In this conclusion to the Practical Magic books, beloved aunt Jet Owens hears the deathwatch beetle and knows she has only seven days to live. Jet is not the only one in danger—the curse is already at work on others in the family.

The family shifts into high gear as they make an all-out effort to save a life, traveling back to where it all began. Each family members uses his or her gifts to break the curse. Their ancestor, Maria Owens first practiced the Unnamed Art in a rural English countryside. Sally has rejected the magic all her life and now realizes she must use her powers as well. Kylie Owens uncovers the truth about who she is and what her own dark powers are, her aunt Franny comes to understand that she is ready to sacrifice everything for her family, and Sally Owens realizes that she is willing to give up everything for love.

The Book of Magic gave me all the Halloween feels. I love this series and I am sad to see it end. I highly recommend it to fans of the Practical Magic series.

3.5 stars
In a seamless return to the characters and location of Practical Magic, three generations of the Owens family (primarily the women) come together to face their curse head-on.

Hoffman draws on the previous books to create an impressive sense of pathos early in the book. She had me completely until about halfway when she caved and followed the current trend of dividing the plot line into three different narratives. (Sigh. I’ve absolutely had enough of the multiple points of view or time periods or locations. Can we please just tell a unified, linear story?)

Regardless, The Book of Magic does have a clear climax towards which all three narratives hurtle, and its resolution is powerful and satisfying. It does feel like a long time from this point to the actual end of the book, somewhat diminishing the impact. Overall, it is bit of a roller coaster that is definitely worth the ride..

Thank you to Alice Hoffman, Simon & Shuster, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Are you a fan of the Practical Magic series? I’ve enjoyed the series and love Alice Hoffman’s novels. The Book of Magic takes place chronologically after Practical Magic but is the fourth book in the series. This story brings together many of the characters we’ve been reading about in the series. Aunt Jet, Aunt Franny, Uncle Vincent, Sally and Gillian, and Sally’s children, Kylie and Antonia are all in this novel. The novel starts out reacquainting the reader with the various characters and the history of the family.

Sally has never told her daughters that they are witches or about the Owens family curse on love. Kylie falls in love with her childhood sweetheart. Just after declaring their love, he is involved in a horrific accident. Kylie decides it is up to her to remove this curse and bring him back to life out of his coma. She embarks on a journey that takes her back to England where her ancestor Maria Owens was from originally. As her family embarks on a journey to save her, will they be able to break the family curse once and for all?

I enjoyed the conclusion in the series, but I am also a little sad that it has ended. The story seemed to meander at times, but I was happy to see all of the characters and pieces of the story from previous novels comes back together again. I love the characters and I love Hoffman’s style of writing.
ess, and I didn’t realize she narrated audiobooks now. She did a wonderful job giving a voice to each character.

Overall, The Book of Magic was the perfect conclusion to the Practical Magic series.

Having already read the first three books in this series about the Owens family, I looked forward to reading the final installment of the series. I wasn't disappointed. This has all the elements of the others - love, heartbreak, the ensuing resistance to loving, family, and of course, a touch of magic.
When Jet realizes she'll be dead within 7 days, she decides 300 years of living under the family curse on love is quite enough, and leaves her sister Franny with the directions for breaking the curse. The family gathers up and travels to England to break the curse and try to save the (hopefully) last victim of said curse. It's a fitting end to the series, with the full circle of deaths, births, family reunions, and of course at the center of it all is love - all bound up in Alice Hoffman's lovely writing. I was sad to see the end to this series, but enjoyed it all the same.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

This book brings the saga of this family to a satisfying conclusion. An engrossing story, with all the details you could ever wish to know.

It's here! It's finally here! Wait, am I ready for this? The Book of Magic, written by Alice Hoffman, is the final novel in the Practical Magic series. It's time to see how the Owens witches remove the curse that has plagued their family for generations (no, the movie ending isn't canon – though it is still delightful).

Jet Owens has lived a long and good life. So she is not surprised on the morning she hears the deathwatch beetle. She knows it means her time is nearly here – and that she must get her affairs in order.

