Not really my type of books but overall ok . Great if you are interested in this genre

The Rules of Magic: Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give, will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can.

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to have been granted an early copy of Alice Hoffman's prequel to Practical Magic. While I have to admit I haven't read the original story, I have seen the movie more times than I can count. I was so excited to learn more about the Owen's Family and their long history with tragedies of the heart.


The Rules of Magic begins at the end of the 1950's in New York where we meet Susanna Owens. Years earlier when she was young, she ran away from her Massachusetts home to Paris in order to escape her family history and the future she was told she was destined to have. The future she wanted to avoid consisted of a curse against anyone the Owens children fell in love with plus the family history of birthing only female children. The curse began in the 1600's when Maria Owens was cast out by the father of her child after their affair. Because of her anger and heartbreak she cast the curse in order to protect future generations of Owens offspring. "Ruination for any man who fell in love with them." Hundreds of years later, Susanna birthed the only male born in the family, Vincent. Vincent was born with the gift of charm, musicality and charisma. He was so charming in fact that a nurse tried to kidnap him from the hospital days after his birth. When the nurse was on trial, she claimed she was spellbound by the baby! Susanna's other two children were both girls. Bridgette (Jet), always knew what others were thinking and was incredibly beautiful. Her beauty would cause tragedy in the years to come. Frances was the oldest and she had the ability to communicate with birds. She adamantly denied to herself and others that her and her siblings were any different and frowned upon anyone who mentioned that the children had special gifts. In order to protect her children, Susanna set strict rules for them . "No walking in the moonlight, no Ouija boards, no candles, no red shoes, no wearing black, no going shoeless, no amulets, no night-blooming flowers, no reading novels about magic, no cats, no crows, and no venturing below Fourteen St. and NEVER fall in love." Of course, every single one of those rules were broken. The Rules of Magic follows Franny, Jet and Vincent through their lives from the time they were young. The magic however really begins the moment Franny receives an invitation to visit their Aunt Isabelle as every Owen's child does at the age of seventeen. Her siblings come along with her and in the summer that changes everything, there is heartache, denial, tragedy, death, and lots of magic. The story takes you to the highest of highs then breaks your heart in devastating ways. You can feel the pain and heartache the Owen's children faced through every phase of their lives. Having the gift of sight, they live their lives trying to deny the futures they have seen coming. Alice Hoffman magically weaves their tale throughout the years adding details that make you feel as though you were living it with them. Not being able to fall in love causes problems they could never have imagined because as Vincent believes, "What is this world without love?" How do you prevent your heart from loving? I took so many notes while reading this and highlighted so many passages. Things I thought were magical fun as well as beautiful quotes and descriptions. I enjoyed passages describing how Susanna Owens taught her children silly things such as uncrossing your knives if there was an argument at the dinner table, and that butter melting in a dish meant someone nearby was in love. Later in the story, she confronts her children when in fact the butter in the house begins to melt! That made me laugh. I think this is a book for everyone. If I had to make any critical notes, it would be that the story felt like it could have been trimmed a little. But in the same breath I would say that I didn't want the book to end, so I have conflicting feelings I guess? I also didn't love the cover they chose, but that has nothing to do with the wonderful story within. Buy this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.

This is such a beautiful followup/prequel to Practical Magic. It is the book everyone has been waiting for and it doesn't disappoint.

The Rules of Magic is a prequel to Practical Magic, which I reviewed in my previous post a short time ago. The Rules of Magic just came out yesterday, and it being an Alice Hoffman novel, it did take me a bit longer to get through it. As I mentioned before, her writing is quite descriptive and tends to have few dialogues. She is, however, a master of creating very vivid and atmospheric settings.

In The Rules of Magic we learn the backstory of the Owens aunts, Jet and Franny, whom the girls in Practical Magic come to live with in Massachusetts. We get to see Jet, Franny and their bother Vincent since the time they were little kids growing up in Manhattan and up to the point when the story of Practical Magic begins.

One thing I noted immediately especially since I read Practical Magic right before the prequel is that The Rules of Magic does not have the same dreamlike and mystical atmosphere. In addition, unlike the heroines of Practical Magic, the three Owens siblings in this book recognize their magic abilities early on and start experimenting with them. We also get a more detailed backstory on their ancestor Maria Owens who built the house on Magnolia Street and in many ways began the family legacy. Moreover, Hoffman finally places Maria in Salem. She still does not mention the town, but she does name the judge – Hathorne and there are numerous references to his famous literary descendant Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The overall theme of being true to oneself is strongly present in this novel. In addition, the Ownes children struggle with the curse which was supposedly put on all family members by Maria Ownes, and according to which something terrible will happen to the person they fall in love with. Franny, Jet and Vincent are all scared of being in love for this reason. But slowly they do find the cure. The novel ends with: “Know that the only remedy for love is to love more” – I just love this idea. Loving more could mean taking chances, being brave and not being afraid to look like a fool. It can also mean loving someone enough to let them go and be happy with someone else, i.e. loving selflessly. It is a powerful idea.

