What can be said about Alice Hoffman's The Rules of Magic that hasn't been said yet. It is both magical and heartbreaking. I loved hearing about the aunts, Jet and Frances' upbringing and the addition of Vincent....love! The ending was just lovely. I have only seen the movie of Practical Magic, but I must now read the book, as I fear the Aunts may be portrayed differently. I don't feel that you must read Practical Magic first, however. As The Rules of Magic can stand on it's own merit.
If you are a fan of magical realism this book is for you. If you are a fan of the movie Practical Magic, of course this book is for you!


Thank you Simon and Shuster for sending me an invitation to read the book via Netgally in exchange for this honest review.

This prequel to the book Practical Magic is set in the 1960s and it follows the Owens siblings, Franny, Jet, and Vincent.  Alice Hoffman's unique writing style makes magical realism come to life as Susanna unsuccessfully tries to keep her children from their magical heritage.  They learn from their Aunt Isabelle that their family is cursed and that anyone they fall in love with is doomed, yet she encourages them to love anyway.  The story is lovely and magical as all of Hoffman's books are and I highly recommend it.

I was excited when I found out The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman was the prequel to Practical Magic, so much so I moved this book to the top of my TBR list. I wanted to know all about the eccentric aunts and their love stories, including that of their brother.

I'm sorry to say this, but this was a depressing read. Some say it's nostalgic, I think it's depressing. My favorite characters were Jet and April. Jet, because of her sensibility and how she follows her heart despite the curse that's haunted their family. April, because of her carefree, devil may care ways. I wish there would've been more of April and her daughter Regina in the book as they are key to Sallie and Gillian in Practical Magic, but oh well.

Vincent is one confused teenager when he's first introduced in the book, and who comes across as too mature for his age. There were a few things, considering his age, that I thought were wrong--I won't talk about them here because I'd spoil the book. Given the multiple warnings mentioned throughout the book about practicing magic and using the spells in The Magus, I kept waiting for something extraordinarily bad to happen to him. Don't take me wrong, something does happen, but it isn't anything close to what the story led me to believe. As a reader, I didn't feel I got to know Vincent. He is present throughout the story but not really there.

Then, there is Franny. She is the most unlikable person. Ugh. I did not like her one bit. She's so caught up with the curse that she prefers to be miserable rather than love and be happy. She loves Haylin, though she never says it aloud and her push and pull of him drove me nuts. I understood why she did it, but it got to a point where I wanted to throw my kindle to the wall. I wanted her to make up her mind, throw caution to the wind and just love him the way he deserved. Though she loves Haylin, her actions toward him make her a selfish bitch. She's cold toward others--even with Regina, her niece, the only time there's a glimpse of warmth from her is whenever she is with Haylin. Even in her old age, she is a rude old lady. At least to me.

And, whatever happens to Rafael? I really liked his character.

Last, I'm still wondering just how old are Franny and Jet by the time Sallie and Gillian meet them? I'll leave you with that thought and if you read the book, then you'll know what I mean.

I had a really hard time getting invested into this book.  In my opinion, it was slow moving and the characters were underdeveloped.  I actually couldn't finish the book...and this rarely happens.

Just like many other women who grew up in the 90s, I loved the movie Practical Magic, in which fresh-faced Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman played two rebel witch sisters. I had no idea, at the time, that the movie was based on a novel by Alice Hoffman, written in 1995.

My first encounter with Alice Hoffman’s writing was actually by reading two of her other novels. First Faithful, which I really ended up not liking and decided to skip reviewing. And then The Marriage Of Opposites for a book club, which was better than Faithful but still felt slow and repetitive to me. Both novels had elements of magical realism, but definitely not to the level of the Practical Magic series.

Based on my lackluster prior experiences with Hoffman’s writing, I wasn’t sure if I’d like The Rules of Magic as much as I loved the movie based on its sequel. Maybe it was the familiarity of the story and settings, or that I actually do need more magic from Hoffman to enjoy her writing, but I definitely ended up enjoying it. Find out why below.

