A Novel (The Practical Magic Series) - The Rules of Magic

Ok, here's the deal: As a 'Practical Magic' (the movie) fanatic I found this book difficult to read because I could not see the Aunts, Fran and Jet, in the characters the author described. I did try to read the original book 'Practical Magic' but could not get through it because it was so far off from the characters, plot, scenes, location, etc., that I had begun to find it irritating. I know, I know. You can't judge a book by its movie! The thing is though, it was so far off the movie plot as to be nearly an entirely different story. Like the screenwriters took the names and basic premise of book and threw the rest out. I have to say though the movie was so much better than the book. In this case, the movie I think spoils the book as well. The Aunts were so clearly defined in the movie it is as if we are confronted by strangers when we looked for familiar friends. Not at all enjoyable.

The Owens family has always been different. Their mother tried to protect them from that knowledge, but there is only so much you can do to hide your children's own abilities from them. Franny called birds, Jet could see, Vincent was Vincent and had a splash of darkness in him, that he always seemed to try to outrun. Charming and powerful even as a fourteen year old, all of them were special. The summons came one day when Franny turned 17, that she was to go to visit her Aunt Isabelle, in Massachusetts. Their mother, Susanna was distressed by the call, but it was a tradition for each of the young women in the family to make this visit when they reached that age. This time, the three of them went together, to meet their Aunt, and to finally figure out who they were. Then their lives begin to unfold.

I love Hoffman's books, each and every one. Magical realism and the tugs and tragedies of real life in each and every one. This one is a favorite now, but I say that each time a new one comes out. Each stands alone, and each makes you part of the story, so that you hate to reach the last page. The Rules of Magic is no different.

Alice Hoffman rarely disappoints and I have adored most of her work throughout the years. Practical Magic has always been a favorite, one I have reread several times. The Rules of Magic is a prequel to Pratical Magic though you need not read it to understand this book. I liked it very much but I didn't love it. Perhaps knowing how things will turn out ahead of time took away some of the enjoyment or perhaps it has been too long since Practical Magic was released and feels too late to revisit that family.
Regardless, AH is a great writer and a great teller of stories and I'm sure all will enjoy this book.
I very much envy those that are just discovering Hoffman's work and if you are just starting, read this prequel before PM. I think it will make a difference.

I am a witch I could write a better book then this ! There was no magic in this I hated all the characters in this ! I need to write a book ,where Is the web of mystery, the sacred knowledge passed down through your ancesters there has to be some joy in their lives.The love story was boring and joyless. where was the discovery that you are special and you matter even if there r is tragedy ? Where is the feeling of awakening to the magic inside of you ? the need to find others like you .The magic of belonging to a circle of others out in the moonlight under the stars feeling the presence of the Goddess in everything around you.Wanting to use your magick for good .This book was so disappointing there was no fun between the interaction of the characters the good was the crow I was more interested in the bird than the humans ! How sad.

This was really disappointing. I have liked other works by Alice Hoffman, but this one didn't work. Possibly because it was a prequel, so it had to set up a story already written. I love magic, and here, at the outset, are 3 siblings with so much magic they don't know what to do with it. But that's the problem. They never do find anything to do with it; they go around saying they're doomed by their fate. Frannie is supposed to be courageous, but she won't tell her boyfriend the truth—how courageous is that? We dash from one year to another, so it's hard to keep track of where we are, and the girls seem to change personalities, so they're hard to keep straight. Their parents are ciphers; their father gets one line. Something happens that looks like it might resolve the family curse, and then they go right back to being cursed. Like I said, really disappointing.

I read Practical Magic a million years ago (1996 maybe) and remember almost nothing about it besides the fact that I pretty much loved and adored everything about it. I didn’t obsessively write reviews for everything I read back then so I may need to reread it someday to see if this still holds true. This is the prequel. You do not have to have read Practical Magic in order to love and adore The Rules of Magic. I listened on audio and did not take notes and simply enjoyed every word.

Susanna moved out of Massachusetts as soon as she was able. She landed in NY and was diligent about making sure her kids had a normal life and stayed away from certain things like Oujia boards, cats, moonlit nights, red shoes and true love. Especially true love. Finding or seeking love would doom them, she promised. Of course the kids do the exact opposite. When Susanna’s oldest daughter receives a formal invitation to spend the summer at her childhood home with her two younger siblings she tells them they can go but strongly advises against it. She claims, very ominously, that they will never be the same if they leave and visit their aunt and learn all the family secrets she’s been keeping from them!

Susanna handled this all wrong, if you ask me. Were I her, I would’ve told the kids that auntie was a mean old hag who would lock them in the basement for the summer and feed them rats. Of course they go. I mean, wouldn’t you? Franny, Jet and Vincent spend the summer released from all of the rules and restrictions their parents usually inflict upon them. They can eat whatever they want, go to bed whenever they want and as long as “they do no harm” they are free to be themselves. They revel in it and start snooping into their heritage and learning all about their inherited magical abilities. And, just as their Mamma forecasted, none of them will ever be the same.

See, they’ve inherited more than magic. A terrible curse will plague them throughout their lives. The curse of true love. Mamma wasn't lying.

This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking book about the three siblings as they grow from teens to adults and do their best to avoid love and the grief that accompanies love. In the process, they fill their lives with sorrow.

“I’m fated to lose everyone I ever love”

“Of course you are. That’s what it means to be alive.”

Reading this is like free falling into another world. It’s a truly magical experience and I highly recommend it. I hated leaving the characters when it was all over and that so rarely happens that I’m giving it all the stars.

The audio narrated by Marin Ireland is the way to go if you enjoy audio. She’s excellent and a pleasure to listen to.

I am an avid reader and have truly enjoyed a couple of Hoffman's books. For me , this one. was total garbage Not only does the reader have to make a leap of faith to accept a world of magic, but then one has to accept poorly drawn characters, a plotless plot, snd some really vapid writing, Sorry, Alice, I think you, with all your talent, have succumbed to the lure of monetary gain rather than to the magical world of great literature

This was my first Alice Hoffman story and I am not disappointed in the least! The writing and pacing was fluid throughout the story and it had a character-based approach to the story. You find yourself falling in love with the characters (slight pun here). The story follows a group of Owens siblings as they learn of their magical powers as witches and also of the curse that has burdened their family for many years. The curse of the Owens family is that any they love is doomed to death. Therefore, love is forbidden and these three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent, must find ways to live life without ever falling in love lest it be their own downfall.

Throughout the story, you see the growth of each character and in that growth you see them all tempt fate with attempting to love someone deeply. You'll follow their downfall with trepidation because of it. While this story is a dark look at love, there are bright spots that show that life isn't worth living if you're not loving. The moral to the story is very succinct and relevant. Hoffman does a great job of masterfully weaving characters fate together without a hint to the readers as to what big event will happen next.

The story lulls in some points though. While the writing is superb and fits the timeframe of the story perfectly, there are moments that are filled with too much history and ambiance and "other" things. You'll have a great visual of the home(s) and their cities and towns. But you will also get a heaping dose of history throughout the story which at face value is an added bonus but by midway through can be a bit challenging when coupled with the other visuals... you'll just want to know what will happen next at that point. Maybe this is a good idea now that I think about it...maybe Hoffman wanted to build that rising angst in us? No matter, the story was wholly enjoyable and character-driven which to me are the most memorable.

I wanted so much to like this book and listened (Audible) to 3/4th of it becoming more and more disappointed at the grave, bleak attitude that was surrounding each of the 3 siblings and just couldn’t stomach listening to anymore. The narrarator was very good, the books characters are interesting, the writing style of the story itself was very good.... but the content, what befell the characters did not have much humor, excitement nor magical depth and was frankly rather depressing. I have really looked forward to reading/listening to this book, First time I have returned an audible for my credit back.

I struggled through the first half, then did myself a favor and skimmed the rest.

While the prose is beautifully written, the plot is sadly lacking... The book follows 3 siblings through their life, but it feels like just backstory. For all the pages, I never could get into any of the characters' heads, and I couldn't care about any of them. Tragedies happen, but they feel dull and far away, with no emotional impact.

The cover hints that these people will become legends. Instead, they fizzle and kind of fade away. Disappointing.

I’ve always loved walking into Alice Hoffman’s books; being the fly on the wall, witnessing the humanity and shocking reality of the world she so clearly defines. Every one of her books has been a memorable journey, and reaching the last page requires a few moments to ponder what I just lived thru.
Rules of Magic maintains Hoffman’s ability to bring you into her story. This book turns the clock back a few years and details the childhoods of the Owens siblings, Franny, Jet, and Vincent. This is the prequel to Hoffman’s’ much-loved Practical Magic, issued in 1996. We live thru the children’s young developmental years and watch as they mature thru the angry, confusing and very painful teen years.
The Owens curse states that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman will meet a terrible and untimely death. In their efforts to save the ones they love from this inevitable horror, the sisters try to control their emotions. They learn that, although they’re all quite proficient in controlling their magic, they have absolutely no control over their love for others.
Vincent is a rebel. The description of him, his style, and his grace brings his character to life. You love him, then he does something so cruel and heartless, you feel anger towards him and wonder how his sisters survive living under the same roof with him.
Franny and Jet have very different personalities, but their love and concern for one another carries them thru many cruel lessons as they age. The kids learn to live alone at a young age, and their perseverance is relentless.
The stalwart character thru the years is their Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts. There, they learn how to fine-tune the potions, the spells, and incantations. Aunt Isabelle is a strong and loving presence for the siblings.
It isn’t required to read Practical Magic before you read Rules of Magic. The story will flow beautifully if you read this new book first, and then move on to the sequel. I strongly recommend Alive Hoffman to anyone who enjoys a serious, engrossing and detailed read; all of her characters come to life and you’ll enjoy the respite from your daily demands.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for making it available.)

The writing in the first chapter was well done and it seemed like this book was going to be good. It was a recommended read by staff at Barnes and Noble. I bought it for my 13 year old daughter’s book assignment at school. Well, hello! This is just a bundle of sex vignettes of one kind or another. There is a 14 year old having sex with a 30 something woman, cousins having sex and gay sex. The plot had little to do with magic, just sex. This is reminiscent of Flowers in the Attic from my day as a teenager, with perverted and unexpected twists and turns.

I bought this --- which is a lot, because I deliberately live a very simple life, below the poverty level, and buying a book (albeit, with gift cards I hoard) is a big decision and something I do only for authors whose work I know I want to keep on my shelves, as part of the definition of who I am. Alice Hoffman came to Frederick a few years ago for a signing and library sponsored talk and she was delightful. I've read a number of her books, including Practical Magic, to which this is a prequel, and I have watched the film of Practical Magic over and over, and although it is very different from the book, I love it because Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing, Nicole Kidman, and the only movie in which I have ever liked her, Sandra Bullock.

I liked this book. The three main characters, siblings Franny, Jet, and Vincent, were all sort of what I have come to think of as Alice Hoffman trademark difficult, but ultimately loveable, beautiful souls who sometimes behave in ugly ways, magical folk out to slay the dragons of fate and the inevitable disappointments that accompany the joys of being alive --- in other words, despite their supernatural powers, these are human beings with all the ups and downs and complications and pleasures that label promises. We meet Gillian and Sally of Practical Magic in the last few pages, after the first 300 full of tragic loves, bad decisions, all sorts of loss and gain and growth and denial and fear and light and dark, written in wonderfully skilled, flowing prose.

I like that Alice Hoffman faces sorrow without compromise. It's a fact of life that people die, that sometimes love takes away as much as it gives, and that we all have to make choices and sometimes, among those choices, there are not perfect options --- we all hurt people, we all get hurt, and being alive and having a happy ending doesn't come for free. That's not a fairy tale, it's a grown up story. Alice Hoffman writes deceptively deep and thought-provoking fiction in a fable-like format.

And so, I bought this. And I'm not sorry.

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 5 HUGE stars

As children, Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens lived under very strict guidelines, most of which revolved around the denial of the existence of magic. Their mother adamantly refused to acknowledge their questions about their “otherness” and warned her children to stay far, far away from anything even remotely related to magic or love. Of course, the rules and guidelines set forth by their mother only fueled the Owens’s children’s desire to know more.

For Franny, love isn’t going to be a problem as she has decided to dedicate her life to science and the pursuit of facts. She is objective and logical, intelligent and reasonable, and clueless. Though she believes her best-friend understands her passion, her dedication to pure objectivity, his passion is in fact divided between Franny and science. For decades, Franny dances around and dances with her best friend, only separating herself from him when the very dire needs of her family arise or being near him causes more pain than one heart should ever have to handle.

For Jet Owens, ignoring love isn’t ever going to be a possibility and when she meets her one true love while visiting her aunt, her life and his are forever changed. In the bloom of youth and love, Jet is prepared to ignore her mother’s dire warnings, defy the odds, and be the first Owens in generations to live with the love of her life. Fate is fickle and sometimes simply cruel, and a tragic moment Jet is reminded of who she is and what she is destined never to have. Of the siblings, Jet is by far the most sensitive and it takes, literally decades for her to once again find herself, forgive, and forge a path that includes a measure of happiness. Where she finds that happiness is perhaps the most surprising for all the Owens children.

Vincent Owens never, not even as a child, had difficulty accepting who and what he is. In fact, Vincent often delights in flaunting his “otherness” and dabbles in areas of magic best left alone. For his troubles, Vincent often finds himself in trouble or on the cusp of trouble. Nearly everything changes for Vincent when he meets his own one true love. For many, finding love is a blessing, but for Vincent, it is a mixed bag and in the end, Vincent will be forced to sacrifice more than he ever could have predicted or expected. In so many ways, Vincent is both the luckiest and the most tragic of the Owens children and his ultimate predicament puts everyone he knows and loves in jeopardy.

The Bottom Line: Alice Hoffman is, without doubt or reservation, one of the contemporary world’s most accomplished authors. I can’t put her books down once I start reading, and, quite frankly really have no desire to do so. In my stupidity and out of some misguided sense of responsibility, I tried putting down The Rules of Magic around two a.m., and when I couldn’t sleep for want of knowing how this story would end, I picked it back up and read until I had my answers. The Rules of Magic is a complicated, complex, artful narrative of a family long believed to be cursed. The three Owens siblings not only struggle with this knowledge, but also with a decided lack of knowledge about their pasts and why their futures are cursed. They struggle as children and eventually as adults with the reality of their world, what they are individually and together, and what that means for their own lives and those who come into their lives. There is very little in the way of happiness in this read, but there are brief moments of pure joy that will have you celebrating. As always, Hoffman’s skill and ability to weave a tale is evident on page one and carries through to the very last page. I absolutely adored this book, its masterful craftsmanship, and really can’t recommend it anymore heartily than I already do. With certainty, The Rules of Magic is a 2017 favorite read!

AH is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Since Dovekeepers which I read for book club, then on to Museum and my all time favorite BLACKBIRD HOUSE, I have been working my way through her books. The stories pull you in and her characters are fully developed, you feel for them and I would catch myself putting down the book to ponder a sentence that hit me on an emotional level. This is a family story with all the usual family interaction and drama, it will not disappoint. Now I'm on to PRACTICAL MAGIC to get the background info on the story and the people.

The Rules of Magic is a fascinating novel, superbly written and thoroughly satisfying. Alice Hoffman is a talented writer and an author who is fast becoming one of my favorites.

The Owens family has lived on Magnolia Street in a small Massachusetts town since 1620. Most of the family had scattered, though, during the time of the witch hunts. Some went to Paris, others to New York, but Aunt Isabelle stayed in her home, on Magnolia Street. People shunned her and any family member who dared to visit her. Aunt Isabelle was known for her strange powers and potions. It was even rumored that she turned a person into a rabbit. But, these same people who hid from Aunt Isabelle during the day came around to her back porch at night. They sought her out for cures for physical and emotional ailments. They have even been known to ask for potions to manipulate other people.

The Owens family believed that they had been cursed, ever since, Marie Owens was condemned to death in 1620 for loving the wrong man. The Owens family drew strength from one another, to survive a world, where they were not wanted. The family is made up of a unique group of characters, all quirky, independent, and wildly entertaining. Aunt Isabelle, Franny, Jet, and Vincent bring the reader deep into their hearts and lives and keep them there until the last page is read. The message that runs throughout this book is, to be who you are, regardless of what others think. Have the courage to live, love and be happy.

This thought-provoking novel will linger with you long after you’ve finished it. It’s a book worth reading and rereading.

Thank you, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I loved it!

New York City in the 1960s was a bustling town but still old fashioned in many ways. Susanna Owens knew her children had to be careful – their abilities set them at risk; their legacy continuing from way back in 1620 when their ancestor Maria Owens set it all in motion. The eldest of Susanna’s children, Franny was ethereal and frequently angry; Jet kept to herself, her beauty stunning everyone who saw her; while the youngest, Vincent, didn’t know who he was or what he wanted…

When Franny turned seventeen, tradition held that she spent the summer with their Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts and she declared her sister and brother were to go with her. That summer the three siblings discovered more about themselves and their family bloodline than they had ever known before – the biggest that they were never to fall in love or tragedy would befall the person they loved.

When the three returned to New York City they were determined to defeat the curse – but the rules their mother set were harsh. The rigidity of it all caused them to despair in their own ways – but love was determined to find them. What would be the outcome for the Owens family who were blanketed by a curse which had never been lifted?

The Rules of Magic is my first by author Alice Hoffman and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Beautifully written, wonderfully told – powerful and poignant, it was heartbreakingly sad, filled with hope and a love between siblings that couldn’t be broken. My favourite character was Aunt Isabelle; she’s special! I’ll definitely be reading Practical Magic, of which The Rules of Magic is the prequel, and have no hesitation in recommending this delightful, magical novel highly.

I was so excited to add this to my January TBR list and I could hardly wait to finally get to it. I expected charm and spells and wizardry and the uncanny, alluring pull of a tale of witches and conjury. However, unfortunately, I found the story to not have enough... magic.
One theme prevailed throughout the book: Live now. Love now. Do it all, now. While each sibling accepted (and rejected) that advice in different ways and in different measures throughout their lives, even their efforts at remote happiness seemed to inevitably result in misery and isolation.

Needless to say, I was disappointed. While life's struggles and hardships are certainly to be expected, to have them taint absolutely every area of each MCs life for the entirety of the book was disheartening. I didn't find it a beautiful, magical experience. In fact, what was the point of their magic if it never helped them avoid their overwhelming bad fortunes?

On the upside, Hoffman is an exquisite writer, deftly weaving all of our senses into every scene. I just wish she had chosen to weave more genuinely happy moments into this story for the sake of all of her easily lovable characters.

Two stars for the story, but an additional star because Hoffman is a good writer. I would read her again.