Another quote that I underlined in my e-version of the book warns against knowing one’s fate. It reads: “Life is a mystery, and it should be so, for the sorrow that accompanies being human and the choices one will have to make are a burden, too heavy for most to know before their time comes.”

5 out of 5 stars. I received an e-ARC of this novel from Netgalley.

I received an ARC of this book through the publisher and NetGalley.

One never knows what will be found between the covers of a book by Ms. Hoffman. I have read many books by this master storyteller and she never disappoints. Some aren’t always my favorites, “The Dovekeepers” was too dark for me, but the writing is always pitch perfect.

This is a prequel to her famous “Practical Magic” which was made into a movie in 2003. I did not read that book but it’s not necessary to totally enjoy this book.

We are introduced to the three teenage Owens siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent whose mother, Susanna, has always given them some strange rules to follow, “No walking in the moonlight, no Ouija boards, no candles, no red shoes, no wearing black, no night-blooming flowers, no cats, no crows” and on and on. Many of the teenagers questions will be answered when they reach 17 and are sent to stay with their aunt Isabella for a summer. She tells them “what is meant to be is bound to happen”.

We follow the siblings through an unexpected tragedy and as they grow into adults. Though they have been often warned not to fall in love, ultimately, they all do. It is said that tragedy will befall those that they truly love but love cannot be denied.

This book is about magic but so much more. There are the themes of family, togetherness, testing our limitations and embracing who we are. The characters are richly developed and are still tugging at my heart many days after finishing the novel. I am looking forward to reading “Practical Magic” and what will happen to the set of siblings Gillian and Sally who at the close of the novel are sent to live with their now much older aunts Franny and Jet. As they begin to settle in their aunt states “the girls might as well learn early on, this is not a house like any other. No one would care how late they stayed up at night, or how many books they read on rainy afternoons, or if they jumped into Leech Lake from the highest cliff” but there were some things they needed to learn “always leave out seed for the birds when the first snow falls, wash your hair with rosemary, drink lavender tea when you cannot sleep and know that the only remedy for love is to love more”. How I loved that ending.

This is a book I will recommend over and over to anyone who wants to escape for a while into a world of magic and beautiful writing.

Will also post to Amazon upon publication.

Posted to Amazon on October 10, 2018

This book was slow. I think if I'd relaxed, I would have been able to enjoy it a lot more. Other than the pacing, I loved it. The magic system was really interesting, I liked how each of the children had a gift that was just theirs and that they exhibited it without even trying, so that there was literally no way of escaping their magic.

I think I also would have enjoyed it more if I had read Practical Magic first. There were probably references and stuff that I didn't notice because I hadn't read it. It had enough to stand on it's own, but I do think that reading Practical Magic first would probably be better.

I liked the relationships between the siblings. I liked how they were close and always had each others backs. I think that and the magic were the main draws of the book.

i'm a huge fan of alice hoffman and this book didn't disappoint. it was wonderful to get a different perspective on the characters from 'practical magic'.

Hoffman returns to the world of the Owens family who we first met in her novel Practical Magic.  However, you do not need to read Practical Magic to enjoy this book.  The Rules of Magic reveals the lives of Franny and Jett as teenagers and women before they came to raise Sally and Gillian.  Also included in The Rules of Magic is Franny and Jett's brother, Vincent, grandfather to Sally and Gillian.

Teenage Franny, Jett, and Vincent are sheltered from their background and skills by their parents.  The parents seem to want to ignore the truth of what they are, yet still agree to allow the children visit their aunt, Isabelle, for the summer where they know they will learn about their history.  The first rule for Owens women is to never fall in love.  Falling in love will destroy the object of their affection in one way or another.  

Despite the curse, all three Owens children do experience love over the course of their lives.  For some, it works out better than it does for others.  The other type of love explored in this book was equally as interesting as the romantic lives of Franny, Jett, and Vincent.  Their love for each other was powerful, enduring, and unconditional.  Family ties meant a lot to each character.

Hoffman's writing flows easily and keeps you wanting to find out what will happen next.  She is talented at writing a diverse range of books and handled the construction of this prequel to a previous novel masterfully.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy.

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.