Yet Jet is not the only one getting the warning signs. A young man – the newest victim of the curse – is at grave risk as well. It will take three generations of Owens witches to work together in order to save him and finally put this curse to rest.

"Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end, but all the best stories begin in a library."

The Book of Magic is a novel that had me so conflicted. On the one hand, it's the book that I've been waiting years for. On the other hand, it's also the end of an era. I wasn't sure that I was ready to say goodbye. Not to any of these delightful characters. But time goes on, and so must I.

I'll be honest: I didn't know what to expect from The Book of Magic. I knew that it wasn't going to end the way the movie did (duh), but beyond that, I couldn't even begin to guess how it would all finally come together.

What I got? Was amazing. Bittersweat in every sense of the word. It was a perfect ending for the series, the characters, and the fans. Again, I'm sad to see the series go, but I am so happy that Alice Hoffman found a way to do justice to it all.

I should probably mention: to those that have only ever read Practical Magic; I would strongly advise picking up the prequels before finishing the series. Magic Lessons and The Rules of Magic are both fantastic reads. More than that, plots and characters in those books will be essential for The Book of Magic. It may not make as much sense without their words.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman was the last and final book in The Practical Magic series. In my opinion it was a fitting ending for a very enjoyable series of books. Alice Hoffman never seems to disappoint. Her writing was brilliant, addictive and so enjoyable. I loved how this series of books brought to tuition very strong female characters. All the characters in The Book of Magic were both vividly represented and very believable. The heartbreaking and mesmerizing conclusion was both satisfying and compelling. I knew the series would end with this last book but I found myself a little sad to say goodbye to the characters who had become so familiar.

The Book of Magic was dedicated to finding a way to end a curse that had plagued the women of the Owens family for over 300 years. It had originated with Maria Owens and still affected the Owens family all these centuries later. It took three generations of the Owens family women to puzzle through the origins of the curse and find a way to end it once and for all. Success for breaking the curse depended on the discovery of a rare and very powerful book, The Raven, guidance and direction from Jed Owens, Franny Owens and even their recently found brother and the determination of the third generation and youngest of the Owens’ women. The Owens’ women knew that to love was to bring about death. Kylie, Sally’s youngest daughter, would not stop at anything until she figured out how to end this curse once and for all.

I loved The Practical Magic Series and The Book of Magic tied all the loose ends together in a very satisfying way. The Book of Magic explored the relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces and even sisters and brothers. It was so well written and kept me up late into the night not wanting to stop reading. I’m sad the series is over but I look forward to the next book Alice Hoffman decides to write. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this advanced digital copy of The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Alice Hoffman does it again. How can we figure out how to continue this series? I never want it to end

Alice Hoffman continues to bewitch and dazzle me with her writing and this book is no exception. I loved falling into the pages of this book, being reunited with some characters, and having characters of the past mentioned again. It all comes full circle.

If you are not familiar with the series, the Owens family has been cursed when it comes to love for over 300 years. DO NOT FALL IN LOVE or the cures will take effect.

This book begins in a library and with the appearance of a deathwatch beetle brings the knowledge that an ending for one is coming soon. The Owens family is a tight knit group who love each other deeply. But what happens when they love others? You got it - the CURSE!


As they attempt to save a young man, they learn secrets, undiscovered truths, and the meaning of sacrifice.

I cried when I finished this book. What's that tell you about this review?

In all seriousness, I've only read one other novel in the Practical Magic family of stories but it won't stay that way for long because both this novel and Magic Lessons are some of the most beautiful stories I've ever experienced.

The Book of Magic truly blew me away. It has a huge cast of unique characters who all grow in their own individual ways throughout the events of the plot. I felt really connected to Antonia as a practical eldest sister myself but the way family, and particularly the relationship of sisters, is portrayed here made my heart both ache and sing. It's complicated, messy, and incredible, just like how it is to have a close sister in real life.

The story itself compels you to keep reading, not because it's a super fast pace but because the language creates such a sense of time and place that you feel like you're somewhere else. Hoffman's prose is a thing of true beauty and has a magic all its own. It lulls you and makes you sigh and gasp and tears well up in your eyes. It's extraordinary and she's at her best here.