What I Liked

The writing. I have to say I somewhat appreciated Hoffman’s writing already in Faithful and The Marriage Of Opposites. There’s a lyrical tone to it and it really draws you in with how poetic is sounds in your mind (or if you read it out loud). In Faithful and The Marriage Of Opposites, however, I felt that the repetitiveness of the narrative took away from the beauty of the writing. Not so for The Rules of Magic which was transporting and melodic, almost like having a parent improvise a magical story for you at bedtime. That’s ultimately what The Rules of Magic felt like – a legend or fable from days gone by about witches and wizards, love and despair, fate and curses. There’s was a simplicity to Hoffman’s words that didn’t make the writing feel overwrought, and it was the combination of purity and enchantment that made me yearn to get back to the book when real life got in the way of my reading.

The magical lore. This was probably my favorite part of the book. I was just captivated by any passage in the narrative that had to do with the mythology and customs of magic itself. Hoffman includes stories from the lore of the magical world about spirits and omens, as well as lots of practical descriptions of the use of different plants for magical purposes, spells to draw love near or send it away, and the most propitious times of day or of the year to conduct specific charms. Maybe it’s my OCD, but I loved any description of systematic mixing of ingredients, storing of herbs and flowers in apothecary jars infinitely lined on shelves, and tending to neatly planted rows of plants waiting to be put to their magical uses. Hoffman was able to ground the magical realism in the book by bringing it into daily aspects of life, as in the passage below.

“She’d bought a blue notebook in the pharmacy to write down her aunt’s remedies. Star tulip to understand dreams, bee balm for a restful sleep, black mustard seed to repel nightmares, remedies that used essential oils of almond or apricot or myrrh from thorn trees in the desert. Two eggs, which must never be eaten, set under a bed to clean a tainted atmosphere. Vinegar as a cleansing bath. Garlic, salt, and rosemary, the ancient spell to cast away evil.” 

The history and settings. This was a more unexpected part of the novel for me. I knew it was a prequel to Practical Magic, but never having read Hoffman’s earlier novel, I wasn’t sure exactly when the story would start and end. Since The Rules of Magic is the story of the entire lives of the two aunts who end up raising the two sisters in Practical Magic, the story in The Rules of Magic actually spans several decades. I loved reading about the experiences of Jet, Franny and Vincent in a different epoch, dealing with the clothing, historical events and mindsets of the time. Hoffman really also has a gift for painting beautiful sketches of the settings in which she places her characters. From a New York of changing seasons and mysterious streets to a quaint town in Massachusetts and the mystical house inhabited by Aunt Isabelle.

“The most glorious hour in Manhattan was when twilight fell in sheets across the Great Lawn. Bands of blue turned darker by the moment as the last of the pale light filtered through the boughs of cherry trees and black locusts. In October, the meadows turned gold; the vines were twists of yellow and red.”

What I Didn’t Like

The one-note love curse plot device. It’s weird because I didn’t really find the love curse plot of the movie annoying in Practical Magic, but it’s probably somewhat of a different experience to watch an hour and 20 minute movie on the topic than reading a nearly 400 page book on it. Hoffman hits the love curse story heavily from the beginning in The Rules of Magic, and at first it’s engaging. The reader is invested in the main characters’ romantic relationships, whether actually doomed or not, and suffers or rejoices alongside them. By halfway through the novel, however, I was over hearing Franny’s inner monologues about whether she should or shouldn’t take action, based on the supposed curse. I wish the plot of the novel had not been solely so love focused, and that the characters could have had more varied aspirations and interests.

Final Verdict

Enchanting novel that will transport you to a different place and time, steeped in magical lore, in which you’ll watch two novice witches grow up learning about love and family.

To me, the criteria for a really good book is if it makes me believe - no matter how farfetched - and care about the characters and the story.  This book certainly did that.  I haven't ever read Practical Magic so the Owens family was all new to me.  The writing in this book is so good, the characters so vividly drawn, and the story spanning decades of time and characters - that I was swept away by it.  And I hated to see it end.  

A truly magical book.  I loved it.

I don’t usually read books in the fantasy genre but I mean, this is Alice Hoffman.  It’s going to be good.  I gave myself over to the magic and found that witches, other than not being able to sink, have genuine human emotions and complex feelings.  When Aunt Isabelle warned her niece, Don’t try to hide who you are, Franny.  Always keep that in mind,” I thought - good advice!