Review: Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Rules of MagicThe Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For me, this was easily the most anticipated book in a long while. Was so excited to get invited to read an advance copy. And even more happy to say it completely lives up the hype.

This book is wonderful. I read Practical Magic years ago, before the movie came out. I might have read it in anticipation of the movie. (As readers know, the movie is a bit different from the book, but the spirit is the same and I love them both.) That book turned me into a huge Alice Hoffman fan. I love the books in which she so skillfully weaves magic into every day life. Rules of Magic is one of her best at doing this.

The story begins with Franny, Jet and their brother, Vincent. (Not really a spoiler, but Franny and Jet will eventually be the aunts in Practical Magic.) Their mother, an Owens, tries to keep her children away from magic, hence the rules. But her efforts are in vain.

This is the story of how the Owens children discover magic, and the effect it has on their lives, for better or worse. This story is about family and secrets and uncomfortable truths. It's filled with romance and heartbreak - as is the lot of an Owens witch.

Reviews of books I love are the most difficult to write. It's tough to say much more than, I really loved this book. I can't think of anything wrong with it or anything that bothered me or I felt should be changed. The story is beautiful and of course, magical. I also really enjoyed the New York setting during the 60s.

I found it so interesting to learn about the lives of the aunts, before they became the aunts. They had dreams and plans and lovers and they wanted more out of life than to simply be, the aunts. But the Owens curse is a powerful one.

After I read this, I listened to the audio book of Practical Magic, and as much as I love that book, I believe I like Rules of Magic more.

I am so glad that Hoffman chose to return to this world. I hope she continues to do so.

I read this book in July and have every intention of reading it again, closer to Halloween because what better time to read about magic and witches?

If you like Practical Magic, if you like stories about magic or witches, if you like stories about women and families and struggling to be yourself while in opposition with a past over which you have no control, I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Alice Hoffman casts a spell over her rapt audience with this book, and that includes me! It’s been quite awhile since I read Practical Magic, but I remember that it was a surprising immersion into magical realism, and I loved it. After reading this very enjoyable prequel, I’m going to have to find a copy of that book and read it again.

I loved what a wonderful job Alice Hoffman did of bringing the characters to life. I was so wrapped up in their individual stories, that I often felt what they were feeling. The realistic touches such as herbs, plants and other things that went into potions was very well done, and I loved the familiars that followed Vincent and Fanny around. Hoffman also did a spectacular job of describing the 60’s and details of what life for a draft dodger was like.

I highly recommend this book.

So, I know I just said, in another review, that I don't like supernatural elements in books. Literally just said it. Even after I had started reading this book. As it turns out, I may be wrong, at least when the supernatural is done by someone who knows how to do it as well as Alice Hoffman. For some reason, even though the entire book is about witches, and curses, and mind reading, it never felt like the magic was the center of the book. Instead, this is really a book about family, love, redemption, and being true to yourself and I do love a book with those themes.

I've never read Hoffman's Practical Magic (this is actually a prequel to that earlier book), but I love the movie adaptation, starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole, Kidman, and Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest (the later two play Franny and Jet Owens, the sisters in this book). I adore that movie for the very reasons that I enjoyed this book. It's not a given that a movie adaptation of a book will fairly represent the book on which it was based (ok, it's often not even close); but, on the assumption that this one did, I had a feeling I would enjoy a book based on the aunts younger lives. Hoffman did not disappoint because, at it's heart, the magic in this book is the characters, who adored, each in their own way.

Even though the rules the Owens children grow up with are a little unusual, they are still rules made by parents and not understood by the children. Even though the Owens children have unique magical gifts and can often read each others minds, don't most siblings grow up each with their own unique gifts and an ability to read each other where others might not be able to do so? They don't appreciate their parents until they are gone, they long to be accepted, they long to be loved but are afraid of love - aren't these all things that are universal?

Hoffman charmed me with her blend of humor, sadness, grief, love, spirit, and family bond. Perhaps that was the greatest magic of the book. It's not perfect (it can drag on too long in some places and occasionally feel repetitive) but it was the perfect book for me at just the right time.

Alice Hoffman returns following the popular (1995) occult Practical Magic and the Owens family (movie starring Nichole Kidman and Sandra Bullock) with a little history. Rewind to the 1960s and enjoy THE RULES OF MAGIC. A nostalgic coming-of-age love letter. Learning to embrace one’s true self.

Rich in history, NYC, witches, curses, magic, and humor. Catch up with Franny and Jet. and meet little brother Vincent and cousin, April.

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

Susanna Owens had fled Massachusetts, escaped to Paris and married and settled in New York City. She did not want her children to know of their heritage. However, it was clear from the start they were not ordinary children. She had to set down some hard rules. However, this was not an easy task.

