The Rules of Magic

ByAlice Hoffman

Release Date: 2017-10-10
Genre: Literary Fiction

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 1,465 Ratings

Description

An instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from beloved author Alice Hoffman—the spellbinding prequel to Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

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. Yet, the 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 memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

Alice Hoffman delivers “fairy-tale promise with real-life struggle” (The New York Times Book Review) in a story how the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is “irresistible…the kind of book you race through, then pause at the last forty pages, savoring your final moments with the characters” (USA TODAY, 4/4 stars).

Reviews

Charming
5
By MHC in Paradise Valley
If you enjoy magic and witchcraft in the most charming way you’ll love this series.
The Rules of Magic
1
By carlai_67
I think this is the worst book I have ever read. Terribly written and a waste of time. I couldn’t stomach it past a hundred pages.
Loved every word
5
By Sylver8179
Beautifully heart breaking tale! I laughed and cried. I couldn’t put it down! The story of the aunts was exactly what I was looking for!
A favorite book of mine
5
By RCMOT
Amazing. I cried a lot. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to read.
Love this book!
5
By Gnit-gnat
A wonderful story that tugs at your heart. Loved it from start to finish.
Why only four stars
4
By drstan13
Someone once said that all great love stories end in tragedy, this book is all too full of them.
A Must Read!!
5
By Lexlib1982
Loved it!! Makes me want to read Practical Magic again !
Unrelentingly sad time was a bit much
3
By gyrdnkyrxc
I wanted to like it, but it would be better if more moments of joy broke up the sadness and misfortune of the characters. The tone didn’t vary much. I had to force myself to finish it.
Excellent!
5
By SRVLVR
Loved this book!
Excellent but a little slow
4
By doingitwrite
Such rich character development! Solid pacing most of the book but some parts, in the early years, went painfully slow.