone tried to steal him, must figure out the "rules". Mom, Susanna helps by giving them some - we meet her in the first sentences.

"Once upon a time, before the whole world changed, it was possible to run away from home, disguise who you were , and fit into polite society. The children's mother had done exactly that."

So what are the Rules? No walking in the moonlight, no Ouija boards, no candles, no red shoes, no wearing black, no going shoeless, no amulets, no night-blooming flowers, no reading novels about magic, no cats, no crows and no venturing beyond Fourteenth Street. Of course, normal children don't obey any rules, so that's problematic, what with them trying to be ever so normal.

"Yet no matter how Susanna tried to enforce these rules, the children continued to thwart her."

And it's the family curse that gets them - don't ever fall in love.

This is a delightful charming tale of unusual proportions. The writing is beautiful, and I fell in love with all the children and their friends. Alice Hoffman says she writes for the same reason she reads - to escape into a world that is completely different. She allows us to do that here. I loved it.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. The plot moved along a little too slowly and I just couldn't fall in love with the characters. I made it halfway through, but then abandoned it.

An absolutely delicious addition to the Practical Magic world. I always loved the aunts, but their backstories make them even better characters.

I have read many of Alice Hoffman's books, a few of them are in my "all-time-favorite" category. But this book just seemed off. The dialogue was unrealistic, and the writing style did not seem to be the Hoffman that I love. It felt very underdeveloped, as if Hoffman did not even write this. So either her writing has changed drastically or my tastes have. I'm sorry to say I could not even finish this one.
I don't generally review a book I have not finished, hence no link to an online review here. But I did want to share my feedback, that I really felt this book was lacking, and I hope for better things in the future from this author.

Lovely novel distinctive of Hoffman's style. It's a wonderful prequel to Practical Magic, and it includes Hofman's deft depictions of family drama and coming-of-age.

The Rules of Magic follows the Owens family, centering on mother Susanna as she tried to protect her children from the harsh glare of the world. Being a child is hard enough, but being a witch makes it even harder. . Fans of Hoffman will enjoy seeing the Owens sisters grow up, but it's not necessary to have read Hoffman's other works to enjoy what is essentially a family drama.

Witches - they're just like us!

I loved Practical Magic and this book is the prequel to it but you do not need to read Practical Magic to love and understand this book. It is the story of the two aunts that raise the two orphaned girls in Practical Magic but it gives them so much more depth in their own tragic stories. Magic flows throughout the story as Franny and Jet grow up in the sixties in NYC with their brother Vincent. Their mother does not want them to grow up with magic as she did but her children’s natural magical talents are unstoppable. She is also trying to protect them from the family curse, that everyone they fall in love with will die tragically, by not letting them fall in love. Despite everything their mother tries to do to protect them, the children defy her and tragedy strikes the family. Together they learn to live with what they are and their destiny as Owens girls. I love Alice Hoffman’s storytelling and hopes she continues to write more books about the Owens family.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

I almost never give a book 5* and I was tempted to give this one 4.5* but I keep thinking of the story and characters a week after I finished the book, so I upped it to 5*.
Where do I begin?
I’ve wanted to read Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” for some time now and just didn’t get around to it. Then, I noticed a friend’s review on Goodreads (Thanks JanB) and looked on NetGalley that this book was going to be published and I am very thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Yes, Rules of Magic is #2 in the series (prequel) but so well done that it can be a stand alone but I recommend reading both of them!
I’ve read a couple of this author’s books but will have to be sure to read more of them! I just loved the characters and story line and was sorry to finish this book. In fact, I liked it so much that now I’m listening to the audio version of “Practical Magic”!
I will not go into the plot because so many others have done so and much better than I can but I just wanted to comment that I loved this book and even though I was away from home and on vacation, I looked forward every day to getting back to my reading and carved out time to finish it.
Again, thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and Alice Hoffman.

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to the Hoffman’s 1995 novel, Practical Magic. In this gripping story, we follow the lives of Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens as they discover—and later embrace—their magical heritage. They are warned that they must never, ever, fall in love due to the family curse, but that’s something that proves easier said than done…

I absolutely LOVED this book. I was fully invested in this story—and its magical premise—very quickly. Equal time is spent telling each of the siblings’ stories. Each sibling’s story could easily have been the entire focus of a standalone book in this reader’s opinion… they were all incredibly compelling to read about, and there were times I wasn’t ready to transition to a different point of view because I wanted to see what happened next with the person I was reading about.

Franny, Jet, and Vincent all had their share of heartache to go through, but if I had to pick one as the most memorable, it would definitely be Jet. The way the curse affected her was especially tragic, and as I read about the aftermath, I wasn’t sure she would ever be able to recover from it.

If you enjoy reading magical realism, I highly suggest you give this book a try. And I hope you will love it as much as I did!

This is a truly magical prequel to Practical Magic and I enjoyed it very much. I don't read many books about magical realism, but it is also a wonderful book about family, love and the disappointments of life. It is beautifully written so that you feel as though you are living and growing up with these special children. I certainly hope to see a movie prequel as well. Can't wait to see what Alice Hoffman has in store for us next!