The family curse struck me as more something they all lived in fear of rather than an actual eventuality.  Was there a curse?  Or did a couple of events make them believe it existed?  I thought it interesting that the potions Aunt Isabelle prepared were for love and the curse was against love.

They seemed to believe that changing their circumstances fooled the curse and left it unable to find them, which made me think it was a pretty wimpy curse.  Regardless, this was a family saga of a very unusual family.  Highly entertaining and now I need to find a copy of Practical Magic to see what happens next.

It's been a long time since I read Alice Hoffman's book, Practical Magic, but when I was offered the chance to read the sequel/prequel by Netgalley (I received my copy free of charge, before publication date) I jumped at the chance. Hoffman has a way with words that sucks you in and doesn't let go. I'm a college student, and I commute 4 hours a day, 3 days a week, and I managed to finish the book in a week's worth of travelling. Usually, in the morning, I read a chapter or two of a book and then put it down again as I'm too tired to continue, but when I was reading The Rules of Magic, I reading easily fifty pages at a go. Hoffman's words have a magical quality, and I felt part of the book, not just a reader.

The story itself is a slow-burn, but very much worth it. Frances and Jet, and their brother Vincent, are part of the renowned and feared Owens family, who are witches. They each have their own talents, and the characters are well-rounded as soon as they hit the page; they continue to grow as the story progresses, which is wonderful, as you get more and more attached. The Owens family, long ago, was plagued by a curse upon anybody who fell in love, and this is the overarching story: to love, or not to love? I won't spoil it for you and tell you how it works out, but given that it's a prequel to Practical Magic, obviously SOMETHING good happens.

It just happens to do so in the worst of ways, as life is wont to do.

Everything in the book has its place: animals, seasons, characters. Nothing is ignored. Everything is used to its fullest potential. The description of the scenery, to the feeling evoked by the setting of the book in the 1960s, and all that encompasses, lends the story a beautiful quality only fully understood one you've read the last page...

And turned back to the first again, to start it all over.

Alice Hoffman is one of our most esteemed prolific writers and her writing shines in this new release. This is the story of the Owens family before Practical Magic. its the story of the two Aunt's and a new character  their Brother.  The story follows them as young women seeking love through the curse on their family and learning to appreciate their special gifts as they grow up and experience life as Owens family witches. The writing is masterful and the story enchanting. I highly recommend this  new release by Alice Hoffman for all fans of her writing and fans of Practical Magic.  A  wonderful reading experience. .5 stars for Alice Hoffman.

This was a lovely nostalgic visit back into the world of practical magic. Such a heart warming story about family. Review will be posted on www.creatingherstory.wordpress.com

4.5 stars

Alice Hoffman is not a new author to me however I didn't have the opportunity read her much loved Practical Magic before reading The Rules of Magic. As it is the prequel to Practical Magic it did not affect my understanding or enjoyment one bit.

There is something about Hoffman's writing that sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages. I think that it is her ability to create unique and interesting characters who's stories you want to know. In this case it is three very different teenage siblings who also come from a long line of witches. Don't worry though, this book is not full of sorcery and majorly unrealistic scenarios but rather it is full of magical realism and a hint of the unknown. In fact, it is magical realism at its best. I am extremely picky when it comes to plots that can't happen in real life but I am a fan of this genre if it is done right. Alice Hoffman knows how to do it right.

This book at the heart was about family and the struggles of the three Owens siblings as they grew up in less than usual circumstances. All three had certain abilities because of their heritage but they also had rules that they needed to follow in order to fit in and to have a successful life. One of the big rules was not to fall in love. Bad things were said to happen to the person they fell in love with and it was a curse that dated back to 1620 and their ancestor Maria Owens. Of course it was easier said than done and this story followed the three siblings as they naturally fell or tried not to fall into relationships. As the reader, I was routing for all of them. I wanted them to find love and break the curse and live their happily ever afters but of course nothing is never that simple.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Franny, Jet and Vincent you get the story of each sibling starting in their teenage years and spanning into their late adult life. Each character had unique struggles and a story that was all their own and each one was equally interesting. I found myself caring about the outcome of each one of them. I must admit that it wasn't all rainbows and unicorns and although over all I was satisfied in the end, I wasn't necessarily completely happy with how each of their lives turned out. However, it was their struggles that made them who they were and that I can appreciate.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and now I must read Practical Magic so that I can continue my book relationship with the Owens family. Alice Hoffman has yet to disappoint!