What I liked the most: some of the descriptions of plants and animals,and a bit of the weather. What I didn't like: everything else.Oh, where to start...the parents. They are barely present until they die, then they are loved and missed. How can the offspring not feel much of a connection to them and dismiss and misunderstand them and sudenly when they are dead find out what wonderful people they are? Could it be that they love to wallow in sad stuff, like the dead Levi and the tossed away Haylin? Oh, and the parents' death (I guess the taxidriver too, though he isn't worth mentioning, apparently): in a cab, speeding down a major NYC road, (how fast could that be? 40, 45?) they tell the driver to step on it as he is apparently heading striaght for a big statue just inside a city park, and he does. Really? A tough and experienced cab driver is going to head straight for a couple of kids because his passengers tell him to? But of course there is an oil slick - which would have to be fairly large to make the car completly lose control, and even then, why did none of the other cars not lose control? - so the cab hits the kid. OK. How does that kill the 3 adults in the cab? Do they keep sliding into the nearby statue? How often do back seat passengers get killed at 40 mph when they hit a solid object at maybe 40? If it was a head-on collision, sure. But that brief paragraph smelled strongly of "PLOT DEVICE" and made me snort. Oh, dear, now the poor children will have to take care of themselves; no agency will come along in the remote little town of NYC and put them in some kind of care. And then they find out that their parents are idiots and were deeply in debt. Unlike many such people, who sell their huge houses and try to live within their budget, no, they leave a bigass financial mess for their kids. And don't even get me started on Jet's nearly lifetime mourning for her teenage lover and Franny's rejection of her boyfriend, over and over, even as she passionately loves him and he keeps telling her she's the one, even though she's the one who rejected him. These girls are such great problem solvers. And their brother disappears into the wilds of France and can never, never reappear with a different identity because, you know, the entire focus of the U.S. government for decades is to find him and bring him to justice. Uh-huh.//Magic this ain't.

I always enjoy Hoffman’s books but this prequel to Practical Magic is my favorite so far. The time is New York and Massachusetts in the sixties and the characters, three siblings, are coming to a fuller realization of the magical meaning hidden in their heritage. Flame haired Francis is the eldest followed by her dreamy and beautiful raven haired sister named Jet. Last is their heartthrob brother Vincent.

As is tradition in the Owens family the kids summer with their odd aunt Isabelle in Cambridge, Massachusetts and so begins a summer of abandon and learning that helps set their lives to come. Hoffman’s tale is as dreamy as it is magical weaving through America’s witch history with both loving and sadistic characters, their lives an enmeshed tapestry. There’s no explicit sexual content but love and sexuality is a vital part of the lessons these teens learn. They also learn who to trust, how to think independently while also understanding how their actions impact their loved ones. The sixties setting is vivid and detailed. With the ending of Rules Hoffman circles back to practical Magic which makes me want to go back and reread that book.

4.5/5 stars

After reading Practical Magic, I found myself a little disappointed. It wasn't as great as I had expected and left me a little nervous about reading The Rules of Magic. This book did have one thing to rival Practical Magic. For the previous book, I had seen the movie and loved it for years. With this one, I had nothing to compare it to. So I went into this book unsure of how I was going to feel about it but excited all the same to learn more about the aunts.

I am so insanely happy that I gave The Rules of Magic a try. In my opinion it was sooo much better than Practical Magic. All the arcs of the story had climaxes and all of the calmer moments were balanced by moments of action and conflict. The characters were great in their different personalities and it was great to learn about each individual and how their lives were affected by love, magic, family, and the Owen Curse.

I definitely enjoyed learning more about Maria Owens and the family's history. I loved how Hoffman used the real Salem Witch Trials and the real people involved and twisted them into her story. The Scarlet Letter is one of my favorite classics and I really enjoyed the addition of Nathaniel Hawthorne as a distant relative of Jet, Franny, and Vincent.

This book was absolutely amazing. It's crazy to me how much content Hoffman can pour into one book. I honestly think the contents of each book could easily be spread out into a long series, but works in their current form.

Whether you have or haven't read Practical Magic, enjoyed or didn't enjoy it, I highly recommend you read The Rules of Magic! It's an amazing story all on it's own.

Rating: 4 Stars

I loved the movie Practical Magic. If you haven't seen this gem starring Sandra Bullock, then you need to go do it right now. The Rules of Magic takes you to the generations before the movie where we can see how the curse began, almost ended, and set the stage for the current members of the Owens family.

The focus of the story is on Franny, Jet, and Vincent. A generation raised to hide from their magical heritage - after all, if you ignore it, then it must not exist. But the children can't resist giving in to the magic inside them. Traveling to their Aunt's house, they begin to learn about their family history - it's quite fascinating, and I really enjoyed the looks back in time.

As the children grow older, then struggle to avoid falling in the love and triggering the family curse. Here is where we see the ultimate struggle. How can someone not love? The siblings struggle as they grow up and do that very thing - fall in love. But the curse is triggered, and things quickly go downhill.

But this isn't just a story about a curse and the death of love. Jet was my favorite of the three, and her reactions to the events of life really stood out to me. She was the flicker of hope and possible salvation that carries the story into the movie. Don't look at this as just a prequel. It a beautiful story on its own that is so very much worth reading.

AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 4 Narration 4 Story 4

All good witch-family stories start with a curse and unjustified, and perhaps hysterical, charges of sorcery – such is the case of the curse on the Owens family, stretching back to the early seventeenth century. But, even in the more present day of the 1960’s where the three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent have only part of the story, many ill-gained conclusions and plenty of restrictions as their mother tries to keep them safe.

Of course, the three are headstrong (would you expect anything else) and even daring to defy the rules so carefully put in place: rules they don’t always understand as they don’t really know the history. Not until Aunt Isabelle. Isabelle lives in Massachusetts where everything began for the Owens, and she’s of the belief that the children should know their history, their magic and how to use, not fear, it.

As one would expect, the differences of the three and their abilities, as well as a rather insular approach to outsiders makes them objects of speculation and gossip – made even more apparent at Isabelle’s house where the stories and legends of the ‘curse’ on the Owens is a favored topic of discussion. Each of the characters becomes a fully formed person in this story: showing fears, desires and even struggles as they come into their own powers and knowledge of the family. Hoffman builds a story that feels as if it does reach back hundreds of years, tendrils and tentacles of the past reaching forward to connect the family, the magic and even the struggles as they felt (and sometimes were) outcasts in their own home.

Narration for this story is provided by Marin Ireland, and her smooth, almost effortless presentation of both dialogue and atmospheric moments allowed the story to move forward, allowing listeners time to visualize moments and absorb the subtle nuances in emotions, details and background information that added to my understanding and belief of the curse, the magic and even the potential for these three to move forward and make lives that were mostly happy. A wonderful mix of historic moments, acceptance and growth, all put together in a way that engages and captivates, whether or not you are familiar with the book or film to which this is background.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Simon Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

*I've always loved Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic", so was delighted when the prequel - "The Rules of Magic" (Simon & Schuster) was released. This is the story of the Aunts, from the time they were teenagers up to when the girls came to live with them. If you're not familiar with "Practical Magic", no worries. This tale also serves as a stand-alone...you don't have to have any prior knowledge of the Owens family. You're immediately caught up in their lives, and can't wait to see what happens next.

Not only is this an absolutely gripping tale, but it's one of the most accurate depictions of true Witchcraft in modern fiction. It's chock full of herbal lore, omens, and the like. All of this arcane knowledge is interspersed in the pages as the Owens siblings come to terms with who and what they are.

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

Susanna Owens and her husband had 3 children: red-headed Franny (the practical one, but who could call wild birds to her hand), raven-tressed Jet (who could read other people's thoughts), and their brother, musician Vincent. Susanna's rules for her children were "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."

When Franny turned 16, the siblings were summoned to spend summer with their Aunt Isabelle. They start learning about their heritage, who they really are, and what they can do. They also meet their free-spirited cousin April.

Vincent was quite the ladies' man, but never loses his heart to any of them. Franny realizes she's in love with her best friend Haylin. But the trouble really starts when Jet falls in love with Levi, son of Rev. Willard. The two families had been enemies for hundreds of years.

The Willards and the Owenses are actually related, and that's what started the curse. John Hathorne - a judge at the infamous Salem Witch Trials - had an illicit affair with Maria Owens when she was 19.

The Reverend forbids Levi from having any communications with Jet, but the lovers find ways to see each other anyway. On her 17th birthday, Jet tells her parents that friends from school are throwing a slumber party for her. In reality, Levi rented a hotel room for the two of them. Her parents find out and chase the lovers - with tragic consequences! Levi and both of Jet's parents were killed as she watched helplessly.

The siblings, now on their own, move into a house with a store front where they started a magic shop, selling herbs and spells to support themselves.

The subsequent life journey is full of surprises around every turn, taking the siblings to the Monterey Pop festival in California, to France, and back to Aunt Isabelle's where their self-awakening all started.

I highly recommend this wonderful and truly magical book! I wasn't able to put it down for a second.

This book is a rambling, drawn out mess. I really wanted to like it but it was like Alice Hoffman wrote it a page at a time with no idea of a PLOT LINE and then eventually decided to stop. It read like a young adult book until she threw in awkward sex scenes, drugs and profanity and repeated themes ad nauseum until I wanted to rip the pages out. Maybe she should have focused more on the rules of writing.

Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman, author; Marin Ireland, narrator
The readers must ask themselves a question…do they believe in magic or witchcraft? Do they think either is good or evil? Their beliefs will be challenged as they read the novel. Are the characters worthy of their respect or disdain?
The Owens family is very different. How different is the question? How will their differences affect their lives as well as the lives of others in the future? Do they have special powers that they cannot hide? How will they use them once discovered; how will they accept them is the $64,000 question? They are whispered about in their community and people stay away from them because of their rumored history. They are haunted by a curse that prevents them from experiencing real love without experiencing disastrous consequences as a result.
Frances is the serious, red-headed, scientific thinker of the family. She attempts to explain all of the unique abilities they have in a logical fashion. She is the eldest and therefore assumed to be the wisest. Birds are attracted to her like flies and she seems able to communicate with them. Although she loves someone, they vow to remain close but not to declare their love for fear of destroying it. She has a crow as a familiar. That crow, Lewis, is also devoted to Haylin, the boy with whom she has a relationship.
Jet is the gayer, more whimsical interpreter of life. She can read minds. She wants to defy the love curse and falls madly in love with a forbidden suitor, Levi Willard, a suitor who is somehow related to her ancestor Maria Owens. Jet is beautiful with lustrous black hair, and although she seems the more cautious, she is really possessed of a defiant courage. She has a black cat as a familiar. Wren, was given to Jet, by her Aunt Isabelle, after her parents were killed.
Maria Owens was a witch in the 1600’s who became involved with Judge John Hathorne. He was a married family man who impregnated her. Judge Hathorne accused Maria of being a witch, then went witch hunting, causing the deaths of many innocent women. Maria imposed the curse forbidding love for the Owens family into posterity to protect them.
Vincent is described as addictive. People are drawn to him. He is known as the wizard. He delves into the black arts and does magic tricks. When during a visit to his aunt, he is faced with the vision of his future, he grows distressed. Vincent drinks too much, leads a wild life and breaks rules. He is an entertainer. He plays his guitar, writes music and sings. He too falls deeply in love. He leads an alternate lifestyle as a homosexual. His familiar is a dog named Harry.
When a tragic accident takes the lives of their parents, Frances takes over as caregiver. Vincent continues his reckless life but Frances and Jet make potions and soaps to survive. They move from Manhattan to Massachusetts into the house left to them by Aunt Isabelle.
When the Owens girls learn the reason for the curse against their family, they are determined to outwit it. It began because of an illicit relationship between a clergyman and their ancestor. How they determine to live their lives and outsmart the curse is really the basis of the story, but it also points out that being different is not always a negative and all people should be embraced equally. The link between Jet’s great love, Levi Willard, and their ancestor, Maria Owens, is the key to the removal of their curse. Aunt Isabelle is the catalyst that helps them travel the right path in life. Cousin April and her daughter Regina bring love and family back into the lives of Jet and Frances reconnecting all of them to each other.

So I actually didn't know that Practical Magic the movie was based on a book. But when I saw The Rules of Magic billed as the prequel to a movie I had loved, I knew I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did. The Rules of Magic is, well, magical. Magical and nostalgic and spell-binding. Most book worlds feel different than their respective movie-worlds, but this felt like a logical prequel. (It may be because I haven't seen the movie in some time - I intend to remedy that soon, and I might just have to read the book as well.)

Practical Magic, the well known movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, centers around the two girls and their elderly aunts. The Rules of Magic is the aunts' story. And what a story. It begins in New York, as the older of the two aunts is turning 17. On an Owens' girl's seventeenth birthday, they receive an invitation to spend the summer at the Owens home in Massachusetts. Frances, the older of the two girls, receives the invitation, and her two siblings won't let her go alone, so all three of them (yes, three, the movie doesn't mention their brother that I recall, though I suppose Bullock and Kidman's characters had to come from somewhere!) pack up and head to Massachusetts, where they meet their Aunt Isabelle. Over the course of the summer, they learn their family history, and get verification that they are indeed witches. (They'd had certain powers throughout childhood, though their mother tried to deny it.)

It was Vincent's storyline that intrigued me, since I knew where Frances and Jet ended up. There was an unexpected curveball that I won't spoil here, but I enjoyed it. It was Jet and Frances' storylines that had me crying at the end of the book, though. Not the very last chapter - it ended on a hopeful note - but the few chapters preceding it had me in tears. (It was midnight, and everyone else was asleep, so I had myself a good cry over my book, and then had to try to sleep on a wet pillow.)

If you enjoyed Practical Magic the movie, you should read this book. It's a perfect prequel.

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series. The story takes place in the 1960s with all that is going on at that time. Susanna Owens is raising her three difficult children, Frances (Franny), Bridget (Jet) and Vincent, in Manhattan. She has rules that she hopes will keep them from practising Magic, such as: No walking in the moonlight; no red shoes; no wearing black; no cats; no crows; no candles; no books about magic. The hardest rule to enforce is to never fall in love. There is a curse on the family that if they fall in love, something will happen to the person they love.

One summer, Aunt Isabelle requests that the children come to the family home in Massachusetts and she begins to show them who they really are. During this summer, Vincent runs amok and has sex with many girls, but there is no love involved. Both Franny and Jet, fall in love and worry for years following what the curse may do. I love the quote in the book from Henry David Thoreau, "There is no remedy for love but to love more."

I really enjoyed meeting the Owens siblings. Each of them had issues to deal with, being ostracized at school and in the neighbourhood, trying to live under their mother's rules, and falling in love but being afraid of what might happen. Franny is so strong and takes her sibs under her wings when they are orphaned. Vincent is so troubled. He does not know where he fits in the world. Jet who loses the love of her life, has to make decisions that will affect the rest of her life. Think 'coming of age' story with magical realism. Now, I want to read the rest of this series.

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’.

The prequel to Practical Magic is a wonderful story written with all the whimsy and loving choice of words that Alice Hoffman puts into all her books. Frannie, Jet, and Vincent Owens are siblings living in New York City in the 1960s. When Frannie turns age seventeen, they all go to the house in Massachusetts owned by their great-aunt Isabelle to receive their heritage as descended from a long line of witches. Here they learn of the family curse: any man who loves an Owens is doomed.
The story concentrates on their younger lives but does follow through to their older years where Sally and Gillian from Practical Magic are introduced. It touches on people, songs, books, and events that were also a part of my own life. The Viet Nam War takes place with significant impact on the Owens family. As the Frannie and Jet age, the story also touches on women's independence (though the Owens girls have always been independent). I loved this quote:
"Many of them began to wonder why they themselves often feigned opinions rather than speak their minds, no matter how clever they were, for fear they'd be thought of as difficult."
And all through the story are touches of magic. There are spells and herbs, love potions and charms.
The main thrust of the story is family and how people are tied together. The Owens siblings are always there for each other even when they disagree, and they're willing to care for the rest of their family.
Practical Magic is such a great book that one wonders if a prequel could do it justice, but The Rules of Magic is just as excellent.

I've not read anything by Alice Hoffman before, but I grabbed this with zero knowledge of what I was grabbing and was delighted by my choice.

It's the story, starting in the 1960s, of the Owen family - mostly Frannie, Jet and Vincent, three teenagers in New York City, growing up under the watchful eye of their parents. They've been given strict rules about messing around with any sort of magic. Because of that, as children do, they gravitate toward ouija boards (getting babysitters fired in the process,) their mother's fancy and mysterious soap, and everything else they are supposed to stay away from. Before their parents can do much, they've discovered that there is something different about them, and this is the saga of their family, culminating with the girls being old ladies, living in the family house in Connecticut and welcoming Vincent's grandchildren into their home.

It's realistic fantasy, which is the type I seem most suited for, I am learning. There were some weird things (like why can't they just make someone invisible, or avoid the family curse through magic, or any number of other things I wondered. However, I don't know magic, so maybe there's more to it than I can comprehend.) None of it was enough to deny me enjoyment.

"I think we're going to like it here," says one of the little girls arriving in Connecticut to their aunts' house after a tragedy. I agree, so I will pick up with the novel this one is a prequel to, "Practical Magic" and follow the rest of the story.

The Rules of Magic is magic realism, but the book takes an unusual approach. The plot follows the lives of the Owens siblings: Fanny, Jet, and Vincent, who are part of a family with a history of witchcraft. They were born with unusual abilities and raised to understand how to create potions and work spells.

These skills come with a price: curses that affect their lives. They also have to deal with prejudice and misunderstanding, even from their own relatives. These problems are what make the novel special. On one level, it's a story of magic. On another level, it's a story of unique people coping with the things that make them different.

Although the main focus of the novel is on the three siblings and their love lives, the plot covers many years and wanders a bit, especially during the second half. It takes place in the mid twentieth century, so the Vietnam war and the draft are touched on. The war affected the lives of everyone during that time, but it came up late in the book and seemed a bit out of place. Still, the characters were full and interesting. I was left thinking about them after I was done with the book.

I love Alice Hoffman's writing, but I prefer her novels with a hint of magic rather than this one, where magic is central to the story. For that reason, it didn't come up to others I've read such as The Dovekeepers or The River King, but it is still a good choice for readers who are fans of her writing.

Steve Lindahl – author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul

We get the Aunt’s story! Whether you read the book Practical Magic or watched the movie, you will remember that Sally and Gillian were raised by their Aunts after their parent’s death. The Rules of Magic shares the story of Frances (Franny) and Bridget (Jet), as well as their brother, Vincent. This tale begins some sixty years ago and shares their youth, loses, and adulthood right up until Sally and Gillian arrive. It was beautifully written, with fleshed out characters, curses, townsfolk and the people who traveled in and out of their lives.