Frances, (Franny) the eldest with pale skin and blood-red hair had the ability to commune with birds. Sulky and suspicious.

Bridget (Jet), a reader with jet black hair, shy and beautiful. Kind-hearted, sensitive, fashionable and similar to her mother.

Vincent was the youngest brother, a gifted musician and charismatic, charming, slim, handsome, and often misbehaved.

Their dad was a psychiatrist and the sisters were outsiders at school. They wanted to escape their mother’s rules to be themselves. Every year a box of lavender-scented black soap arrives from Massachusetts. Soon they discovered their mom was keeping secrets. Was she a Russian spy?

Their mom was chic and only wanted them to have a normal life. However, when they see a letter from bohemian Aunt Isabelle, the get the idea of spending the summer with her in Massachusetts. They could escape for the summer. No rules!

Once they arrive, they soon learn they can do anything. They are quirky as well as their aunt Isabelle (with all her potions), allowing them to do whatever they please. They could not imagine why they hadn’t spent every summer on Magnolia Street. She could care less about bad behavior, diet, sleeping habits, or rules.

The curse.

However, they soon missed the culture of New York. Isabelle had them that anything whole could be broken and anything broken could be put back together. The curse could be broken.

The sisters ignore their mother’s warnings, and on to Greenwich Village, setting up an apothecary, while their brother, breaks hearts along the way.

They made a vow never to fall in love. Isabelle gave them the advice to not hide from who they are. If they do they will be unhappy.

Their family had always been blamed for everything. However, as the children slowly begin to understand their family secrets and try to escape the family curse, they may learn something.

A captivating blend of magical realism and nostalgia— return to the magical world of the Owens. From witches, spells, curses, and potions. Family, friendship, humor, and the power of love with plenty of magic and love sprinkled on top. A perfect Halloween read. Growing up in the 60’s enjoyed revisiting the past.

A special thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

When I saw that Alice had written a book about the Aunts (and apparently their brother!) I got aaaaalll kinds of grabby hands.
THEN I got an email from the publisher inviting me to download and read the story!

I entered this entire situation with great anxiety (after the initial *woohoo* wore off that is).
You see, I have not particularly enjoyed Hoffman's books so far. I have read two and (Practical Magic being my first) they have been slightly disappointing.
I expect a certain uplifting sweetness to my magic realism books. Hoffman writes a sad story.
I knew this was going to be a rough ride (with the curse and all, not a spoiler) but I just wish there could have been a few more happy times. Maybe I am just too invested in these characters.
This one felt much more 'right' to me than Practical Magic.
Hoffman does have a good writing style going for her. Some authors that write in the magic realism genre can get a bit 'purple'. Hoffman keeps it fairly straight forward. The world she takes you to is very grounded and I can appreciate that when it is offset with little quirks along the way.

The Rules of Magic has prompted me to give Hoffman another chance. She took the Aunts that I know and love and made them even more real. This is my favorite book by her so far.

I was a little unsure about reading this one because I wasn't a huge fan of Practical Magic (the book... I happen to love the movie adaptation however). But I actually found myself fully engrossed in this book and read it in less than 2 days. I loved seeing Franny, Jet, and Vincent grow up and how each of them treated the magic that was within them. My heart broke for each one of them at one point or another during the book. Franny was rather uptight, but you could still catch glimmers of the vulnerability she felt, knowing that she could never fully be with her love because of the Owens curse. And Jet, such a sweet girl who loses her way and eventually finds her way back. I think one of my favorite things was watching Jet and the Reverence overcome their differences to mourn Levi together. Vincent at first seemed just like a spoiled rotten youngest child, but deep down he had the same struggles as his sisters. Seeing him finally come into his true self when he met William was delightful. I was so worried that would have had a sad ending, but Vincent got his happy ending. There were a few parts that I felt moved rather slowly and probably could have been left out but overall I was very pleased with this book and see myself reading it again someday in the future.

Such a perfect book for October - the prequel to Practical Magic and I really loved this! If you are familiar with PM, you know there is a "curse" on the family. This book explains the origin of the curse and even though there is a lot of sadness, this felt spectacularly genuine. I read this very quickly because I loved the timing and pacing of it. It starts in the 50s and ends in the late 70s, touching on some major historical events. I don't want to give anything away but I definitely recommend this one. Such great characters and such a compelling story.

The Rules of Magic comes out TODAY October 10, 2017 and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this one for fans of Practical Magic - you will not be disappointed!