Alice Hoffman’s first novel, "Property of," was a cult classic:  in this dreamy novel, an unnamed narrator describes her doomed love for the leader of a street gang.  Since her debut in 1977, Hoffman has written 30 novels, three collections of short stories, and eight Y.A. and children’s books.  I have always been a fan of her poetic style, wild fairy-tale-ish take on life, and delicate use of magic realism.

Witch stories are appropriate in October, and Hoffman’s beguiling new novel, "The Rules of Magic," traces the struggles of the modern Owens family against their heritage as witches.   Billed as a prequel to Hoffman’s 1995 novel, "Practical Magic," it can be read as a standalone.  And indeed it was so long ago that I read "Practical Magic" that I consider it a sequel to "The Rules of Magic."

The lyrical narrative of "The Rules of Magic," set mostly in the 1960s,  grows out of an intricate plot. There is a dark curse on the descendants of Maria Owens, who was charged as witch in Massachusetts in 1620  (and who, in her diary, warned her descendants against love).  The curse means the Owenses cannot love without inadvertently hurting their lovers.   Three hundred years later, Susanna Owens of New York believes she has beaten the curse by marrying a man she likes but doesn’t love. She denies her three children, Franny, Jet, and Vincent, their heritage of witchcraft, and does not even allow them  to read about magic.

During a summer in Massachusetts with their Aunt Isabelle, who embraces witchcraft and herbal remedies, they begin to learn about their family and are at last allowed to read magic books.  Birds fly to Franny of their own volition.  A crow becomes her familiar.  Two boys fall in love with beautiful Jet, a fan of Emily Dickinson, and kill themselves over unrequited love .  You can imagine the effect on this poetic girl, who escapes into reading. As for the youngest sibling, Vincent, he studies spells from a  Grimoire and makes mischief: he proudly casts a spell that scares finches away.  Franny is unimpressed:  she points out that a cat can scare finches without magic.
It is a landmark summer, but back in New York the Owens’ lives become more complicated.  Dare they fall in love? Dare they practice magic?  They all have the sight, and are anxious.  Franny is in love with a childhood friend, but refuses to let him get too close.  Jet conducts a dangerous romance:  in Massachusetts , shortly before she left, she fell in  love with Levi Willard, the son of a very conservative minister, who forbids Levi to see her, and who has continued a centuries-old feud with the Oweneses.  And even Vincent, who becomes an alcoholic, finally finds his way out of a drunken haze to fall in love with a man.  But there are obstacles in every path of love, and one tragedy is so poignant I’m still haunted.

The characters are so vivid, and real, and sad, and the pace is so fast that I flew through the book.  How would they manage their lives?  Would they beat the curse?

"The Rules of Magic" is entertaining and poignant, and now I want to go on to "Practical Magic."  If you haven’t read the book, you may have seen the movie with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.  I only vaguely remember it, but I look forward to rereading.

The Rules of Magic tells the story of the two mysterious aunts from Practical Magic, and their brother. We hardly know anything about them, not even their names until the very end. But The Rules of Magic digs deeper into the Owens family curse and the history behind it. 
Bridget (Jet) and Franny are as different as sisters can be. They remain very close, even when they seem to be distant from each other. Vincent is the younger brother that always seemed to be getting into trouble. They all know they are different from everyone else. Against their mother’s wishes, they each dabble in the special abilities they possess. With these abilities, comes the sight to know that their lives will be difficult and full of sorrow.
I enjoyed The Rules of Magic as a backstory. I was so curious about the aunts and the family history when I read Practical Magic, and this really satisfied my curiosity. It didn’t seem to have the Alice Hoffman flare that I have come to enjoy. The book seemed slow and to drag in several places. I couldn’t wait for them to move into the big house on Magnolia Street, but it just never seemed to happen. 
This story did have its appeal. The Owens family have been cursed, ruin will come to those they love. They all try to avoid love at all cost, but like all the Owens before them, they fall in love. Tragedy does befall them, but they learn that they can overcome the curse. It’s not ruin for the ones they love, it’s ruining their lives together. 