The Owens children were strictly told by their mother Susanna: 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. A trip to Massachusetts and their Aunt Isabelle soon have them uncovering family secrets and learning about the dreadful family curse.

Magic, family and sidestepping the rules brought these characters to life. Hoffman made me believe in the curse and the magic. I love that she filled in the blanks all while delivering an equally compelling story that stands on its own. These characters became more than just Gillian and Sally’s aunts.

Family secrets and curses drive the plot, and it was interesting how even within the family some were protected from the secret, and how only knowing half-truths caused issues and pain. Of course, being children, the Owens siblings defied a lot of their momma’s rules. Franny the oldest can communicate with birds and did so even when her mother strictly forbade her too. Jet the middle child at first glance appears to the rule follower of the group, so when she does break them, it’s enormous and has a ripple effect that impacts them all. Vincent is the baby, and the girls love and dote on him. He is charismatic and often seemed aloof, but Hoffman exposed just how genuinely he feels.

While wowing us with magical realism, she shares a glimpse into the political climate, LGBT, superstitions, small-town politics and embracing your differences. Hoffman has a firm grasp of what it must have been like for the Owens children growing up as outcasts even in their own home. I wept for Vincent, adored Franny and her red boots and loved Jet’s passion.

Secondary characters played a significant role in the Owens lives and were fleshed out enough to make their impact feel valid.

Marin Ireland narrated this enchanting tale and did so flawlessly. I enjoyed her natural pace, voices, and ability to enhance the magic Hoffman delivered.

For anyone who, like me, was enchanted by Hoffman's story of the Owens women in Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic should be a treat. It's a prequel to the first book and takes place largely in the 60s, following Franny and Jet -- the aunties of Practical Magic -- and their brother, Vincent, through their formative years. We watch them learn who and what they are, see them fall in love in spite of the family curse, swear off love, and ultimately realize that a life without love is worse than any curse.  We meet their parents, their partners, and by the end, we see how Gillian and Sally fit into the family history.

The Owenses go entirely their own way in life which also brings them a measure of grief, but it's one of the things that makes them so appealing.  They do spectacularly bone-headed things, but instead of rolling my eyes and slamming the book shut, I accepted that these were the mistakes they had to make.  It's part of Hoffman's talent that I never lost patience with any of them.

The themes of sisters and siblings continues in this book, as does the larger theme of family.  The magic is both light and dark, just as life is.  There's romance and tragedy, but there's also acceptance and hard-headed determination. I loved it.  I finished the book and wanted to go right back and reread Practical Magic. These are books that will make you happy and break your heart, and don't all the best novels do that?

I listen to books on CD when driving regularly. Some readers are better than others, and I often choose books based on who reads it. Unfortunately, Marin Ireland reads this book, and her inflection and tone make much of what she says indistinguishable.

Creating an audio version of a book is an art. It is also a science. Who is going to listen to what the reader says? Where will the listener be listening? Will there be ambient noise?

Ireland's voice drops both in tone and volume often, providing shading and subtlety to the words of the author. That works when there are no competing sounds (such as highway noise), or when the listener is wearing headphones (which shouldn't happen in a car).

I think most audio books are listened to in cars. If indeed that is the case, then Ireland either needs to change the way she reads and records, or publishing houses need to use other readers. This book is interesting and I would like to listen to it, but I am losing perhaps 30% of the text due to the style of the reader. Not good.

Omg what a amazing book this was. This is the first time I read anything from this author buy I did see the movie Practical Magic and this is my favorite movies of all time. Know that I read her new book and it one of my favorite book this year.
I love the whole sisters and brother love. Love how they would do anything to perfect each other. I was sad in some parts of the book how you lose somebody you love so much over a curse. At the end you can't let that set your life. This story teaches you about lose found, live, and love. The saddest part here was about Vincent, Haylin, and Levi. They made ms cry. At one point I was so happy for them all and then I was crying like a little baby. All I wanted to do was jump in the book and save them all.

Vincent disappear because he had no choice. Vincent fell in love and by that the curse waas coming. He new one day this would happen to him. He disappear to the point that he had everybody think that he was dead. For him to live. He had change his name and moved and also to be with his love William.

Franny and Heylin fell in love but she had to make believe that she didn't love him so he wouldn't die or get killed by the family curse. They both went there own ways Franny never got with nobody but Hayline did. But no matter what he was in love with Franny and she was the one for him. At the end Franny married Hayline! They where both old and Heyline was dying of cancer. So the curse really couldn't do nothing at all to him. He die happy with his love Franny. Hayline's father told Franny "You was always the one love for him".

Jet had fall in love with a boy name Levi when she was visiting her Aunt Isabella for the summer. Ever since they mey it was love. When she went back home. Franny and Jet did a spell and Jet came true. All of the sudden Levi was in New York. Ever since they couldn't stop seeing each other even if she knows about the curse. She wasn't the one to believed in the curses. Jet would sneak out the house to see him and her sister Franny would cover for her. Until her parents found out and told her that she is not to see Levi again. But she wouldn't listen to them. She continued to see him. One day they was to meet on Jet 18th birthday. She went into a taxi after she left her parents. She didn't realize that hert parents called her. When she got out the taxi and hug Levi her parents yelled from there car. Jet and Levi went into the taxi. Her parents was still falling her and Levi. What happens next is heartbreaking! The taxi and the parents car both went into a car accident. Levi die and also her parents die! Jet woke up in the hospital and found out by her sister Franny and brother Vincent. Jet has lose her sight.

After this they sold there parents house because they where running very low on money. They couldn't keep. They found a little store they had rented. They lived upstair and they sold things that they learned at Aunt Isabella house.
Jet was still unhappy! Once a week she would go all the way to Boston to visit Levi grave.

At one point in everybody life was all right. They all learn how to live and love! How not to be afraid of anything or any curse.

Just love and be loved!

The author is a great writer. The setting and theme was perfect. The characters are die for. Every page, Every part was a page turner!

I can really see this book turn into a movie!

I highly recommend everybody get this book! You are going to enjoy it very much.
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The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman is a prequel to Practical Magic. The Owens family has a long magical heritage, but their family was cursed in 1620. Vincent, Franny and Jet Owens are the children of Susanna and James Owens. Susanna denies her magical heritage and has many rules in place for her children. One day when Franny turns seventeen she receives an invitation from her Aunt Isabelle. They three siblings are invited to Massachusetts for the summer to learn about their heritage and their gifts. Vincent, Franny and Jet set out to escape the family curse to find happiness and love. Is there a chance for them to find the love and keep it? Find out what happens Vincent, Franny and Jet before Sally and Gillian enter their lives in Practical Magic.

The Rules of Magic can be enjoyed without having read or watched Practical Magic. I found The Rules of Magic to be boring (sad, but true). It seemed like every single thing the author had read about witches (or thought of) was stuffed into this story. The best way to describe it is too “woo-woo” (best description for it). The teens in the story go out of their way to break every rule set forth by their parents and do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. The characters kept repeating the same mistakes over and over throughout the book (even as adults). I found the main characters (Jet, Franny, and Vincent) to be unlikeable. It seemed that the author was trying too hard with The Rules of Magic. I thought the pacing was inconsistent. It would go along at a nice pace (in the beginning) and then slow down to a crawl (it plodded along to the end). I found it a chore to read The Rules of Magic. There were a couple of bright spots, but they were few and far between.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this novel. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I am a huge fan of the movie Practical Magic. I've seen in dozens of times, can probably quote it from memory, and even have the soundtrack on my iPod. So years ago, when I finally sat down and read Alice Hoffman's book that the movie was based on, I was surprised. Hollywood took a lot of liberties with that script, and while I love it, it lacks the depth and complexity of the novel. 

Now Hoffman has written a prequel, the story of the women who become the crazy aunts in Practical Magic as well as their brother, who we get to meet for the first time.

Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens are born and raised in New York City with very little contact with their mother Susanna's family, particularly her Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts. Franny is a striking redhead with a deep connection to nature and the ability to communicate with birds. Jet, short for Bridget, is a quiet brunette with the ability to hear other people's thoughts and the beauty to drive men to extremes for her attention. And then there is their brother Vincent, the magnetic musician, whose dark eyes and dark powers draw women and trouble like moths to a flame. 

Susanna sets down the rules for her three unusual children--no reading books about magic, no red shoes, no cats, no candles, no walking in the moonlight, among others--but they all realize that their true natures cannot be changed. A summer spent with Aunt Isabelle at her garden home in a small town in Massachusetts, a town where Owens women have lived and loved for hundreds of years, reveals more of the puzzle of Franny, Jet, and Vincent's genetic roots and the strange powers they've always known were inside them. 

As the teenagers grow up, they are faced with a number of challenges to their hearts and minds. Falling in love, learning about sex, dealing with loss, starting over, and sticking together, the three siblings struggle to find their place in the city they grew up in and in their family. No matter how bad things get, the three siblings know that they can get through it if they stay true to themselves and to each other. 

Alice Hoffman's The Rules of Magic is a beautiful, bewitching story of family love and devotion. Page by page, I kept getting more and more drawn into the stories of these individuals, and I couldn't help but get sucked into their dramas and cheer them on. It's so moving and so powerful that I think Ms. Hoffman has been performing some magic on us as she transports us so easily into the world of the Owens women and their special witchcraft. Highly recommended, and by that I mean, what are you waiting for? Buy it now and get started reading! 

Galleys for The Rules of Magic were provided by Simon & Schuster through NetGalley.com, with many thanks. 

This is the first novel I've read by Alice Hoffman and I was absolutely enchanted. The story, which can no doubt be considered the prequel to the well-known Practical Magic unfolds beautifully. Each character offered something to love/hate, at any given moment, but you were able to watch each one grow and contort into full-fledged adults with very real practicalities about life and love.

Having never read Practical Magic, I thought I might feel lost, or disconnected from the story, but that was not the case. This novel is every bit as good as a stand-alone, whether you ever find a reason or want to read it's predecessor. If anything, the reading of this may inspire many to seek out the other.

What I loved most about reading The Rules of Magic was the way each character developed as they blossomed from children into adulthood: in love, in loss, and in tragedy, you could see how every one of them changed. Each experience, for better or worse, marked them and changed their philosophy about how they should live and what is most important.

And while you felt their pain, with each successive emotional (and physical) challenge, as individuals, you also understood their triumphs.

Jet was by far my favorite character in the story. She endured so much and had the most reason to be made bitter by life's unfairness. Yet, she made the decision to continue to live a life based on her own terms, centered around its goodness. She remained bruised, but never broken, and her decision to do so, in light of all she went through, took an unspeakable amount of courage.

Franny and Vincent were interesting, but I liked them considerably less. That said, they offer much in the way of learning how often we all tend to pass judgment and offer intolerance, as opposed to acceptance.

Even so, in my opinion, because each appeared to be utterly self-serving in their pursuits of living a life worthy of contentment, they left much in the way of collateral damage. That was tough to watch and left me unsympathetic to their pain much of the time.

Having said all that, however, each of their journeys was fascinating because evolution-even when it is born of unexpected circumstances-is always expected. Each character evolved in his/her own way and, eventually, don't we all?

I truly enjoyed this book.

In a time when humanity seems to be lacking, in the real world, it's always lovely to escape into one where it can so skillfully exist.

Great read.

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.

Alice Hoffman’s THE RULES OF MAGIC --- a prequel to PRACTICAL MAGIC, which inspired the Hollywood film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman --- is as enchanting as it is heart-rending. When it comes to love in the Owens family, you can run, but you can’t hide. A curse looms over each generation, haunting children and adults alike. Nothing can save them --- not their wits, piercing looks or powers --- except maybe love itself, however twisted the idea may be.

Jet, Franny and Vincent Owens know they are different from the other kids at their Upper East Side private school. For one, they dress in all black. Secondly, anyone who dares cross them suffers from a bout of bad luck. Their classmates soon come to realize this and stay away from the family as if they reek of doom.

The fate of the children begins to set in motion when Franny, the eldest sibling --- with fire-red hair and a personality to match --- receives an invitation from Aunt Isabelle to spend the summer in her Massachusetts home. Of course, Jet and Vincent wish to tag along, curious about the truth of what they feel deep inside. It’s Franny’s mother, Susanna --- fearful of the Owens curse and the truth about her family --- who is afraid of what the summer will stir up. Susanna is an Owens and ran so far away from love that it will eventually kill her. In this book, no one can escape love, and nothing can stop it, not even magic.

In Massachusetts, the Owens children are more admired than feared by the locals, and their aunt is indeed a witch. The ladies who parade into her home begging for love potions prove it. Jet, the middle child, is hauntingly beautiful, with shining black hair and features that cast a spell on the young men who step into her path. Vincent becomes the obsession of married women. His devil-may-care attitude and spellbinding musical skills make him one of the most compelling characters in the novel. Being loved by many may seem wonderful, but when you can’t love back because of the curse --- the curse that makes people die --- you are constantly living on the edge of life.

It turns out that the curse began with a spell cast by Maria Owens, the siblings’ ancestor and a witch who fell in love with a powerful married man. He claimed to love her, and gave her the home in which generations of the Owens family will eventually reside, yet he accused her of witchcraft and broke her heart. To Maria, love was a curse in and of itself. She didn’t want her ancestors to experience the pain she felt.

However, the Owens sisters break the rules and fall in love, even if the rule is impossible to begin with. The passion here is unmatched; everyone is beautiful, empathetic and mysterious. Throughout the novel, the reader understands that living in fear isn’t a life at all, that ignoring the truth of who you are is the real curse, and that maybe there are second chances for all who believe in them.

THE RULES OF MAGIC is written with words that are as elegant and enigmatic as the story’s atmosphere. Throughout the novel, we’re introduced to wild and captivating cousins, children wise beyond their years, magical animals, unlikely friendships, and a town and city that are both mystical and uptight. It’s a world in which we’d like to live, if only for a day. Even though there is heartache and loss, it mirrors real life, and overall the world is just such fun.

Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio

4.5 Stars

** I received an advanced readers copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

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!

If this had not been a book club book, I would have sent it back after a few chapters. The narrator had the annoying practice of lowering her voice when things got dramatic, secretive, or romantic. When listening in the car, it requires a dangerous maneuver to enter the password on my phone, find Audible, find the icon for rewinding 30 seconds, then maybe another 30 seconds, then turning up the volume to hear what was whispered. Dangerous and annoying. The book was disappointing. We had read "Marriage of Opposites" by the same author and I enjoyed that a lot. This did not seem to be by the same author. The so-called rules of magic were very inconsistent. For example, you could be destroyed if you fall in love, but if you have relationship and don't exactly say the "L" word, it is OK. Silver coins tarnish in a witch's presence, but not silver ice cream dishes? The characters were shallow and unlikeable. Nothing really happened. And those of my generation know there were easier ways of avoiding Vietnam than faking one's death.

I'm not entirely sure how I've managed to go [age redacted] years without reading a book by Hoffman, especially being such a fan of the movie Practical Magic, but I'm kind of glad this was my first experience of her writing. It made it all the more magical.

THE RULES OF MAGIC is basically a prequel of the aforementioned movie/book but can easily stand on its own. While the story surrounding the curse on the Owens family women began back in the 1600s during the witch trials, this book opens up in the fifties and focuses on the lives of three specific Owens children; Franny, Jet and Vincent. Side note : for those familiar with the earlier novel or adaptation, Franny and Jet are the two aunts who help to raise Sally and Gillian. The history of their ancestor is very much relevant to their stories, their lives, but I liked that it was less a story about fighting the circumstances and instead just kind of rolling with it. That doesn't mean they liked it just that.. it wasn't some typical story about magic about curing their curse.

So much happens in this story and over the course of the years the setting bounces from Manhattan to Massachusetts to France and Germany (during the course of the war) and back again. Growing up they struggle against the rules their mother set forth, much to do with not doing magic which of course only makes them want to do it more, but the most important rule of all was to never fall in love. The children do, of course, and we're alongside them as they fight against it, refute it, hold it close, lose it and find it again.

Hoffman's writing felt both dense with feeling and was, as a result, occasionally overwhelming but also so natural and easy to float through. The author's words moved me to tears at least twice and effortlessly transported me to another time and place, to enchantment and possibility. Simply put it, too, felt like magic. And if sometimes it felt a little slow? I was okay with that. It let me savour the read just that much longer.

But this is no HARRY POTTER with wand duels or epic battles. This is the every day kind of magic.. and yes, that factors in even the darker sides. You can see it and not believe, feel it and never know it's there. It's the every day kind found in life's little miracles, fate's cruelties, and everything inbetween.

I really loved this read. The characters, the events, the journey, the wins and the losses. I was sad to see the end of this one but knowing I can easily hit 'play' and continue the journey with a soundtrack featuring Stevie Nicks.. well. It doesn't get any better than that.

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!

I received an advance review copy of this book courtesy of Simon & Schuster via Netgalley.

EXCERPT: '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 just that.'

THE BLURB: 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. 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.

MY THOUGHTS: I was bereft when I finished The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman. I wanted to go right back to the beginning and start all over again. This is a fairy story for adults. It is bewitching, enchanting and compelling. I want to move in with the Owen's family, to be embraced by them, to become one of them.

Just as Mrs Russell was instantly in thrall to Vincent when she spied him in the kitchen, I was instantly in thrall to Hoffman's writing. Alice (may I call you Alice?) writes in a lazy, indolent fashion that slowly seduces the reader, leaving one feeling languidly intrigued.

I scribbled pages of notes as I read, highlighted sections to quote. But as I prepared to write this review, I realised that, taken out of context, they mean nothing.

If you think this book is about witchcraft, you are wrong. Yes, there are black cats and spells and potions, but that is not what this book is about. It is about acceptance, of ourselves and of others. It is about family, and it is about love. And if you do not read The Rules of Magic then you will miss out on a wonderful book which really is all about finding the magic in yourself.

I am going out to buy a hard copy of this book for my shelf. It is a 'forever' book. I am also going to read everything by this author that I can lay my hands on.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or my 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

" I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul
But it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll

"If you believe in magic, come along with me
We'll dance until morning 'til there's just you and me
And maybe, if the music is right
I'll meet you tomorrow, sort of late at night
And we'll go dancing, baby, then you'll see
How the magic's in the music and the music's in me

"Yeah, do you believe in magic

"Yeah, believe in the magic of a young girl's soul
Believe in the magic of rock and roll
Believe in the magic that can set you free
Ohh, talking 'bout magic"

- Lyrics by John Sebastian

”There is no remedy for love but to love more. –Henry David Thoreau

”The Rules of Magic” is a prequel to Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” , which I have not read, so I can’t compare the two, but this was just magical, and I still feel a bit under its spell, wishing for more.

