Practical Magic

This book had a little supernatural element, which I totally relate to. Destiny and fate where romance is concerned is something I think is totally true. The book was totally unpredictable, but, when I got to those parts, I should have seen it coming, because the author did not just drop me there. There was some preparation. I loved the book. It was not the occult in a evil sense, but displayed the moral issues related to doing the right thing and paying in some way for going beyond the right way to get there.

I liked the movie better. And this is something I never say. The book focuses less on Sally and more on her daughters and her sister,Gillian. The aunts, so colorful in the movie, have little to do until the very end of the book. Gary is not a very well developed character either. In the book, Sally's daughters are teenagers, going through all those things teenagers go through. I guess I just like the emphasis on Sally that the movie presented. There were many scenes in the movie which were not in the book. I really liked the scene where the women of the town overcame their fears and went to the aunts' house to help the Owens women get rid of Jimmy for good. This is not in the book. This is the first Alice Hoffman book I have read. I'm not sure I would invest in another one. I'll probably just borrow one from a friend or the library.

I got this because I kept hearing folks compare it to the movie which I liked. The characters are so different here. I didn’t care of the awkward speech or the cold and negative descriptions of the characters. They seem like awful people. Didn’t enjoy very much in this book. I did like that we got to spend more time on Sally’s daughters but thats about it.

This book was a departure from the usual historical fiction that I'd choose, but it was a very good read, interesting, and unusual. The writing was well-done, the characters drawn-out, and the book was never boring. I probably would have loved it if I were more comfortable with the genre. It had a fun degree of creepiness and I think that others would enjoy it even better than I did.

Witty and whimsical. Though I was hoping for more acceptance from the characters of the fantastical things happening to them, and instead was confronted with a lot of denial, the story is entertaining and makes you want to keep reading.. and then go back and watch the movie again.

I absolutely loved this book. As many others have said, it is as different as night and day from the movie. Even the basic plot and character development are completely different. I, however, LOVED both versions.

WARNING: There is a short scene, just past the middle of the book, that is highly sexual. It really took me by suprise. This wasn't a problem for me, but I thought it should be mentioned in case anyone is considering buying this book for a child or someone else who could be offended by sexual material.

I just finished Rules of Magic and this one picks up with the same characters Rules of Magic ends with. It’s a a little slow to start and then I could not put it down! I again finished one of her books in 3 days!

I bought this book because it was recommended on the Kindle forums. The movie is one of my all-time favorites, so I was sure I would love the book. The book barely followed the movie, so at first I was disappointed. After I got into the book, Alice Hoffman's writing won me over. Beautifully written prose, characters and scenes, this book was a pleasure. I plan to read more from this author.

When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts.

Both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. A fun book.

Two sisters as different as night and day move in with their weird aunts after becoming orphaned. They chose opposite paths and life styles, one reckless the other quiet and safe. After many years the sisters are forced together by crisis. Very empowering.

Practical Magic was alright but it is the first Alice Hoffman book I have read and I guess I expected more. The movie was good and that is what lead me to read the book. Usually the book is better than the movie but not in this case.