It's not my typical genre, but something about The Rules Of Magic spoke to me and I decided to give it a go. Sadly it didn't work out as planned. It might have been due to the fact I haven't read Practical Magic and wasn't familiar with the main characters, it might have been because the story simply wasn't for me, but I ended up having mixed thoughts about it. The pace is quite slow and it took me a lot longer than expected to read this story. I wasn't able to connect to the characters and this lack of connection resulted in a further estrangement. It's a shame, because The Rules Of Magic did show a lot of potential and I can see why the right person would really enjoy reading it. The writing is without doubt excellent and if you manage a connection to the characters you will love seeing them grow up and their different ways of accepting magic into their lives. Just don't expect a lot of magical elements and witchcraft in this story, because you will be disappointed; The Rules Of Magic has more of a coming of age feel with a hint of magical realism.

I received this book through Netgalley for my honest review. I have not read Practical Magic, but have seen the movie multiple times. I never felt lost reading this prequel. I have read many of Hoffman's books and love her writing style in every one! This book honestly was 'magical' and pulled me in from the very beginning. I loved it

Hoffman crafts a bewitching remedy for love in the story of the Owens siblings. Franny, Jet, and Vincent navigate the intrigue, promise, and heartbreak of New York. An invitation begins their life anew under the watchful eye of their Aunts one fateful summer. This is an enchanting story braiding magic, prose, characters, and intrigue.

To be fair I did not read the prequel and I am not a big fan of mystical themes. This book was dull and did not live up to Alice's prior books.

A great prequel to Practical Magic. Written in such a way that you could read these books in either order and still feel the specialness for the Owens family. This book tells the story of the sisters growing up and how their life led them to where they are at the start of the original book. Such a comforting read, like coming back to old friends you haven't seen in a while.

I am always leary of prequels of books that I love. If not done right they can actually ruin my love for the original or alter my view of characters I may have once adored. Practical Magic is my favorite Hoffman book, or I guess I should say WAS my favorite.

The Rules of Magic exceeded my expectations and my love of Practical Magic. First of all the cover!!! Gorgeous!!! In this prequel we learn of the Owen curse. A horrible curse that brings dire consequences to any man who loves one of the siblings. This book is so rich in many ways; Heartwrenching emotion, family tradition and history, coming of age in the 60's, magic, and so much heart. So often while reading I would feel a sense of dread that I was nearing the end.

I cannot recommend The Rules of Magic emphatically enough. Read it and then read Practical Magic. You can thank me later.

I loved this book. First, Let me say that you do not need to know anything about the Movie/Book Practical Magic in order to enjoy this book. It is a stand-alone that also adds to Practical Magic. This is about the Aunts of Practical Magic as well as their brother. I thought the aunts were great in Practical Magic and I love the idea of reading about their life. You learn more about the curse over the females in the family. Well written and quick read. Highly recommended.

I remember loving the movie Practical Magic when I was young. The aunts were ICONIC. I wanted to live with them and make potions. And with this book, I got to know how they became so cool!

The beginning was a bit slow for my taste, I think I had a hard time at recognizing those old ladies in their young selves. But after the first half, the heartbreak made the pace faster. I also couldn't follow the passing of time, so I don't really know how old Jet and Franny were at the end. I really enjoyed the narrative style, though.

Franny was my favourite. She sacrificed so much for her siblings, and she tried so hard not to love in order to save her beloved. And poor Jet, how she suffered! No wonder they became such odd old ladies. Concerning Vincent, I didn't exactly love him, and I'm not sure why, but I did love William! And, of course, no magic book is complete with some great familiars. Lewis was wonderful!

I really liked the story, and now I want to read Practical Magic.

Franny and Bridget (Jet) along with their brother Vincent are part of the legendary Owen family of witches. Settling in New York city, The Owens kids are far from their Salem roots. Their mother, Susana, sets up rules to keep her children out of trouble and away from magic. The rules are thrown to the wind when the Owen’s children spend a magical summer with their aunt Isabelle in Salem.

What I Loved

‘The Rules of Magic’ is the prequel to Hoffman’s popular novel, ‘Practical Magic’. Although I haven’t read ‘Practical Magic’, I was able to understand everything that was going on in ‘The Rules of Magic’.
‘The Rules of Magic’ explains how Franny and Jet became the strange aunts in ‘Practical Magic’.
I did love the characters of Franny and Jet as well as their cousin April, and their aunt Isabelle. I also enjoyed getting to know Franny and Jet as young girls in love. The magic system and the Owen’s family powers were simple, easy to understand, and straight forward. This made the story move along quite quickly.
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What Left Me Wanting More

I really did not like the character of Vincent. It wasn’t just his womanizing ways that made him unlikable. Vincent as a character was very shallow. He seemed more of an afterthought then a well fleshed out character. It felt like Hoffman was bending Vincent’s story to explain his absence in ‘Practical Magic.’
One element of the story that left me totally confused was when Vincent went to a bar and met someone (won’t say who as it’s a spoiler) who he did not know but knew him. At first I thought that it may have been time travel event but it was never spoken about again and never explained. The biggest issue for me was that although ‘The Rules of Magic’ did keep me interested and it moved quickly, it lacked a definitive plot. It read like a long prologue and less like a novel.

My Final Verdict
All together I did enjoy getting to know the Owen’s. Other reviews have said that they were disappointed in the lack of magic. As I am not a big fan of magic systems this didn’t bother me. I enjoyed the back stories of the characters and how their personalities developed. I would recommend ‘The Rules of Magic’ to reads would want to know the more about the Owen’s family before of after reading, ‘The Rules of Magic’.

Thanks to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Alice Hoffman for this ARC. Every one of Alice Hoffman stories is special and this is no exception. It fills in lots of questions and answers in Practical Magic.
Vincent seems to be a character I don't recall but without him, the story would not be complete. Another great book by one of my favorite authors.