Cursed. For the Owens family, love has been something to avoid, a curse harkening back to 1620, when loving the wrong man sealed the fate of an entire family.

More than three hundred years later, over six hundred solstices later, the Owens family is still avoided, eyed suspiciously by all who live there, where some members of the family still lived in Massachusetts.

When she was younger, Susannah had left it all behind, gone to Paris and returned to live in New York City, where she sits on this morning June, 1960 opening an invitation for her eldest daughter, Franny, to visit her Aunt Isabelle. A tradition, once they’ve turned seventeen. Their father objects, but tradition wins, on the condition that her younger siblings, sister Jet, and brother Vincent, accompany Franny. Their lives are about to change, even as the country is poised on the cusp of a change most are unprepared for.

They’ve known from the start that they are different from others, but their mother had kept them from exploring their abilities by establishing rules. Rules only go so far, especially for these exceptional children about to be immersed in a magical setting, filled with flourishing gardens and magical herbs and familiars. Still, there is one rule they all know, whatever you do, do not fall in love. Love is perilous.

Family is everything, and the theme of family is at the heart of this novel about a family and the weight and heartache of secrets and loss, and the power of love to overcome, the inescapable feeling that they will never fit in, no matter how hard they try.

The Stonewall Riots, Vietnam, The Summer of Love, the inaugural Monterey Pop Festival … these are in the past, but the events of that era infuse this story, grounding you solidly in a time that is felt and seen, if only through the eyes of the past.

The characters are wonderful, charmingly quirky, sometimes peculiar, but never boring. The writing is wonderfully descriptive, occasionally humorous, and filled with the magic of love, in all its many forms. This reads as though it were conjured by magic, the words flowing freely, an enchanted labor of love.

Recommended

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Simon & Schuster

I was a huge fan of Practical Magic….the movie. I did not know that the movie was based on a book until I saw The Rules of Magic on NetGalley and saw under the author’s name “author of Practical Magic“. What I liked even more that it is the prequel to Practical Magic. So, when I go to read that book, I will know the back story behind Franny, Jet, and Vincent.

The book follows 3 children as they grow up as unique individuals. Individuals who have no knowledge of their heritage. Their mother had deliberately kept it from them. She also imposed strange rules with the most important one being “no falling in love“. After a visit to their Aunt Isabelle, the children realize that they have powers that are unique. Franny has an affinity with birds. Jet can read minds. Vincent can charm anyone he meets into doing what he wants….among other things.

The Rules of Magic is women’s fiction with a huge lean on the paranormal and fantasy woven into it. I have read a lot of women’s fiction lately. I will say that it is growing on me. I have read a few books that were poorly written and that turned me off this genre. But, if I keep getting gems like The Rules of Magic, then I will reconsider my stance on reading them.

Franny was my favorite out of the three Owens siblings. Which surprised me because she was very abrasive in the beginning of the book. While she didn’t deny her powers, she didn’t embrace them either. I felt bad for her also because she loved Haylin but she couldn’t admit it because of that darn curse. She had seen, first-hand, how the curse kills. So she and Haylin made a pact where they didn’t discuss love, hoping to beat the curse. In a way, they did but it came at a horrible price.

I felt awful for Jet. She dealt with so much at such a young age. She fell in love with the Reverend’s son. She thought she could beat the curse and unfortunately, the curse gave her a double whammy. She lost her love and her parents that awful night. She was so traumatized that she lost her magical powers for a long while. With all that aside, she had to have been the sweetest characters that I have ever read. Everyone loved her….even people who were supposed to hate her.

Vincent was the one I didn’t like. Something about him rubbed me the wrong way. He didn’t give me the same likable vibe that Franny and Jet did. When he came out, all I could think is “how is he going to use this to his advantage“. What I didn’t get was how the girls could be affected by the curse and he wasn’t. I mean, he fell in love with his partner and there were no repercussions.

There was plenty of sex and romance in The Rules of Magic. But it wasn’t graphic.

The end of the book was very sad. But, I could see the ending being the beginning of Practical Magic.

4 stars

My Summary of The Rules of Magic:

If you have read Practical Magic and wondered about what the aunts’ story was….then The Rules of Magic is the book for you. It has a great plotline and memorable characters.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman, author; Marin Ireland, narrator
The readers must ask themselves a question…do they believe in magic or witchcraft? Do they think either is good or evil? Their beliefs will be challenged as they read the novel. Are the characters worthy of their respect or disdain?
The Owens family is very different. How different is the question? How will their differences affect their lives as well as the lives of others in the future? Do they have special powers that they cannot hide? How will they use them once discovered; how will they accept them is the $64,000 question? They are whispered about in their community and people stay away from them because of their rumored history. They are haunted by a curse that prevents them from experiencing real love without experiencing disastrous consequences as a result.
Frances is the serious, red-headed, scientific thinker of the family. She attempts to explain all of the unique abilities they have in a logical fashion. She is the eldest and therefore assumed to be the wisest. Birds are attracted to her like flies and she seems able to communicate with them. Although she loves someone, they vow to remain close but not to declare their love for fear of destroying it. She has a crow as a familiar. That crow, Lewis, is also devoted to Haylin, the boy with whom she has a relationship.
Jet is the gayer, more whimsical interpreter of life. She can read minds. She wants to defy the love curse and falls madly in love with a forbidden suitor, Levi Willard, a suitor who is somehow related to her ancestor Maria Owens. Jet is beautiful with lustrous black hair, and although she seems the more cautious, she is really possessed of a defiant courage. She has a black cat as a familiar. Wren, was given to Jet, by her Aunt Isabelle, after her parents were killed.
Maria Owens was a witch in the 1600’s who became involved with Judge John Hathorne. He was a married family man who impregnated her. Judge Hathorne accused Maria of being a witch, then went witch hunting, causing the deaths of many innocent women. Maria imposed the curse forbidding love for the Owens family into posterity to protect them.
Vincent is described as addictive. People are drawn to him. He is known as the wizard. He delves into the black arts and does magic tricks. When during a visit to his aunt, he is faced with the vision of his future, he grows distressed. Vincent drinks too much, leads a wild life and breaks rules. He is an entertainer. He plays his guitar, writes music and sings. He too falls deeply in love. He leads an alternate lifestyle as a homosexual. His familiar is a dog named Harry.
When a tragic accident takes the lives of their parents, Frances takes over as caregiver. Vincent continues his reckless life but Frances and Jet make potions and soaps to survive. They move from Manhattan to Massachusetts into the house left to them by Aunt Isabelle.
When the Owens girls learn the reason for the curse against their family, they are determined to outwit it. It began because of an illicit relationship between a clergyman and their ancestor. How they determine to live their lives and outsmart the curse is really the basis of the story, but it also points out that being different is not always a negative and all people should be embraced equally. The link between Jet’s great love, Levi Willard, and their ancestor, Maria Owens, is the key to the removal of their curse. Aunt Isabelle is the catalyst that helps them travel the right path in life. Cousin April and her daughter Regina bring love and family back into the lives of Jet and Frances reconnecting all of them to each other.

So I actually didn't know that Practical Magic the movie was based on a book. But when I saw The Rules of Magic billed as the prequel to a movie I had loved, I knew I had to read it. And I'm so glad I did. The Rules of Magic is, well, magical. Magical and nostalgic and spell-binding. Most book worlds feel different than their respective movie-worlds, but this felt like a logical prequel. (It may be because I haven't seen the movie in some time - I intend to remedy that soon, and I might just have to read the book as well.)

Practical Magic, the well known movie with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, centers around the two girls and their elderly aunts. The Rules of Magic is the aunts' story. And what a story. It begins in New York, as the older of the two aunts is turning 17. On an Owens' girl's seventeenth birthday, they receive an invitation to spend the summer at the Owens home in Massachusetts. Frances, the older of the two girls, receives the invitation, and her two siblings won't let her go alone, so all three of them (yes, three, the movie doesn't mention their brother that I recall, though I suppose Bullock and Kidman's characters had to come from somewhere!) pack up and head to Massachusetts, where they meet their Aunt Isabelle. Over the course of the summer, they learn their family history, and get verification that they are indeed witches. (They'd had certain powers throughout childhood, though their mother tried to deny it.)

It was Vincent's storyline that intrigued me, since I knew where Frances and Jet ended up. There was an unexpected curveball that I won't spoil here, but I enjoyed it. It was Jet and Frances' storylines that had me crying at the end of the book, though. Not the very last chapter - it ended on a hopeful note - but the few chapters preceding it had me in tears. (It was midnight, and everyone else was asleep, so I had myself a good cry over my book, and then had to try to sleep on a wet pillow.)

If you enjoyed Practical Magic the movie, you should read this book. It's a perfect prequel.

The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic series. The story takes place in the 1960s with all that is going on at that time. Susanna Owens is raising her three difficult children, Frances (Franny), Bridget (Jet) and Vincent, in Manhattan. She has rules that she hopes will keep them from practising Magic, such as: No walking in the moonlight; no red shoes; no wearing black; no cats; no crows; no candles; no books about magic. The hardest rule to enforce is to never fall in love. There is a curse on the family that if they fall in love, something will happen to the person they love.

One summer, Aunt Isabelle requests that the children come to the family home in Massachusetts and she begins to show them who they really are. During this summer, Vincent runs amok and has sex with many girls, but there is no love involved. Both Franny and Jet, fall in love and worry for years following what the curse may do. I love the quote in the book from Henry David Thoreau, "There is no remedy for love but to love more."

I really enjoyed meeting the Owens siblings. Each of them had issues to deal with, being ostracized at school and in the neighbourhood, trying to live under their mother's rules, and falling in love but being afraid of what might happen. Franny is so strong and takes her sibs under her wings when they are orphaned. Vincent is so troubled. He does not know where he fits in the world. Jet who loses the love of her life, has to make decisions that will affect the rest of her life. Think 'coming of age' story with magical realism. Now, I want to read the rest of this series.

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.
.
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’.

The prequel to Practical Magic is a wonderful story written with all the whimsy and loving choice of words that Alice Hoffman puts into all her books. Frannie, Jet, and Vincent Owens are siblings living in New York City in the 1960s. When Frannie turns age seventeen, they all go to the house in Massachusetts owned by their great-aunt Isabelle to receive their heritage as descended from a long line of witches. Here they learn of the family curse: any man who loves an Owens is doomed.
The story concentrates on their younger lives but does follow through to their older years where Sally and Gillian from Practical Magic are introduced. It touches on people, songs, books, and events that were also a part of my own life. The Viet Nam War takes place with significant impact on the Owens family. As the Frannie and Jet age, the story also touches on women's independence (though the Owens girls have always been independent). I loved this quote:
"Many of them began to wonder why they themselves often feigned opinions rather than speak their minds, no matter how clever they were, for fear they'd be thought of as difficult."
And all through the story are touches of magic. There are spells and herbs, love potions and charms.
The main thrust of the story is family and how people are tied together. The Owens siblings are always there for each other even when they disagree, and they're willing to care for the rest of their family.
Practical Magic is such a great book that one wonders if a prequel could do it justice, but The Rules of Magic is just as excellent.

I've not read anything by Alice Hoffman before, but I grabbed this with zero knowledge of what I was grabbing and was delighted by my choice.

It's the story, starting in the 1960s, of the Owen family - mostly Frannie, Jet and Vincent, three teenagers in New York City, growing up under the watchful eye of their parents. They've been given strict rules about messing around with any sort of magic. Because of that, as children do, they gravitate toward ouija boards (getting babysitters fired in the process,) their mother's fancy and mysterious soap, and everything else they are supposed to stay away from. Before their parents can do much, they've discovered that there is something different about them, and this is the saga of their family, culminating with the girls being old ladies, living in the family house in Connecticut and welcoming Vincent's grandchildren into their home.

It's realistic fantasy, which is the type I seem most suited for, I am learning. There were some weird things (like why can't they just make someone invisible, or avoid the family curse through magic, or any number of other things I wondered. However, I don't know magic, so maybe there's more to it than I can comprehend.) None of it was enough to deny me enjoyment.

"I think we're going to like it here," says one of the little girls arriving in Connecticut to their aunts' house after a tragedy. I agree, so I will pick up with the novel this one is a prequel to, "Practical Magic" and follow the rest of the story.

The Rules of Magic is magic realism, but the book takes an unusual approach. The plot follows the lives of the Owens siblings: Fanny, Jet, and Vincent, who are part of a family with a history of witchcraft. They were born with unusual abilities and raised to understand how to create potions and work spells.

These skills come with a price: curses that affect their lives. They also have to deal with prejudice and misunderstanding, even from their own relatives. These problems are what make the novel special. On one level, it's a story of magic. On another level, it's a story of unique people coping with the things that make them different.

Although the main focus of the novel is on the three siblings and their love lives, the plot covers many years and wanders a bit, especially during the second half. It takes place in the mid twentieth century, so the Vietnam war and the draft are touched on. The war affected the lives of everyone during that time, but it came up late in the book and seemed a bit out of place. Still, the characters were full and interesting. I was left thinking about them after I was done with the book.

I love Alice Hoffman's writing, but I prefer her novels with a hint of magic rather than this one, where magic is central to the story. For that reason, it didn't come up to others I've read such as The Dovekeepers or The River King, but it is still a good choice for readers who are fans of her writing.

Steve Lindahl – author of Hopatcong Vision Quest, White Horse Regressions, and Motherless Soul

We get the Aunt’s story! Whether you read the book Practical Magic or watched the movie, you will remember that Sally and Gillian were raised by their Aunts after their parent’s death. The Rules of Magic shares the story of Frances (Franny) and Bridget (Jet), as well as their brother, Vincent. This tale begins some sixty years ago and shares their youth, loses, and adulthood right up until Sally and Gillian arrive. It was beautifully written, with fleshed out characters, curses, townsfolk and the people who traveled in and out of their lives.

The Owens children were strictly told by their mother Susanna: 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. A trip to Massachusetts and their Aunt Isabelle soon have them uncovering family secrets and learning about the dreadful family curse.

Magic, family and sidestepping the rules brought these characters to life. Hoffman made me believe in the curse and the magic. I love that she filled in the blanks all while delivering an equally compelling story that stands on its own. These characters became more than just Gillian and Sally’s aunts.

Family secrets and curses drive the plot, and it was interesting how even within the family some were protected from the secret, and how only knowing half-truths caused issues and pain. Of course, being children, the Owens siblings defied a lot of their momma’s rules. Franny the oldest can communicate with birds and did so even when her mother strictly forbade her too. Jet the middle child at first glance appears to the rule follower of the group, so when she does break them, it’s enormous and has a ripple effect that impacts them all. Vincent is the baby, and the girls love and dote on him. He is charismatic and often seemed aloof, but Hoffman exposed just how genuinely he feels.

While wowing us with magical realism, she shares a glimpse into the political climate, LGBT, superstitions, small-town politics and embracing your differences. Hoffman has a firm grasp of what it must have been like for the Owens children growing up as outcasts even in their own home. I wept for Vincent, adored Franny and her red boots and loved Jet’s passion.

Secondary characters played a significant role in the Owens lives and were fleshed out enough to make their impact feel valid.

Marin Ireland narrated this enchanting tale and did so flawlessly. I enjoyed her natural pace, voices, and ability to enhance the magic Hoffman delivered.

For anyone who, like me, was enchanted by Hoffman's story of the Owens women in Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic should be a treat. It's a prequel to the first book and takes place largely in the 60s, following Franny and Jet -- the aunties of Practical Magic -- and their brother, Vincent, through their formative years. We watch them learn who and what they are, see them fall in love in spite of the family curse, swear off love, and ultimately realize that a life without love is worse than any curse.  We meet their parents, their partners, and by the end, we see how Gillian and Sally fit into the family history.

The Owenses go entirely their own way in life which also brings them a measure of grief, but it's one of the things that makes them so appealing.  They do spectacularly bone-headed things, but instead of rolling my eyes and slamming the book shut, I accepted that these were the mistakes they had to make.  It's part of Hoffman's talent that I never lost patience with any of them.

The themes of sisters and siblings continues in this book, as does the larger theme of family.  The magic is both light and dark, just as life is.  There's romance and tragedy, but there's also acceptance and hard-headed determination. I loved it.  I finished the book and wanted to go right back and reread Practical Magic. These are books that will make you happy and break your heart, and don't all the best novels do that?

I listen to books on CD when driving regularly. Some readers are better than others, and I often choose books based on who reads it. Unfortunately, Marin Ireland reads this book, and her inflection and tone make much of what she says indistinguishable.

Creating an audio version of a book is an art. It is also a science. Who is going to listen to what the reader says? Where will the listener be listening? Will there be ambient noise?

Ireland's voice drops both in tone and volume often, providing shading and subtlety to the words of the author. That works when there are no competing sounds (such as highway noise), or when the listener is wearing headphones (which shouldn't happen in a car).

I think most audio books are listened to in cars. If indeed that is the case, then Ireland either needs to change the way she reads and records, or publishing houses need to use other readers. This book is interesting and I would like to listen to it, but I am losing perhaps 30% of the text due to the style of the reader. Not good.

Omg what a amazing book this was. This is the first time I read anything from this author buy I did see the movie Practical Magic and this is my favorite movies of all time. Know that I read her new book and it one of my favorite book this year.
I love the whole sisters and brother love. Love how they would do anything to perfect each other. I was sad in some parts of the book how you lose somebody you love so much over a curse. At the end you can't let that set your life. This story teaches you about lose found, live, and love. The saddest part here was about Vincent, Haylin, and Levi. They made ms cry. At one point I was so happy for them all and then I was crying like a little baby. All I wanted to do was jump in the book and save them all.

Vincent disappear because he had no choice. Vincent fell in love and by that the curse waas coming. He new one day this would happen to him. He disappear to the point that he had everybody think that he was dead. For him to live. He had change his name and moved and also to be with his love William.

Franny and Heylin fell in love but she had to make believe that she didn't love him so he wouldn't die or get killed by the family curse. They both went there own ways Franny never got with nobody but Hayline did. But no matter what he was in love with Franny and she was the one for him. At the end Franny married Hayline! They where both old and Heyline was dying of cancer. So the curse really couldn't do nothing at all to him. He die happy with his love Franny. Hayline's father told Franny "You was always the one love for him".

Jet had fall in love with a boy name Levi when she was visiting her Aunt Isabella for the summer. Ever since they mey it was love. When she went back home. Franny and Jet did a spell and Jet came true. All of the sudden Levi was in New York. Ever since they couldn't stop seeing each other even if she knows about the curse. She wasn't the one to believed in the curses. Jet would sneak out the house to see him and her sister Franny would cover for her. Until her parents found out and told her that she is not to see Levi again. But she wouldn't listen to them. She continued to see him. One day they was to meet on Jet 18th birthday. She went into a taxi after she left her parents. She didn't realize that hert parents called her. When she got out the taxi and hug Levi her parents yelled from there car. Jet and Levi went into the taxi. Her parents was still falling her and Levi. What happens next is heartbreaking! The taxi and the parents car both went into a car accident. Levi die and also her parents die! Jet woke up in the hospital and found out by her sister Franny and brother Vincent. Jet has lose her sight.