If there was anything Vincent might have done to stop it he wouldn't have done so, for this occurred only once in a person's life, and then only if he was lucky. It happened the way things happen in a dream. A door opens, a person calls your name, your heart beats faster, and everything is familiar, yet you don't know where you are. You are falling, you're in a house you don't recognize and yet you want to be here, you have actually wanted to be here all of your life.

You may have read Practical Magic, or seen the movie. If you have either (or both), then you know that it's the story about two girls, Sally and Gillian that grows up with their aunts after their parents die. Oh, and they are witches. The Rules of Magic goes back in time, to the 60s and onward and tells the story about Franny, Jet, and Vincent Owens. Franny and Jet happen to be the aunts that Sally and Gillian are staying with. This is their story...

I read Practical Magic for the first time this summer. I've seen the movie several times, but they are really very different. But, I still liked both the movie and the book and I was eager to read this book to get to know the aunts more. The Rules of Magic is just like Practical Magic an engaging and engrossing book to read. I've come to adore Alice Hoffman's way of writing, her descriptions, the flow of her text and above all the wonderful characters she creates. And, still, this is only the second book I have ever read by, her. Guess I have to remedy that...

This book is a must-read for every fan of Practical Magic fans (both movie and book lovers), the story is marvelous and if you like me love coming of age stories will you love this book. I love reading books set in the 60s, the bohemian atmosphere, the political turmoil and not to mention the music from the time like Bob Dylan. And, it's in this time that the Owen siblings are growing up, where they learn that they are different and that there is a curse hanging over their heads.

I finished the book last night and the story is still with me, their childhood and their first step into adulthood. And, the losses they have to face. There came a moment towards the end of the book when I had to put the book away to compose myself so that I wouldn't cry. That's how taken I was with the story. I loved the first book, but to be honest this one is better. I was definitely more taken with Franny, Jet and Vincent experiences than Sally and Gillian's. Not that I didn't find Sally and Gillian's lives in any way boring or so. It's just that that this book, the sibling's endurance, well it got to me.

4.5 stars

Y’all, my love for Alice Hoffman runs deep. I’ve been reading her books since high school, and she writes magical realism like no one else. I recently re-read Practical Magic so that I would be ready to read The Rules of Magic, a prequel to Practical Magic, out today. If you loved Practical Magic, or even just liked it, I can almost guarantee you’re going to love this one. It is wonderfully magical, perfect for fall, and has more suspense than I’m used to from Hoffman. I absolutely loved it.
In Practical Magic, Gillian and Sally live with their aunts, Franny and Jet, after their parents die. They spend much of the book denying their ancestry and both being fascinated by and trying to ignore the strange things the aunts do to help the women in their small town. The Rules of Magic is about Franny and Jet, their childhood, and how they came to be the women of Practical Magic. Franny, Jet, and their brother, Vincent, live in New York City, where their mother sets strict rules for them. But once a year, they visit their aunt Isabelle in a small Massachusetts town where their family has lived for centuries, the house on Magnolia Street. They, too, are trying to escape the Owens’ family curse, where magic rules and love leads to misfortune. But as Franny and Jet grow up, and Vincent makes his own way, they discover that you can’t outrun your destiny.
This is more blatantly magical than the first book, where magic is talked about and hinted at, and I have to say that I loved that. I loved seeing exactly what the Owens siblings were capable of, and how they dealt with that from youth into adulthood. I don’t want to say that I liked this better than Practical Magic . . . but I think I did. The characters are so well-written I felt like I knew them, and I wanted to hug all three siblings and help them somehow. I also really appreciated the added suspense in this novel. Hoffman is a beautiful writer, and I will read anything she writes, but The Rules of Magic contains an element of suspense that she doesn’t usually include, and it worked really well. The beginning story is interesting and will keep your attention because of the characters, but the end of the book will have you reading as fast as possible to find out what happens.
Like in her other books, Hoffman sticks with some tried and true themes: family is family, being an outsider is hard, and being true to yourself is important. She uses these in a lot of her books, but never feel tired because she introduces new ideas in every story, and this one felt fresh too. I think she takes a lot of things from her own life and weaves them into her stories. Hoffman used to be notoriously private, preferring people to just read her books and ignore her, leaving her alone at home. If you read The Rules of Magic closely, that theme of the importance of home is loud and clear. No matter where the characters go, or what they go through, they always go back home. The house on Magnolia Street draws everyone back in, and remaining close to home becomes very important to all of the Owens women.
The Rules of Magic is one of Hoffman’s best works yet and, selfishly, I hope she writes more about the Owens family, because I cannot get enough. This is great all year, but especially perfect for your nightstand in October!