I really can't recommend this novel enough. I'd give it to any reader at any time because the lessons in it are ones that are universal and timeless.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

I received an eARC of The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman from Simon & Schuster and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
5 stars! Alice Hoffman has done it again! If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic," this book is for you. I recommend reading the other books in this series as this is the final book. The Book of Magic was deeply moving. This has been a favorite series of mine, and I'm sad it's over.

I've read all the books in this series and this one was good but not my favorite. I enjoyed getting to hear from Jet and Frannie again and then Vincent later on. The younger generation is involved in trying to end the dreaded curse that's haunted the Owens family for years. The use of potions and soaps and ingredients were in the story again but this time the lists of ingredients became repetitive and felt unnecessary at times. However, Hoffman's writing is magical and she weaves a good story with a satisfying ending

A wonderful addition to the Practical Magic family - Alice Hoffman is such a gifted writer and I just love this one so much!

The conclusion to Hoffman’s Practical Magic series, is the perfect ending. It makes me want to go back and read the previous books leading up to this modern witch family and healers who live in Massachusetts. Beginning with the death of the elderly Aunt Jet, the tale brings her sister, Franny, her long-lost brother, Vincent, sisters Sally and Gillian and Sally’s daughters Kylie and Antonia together in the search for the end of the love curse on their family. After following the family’s 300-year-old family from its beginnings in Essex, England to modern day witches, many of whom refuse to recognize their power, the reader knows these characters and cheer for their bravery as they look for a way to save Kylie’s fiancé, who has been hit by a car. They know its because anyone in the family who falls in love will come to grief. I’ve not been a fan of witchcraft stories, but Hoffman makes these people so authentic I fell in love with the series

Superb! Another great read from Ms. Alice Hoffman; my favorite yet of her Magic series. I am sad to hear that this is intended to be the last, but I hold out hope that perhaps she will change her mind on that someday.

Ever since I saw the movie back in 1998, I knew the world of Practical Magic was truly the Jet and Franny story despite the movie skewing otherwise. Now that we've reached the conclusion of their stories, I couldn't be more pleased.

To start, in the past I've described Hoffman's writing style as "flowery". Perhaps not the best description, but it gets the point across. In this particular book, it felt almost too "flowery". I got extremely bogged down in the beginning 1/3 of the book, having to push myself to work through it. I knew there would be payoff and the story as a whole would be beautiful, but as a reader I had to do some legwork to get myself to the point where I could see that.

What I did love, though, was how centered on the intertwining of relationships the book was. It wasn't just Franny and Jet or Sally and Jillian or Kylie and Antonia. It was how they were all connected and intertwined and how one small event has such a huge impact on everyone else. There were threads that had been dangling since the previous books that were scooped up and tied in a neat bow.

Overall a super enjoyable read, and I am grateful to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for honest feedback.

What a beautiful ending to the series. Showcasing love in a spectacular way, you are sure to love the Owens. This was a wonderfully atmospheric fall book.

This is a beautiful conclusion to the stories of Franny and Jet Owens. The book is dense with ambiance and magical abilities but effervescent at the same time. It’s a celebration of these characters as they’ve grown old and an attempt by the next generations - Sally, Gillian, Kylie and Antonia - to put an end to the family’s love curse. I thought this was a fitting and touching Owens send-off.

The completion of the Practical Magic story of the Owens family and their curse in matters of love makes the swing around to complete the circle. The primary settings are the house on Magnolia Street where the Owens family has lived for generations, with trips across the ocean and back to the place of the original pond where the curse began in England. As with any good series, this one tied up loose ends left open in the prior books and created a landscape all its own. Fresh characters join the beloved one, and we feel immediately at home in the libraries and homes of the characters.

Hoffman’s writing has been called lush, and for this reader, some places where a bit too lush, especially once the action moved to England. But the story and characters were worth wading through a bit of brush and marsh, the ending is surprisingly inevitable. I was charmed by the explanations of love for this family… “you stayed when you wanted to run away. You held on when you knew you had no choice but to let go.” I wish I had the whole series to read again.