After this they sold there parents house because they where running very low on money. They couldn't keep. They found a little store they had rented. They lived upstair and they sold things that they learned at Aunt Isabella house.
Jet was still unhappy! Once a week she would go all the way to Boston to visit Levi grave.

At one point in everybody life was all right. They all learn how to live and love! How not to be afraid of anything or any curse.

Just love and be loved!

The author is a great writer. The setting and theme was perfect. The characters are die for. Every page, Every part was a page turner!

I can really see this book turn into a movie!

I highly recommend everybody get this book! You are going to enjoy it very much.
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The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman is a prequel to Practical Magic. The Owens family has a long magical heritage, but their family was cursed in 1620. Vincent, Franny and Jet Owens are the children of Susanna and James Owens. Susanna denies her magical heritage and has many rules in place for her children. One day when Franny turns seventeen she receives an invitation from her Aunt Isabelle. They three siblings are invited to Massachusetts for the summer to learn about their heritage and their gifts. Vincent, Franny and Jet set out to escape the family curse to find happiness and love. Is there a chance for them to find the love and keep it? Find out what happens Vincent, Franny and Jet before Sally and Gillian enter their lives in Practical Magic.

The Rules of Magic can be enjoyed without having read or watched Practical Magic. I found The Rules of Magic to be boring (sad, but true). It seemed like every single thing the author had read about witches (or thought of) was stuffed into this story. The best way to describe it is too “woo-woo” (best description for it). The teens in the story go out of their way to break every rule set forth by their parents and do the opposite of what they are supposed to do. The characters kept repeating the same mistakes over and over throughout the book (even as adults). I found the main characters (Jet, Franny, and Vincent) to be unlikeable. It seemed that the author was trying too hard with The Rules of Magic. I thought the pacing was inconsistent. It would go along at a nice pace (in the beginning) and then slow down to a crawl (it plodded along to the end). I found it a chore to read The Rules of Magic. There were a couple of bright spots, but they were few and far between.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this novel. The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I am a huge fan of the movie Practical Magic. I've seen in dozens of times, can probably quote it from memory, and even have the soundtrack on my iPod. So years ago, when I finally sat down and read Alice Hoffman's book that the movie was based on, I was surprised. Hollywood took a lot of liberties with that script, and while I love it, it lacks the depth and complexity of the novel. 

Now Hoffman has written a prequel, the story of the women who become the crazy aunts in Practical Magic as well as their brother, who we get to meet for the first time.

Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens are born and raised in New York City with very little contact with their mother Susanna's family, particularly her Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts. Franny is a striking redhead with a deep connection to nature and the ability to communicate with birds. Jet, short for Bridget, is a quiet brunette with the ability to hear other people's thoughts and the beauty to drive men to extremes for her attention. And then there is their brother Vincent, the magnetic musician, whose dark eyes and dark powers draw women and trouble like moths to a flame. 

Susanna sets down the rules for her three unusual children--no reading books about magic, no red shoes, no cats, no candles, no walking in the moonlight, among others--but they all realize that their true natures cannot be changed. A summer spent with Aunt Isabelle at her garden home in a small town in Massachusetts, a town where Owens women have lived and loved for hundreds of years, reveals more of the puzzle of Franny, Jet, and Vincent's genetic roots and the strange powers they've always known were inside them. 

As the teenagers grow up, they are faced with a number of challenges to their hearts and minds. Falling in love, learning about sex, dealing with loss, starting over, and sticking together, the three siblings struggle to find their place in the city they grew up in and in their family. No matter how bad things get, the three siblings know that they can get through it if they stay true to themselves and to each other. 

Alice Hoffman's The Rules of Magic is a beautiful, bewitching story of family love and devotion. Page by page, I kept getting more and more drawn into the stories of these individuals, and I couldn't help but get sucked into their dramas and cheer them on. It's so moving and so powerful that I think Ms. Hoffman has been performing some magic on us as she transports us so easily into the world of the Owens women and their special witchcraft. Highly recommended, and by that I mean, what are you waiting for? Buy it now and get started reading! 

Galleys for The Rules of Magic were provided by Simon & Schuster through NetGalley.com, with many thanks. 

This is the first novel I've read by Alice Hoffman and I was absolutely enchanted. The story, which can no doubt be considered the prequel to the well-known Practical Magic unfolds beautifully. Each character offered something to love/hate, at any given moment, but you were able to watch each one grow and contort into full-fledged adults with very real practicalities about life and love.

Having never read Practical Magic, I thought I might feel lost, or disconnected from the story, but that was not the case. This novel is every bit as good as a stand-alone, whether you ever find a reason or want to read it's predecessor. If anything, the reading of this may inspire many to seek out the other.

What I loved most about reading The Rules of Magic was the way each character developed as they blossomed from children into adulthood: in love, in loss, and in tragedy, you could see how every one of them changed. Each experience, for better or worse, marked them and changed their philosophy about how they should live and what is most important.

And while you felt their pain, with each successive emotional (and physical) challenge, as individuals, you also understood their triumphs.

Jet was by far my favorite character in the story. She endured so much and had the most reason to be made bitter by life's unfairness. Yet, she made the decision to continue to live a life based on her own terms, centered around its goodness. She remained bruised, but never broken, and her decision to do so, in light of all she went through, took an unspeakable amount of courage.

Franny and Vincent were interesting, but I liked them considerably less. That said, they offer much in the way of learning how often we all tend to pass judgment and offer intolerance, as opposed to acceptance.

Even so, in my opinion, because each appeared to be utterly self-serving in their pursuits of living a life worthy of contentment, they left much in the way of collateral damage. That was tough to watch and left me unsympathetic to their pain much of the time.

Having said all that, however, each of their journeys was fascinating because evolution-even when it is born of unexpected circumstances-is always expected. Each character evolved in his/her own way and, eventually, don't we all?

I truly enjoyed this book.

In a time when humanity seems to be lacking, in the real world, it's always lovely to escape into one where it can so skillfully exist.

Great read.

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.

Alice Hoffman’s THE RULES OF MAGIC --- a prequel to PRACTICAL MAGIC, which inspired the Hollywood film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman --- is as enchanting as it is heart-rending. When it comes to love in the Owens family, you can run, but you can’t hide. A curse looms over each generation, haunting children and adults alike. Nothing can save them --- not their wits, piercing looks or powers --- except maybe love itself, however twisted the idea may be.

Jet, Franny and Vincent Owens know they are different from the other kids at their Upper East Side private school. For one, they dress in all black. Secondly, anyone who dares cross them suffers from a bout of bad luck. Their classmates soon come to realize this and stay away from the family as if they reek of doom.

The fate of the children begins to set in motion when Franny, the eldest sibling --- with fire-red hair and a personality to match --- receives an invitation from Aunt Isabelle to spend the summer in her Massachusetts home. Of course, Jet and Vincent wish to tag along, curious about the truth of what they feel deep inside. It’s Franny’s mother, Susanna --- fearful of the Owens curse and the truth about her family --- who is afraid of what the summer will stir up. Susanna is an Owens and ran so far away from love that it will eventually kill her. In this book, no one can escape love, and nothing can stop it, not even magic.

In Massachusetts, the Owens children are more admired than feared by the locals, and their aunt is indeed a witch. The ladies who parade into her home begging for love potions prove it. Jet, the middle child, is hauntingly beautiful, with shining black hair and features that cast a spell on the young men who step into her path. Vincent becomes the obsession of married women. His devil-may-care attitude and spellbinding musical skills make him one of the most compelling characters in the novel. Being loved by many may seem wonderful, but when you can’t love back because of the curse --- the curse that makes people die --- you are constantly living on the edge of life.

It turns out that the curse began with a spell cast by Maria Owens, the siblings’ ancestor and a witch who fell in love with a powerful married man. He claimed to love her, and gave her the home in which generations of the Owens family will eventually reside, yet he accused her of witchcraft and broke her heart. To Maria, love was a curse in and of itself. She didn’t want her ancestors to experience the pain she felt.

However, the Owens sisters break the rules and fall in love, even if the rule is impossible to begin with. The passion here is unmatched; everyone is beautiful, empathetic and mysterious. Throughout the novel, the reader understands that living in fear isn’t a life at all, that ignoring the truth of who you are is the real curse, and that maybe there are second chances for all who believe in them.

THE RULES OF MAGIC is written with words that are as elegant and enigmatic as the story’s atmosphere. Throughout the novel, we’re introduced to wild and captivating cousins, children wise beyond their years, magical animals, unlikely friendships, and a town and city that are both mystical and uptight. It’s a world in which we’d like to live, if only for a day. Even though there is heartache and loss, it mirrors real life, and overall the world is just such fun.

Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio

4.5 Stars

** I received an advanced readers copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

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!

If this had not been a book club book, I would have sent it back after a few chapters. The narrator had the annoying practice of lowering her voice when things got dramatic, secretive, or romantic. When listening in the car, it requires a dangerous maneuver to enter the password on my phone, find Audible, find the icon for rewinding 30 seconds, then maybe another 30 seconds, then turning up the volume to hear what was whispered. Dangerous and annoying. The book was disappointing. We had read "Marriage of Opposites" by the same author and I enjoyed that a lot. This did not seem to be by the same author. The so-called rules of magic were very inconsistent. For example, you could be destroyed if you fall in love, but if you have relationship and don't exactly say the "L" word, it is OK. Silver coins tarnish in a witch's presence, but not silver ice cream dishes? The characters were shallow and unlikeable. Nothing really happened. And those of my generation know there were easier ways of avoiding Vietnam than faking one's death.

I'm not entirely sure how I've managed to go [age redacted] years without reading a book by Hoffman, especially being such a fan of the movie Practical Magic, but I'm kind of glad this was my first experience of her writing. It made it all the more magical.

THE RULES OF MAGIC is basically a prequel of the aforementioned movie/book but can easily stand on its own. While the story surrounding the curse on the Owens family women began back in the 1600s during the witch trials, this book opens up in the fifties and focuses on the lives of three specific Owens children; Franny, Jet and Vincent. Side note : for those familiar with the earlier novel or adaptation, Franny and Jet are the two aunts who help to raise Sally and Gillian. The history of their ancestor is very much relevant to their stories, their lives, but I liked that it was less a story about fighting the circumstances and instead just kind of rolling with it. That doesn't mean they liked it just that.. it wasn't some typical story about magic about curing their curse.

So much happens in this story and over the course of the years the setting bounces from Manhattan to Massachusetts to France and Germany (during the course of the war) and back again. Growing up they struggle against the rules their mother set forth, much to do with not doing magic which of course only makes them want to do it more, but the most important rule of all was to never fall in love. The children do, of course, and we're alongside them as they fight against it, refute it, hold it close, lose it and find it again.

Hoffman's writing felt both dense with feeling and was, as a result, occasionally overwhelming but also so natural and easy to float through. The author's words moved me to tears at least twice and effortlessly transported me to another time and place, to enchantment and possibility. Simply put it, too, felt like magic. And if sometimes it felt a little slow? I was okay with that. It let me savour the read just that much longer.

But this is no HARRY POTTER with wand duels or epic battles. This is the every day kind of magic.. and yes, that factors in even the darker sides. You can see it and not believe, feel it and never know it's there. It's the every day kind found in life's little miracles, fate's cruelties, and everything inbetween.

I really loved this read. The characters, the events, the journey, the wins and the losses. I was sad to see the end of this one but knowing I can easily hit 'play' and continue the journey with a soundtrack featuring Stevie Nicks.. well. It doesn't get any better than that.

***I Received an ARC through Netgalley for an Honest Review***

I gave this book 5 stars. This was a book of first love, true love, heartbreak, and magic. It was one of the greatest books I read this year. The story felt so timeless and fluid I was so completely distracted that I would forget that I was actually reading a book.

This book isn’t harsh or action packed, it isn’t about witches who fight off evil or do evil things. The best way I can describe this book is that it’s enchanting and gentle, if at times a bit emotional, it isn’t a rollercoaster.

This book was so beautiful and heartbreaking. My heart completely broke for these characters. These three protagonists are completely different but they work so well together.

It made em very anxious because I knew for a fact that only two of the characters actually make it out of this story alive seeing as they are important characters in Practical Magic. I felt a sense of foreboding, knowing that everyone but these two characters would probably end up dying. That stressed me out pretty badly.

There were several aspects of this story that normally I would hate, but I didn’t actually mind in this book. For one, there was some instalove. It didn’t feel like instalove because of the magic, and the beautiful way that the author played it out. It felt like those characters were meant to be together and time didn’t exist to them in those moments where they were together. I fell in love with their love.

It was also most of a tell not showing story, as the first book was also like that. I liked it though, the author is telling us a tale of those characters and is drawing on their emotions and experiences. I feel like I’m sitting in front of a fire while someone is telling me a fairytale.

I think the author did an amazing job balancing the story lines of all the characters. I felt I got a lot about all three siblings.

It was also nice to see that the characters were actually effected by different things that were happening around that time period from riots to the Vietnam war. It wasn’t just phased out as I often see in books set around that time period.

One of the greatest aspects in this book was the magic system, this is what I expect of stereotypical witches. Superstition and weird things that can’t be explained. Herbal remedies and psychic abilities. No offence to my favorite, Harry Potter, but this is probably my favorite magic system.

Overall, I need more of these characters. I want to know more about what happens to them, because a lot of those questions aren't even answered in Practical Magic. This book is really good and I would highly suggest reading it. Although, it is not a fast paced book and is more character driven, so if you prefer things fast paced and plot driven, this probably isn't the best choice for you.

As a huge fan of Practical Magic, I always thought there was another sister. I was under the impression that the Aunts were the immediate Aunts, not Great Aunts.
The Rules of Magic was a great book to read even if you have not read Practical Magic (which is completely different from the movie). It makes for a great first read before Practical Magic, because if you have read Practical Magic, there are questions on what had happened before it.
The Rules of Magic is an amazing and dreamy book full of heart warming scenes, but be prepared to have some tissues with you.
The book never disappointed me, and it was a great way to get my mind off of the commuters that surrounded me to and from work.
The book is a coming of age genre mixed with fantasy. It started with the beginnings of the fifties, and went through the Vietnam War, and into the seventies. It spoke about different parts of the world and how witchcraft was perceived.
You learn on how the Aunts were raised, how they grew up, and there are surprising turns that one would not expect.
If you have or have not read Practical Magic, the prequel, The Rules of Magic is definitely a page turner (or in my case, an attention keeper via hearing), and will keep you asking questions about who, what, where, when, why and how.

This book is pure magic - no pun intended. It proves once again what a skilled and creative writer Alice Hoffman is. Her way with words is exquisite, and I found myself enthralled in the story of the Owens family, declared as witches back in the 1620's, through to the present day.

The Rules of Magic centers primarily on three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent from childhood (in the 1960s) to late middle age. Watching them discover that they are different, seeing how they deal with that, honoring their family and the powers they have been given, and learning how to use those powers wisely makes for an interesting read.

I love family sagas, and this is an excellent one. All of the characters (even the minor ones) are so very well drawn, that I feel I know them all personally and truly came to care about each of them.

Don't dismiss this book because it's about magic and you think that's not your "thing". This book is about so very much more, and you would be depriving yourself of an excellent read.

I have not read Practical Magic, Hoffman's famous book that The Rules of Magic is a prequel to, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of this book at all. In fact, now I look forward to reading Practical Magic.

This is a wonderful book - don't miss it!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review an e-copy of this book.

It is easy to see why The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series Book 1) has so many positive reviews. The descriptions of the people, places and things are colorful, beautiful, vivid, and eccentric making it easy to imagine the place where the book takes place but at the same time too much description (and too many platitudes) makes the book feel cluttered. Where was the editor?
I never connected with the book till I had read about one third and while I liked parts of it I was never fully won over because if you can use magic to do things for other people why can't you use it for yourself? Because you are cursed?
The book made me remember cuticura soap even though it was grey because the characters always travel with their black soap.
It felt like watching a tv series where you feel like you already watched it but you don't turn it off because you might miss something.
Another book I really enjoyed and would recommend by this author is The Dovekeepers: A Novel
I borrowed this book from the library but I had also received an advance reader copy from the publisher.

I found this book to be a good combination of both the movie version and book version of Practical Magic. For instance, in The Rules of Magic, Frannie, Jet, and Vincent go to visit their Aunt in the old house on Magnolia Street to learn all about the family history, magic, and just what it means to be an Owens. While they don’t move in with her as children like in the Practical Magic movie but not the book, I liked that Hoffman incorporated the old house and the idea of an Aunt passing on the family magic in this new book while still staying true to the original story.

Also familiar was the curse on anyone who dare to love an Owens. The curse is central in The Rules of Magic and how it affects each of the Owens siblings. Speaking of the Owens siblings, I loved the introduction of Vincent. I had wondered while reading and watching Practical Magic if there were a third sister or a brother and what might have happened to him or her. I mean, the Aunts were the Aunts because they must have had a sibling who produced Sally and Gillian’s mom. So it was nice to have that story come full circle.

Most of all, I enjoyed reading Jet’s story. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that I loved the message of redemption in her story. Overall, it was a great read!

Read full review at: KaitsBookshelf.com

I just finished The Rules of Magic. I could barely lay it down and yet didn’t want it to ever end. Magic is a strong component of the story but not the whole meal. More than just a tale of witchcraft, is a lesson about love, loss and living. The real story of life. I’m glad I purchased my own copies. Hoffman wove such profound truth and wisdom in her prose, I had to underline and star passages so I can find them back. I read the books in the order written. First Practical Magic and then The Rules of Magic. I recommend them in that order because PM is excellent on its own but I think would lose something if read second. ROM is extraordinary in many respects but especially because it is a prequel. Perhaps my affinity for the books as a whole is due in part because I am a widow having experienced a long, satisfying love and loss. As well I am remarried and once again found another wonderful love. Living, loving, losing and finding love is a rich, difficult enterprise. These books helped me to work through some of the pieces of my own life. It isn’t often fiction does that but Hoffman has given me this gift in spades. Magical, don’t you think?

I received a copy of "The Rules of Magic" from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read this book.

All I can say is that 2017 has been the year of the REALLY good book! This is another 5 star book and I do not give that rating easily!!