Blog Post Scheduled 10/16/2017 6:00am EST

Such an enjoyable read! One of those books you don't want to be finished, ever! The Owens family comes from a long line of witches, and each character has his or her own personality. Although YA, this book is eminently suitable for all readers!

This is not my usual genre of books, but I really enjoyed the writing. So much so that I must now go out and buy Practical Magic (the book and then the movie). I found the characters intriguing and the "witch" part of their characters added depth, I would love to know even more about the Aunt in this book and the mother of the children as well as more about the story that caused the "curse". I am definitely excited to read Practical Magic...I think I saw the movie years ago but it will be fun to go back and read the book now that I have some back story...so it's not necessary to have read Practical magic before reading this, it holds it's own as a stand alone story.

In this prequel to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic, we get to go in to the origin story of Franny, Jet and Vincent.  You really don't have to read Practical Magic to better appreciate this prequel, in fact it can be read as a standalone.  For those familiar with Practical Magic, it will add another dimension to that all time favorite story while for the newbies it will definitely enthrall you to keep reading about the Owens family and their legacy of magic.  Excellent story!

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

It is obviously no coincidence that the publication of this book coincides with Halloween. There is something magical that happens when the nights draw in and the leaves turn from green to orange and red. This book is so perfect for this time of year. Not only is it about witches but Hoffman has this incredible talent for writing books that are so evocative you can actually smell the magical plants in Aunt Isabelle’s greenhouse. There is something so comforting with reading the right book at the right time of year and this book is like cocooning yourself in a big, fluffy duvet and drinking a delicately spiced cup of chai. 

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Practical Magic which was not only a brilliant film with Sandra Bullock (who doesn’t find a Sandra Bullock film comforting???) but was the hugely popular 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman. 

The Rules of Magic tells the story of Franny and Jet who are the two aunts in Practical Magic and also their brother Vincent.  I have read a couple of reviews from people who disliked this book because of the magical realism. I would like to say that first and foremost this is a novel about family and the relationship between siblings. This isn’t a story about wand waving and ‘avada kedavra.’ If anything, the magical elements are about alchemy which is really interesting. I was particularly intrigued to learn about New York being a centre of alchemy in the early Twentieth Century. Love is also a major theme in the book. How do the Owens’s get around the curse which states that no Owens can find love? 

Hoffman’s writing is wonderful. It never feels rushed. It is beautifully descriptive and I also love how she creates an ominous feeling throughout the novel without it becoming an uncomfortable read.  This was a beautiful novel and one I will be buying for a lot of my friends. 

Thanks again to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Rules of Magic, the prequel to Alice Hoffman's popular Practical Magic series, takes the reader back to the 1960s. Susanna Owens is raising her three difficult children, Franny, Bridget and Vincent, in Manhattan and trying tho keep them from their natural instincts as much as possible. 

She has 'rules' that she hopes will accomplish this: No walking in the moonlight; no red shoes; no wearing black; no cats; no crows; no candles; no books about magic. And never, ever, fall in love. For, in 1620, their ancestor, Maria Owens, put a curse on love for her family when she was accused of witchcraft by the man she loved.

Then there comes a summer when they break all the rules. Aunt Isabelle summons the kids to the family home in Massachusetts and there they begin to learn who they really are. Is it best to fight it, as their mother has tried to instruct them to do? Or learn to live with it, even revel in it? If they do, will they ever fit into the world around them, be accepted? Through her experiences at school, Franny has learned, "Other people's judgments were meaningless unless you allowed them to mean something." 

But uppermost in their minds: Are they doomed to never know true love or is there a way to break the curse and live happily ever after? Maybe Henry David Thoreau was right when he said: "There is no remedy for love but to love more."

Think 'coming of age' story with a hefty dose of magical realism. The setting of the turbulent 60s is the perfect backdrop for these equally turbulent lives. Hauntingly beautiful--a perfect October read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the authored publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this new book for an honest review.

The Rules of Magic is a story that will blow you away. Alice Hoffman is truly a talented author. Her writing is truly magical and these characters will fill you with so many emotions after reading it.