I had such a hard time with this book because I knew that I was going to love it! I tried my best to ration it to make it last longer and I just could NOT do it!! I read half of the book in one day as I could NOT restrain myself!!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Practical Magic" for which "The Rules of Magic" is the prequel. However, you do NOT have to read "Practical Magic" first - they are both beautiful stand-alone books, but they do go SO well together.

Alice Hoffman has such a gorgeous way with words, descriptions, characters, and every little thing that makes a writer great. Her books do not disappoint EVER!!

I highly recommend "The Rules of Magic" - read it! Read it by a roaring fire with a cup of something hot or an adult beverage. But, have someone that you love nearby to make the experience of this book even MORE beautiful!! READ THIS BOOK! Thank you Alice Hoffman for even more of the Owens family!!

Full disclosure here, I am a Practical Magic fan. At least of the movie, I've never actually read the book.

This coming of age story for Franny, Jet, and Vincent (who I never knew existed until this novel) was indeed a magical and well-written story. From this novel forward I will be love with Alice Hoffman's storytelling forever.

It was a delight to read about the life of the aunts before we first see in them in Practical Magic. I loved them as adult characters in the movie, so I knew I would love them as children and young adults in The Rules of Magic and I did, immensely so. From the very begging to the very end I was engrossed 100% of the time I read.

After reading this beauty, I have decided that I cannot wait any longer. Practical Magic (the novel) is sitting right beside me. I must continue reading. I'm in complete love with this story. There is no way I can walk away from the Owneses until I can read no more.

I'm so happy I own this tale in hardcover. Five cheers for magic and a lifetime of enchanting stories as epic as this one.

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.

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.

What a boring book! Didn't care about any of the main characters who, aside from being amazingly beautiful and witches, were dull and uninteresting - and the minor characters were equally uninteresting. And the overly precious children are even worse.

On top of that, it's a real downer, filled with the Dreary D's that fill modern fiction: Death, depression, disease etc.

There is the obligatory gay character to show how with the times the author is, but it is impossible to care about him or anyone else in the book.

I enjoyed Practical Magic years ago, so I was excited to read the prequel, The Rules of Magic. It’s wonderful as a stand alone, but having seen the movie Practical Magic, I had a vision of the family home in Massachusetts and how the relatives might look and dress.

In The Rules of Magic, readers are introduced to Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens. 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.

This is more or less a coming of age story of the siblings, but it also follows them into their adult lives as they discover who they are and the importance of being true to themselves.

This is a wonderful October/Halloween read with witches and curses that are presented in a light-hearted way. After I finished reading, I had an overwhelming urge to watch Practical Magic--again!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Alice Hoffman has again spun a magical world within the familiar, weaving in history, geography and the mythology of the Craft. Following siblings Jet, Franny and Vincent from their youth to old age as they deny and then embrace their unique gifts to navigate a world hostile to their magic. These three young witches, raised by parents who want to keep them safe, travel to see their Aunt Isabelle in their teens and everything changes. It is here they learn of the family curse, that anyone they fall in love with will be ruined.
Falling in love isn’t as easy to prevent as each young witch hopes, and one by one they encounter their own weaknesses. They learn that the rules they’ve grown up with are the opposite of how witches live, and learn that love and curses are out of their control.
Blended with lovely classic poetry, The Rules of Magic casts an unforgettable spell as it covers four generations of the Owens family dealing with a legacy that dates to the Salem witchcraft trials. It is a spell from which we hate to awaken.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review.

I have honestly had a hard time finishing this book and now that I have I can say I’m completely disappointed. This book did not flow well was just like a complete tragedy after another until it ended. It had potential to be a great book but was poorly written and I honestly didn’t like the ending of the story, there was no uplifting ending to a series of tragedies and left me feeling sad.

Witch siblings (Franny, Jet, and Vincent) must survive on their own after their parents are killed in a tragic accident.

Do you remember the movie released in 1998 called Practical Magic starring Nicole Kidman as Gillian and Sandra Bullock as Sally? Well, this is the brand new prequel about their great aunts, Franny/Frances and Jet/Bridget, when they were teenagers in the 1960s!

I was absolutely enchanted by this coming-of-age story, set in New York City and a small town in Massachusetts, about three witch siblings who are orphaned while in their teens. How will they make their way in a world where they are seen as odd misfits? And what about the love curse that was placed on their family by a disgruntled relative hundreds of years ago in 1620? Will the siblings ever find love, or will the family's curse strike again?

Now I can't wait to read Practical Magic, the next book in the series!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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.

Her latest installment, The Rules of Magic, explores the tragic curse of the Owens family, an ancient coven of Massachusetts witches. A family feud dating back to the times of the Salem witch trials has doomed the family to never be able to keep true love; that is to say, everyone they ever genuinely love will die, unexpectedly and prematurely. As the three young Owens children navigate their powers, their family legacy, and new, deeply-felt losses, they must choose between caution and courage, and decide if love is worth fighting for (and then figure out how to fight for it.)


This book is all about aesthetic and tone for me. Hugely driven by its characters, this novel places witchcraft and magic in a realistic light-you could almost say it's practical magic (see what I did there?). There are no allusions to Satanism or religion, there aren't any huge, magical standoffs, and there aren't any pointy black hats. There is only the daily life and routine of a few sad kids who happen to be able to make artisan potions, keep a pet raven on their shoulders, and occasionally move things around with their mind. Okay, so they do have some extensive magical powers, but Hoffman doesn't shove it down our throats in a heightened, exaggerated way. As far as witchcraft goes in this book, it just is what it is.


This book moved slowly for me; Hoffman paints with extensive details, and the book moves carefully through the years of the story. Hoffman is patient, and I had to remind myself to be the same.


My favorite character was far and away Vincent, the youngest sibling and the only brother. He grapples with the dark side of his powers, and as he grows older, he begins to find out who he really is. After being a cynical child, a passionate, moody artist, and a serial lover boy, he finally discovers his own true love, and, without spoiling anything, it is such a powerful turn of events. Hoffman is a compassionate genius for her decision-making within Vincent's fate.


Although the characters are tastefully developed, and the plot is artfully maneuvered, I was left wishing for one specific detail that Hoffman has left somewhat unattended. The children are largely independent, except for a matriarchal Aunt, and they don't have much in the way of money, taking to selling their potions and cures to the neighbors. However, they are able to go without "normal" jobs, and often travel between Massachusetts, Paris, California, and New York. I realize that I'm griping about realism within a book about witches, but in a book so detail-oriented, it's just a nagging little concern to have these explanations brushed under the rug.


Yet, Hoffman has managed to sell me on her world of tragedy, young love, and magic. The underlying themes of forgiveness, family, and courage are strongly translated into fiction, and it becomes easy to relate to the Owens' strange world. I must reiterate one last time: Alice Hoffman has to be the undisputed queen of modern witch literature, and so I will limitlessly praise her delivery of a completely unique aesthetic frame. I know there weren't any pointy black hats and cloaks involved here, but I'm totally inspired to revamp my wardrobe and live like an Owens sister. Hopefully, if I'm lucky, I can love like an Owens, too.

I finally finished!! The only part I really loved was the end when Gillian and Sally come into the aunts lives. I just didn't like this book. I love Alice Hoffman, I do and I love Practical Magic. Maybe that's why, I'm too loyal to the first book to appreciate the second. I don't know. I was expecting to love this book and that just didn't happen. It was very wordy and descriptive. Vincent was the most interesting character in the story. I kept at it to find out what happens with him. I hope I'm in the minority here because I really love this author, but The Rules of Magic just didn't keep me entertained enough. Sorry fans...

First sentence: 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.
Last sentence: Know that the only remedy for love is to love more.

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 don’t give 5-star reviews often, but this one earned all 5 stars for me. I’d never read Practical Magic, but had seen and loved the movie and it’s been on my TBR list forever. When I had the opportunity to read this prequel, it just made sense to read it first, and I’m so happy I did. I loved reading about the girls who would become “The Aunts”, and about their equally interesting (and talented) brother. This book is evocative and fascinating and heartbreaking and, well, just lovely. As I read it, I knew I’d be diving into Practical Magic as soon as I was done - and that’s exactly what I did. There were a couple of interesting disconnects between their stories in the prequel and what was said about them in the second book. But that didn’t make me love this book any less. I highly recommend it.

Copy provided by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an unbiased review.

Good afternoon all -

This is book review 9/48 for the year – 7/24 for fiction; 2/24 for non-fiction. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! What a magical book!!

Title: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Occult Fiction

Book in a nutshell without spoilers:

This book centers around the relationships of two sisters and their brother, as well as extended family and friends. Mixed into the potion is a curse about love as well as other tidbits of fact and fiction woven around the witching world. I loved how the author used sensitivity to tackle difficult issues like death, loss, guilt, grief and jealousy. Overall this book was a fun read!

Peace, blessings and happy reading! Until next time… CM

“There is no remedy for love than to love more”

IMHO there is no better way to start and end a book than with such a practical saying by Thoreau. This is the long awaited “perequel” to Hoffman’s beloved “Practical Magic”, which has always been a favorite of mine (not so much the movie, although I do watch it occasionally)

Rules of Magic is the story of Vincent, Franny and Jet Owens, whose bloodline traced back to Maria Owens, who puta curse on the family line in retaliation for how she was treated in her life. However, it is also in some ways also the story of the decades that they grew up in and their responses to them, as if their history was another very active character.

Do the Owens break the curse, or does the curse break them? Can falling in Love curse the one you love? Can you love into the curse to soften its actions? Even the isolated siblings know enough to call on family to help them live. Can you define your family?

As a big fan of the eclectic breadth of Hoffman’s writing, I waited a long time to read this book, and now that I have I will certainly be getting a used copy for my own library. Highly recommended 5/5

I have read several of Alice Hoffman’s books but this one was certainly different for me. I have not read “Practical Magic” so did not really know what to expect. While this book is a prequel to “Practical Magic”, it also stands alone. Ms. Hoffman is certainly versatile – the story of Masada in “The Dovekeepers” and now witches.

In the 1600’s when the witches were being persecuted in Boston they sought safety in Manhattan. It is now late 1960’s and Susanna Owens lives in New York City with her three children. Franny can converse with birds, Jet can read people’s thoughts, and Vincent charms everyone that he meets. He was so charming at his birth a nurse attempted to kidnap him from the hospital. So no wonder that everyone shuns the family – unless they want a potion or a salve.

Susanna tries to protect her children by applying rules - no walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. But above all they are never to fall in love. For them, love is a curse. But teens are teens, witch or not. They are going to rebel and do exactly what they are told not to do.

Ms. Hoffman made the three siblings so real that I found myself caught up in their emotional struggles. They set out to discover who they are and their place in the world. And as hard as they try to avoid love, the teens could not deny the feelings of their human hearts. Thus they are forced to struggle with the consequences of their family curse, and perhaps the greatest lesson they learn is that in the Henry David Thoreau quote in the epigraph – “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

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!

This is a prequel to Practical Magic but it is not imperative that you have read Practical Magic.
This book immediately pulled me in. I couldn't put it down!.
f you love magical realism...if you love Alice Hoffman's writing...even if you have only watched the movie...you MUST give this a try. It's such a beautiful story of love, devotion and the strength of family ties.
You also learn more about Maria Owens and the origin of the curse. That book centered on Sally and Gillian. Here, we have the story of Jet and Frances when they were the younger generation, full of longing and fears. There is the dreaded curse that threatens doom to any man who loves an Owens woman, but these are woman who deserve to be loved and would want to be loved, if only it weren’t for that darned curse

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.

5 (un)magical, but magical anyway (magical in the best way) stars to The Rules of Magic ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Rules of Magic was not as full of magic as I expected it to be. At times, when discussing this with my friends, I was asking for more magic! What I found was that the real magic was in the life happenings of these notable characters and not in the magic itself. For the magic lovers, there was some. I would say it took the backseat in this story, which ended up working beautifully.

Alice Hoffman introduced the three main characters at the same time early on in the book, and I found it hard to follow at first. I finally relaxed into the book and let it lead me where it led me, and I became enveloped in the entrancing writing.

There were some deeper meanings to this story that I don't know if I would have processed fully without our group discussion. These meanings made this book for me. They were profound and resonant. Themes of don't love a little, love a lot, and the only remedy to love is to love more. The ways in which the characters learned these messages were quite a journey, and one I don't want to spoil.

Enjoy this book. Savor the delectable words. Discuss it with friends. Maybe it will change your perspective, too.

As a huge fan of Practical Magic, I always thought there was another sister. I was under the impression that the Aunts were the immediate Aunts, not Great Aunts.
The Rules of Magic was a great book to read even if you have not read Practical Magic (which is completely different from the movie). It makes for a great first read before Practical Magic, because if you have read Practical Magic, there are questions on what had happened before it.
The Rules of Magic is an amazing and dreamy book full of heart warming scenes, but be prepared to have some tissues with you.
The book never disappointed me, and it was a great way to get my mind off of the commuters that surrounded me to and from work.
The book is a coming of age genre mixed with fantasy. It started with the beginnings of the fifties, and went through the Vietnam War, and into the seventies. It spoke about different parts of the world and how witchcraft was perceived.
You learn on how the Aunts were raised, how they grew up, and there are surprising turns that one would not expect.
If you have or have not read Practical Magic, the prequel, The Rules of Magic is definitely a page turner (or in my case, an attention keeper via hearing), and will keep you asking questions about who, what, where, when, why and how.

This book is pure magic - no pun intended. It proves once again what a skilled and creative writer Alice Hoffman is. Her way with words is exquisite, and I found myself enthralled in the story of the Owens family, declared as witches back in the 1620's, through to the present day.

The Rules of Magic centers primarily on three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent from childhood (in the 1960s) to late middle age. Watching them discover that they are different, seeing how they deal with that, honoring their family and the powers they have been given, and learning how to use those powers wisely makes for an interesting read.

I love family sagas, and this is an excellent one. All of the characters (even the minor ones) are so very well drawn, that I feel I know them all personally and truly came to care about each of them.

Don't dismiss this book because it's about magic and you think that's not your "thing". This book is about so very much more, and you would be depriving yourself of an excellent read.

I have not read Practical Magic, Hoffman's famous book that The Rules of Magic is a prequel to, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of this book at all. In fact, now I look forward to reading Practical Magic.

This is a wonderful book - don't miss it!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review an e-copy of this book.

It is easy to see why The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series Book 1) has so many positive reviews. The descriptions of the people, places and things are colorful, beautiful, vivid, and eccentric making it easy to imagine the place where the book takes place but at the same time too much description (and too many platitudes) makes the book feel cluttered. Where was the editor?
I never connected with the book till I had read about one third and while I liked parts of it I was never fully won over because if you can use magic to do things for other people why can't you use it for yourself? Because you are cursed?
The book made me remember cuticura soap even though it was grey because the characters always travel with their black soap.
It felt like watching a tv series where you feel like you already watched it but you don't turn it off because you might miss something.
Another book I really enjoyed and would recommend by this author is The Dovekeepers: A Novel
I borrowed this book from the library but I had also received an advance reader copy from the publisher.

I found this book to be a good combination of both the movie version and book version of Practical Magic. For instance, in The Rules of Magic, Frannie, Jet, and Vincent go to visit their Aunt in the old house on Magnolia Street to learn all about the family history, magic, and just what it means to be an Owens. While they don’t move in with her as children like in the Practical Magic movie but not the book, I liked that Hoffman incorporated the old house and the idea of an Aunt passing on the family magic in this new book while still staying true to the original story.

Also familiar was the curse on anyone who dare to love an Owens. The curse is central in The Rules of Magic and how it affects each of the Owens siblings. Speaking of the Owens siblings, I loved the introduction of Vincent. I had wondered while reading and watching Practical Magic if there were a third sister or a brother and what might have happened to him or her. I mean, the Aunts were the Aunts because they must have had a sibling who produced Sally and Gillian’s mom. So it was nice to have that story come full circle.

Most of all, I enjoyed reading Jet’s story. Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that I loved the message of redemption in her story. Overall, it was a great read!

Read full review at: KaitsBookshelf.com

I just finished The Rules of Magic. I could barely lay it down and yet didn’t want it to ever end. Magic is a strong component of the story but not the whole meal. More than just a tale of witchcraft, is a lesson about love, loss and living. The real story of life. I’m glad I purchased my own copies. Hoffman wove such profound truth and wisdom in her prose, I had to underline and star passages so I can find them back. I read the books in the order written. First Practical Magic and then The Rules of Magic. I recommend them in that order because PM is excellent on its own but I think would lose something if read second. ROM is extraordinary in many respects but especially because it is a prequel. Perhaps my affinity for the books as a whole is due in part because I am a widow having experienced a long, satisfying love and loss. As well I am remarried and once again found another wonderful love. Living, loving, losing and finding love is a rich, difficult enterprise. These books helped me to work through some of the pieces of my own life. It isn’t often fiction does that but Hoffman has given me this gift in spades. Magical, don’t you think?

I received a copy of "The Rules of Magic" from NetGalley for an honest review. I wish to thank NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Alice Hoffman for the opportunity to read this book.

All I can say is that 2017 has been the year of the REALLY good book! This is another 5 star book and I do not give that rating easily!!

I had such a hard time with this book because I knew that I was going to love it! I tried my best to ration it to make it last longer and I just could NOT do it!! I read half of the book in one day as I could NOT restrain myself!!

I thoroughly enjoyed "Practical Magic" for which "The Rules of Magic" is the prequel. However, you do NOT have to read "Practical Magic" first - they are both beautiful stand-alone books, but they do go SO well together.

Alice Hoffman has such a gorgeous way with words, descriptions, characters, and every little thing that makes a writer great. Her books do not disappoint EVER!!

I highly recommend "The Rules of Magic" - read it! Read it by a roaring fire with a cup of something hot or an adult beverage. But, have someone that you love nearby to make the experience of this book even MORE beautiful!! READ THIS BOOK! Thank you Alice Hoffman for even more of the Owens family!!

THE RULES OF MAGIC by Alice Hoffman is the enchanting prequel to her bestselling novel, PRACTICAL MAGIC. It has been many years since I read PRACTICAL MAGIC, but reading it, or seeing the movie, is not a prerequisite to enjoying this look back at the earlier generations of the Owens family. This book tells the story of three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent, who are descendants of Maria Owens, a woman who was accused of witchcraft in the 1620s in Massachusetts. These teens all have special magical “gifts” and have been raised with very specific rules to avoid falling prey to the Owens family curse. From their family home in Manhattan, to their quirky Aunt Isabelle’s house in Massachusetts, the reader is drawn into the siblings’ lives by Alice Hoffman’s vivid storytelling. This is a story of family relationships, the power of love, surviving loss and the journey to self-discovery. The beautiful imagery and captivating narration show that hidden “magic” can be found in abundance in everyday life. I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming tale of the earlier days of the Owens family and I know that I will now have to re-read PRACTICAL MAGIC while this story is fresh in my mind.

Full disclosure here, I am a Practical Magic fan. At least of the movie, I've never actually read the book.

This coming of age story for Franny, Jet, and Vincent (who I never knew existed until this novel) was indeed a magical and well-written story. From this novel forward I will be love with Alice Hoffman's storytelling forever.

It was a delight to read about the life of the aunts before we first see in them in Practical Magic. I loved them as adult characters in the movie, so I knew I would love them as children and young adults in The Rules of Magic and I did, immensely so. From the very begging to the very end I was engrossed 100% of the time I read.

After reading this beauty, I have decided that I cannot wait any longer. Practical Magic (the novel) is sitting right beside me. I must continue reading. I'm in complete love with this story. There is no way I can walk away from the Owneses until I can read no more.

I'm so happy I own this tale in hardcover. Five cheers for magic and a lifetime of enchanting stories as epic as this one.

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.

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.

What a boring book! Didn't care about any of the main characters who, aside from being amazingly beautiful and witches, were dull and uninteresting - and the minor characters were equally uninteresting. And the overly precious children are even worse.

On top of that, it's a real downer, filled with the Dreary D's that fill modern fiction: Death, depression, disease etc.

There is the obligatory gay character to show how with the times the author is, but it is impossible to care about him or anyone else in the book.

I enjoyed Practical Magic years ago, so I was excited to read the prequel, The Rules of Magic. It’s wonderful as a stand alone, but having seen the movie Practical Magic, I had a vision of the family home in Massachusetts and how the relatives might look and dress.

In The Rules of Magic, readers are introduced to Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens. 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.

This is more or less a coming of age story of the siblings, but it also follows them into their adult lives as they discover who they are and the importance of being true to themselves.

This is a wonderful October/Halloween read with witches and curses that are presented in a light-hearted way. After I finished reading, I had an overwhelming urge to watch Practical Magic--again!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman in exchange for an honest review. This book is the prequel to Practical Magic. Since the 1600s, the Owens family has been feared and mistrusted. In Massachusetts, one of the ancestors had been charged with loving the wrong man. In the 1950s, Susanna Owens, a descendant, moves to New York to raise her three children away from the Owens' reputation of witchcraft and away from the curse forbidding them from falling in love. It becomes obvious that Franny, Jet and Vincent Owens cannot deny their heritage. From the beginning, the children exhibit signs of eccentricity and witchcraft. And as they grow older, they try everything to prevent falling in love. But it is not meant to be. The novel deals with each sibling's avoidance of love as much as possible until their heart leads them to do the opposite, as well as dealing with the consequences of the curse. The Rules of Magic is surreal and yet so real in many ways. It is a fairy tale for adults. I thoroughly enjoyed every word.

I loved this book - I know Practical Magic by Hoffman from cover to cover. I've watched the movie more times than I care to admit. My daughter, her friends and I can watch it on a loop for days.
Anyway - when I had the chance to read the back story of "the Sisters" I was thrilled. This didn't disappoint. I will say that any Practical Magic fan will find some areas slightly redundant. For instance, there are some memorable sayings in Practical Magic that are repeated in Rules of Magic. Such as a quote about the 'garden gate', etc. So some of that I found to be pandering but if you aren't extremely familiar with the original, then this won't be a bother to you.
Great story of love, magic, and family.

Alice Hoffman has again spun a magical world within the familiar, weaving in history, geography and the mythology of the Craft. Following siblings Jet, Franny and Vincent from their youth to old age as they deny and then embrace their unique gifts to navigate a world hostile to their magic. These three young witches, raised by parents who want to keep them safe, travel to see their Aunt Isabelle in their teens and everything changes. It is here they learn of the family curse, that anyone they fall in love with will be ruined.
Falling in love isn’t as easy to prevent as each young witch hopes, and one by one they encounter their own weaknesses. They learn that the rules they’ve grown up with are the opposite of how witches live, and learn that love and curses are out of their control.
Blended with lovely classic poetry, The Rules of Magic casts an unforgettable spell as it covers four generations of the Owens family dealing with a legacy that dates to the Salem witchcraft trials. It is a spell from which we hate to awaken.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review.

I have honestly had a hard time finishing this book and now that I have I can say I’m completely disappointed. This book did not flow well was just like a complete tragedy after another until it ended. It had potential to be a great book but was poorly written and I honestly didn’t like the ending of the story, there was no uplifting ending to a series of tragedies and left me feeling sad.

Witch siblings (Franny, Jet, and Vincent) must survive on their own after their parents are killed in a tragic accident.

Do you remember the movie released in 1998 called Practical Magic starring Nicole Kidman as Gillian and Sandra Bullock as Sally? Well, this is the brand new prequel about their great aunts, Franny/Frances and Jet/Bridget, when they were teenagers in the 1960s!

I was absolutely enchanted by this coming-of-age story, set in New York City and a small town in Massachusetts, about three witch siblings who are orphaned while in their teens. How will they make their way in a world where they are seen as odd misfits? And what about the love curse that was placed on their family by a disgruntled relative hundreds of years ago in 1620? Will the siblings ever find love, or will the family's curse strike again?

Now I can't wait to read Practical Magic, the next book in the series!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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.

Her latest installment, The Rules of Magic, explores the tragic curse of the Owens family, an ancient coven of Massachusetts witches. A family feud dating back to the times of the Salem witch trials has doomed the family to never be able to keep true love; that is to say, everyone they ever genuinely love will die, unexpectedly and prematurely. As the three young Owens children navigate their powers, their family legacy, and new, deeply-felt losses, they must choose between caution and courage, and decide if love is worth fighting for (and then figure out how to fight for it.)


This book is all about aesthetic and tone for me. Hugely driven by its characters, this novel places witchcraft and magic in a realistic light-you could almost say it's practical magic (see what I did there?). There are no allusions to Satanism or religion, there aren't any huge, magical standoffs, and there aren't any pointy black hats. There is only the daily life and routine of a few sad kids who happen to be able to make artisan potions, keep a pet raven on their shoulders, and occasionally move things around with their mind. Okay, so they do have some extensive magical powers, but Hoffman doesn't shove it down our throats in a heightened, exaggerated way. As far as witchcraft goes in this book, it just is what it is.


This book moved slowly for me; Hoffman paints with extensive details, and the book moves carefully through the years of the story. Hoffman is patient, and I had to remind myself to be the same.


My favorite character was far and away Vincent, the youngest sibling and the only brother. He grapples with the dark side of his powers, and as he grows older, he begins to find out who he really is. After being a cynical child, a passionate, moody artist, and a serial lover boy, he finally discovers his own true love, and, without spoiling anything, it is such a powerful turn of events. Hoffman is a compassionate genius for her decision-making within Vincent's fate.


Although the characters are tastefully developed, and the plot is artfully maneuvered, I was left wishing for one specific detail that Hoffman has left somewhat unattended. The children are largely independent, except for a matriarchal Aunt, and they don't have much in the way of money, taking to selling their potions and cures to the neighbors. However, they are able to go without "normal" jobs, and often travel between Massachusetts, Paris, California, and New York. I realize that I'm griping about realism within a book about witches, but in a book so detail-oriented, it's just a nagging little concern to have these explanations brushed under the rug.


Yet, Hoffman has managed to sell me on her world of tragedy, young love, and magic. The underlying themes of forgiveness, family, and courage are strongly translated into fiction, and it becomes easy to relate to the Owens' strange world. I must reiterate one last time: Alice Hoffman has to be the undisputed queen of modern witch literature, and so I will limitlessly praise her delivery of a completely unique aesthetic frame. I know there weren't any pointy black hats and cloaks involved here, but I'm totally inspired to revamp my wardrobe and live like an Owens sister. Hopefully, if I'm lucky, I can love like an Owens, too.

I finally finished!! The only part I really loved was the end when Gillian and Sally come into the aunts lives. I just didn't like this book. I love Alice Hoffman, I do and I love Practical Magic. Maybe that's why, I'm too loyal to the first book to appreciate the second. I don't know. I was expecting to love this book and that just didn't happen. It was very wordy and descriptive. Vincent was the most interesting character in the story. I kept at it to find out what happens with him. I hope I'm in the minority here because I really love this author, but The Rules of Magic just didn't keep me entertained enough. Sorry fans...

First sentence: 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.
Last sentence: Know that the only remedy for love is to love more.

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 don’t give 5-star reviews often, but this one earned all 5 stars for me. I’d never read Practical Magic, but had seen and loved the movie and it’s been on my TBR list forever. When I had the opportunity to read this prequel, it just made sense to read it first, and I’m so happy I did. I loved reading about the girls who would become “The Aunts”, and about their equally interesting (and talented) brother. This book is evocative and fascinating and heartbreaking and, well, just lovely. As I read it, I knew I’d be diving into Practical Magic as soon as I was done - and that’s exactly what I did. There were a couple of interesting disconnects between their stories in the prequel and what was said about them in the second book. But that didn’t make me love this book any less. I highly recommend it.

Copy provided by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an unbiased review.

Good afternoon all -

This is book review 9/48 for the year – 7/24 for fiction; 2/24 for non-fiction. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars! What a magical book!!

Title: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Occult Fiction

Book in a nutshell without spoilers:

This book centers around the relationships of two sisters and their brother, as well as extended family and friends. Mixed into the potion is a curse about love as well as other tidbits of fact and fiction woven around the witching world. I loved how the author used sensitivity to tackle difficult issues like death, loss, guilt, grief and jealousy. Overall this book was a fun read!

Peace, blessings and happy reading! Until next time… CM

Recently released "The Rules Of Magic", by Alice Hoffman, is the prequel to her best selling novel "Practical Magic". This enchanting tale gives us background on the Owens family.
This is the story of three siblings born into a magical family in New York. When tragedy strikes they move to the home of an aunt in Massachusetts where they begin to figure out why they are different. They become aware of the "Owen's Curse" that has been with their family for generations. Over time the children become accustomed to dealing with the "gift/curse" in their own unique way.
A beautiful story about family, love and loss that is sprinkled with magic.
Hoffman's superb writing style is spellbinding, heartbreaking and humorous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

A little out of my comfort zone, the Owens family current generation highlighted in this book is made up of three siblings who are each trying to figure out who they are. With magic abilities running through their blood, trying to figure oneself out may be a little harder. AND then throw in a curse!

I don't tend to read books with magic, but when I saw a release date of 10/10 and I am trying to push myself out of my comfort zone again and again, I decided to try this one out. It had the right amount of magic where the characters were still human, but they all had great abilities where they could see the future or see things in other people, but at the end of the day the weren't floating around which made me enjoy this more than most books with fantasy and magic.

I loved this book, and am going to listen to it again.
My background:
I saw the movie practical magic (as a teen) first
Then read the book of practical magic (in college, which was way different, enjoyable but different)
But listening to this as audio I think I would enjoy reading the book better than practical magic, and I’m tempted to reread practical magic... but you could tell the writing was much better with this book!
But there where some flaws with the audio version. Mostly the sound too soft and Marin would change to a normal voice. I would listen to this in my car and when it gets too soft it was utterly annoying! But Marin voice does kinda remind you of actress Stockard Channing.
I also have been influenced by another review feeling like the characters did fall a little flat for development and this kind of angst of depression of “when are the Owen girls gonna get a break?”. But if you seen the movie or read the book you kinda already knew that. So there is a sad melancholy undertone, that just makes your heart sigh.
If anything this book could been separated into two books. Some argue this could have been more of a juvenile adult book. And I guess I could see that, I see some reviews don’t like the um sex stuff... it did also catch me off guard, yet I think it added to the characters and plot.

It’s a strange jump but overall if you liked the movie you’ll like this book.

Alice Hoffman never disappoints. "The Rules of Magic" is the prequel to the best-selling novel "Practical Magic". Either book can be read first and one compliments the other. The Owens family is pursued by a curse emanating from a tragic love story beginning in 1620. Three siblings, Franny, Vincent and Jet, alternately avoid and embrace their magical abilities while setting the stage for a stunning conclusion. As always, it's the beautiful writing style of Alice Hoffman which continues to captivate the senses. The story contains a wonderful time capsule of the tumultuous 60's with real events interlaced with supernatural fancy. I loved the evocative descriptions of New York and Paris locations where I have fond memories of the Plaza, Russian Tearoom, the Jardin des Tuileries and Cimetière du Père-Lachaise all flawlessly researched. Will there be a movie? I do hope so!

It seemed to me, it would be difficult to write a prequel to Practical Magic, a book released in 1995. Hoffman does work hard to get her now younger characters to the point where they would be the old aunts in Practical Magic. While I liked the characters and many of their quirks, parts of this book read like Hoffman's young adult fiction, which I find to be slightly fleshed out fables. I like the characters, I like the magic, I like the setting but things still seem a bit forced at times and a bit under drawn in others.. Parts of the story deserve four stars and other parts deserve two stars. I'm sure plenty of people will like this more than me and it is much better than The Museum of Extraordinary Things. And it's far superior to the MOVIE of Practical Magic which was just an extended music video.

Practical Magic has always been a favorite of mine. This prequel was even better.
The author takes you back to when Franny and Jet were children and their brother Vincent. I found myself really liking Vincent and the storyline was really good. Alice Hoffman gives off a mystical magic feeling when you read her writing. The history surrounding witch hunts and reality of what people endured was eye opening to what it does to generations of a family. The story takes you through the lifeline of the Owens family. Secrets will be revealed and the story fires with emotions as it comes to a close. Perfect read as we head into Halloween and the cooler season. I was given an ARC by Netgalley for a honest review. My honest opinion is I enjoyed it so much I've purchased a copy for my keeper shelf to read again.

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.

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.

Alice Hoffman’s Rules of Magic caught my eye right after its’ release. I walked through the Barnes & Noble right off Union Square and caught it as soon as I walked through their heavy wooden doors. I picked it up, saw it was a prequel to Practical Magic, and instantly felt the nostalgia for a movie I had seen a hundred times. It had woven a spell over me, but I did not pick it up. Not yet.

The next day, I was at Word Bookstore in Jersey City. I had walked through the door to find a copy of A Clockwork Orange. I wanted to see the play, and although I was supposed to have read the book in college, I only watched the movie. I needed to read it. Once again, the book found me. This time, I did not leave without it.

***Spoilers Ahead***

WhenI started reading it, it almost instantly brought me back to the romantic dream-like quality of the first book. I have not read anything else by Alice Hoffman, but her beautiful prose style makes me feel like I was walking on a cloud. She creates such vivid characters of Franny, Jet, and Vincent that I could not put the book down.

I read the book in three days. I picked it up and consumed it. The magic of Magnolia Ave blended with New York City captivated me. The curse on the Owens women made me trepidatious to actually rush through. I already fell in love with the characters again and their quirks. Vincent delved into the darker magics knowing they would rebound on him. Jet fell in love knowing it would end badly. Franny’s refusal of love. I knew there was not going to be a happy ending. There could not be with Sally truly breaking the curse in Practical Magic.

Vincent had a short life stated throughout the book. Franny gave up Hay so that she would not hurt him. Jet watched Levi and her parents die because of the curse. But, this is a story of finding love.

Vincent went through women after women caring for no one, but found William who took him in his arms and captivated him to be better. Vincent’s life ends early, but the character lives on in happiness. Jet lost Levi, but found kinship with his father, and a companionship in Rafael. Franny and Hay through all their trials decided to trick the curse.

Everything about this book was beautiful. I openly wept when Hay and Franny finally got married at the end, and could not help but the tears continue to fall whenVincent’s daughter and her own loved died leading the sisters in this tale to truly become the aunts in the first.

The Rules of Magic blends sadness and romance with magic and mystery. Hoffman brings every plot to a powerfully happy resolution that leads right into her earlier novel. The magic of love wins in the end, but the magic of the book has it all the way through.

I loved this book. I was a little cautious to be reading Alice Hoffman, because I sort of remembered finding one of her prior books being, um, kind of dark. This book, however, is a jewel. It tells the story of two sisters and a brother, Jet, Franny, and Vincent. The have magic in their bloodline but they also have a curse. This is the story of how they grow up and live their lives in the spotlight of, and in the shadow of, both. I won't kid you--there are some heartbreaking events in this book, but don't we all have those in our lives? I very much felt like I was IN the story with them, that they were my friends and I loved them all. Read this book.

I loved Practical Magic with its memorable characters and mystical prose, so I was so excited to read this book. But what a disappointment! Rules of Magic is dark and depressing so I was shocked to read all the great reviews. This novel felt like a chore to finish and it seems like plot elements were added just to be politically correct. I can’t believe Alice Hoffman wrote this book!

“The Rules of Magic” follows the New York Owens siblings from childhood to late adulthood, through all of their fears and delights. Each of the three follows a different path. Each is fulfilled by life, yet punished by fate, as they search for who they are and for the love that will make each complete. To win, each must lose. Through them, “Rules” weaves a magical fairy story set in a real world of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s ... and on.

Unfortunately, Alice Hoffman occasionally gets sidetracked by her need to share too much history. Then later she repeats it. If you are familiar with the background of Hawthorn’s “The Scarlet Letter”, for example, you will find “Rules” explains it, an then repeats it. This happens in other places in the novel as well.

Overall, the characters, though radically different from each other, are complete, the emotions they experience are visceral, and various situations they find themselves in are often all too real and yet too fantastical to be real. Like real life.

Franny, the oldest, decides that witchcraft is really a form of science and treats it as such with as much objectivity as she can muster, Jet refuses to be a victim of “the Owens curse” and yet finds herself eternally trapped, and Vincent who can see the future cannot change it. Each finds that the secret to happiness is, as Shakespeare once wrote, “To thine own self, be true.”

“Anything whole can be broken,” Isabelle told her. “And anything broken can be put back together again. That is the meaning of Abracadabra. I create what I speak.”

You have two choices, caution or courage, which will you choose?

As cliche as it may sound, this book is magical. It pulls you into a world of magic, love and family. It teaches you about courage and how to face your fears. It pushes you to think outside of the box and to be comfortable with the gifts that you possess. I can’t say enough great things about this book, Alice Hoffman did a phenomenal job setting the background for the beloved aunts in Practical Magic. She transported you to a different world and propelled you into a roller coaster of emotions. This book is amazing.

I absolutely loved this book and it’s probably now in my list of favorite books. The writing was amazing and so easy to get lost in and I fell in love with all the characters and their stories. There were moments when I even had to put it down and stop because I was getting too emotional and couldn’t keep going. I’m so glad I did and also wish that is was longer and didn’t have to end.

This book has absolutely amazing characters and the story is spellbinding and difficult to put down. This is a prequel to the book Practical Magic but can be read as a standalone. The story is about three siblings and their struggles with love, loss and a familial curse. It made me laugh, cry and rejoice along with them. I would highly recommend this book.

The brilliant beginning of the Owen's family legacy is here. This more resembles the movie Practical Magic, but it does so by going back in time. Here, the story focuses on 3 siblings (all with their own special gift or vision).

This was a wonderful read full of love, tragedy and magic. Will they ever escape that horrible curse? You'll just have to read to find out. Highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this novel, even though I haven't read "Practical Magic". ( And now I have to read it! ?). This book is really full of magic. I was drown into the story from the first pages. I couldn't put it down.
I loved the characters. I loved the stories. Amazing read. "Always be true to yourself. Always choose courage.
Don't live a little. Live a lot".

Exquisitely written. Alice Hoffman impressed me with the originality of her characters, the beauty of her prose, and, of course, the story itself.
Highly recommended if you are imaginative, and can read 366 pages. This is not a quick read. And it was well worth my time. It transported me to a different world.

Someone was quite happy I finished reading The Rules of Magic! I really enjoyed the storyline, so much leading up to the sequel Practical Magic. Alice Hoffman’s story is filled with all things you would expect from witches but also so much more about love, loss, family and happiness. One part even made me cry!

Seemed to be a bit light at the beginning. Unexpected from one of my favorite authors. Yet, it grew on me, to the point that I couldn't put it down. Some feelings of sadness, especially midpoint. Upon reading the last page I feel suffused with light, tenderness, and memories. The novel is summed up as "the only remedy for love is to love more".

The book felt very similar to Practical Magic. I didn't realize it was a series. The characters are genuine and interesting. And the story good but just predictable. If you want a light, fluffy read that feels familiar, you'll like this book / series. I think Hoffman's standalone books are better.

I loved this! A prequel of sorts to Practical Magic, this was a fun but heartbreaking story of a magical family and a curse. Great plot, attention to details of places and things, I felt like I was there! I love stories that you can melt into!! This author weaves a spell with her words and held me captive!!! I would love more in the Owens’s family saga!!!!

I truly enjoyed this book, and have to admit I was a little teary towards the end. Set mostly in 5he 1960’s, This is the story of three Owens siblings, afraid to love because of the family curse. It is it a.curse, or is it just life? And which is worse...to lose someone you love, or never have love in your life.

The prequel to "Practical Magic" has everything you expect from Alice Hoffman....beautiful people, lovely lanscapes, heartbreaking romance, wonderful smells, and lots of magic! Great read and fun to find out the story of Franny and Jet, long before Sally and Jillian moved in with them. I have read every books she has written!

I read this book since I loved Alica Hoffman's "The Marriage of Opposites" but I am very disappointed with her "The Rules of Magic" book. I finished reading it hoping I was wrong, some magic will happen and I will start enjoying the book. It was so unrealistic, jumping from place to place, like a story written for children. I don't think I will read her books again.

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.

I saw the movie Practical Magic in the theaters when I was in middle school, and I was so scared that I remember leaving and hiding in the bathroom. While The Rules of Magic didn't scare me, it was a really depressing book, though beautifully written.

If you remember anything about Practical Magic, you have to get a general sense of how The Rules of Magic, the prequel book, is going to play out. I think much of my rating boils down to how I feel when I finish a book; if I'm leaving a book feeling like I'd read it again or not.

If you are a reader who enjoys magic and tragedy and an engaging story with some twists and turns, then this book is truly for you. Be prepared, few things are going to work out well for our protagonists. However, if that doesn't bother you, then the story really is an interesting, sweeping story that spans a number of decades in the middle of the century.

The pacing is good, and though the book is long, it reads very well. My one complaint about the writing is that I'm not a fan of head-hopping, and this book uses the third person omniscient point of view (aka, everyone's POV). I found that to be a bit distracting, though I got used to it as the book went on.

Overall, a nice read but not really for me. However, I think fans of The Rules of Magic will adore the consistency and quality of this story.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Loved the nature of the book and the characters, but I hated the ending. I don’t like when books feel they need to wrap things up by making a “30 years later” type of ending. I also did not enjoy the over-sexualization of Vincent. Regardless of his charm, there could have been better ways of handling that. But I loved the connection of the Salem Witch Trials and the history of Massachusetts being intertwined with the stories of the girl’s fates.

I absolutely loved this book. I would give it 5++ stars if I could. It's so beautifully written. The story follows the Owens' sibling trio - Franny, Jet, & Vincent - through their lives as they deal with love, loss, and what we call life. I'm so sad it is over. Perhaps I will pick up Practical Magic now.

So great to read a new Alice Hoffman book giving magical, fresh backstory to an old favorite! The thing about her writing I love the most is the realness of her characters, allowing for an easy suspension of disbelief as the twists and turns of plot introduce more and more elements of fantasy and magic!

What a wonderful book! If you loved Practical Magic, than this is the prequel for you! It focuses on the lives of Jet, Frances and Vincent...and also Maria! I could not put this book down,,,I actually finished it in the wee hours this morning! Now to go and reread Practical Magic while this is fresh in my mind!

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.

This prequel introduces us to the Owens sisters of Practical Magic when they are young teens discovering and honing their magical powers and learning more about their history and the magical ‘curse’ that has touched their family for generations. I loved the magical touches in this story - the healing herbs, the potions, the spells. Hoffman’s writing vividly captures the moods of her characters and the challenges they face. The Dovekeepers is still my favorite Alice Hoffman story but this latest effort is a very entertaining read.

I almost gave this book a five star but it is really a four and a half for me. At first, I found the story hard to get into and then ended up loving it. The little pieces of magic and the spells are scattered all through the story. Alice Hoffman has been my favorite author for years and she did not disappoint me with this lyrical and sad story. Now I want to read Practical Magic again as it has been years since I read it for the first time. The Rules of Magic is the prequel to Practical Magic.

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.

This is the first book of hers that I've read. The story was engaging. There are flaws in it, in my opinion. There is a cloying quality to the writing that kind of annoyed me. Maybe her chic lit audience enjoys that, but I found it a bit off for me. Every other page is about some complex emotional connection or subtle philosophical point of view. There is a lot of death in the book. One of the situations I found very hard to buy in terms of suspension of disbelief. Overall, it's a good read.

I never give book 5 stars but this is a worthy prequel to Practical Magic.,
one of my all time favorite books. If you loved the Owens aunts you deserve a chance to see what they were like in their younger days. If you have loved and lost you will certainly relate to their stories. This is another example of magical Hoffman writing that brings you so close to the characters you can see what they see, smell their fragrant garden and cry their tears.

    I so squealed when I saw that there was a prequel to the Practical Magic book . Rules of Magic is all about the aunts when they were younger let me introduce you all to Frany. Jet and their brother Vincent . They are living in New York at the beginning of the sixties . Their mother Susanna has strict rules for them, no wearing red shoes , no books on magic , no going out after dark and the big one NO FALLING IN LOVE . But after a trip to their aunts in Massachusetts . Things have changed that sends each of them on a journey to find what they truly are and to find the love that they all want . 
     This book had me hooked from the very first page . I have always wanted to know what made the aunts the way they are and how they grew up .  The characters are well written and complex . One moment you love them and the next minute you want to strangle all three of them .  I think Vincent is the most complicated of all the characters in this book . He doesn't really know where he belongs , he is an out cast that is dabbling in dark magic . He doesn't really know what he is doing but you start to care for him and want what is best for him . Franny is so strong willed and she is the tough one of the three of them . She sometimes is a little frail and not real sure of herself . She is also a little quirky in her own way . Jet is the sweet soulful daughter , she can read peoples minds and is so shy . All she wants is love and to be loved . Each of their journeys will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read 
    This book was such a great read . I love the way the author writes . She writes with such a passion , you can't help but get carried away in her story telling . The characters are great and the story is heart warming and funny . You will laugh and cry for each of characters and their stories . If you liked Practical magic you will love RULES OF MAGIC . 

I didn't expect to love this book, but it truly was magical. As someone who was always interested in the occult, this book gave life to the possible witches/magic that may surround us. It felt real with a heavy amount of historical references. I would read this again just to relive the imagery the author created. I appreciated how Hoffman followed each character's journey entirely. The book ended with closure, but somehow also made you anticipate the next book in the series. I can't wait!

Francis, Bridget, and Vincent Owens were never destined to be normal—the blood of a Salem witch flows through their veins. But as they learn the craft and uncover their family history, they soon discover that magic is not all levitation and love potion.

In the beginning I found it difficult to connect with the main characters. However, as the book continued and the characters aged, I found myself liking them more. I’m not sure if it was because I could relate to them more or because they were better written throughout the second half.

The events in the book (taking place in 1960’s NY and Boston) loosely parallel the events of 1800’s New England (Salem, MA, specifically). I especially like this structure because it brings out some of the more hidden themes; the brutality of bureaucracy, pacifism, and counterculture. For me, the historical parallels made the entire book worth it!

Overall, the subject matter, historical accuracy, and the setting was enough for me to enjoy this book! Although there were weak points, I could easily overlook them and read on. If you enjoy magical realism and historical fiction (and have an interest in witchcraft or the Salem witch trials) I would recommend this read! It is written at an easy reading level, so I finished it in about three days, although I probably could have read it in a day if I had more time.

Read the full review on my blog, polaroidprose.com

I just loved this book. The language was just beautiful and the characters intriguing. I didn't read Practical Magic and I'm glad I didn't, since this is basically the prequel. It starts in the 60's, which I remember well. It covers the summer of Love in San Francisco and all the things going on in the world then. It moves around from New York to Boston, back again and then to Paris.

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.

The book was at times just okay and other times good. I did feel as if it were written for teenagers though and not for adults. Not sure what age group this was supposed to appeal to... although it was interesting and fun it lacked any real depth.

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.

I received an eARC of this title from <a href="http://www.netgalley.com" target="_blank">NetGalley</a> in exchange for a review. The FTC wants <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking" target="_blank">you to know</a>.

I enjoyed meeting Franny, Jet & Vincent, and looking in on their lives from semi-normal siblings to paranormal beings. Franny with her fiery red hair, Jet and her ability to 'see' other's thoughts and mesmerizing Vincent. The siblings undergo many transformations. The rules their mother imposes beg to be broken and Franny, Jet & Vincent rebelliously oblige. I was enchanted by their tale from beginning to end. Can't wait to read the sequel.

“The Rules of Magic” follows the New York Owens siblings from childhood to late adulthood, through all of their fears and delights. Each of the three follows a different path. Each is fulfilled by life, yet punished by fate, as they search for who they are and for the love that will make each complete. To win, each must lose. Through them, “Rules” weaves a magical fairy story set in a real world of the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s ... and on.

Unfortunately, Alice Hoffman occasionally gets sidetracked by her need to share too much history. Then later she repeats it. If you are familiar with the background of Hawthorn’s “The Scarlet Letter”, for example, you will find “Rules” explains it, an then repeats it. This happens in other places in the novel as well.

Overall, the characters, though radically different from each other, are complete, the emotions they experience are visceral, and various situations they find themselves in are often all too real and yet too fantastical to be real. Like real life.

Franny, the oldest, decides that witchcraft is really a form of science and treats it as such with as much objectivity as she can muster, Jet refuses to be a victim of “the Owens curse” and yet finds herself eternally trapped, and Vincent who can see the future cannot change it. Each finds that the secret to happiness is, as Shakespeare once wrote, “To thine own self, be true.”

“Anything whole can be broken,” Isabelle told her. “And anything broken can be put back together again. That is the meaning of Abracadabra. I create what I speak.”

You have two choices, caution or courage, which will you choose?

As cliche as it may sound, this book is magical. It pulls you into a world of magic, love and family. It teaches you about courage and how to face your fears. It pushes you to think outside of the box and to be comfortable with the gifts that you possess. I can’t say enough great things about this book, Alice Hoffman did a phenomenal job setting the background for the beloved aunts in Practical Magic. She transported you to a different world and propelled you into a roller coaster of emotions. This book is amazing.

I absolutely loved this book and it’s probably now in my list of favorite books. The writing was amazing and so easy to get lost in and I fell in love with all the characters and their stories. There were moments when I even had to put it down and stop because I was getting too emotional and couldn’t keep going. I’m so glad I did and also wish that is was longer and didn’t have to end.

This book has absolutely amazing characters and the story is spellbinding and difficult to put down. This is a prequel to the book Practical Magic but can be read as a standalone. The story is about three siblings and their struggles with love, loss and a familial curse. It made me laugh, cry and rejoice along with them. I would highly recommend this book.

The brilliant beginning of the Owen's family legacy is here. This more resembles the movie Practical Magic, but it does so by going back in time. Here, the story focuses on 3 siblings (all with their own special gift or vision).

This was a wonderful read full of love, tragedy and magic. Will they ever escape that horrible curse? You'll just have to read to find out. Highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this novel, even though I haven't read "Practical Magic". ( And now I have to read it! ?). This book is really full of magic. I was drown into the story from the first pages. I couldn't put it down.
I loved the characters. I loved the stories. Amazing read. "Always be true to yourself. Always choose courage.
Don't live a little. Live a lot".

Exquisitely written. Alice Hoffman impressed me with the originality of her characters, the beauty of her prose, and, of course, the story itself.
Highly recommended if you are imaginative, and can read 366 pages. This is not a quick read. And it was well worth my time. It transported me to a different world.

Someone was quite happy I finished reading The Rules of Magic! I really enjoyed the storyline, so much leading up to the sequel Practical Magic. Alice Hoffman’s story is filled with all things you would expect from witches but also so much more about love, loss, family and happiness. One part even made me cry!

Seemed to be a bit light at the beginning. Unexpected from one of my favorite authors. Yet, it grew on me, to the point that I couldn't put it down. Some feelings of sadness, especially midpoint. Upon reading the last page I feel suffused with light, tenderness, and memories. The novel is summed up as "the only remedy for love is to love more".

The book felt very similar to Practical Magic. I didn't realize it was a series. The characters are genuine and interesting. And the story good but just predictable. If you want a light, fluffy read that feels familiar, you'll like this book / series. I think Hoffman's standalone books are better.

I loved this! A prequel of sorts to Practical Magic, this was a fun but heartbreaking story of a magical family and a curse. Great plot, attention to details of places and things, I felt like I was there! I love stories that you can melt into!! This author weaves a spell with her words and held me captive!!! I would love more in the Owens’s family saga!!!!

I truly enjoyed this book, and have to admit I was a little teary towards the end. Set mostly in 5he 1960’s, This is the story of three Owens siblings, afraid to love because of the family curse. It is it a.curse, or is it just life? And which is worse...to lose someone you love, or never have love in your life.

The prequel to "Practical Magic" has everything you expect from Alice Hoffman....beautiful people, lovely lanscapes, heartbreaking romance, wonderful smells, and lots of magic! Great read and fun to find out the story of Franny and Jet, long before Sally and Jillian moved in with them. I have read every books she has written!

I read this book since I loved Alica Hoffman's "The Marriage of Opposites" but I am very disappointed with her "The Rules of Magic" book. I finished reading it hoping I was wrong, some magic will happen and I will start enjoying the book. It was so unrealistic, jumping from place to place, like a story written for children. I don't think I will read her books again.

In the 1960's three siblings and their cousin try to live a "normal" life as much as they can with the knowledge that they are different in the magical sense, with all the rules they have to deal with , they each try to find who they are , while living in both worlds .

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.

I saw the movie Practical Magic in the theaters when I was in middle school, and I was so scared that I remember leaving and hiding in the bathroom. While The Rules of Magic didn't scare me, it was a really depressing book, though beautifully written.

If you remember anything about Practical Magic, you have to get a general sense of how The Rules of Magic, the prequel book, is going to play out. I think much of my rating boils down to how I feel when I finish a book; if I'm leaving a book feeling like I'd read it again or not.

If you are a reader who enjoys magic and tragedy and an engaging story with some twists and turns, then this book is truly for you. Be prepared, few things are going to work out well for our protagonists. However, if that doesn't bother you, then the story really is an interesting, sweeping story that spans a number of decades in the middle of the century.

The pacing is good, and though the book is long, it reads very well. My one complaint about the writing is that I'm not a fan of head-hopping, and this book uses the third person omniscient point of view (aka, everyone's POV). I found that to be a bit distracting, though I got used to it as the book went on.

Overall, a nice read but not really for me. However, I think fans of The Rules of Magic will adore the consistency and quality of this story.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Loved the nature of the book and the characters, but I hated the ending. I don’t like when books feel they need to wrap things up by making a “30 years later” type of ending. I also did not enjoy the over-sexualization of Vincent. Regardless of his charm, there could have been better ways of handling that. But I loved the connection of the Salem Witch Trials and the history of Massachusetts being intertwined with the stories of the girl’s fates.

I loved reading the life story of the Owen siblings. Experiencing their joys, sorrows, and triumphs as they learned about their family legacy and about themselves. I really liked how the different periods in their lives were separated out into distinct sections in the book. I found their story very compelling and heartfelt.

I absolutely loved this book. I would give it 5++ stars if I could. It's so beautifully written. The story follows the Owens' sibling trio - Franny, Jet, & Vincent - through their lives as they deal with love, loss, and what we call life. I'm so sad it is over. Perhaps I will pick up Practical Magic now.

So great to read a new Alice Hoffman book giving magical, fresh backstory to an old favorite! The thing about her writing I love the most is the realness of her characters, allowing for an easy suspension of disbelief as the twists and turns of plot introduce more and more elements of fantasy and magic!

What a wonderful book! If you loved Practical Magic, than this is the prequel for you! It focuses on the lives of Jet, Frances and Vincent...and also Maria! I could not put this book down,,,I actually finished it in the wee hours this morning! Now to go and reread Practical Magic while this is fresh in my mind!

Please read book before reading this review, as there may be a tiny spoiler. ?

I couldn’t put this book down! It’s a story about love, loss, regrets & so much more. This book will have your emotions all over the place, but it so worth it. I wish there was a separate book about Vincent’s & William’s new life together, and to see how the next generation (Regina’s children) grows up and learns. This would make a great series & an even better movie! *fingers crossed*

I did not love this book as I had Hoffman’s first book, Practical Magic, and the movie by the same name. That said, this was still a page turning read. When you have magical powers there is adventure, mystery and problems. This is also a story of love. I look forward to more in this series.

This book "had" me from the first page. I loved the long family history that was the story's foundation. But the childhood chapters felt a bit disorganized, as if characters' actions and knowledge were out of sync. And there were some inconsistencies. Still, it held my interest and was a quick read.

I loved this novel for its characters and story. The Owens, who practice magic throughout their lives, are cursed from true love, a curse that has followed their family since their bloodline began. Sometimes funny, very sweet and beautiful, the book made me cry and smile. Good read.