Alice Hoffman's books are always impeccably well researched, and this was no exception. She is one of my favorite authors, currently.

This is a tale of Mia, who is raised in a religious cult and her life there and afterwards. Mia finds a copy of The Scarlet Letter and that book builds her resolve to control her circumstances and escape the cult. A bit of magical realism kicks in and she is able to go back in time to see her idol, Nathanial Hawthorne, and we see a bit of his and his sisters' lives.

I enjoyed the glimpse into Nathanial Hawthorne's life, which made him sound interesting and not the dry, gloomy author of forced reading I remember from high school.

Alice Hoffman books are one of my great literary delights, and I was so surprised at the magical way in which she wove past and present in The Invisible Hour. As a recovering English major, I was intrigued by the way her imagination envisioned Nathaniel Hawthorne, and how she juxtaposed themes of freedom and persecution.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Wow, this was incredible and so unexpected. I haven't read an Alice Hoffman book in a few years and I forgot how truly talented she is as a writer. The way she brings you into a story and makes you feel part of the action is incredible. I literally could feel Mia's isolation and sadness. I also adored the connection to The Scarlet Letter. I had an obsession with that book after reading it for high school English so my teen self was squealing when Mia went back in time. Whether you're new to Alice Hoffman or a long-time fan, you will fall in love with this book.

Mia is a young girl whose mother, Ivy, ran away from home as a teenager when she was pregnant. Ivy sought refuge at a commune type place, where she met the villainous leader of the community named Joel. Mia yearns for a life outside of this place and tries to convince her mom, Ivy, to escape. From there, magical events start to unfold, and Mia takes a journey beyond her wildest dreams. 3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!!!

Witchy, culty, literary vibes incoming…

🍂 REVIEW: THE INVISIBLE HOUR 🍂

By Alice Hoffman

📖 SUMMARY: Mia Jacob was raised in a cult called the Community, which forbids contact with the outside world, owning possessions, and reading books. As she grows older, she rebels against these oppressive rules and visits the neighboring town more and more often. There, she finds happiness in the library, and she finds magic in the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. But this magic, which began simply as a story that she deeply related to, becomes something much more real as Mia makes her way back in time to meet the book’s brilliant author.

💭 THOUGHTS: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, though I knew Hoffman could create an incredible magical world in her writing. I also love stories about cults, and this blended the two perfectly. I was sucked into Mia’s story immediately. This is such an interesting and unique concept and it was executed well, so I highly recommend!

✨ MADE ME FEEL: intrigued, mystified, and more inclined to read older classics

🥰 YOU’LL ENJOY IF: you liked A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES or the PRACTICAL MAGIC series

The Invisible Hour is a love letter to books and libraries, to favorite authors and the endurance of classics. It’s about thinking that you’ve found your place and living to regret it, and about finding the actual people and places and books that you need, when you need them most. It’s about the slow, insidious entrapment of commune or cult life, and how it always seems to take the most from women and girls. It’s about female autonomy, and everything that entails. And it is of course about love, and the passions that make us who we are.

This is a book that had so much to offer in a scant few pages. And yet, there was something about it that left me cold. There are lots of lovely lines, but there’s also something about Hoffman’s writing that doesn’t touch me emotionally, though the story is one that should. I felt the same way about Practical Magic when I read it years ago. I appreciate her work, and even like it, but it doesn’t move me. And a story like this should move me.

I confess, I felt that Hoffman tried too hard to make The Invisible Hour properly literary. The “invisible” motif was too frequent and heavy-handed to be effective. It felt repetitious by the end of the book. There were also a few conversations that felt shoehorned in simply to bring out some particular message or point Hoffman wanted to make, which made these interactions—of which there were too few to begin with—feel disingenuous. And there was way too much exposition and over-explanation in comparison to action and dialogue. I felt like I was told a lot about these characters without being shown, which made it difficult for me to form any meaningful connections.

The shift to time-traveling magical realism in the middle of the book was a very odd juxtaposition to the plot of the first half of the story which, while an unusual tale, is one firmly rooted in reality. I’ve never known anyone as infatuated with any author, much less Hawthorne, as are Hoffman and her protagonist. It was honestly just a little off-putting, because it was just so outside of my expectations. This actually give it an almost fanfiction vibe, though The Invisible Hour is definitely a literary novel.

I didn’t dislike The Invisible Hour. But I also didn’t particularly enjoy it. It was fine, I suppose. A book to check off of my list that I don’t expect to remember a year from now. Which is a shame, because it had a lot of potential. And I’m sure that there are many people who have loved and will love this book; Hoffman is an incredibly popular author for a reason. But after having read this book and Practical Magic, I’ve decided that her work sadly isn’t for me.

A drawn out and too long story following a daughter, her mother and getting lost in a cult. The concept of the story was good but it meandered it a way that was hard to follow

Alice Hoffman's letter to her readers was one of my favorite parts of this book. It is a beautifully written book with characters who pull at your heart. I was invested in both Mia and Ivy's stories as they lived in and survived their time in the Community. I read this book in two days and enjoyed the part the Scarlett Letter played in the storyline. The ending seemed a bit abrupt. I can't deny that Alice is a fantastic writer, this just wasn't my favorite book she has written.

The first half of this novel was amazing - chefs' kiss! The second half got really weird really quickly and I struggled to finish.
I understand the premise of the whole "falling in love with a dead author" because he really impacted the main character, Mia, but at the same time to dedicate so much real estate of the story to this strange obsession took me aback and removed value from Mia's experience for me.
Thankful for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it within a day. I appreciate the authors writing style and how it draws you into the story.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book was hauntingly beautiful. It was my first of her books and it definitely will not be my last. I’d recommend to anyone!

Alice Hoffman has such a wonderful way with words. While this story wasn’t action-packed, I was quickly sucked into the story and I didn’t want to put it down. Beautifully written, and perfect for fans of character-driven stories, I would definitely recommend this one.

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Hard to believe Hoffman isn't a witch herself with how amazingly she writes! Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

“A book doesn't live when it's written. It lives when it's read.”

I read this for a book club and I think it's a great choice for a book club discussion. I really enjoyed part 1 the most. I loved learning about Ivy and Mia. I found the part about the cult interesting to read about and how books and stories impacted Ivy and Mia. I would have really loved seeing part 1 extended and that being the entire book. However, I did appreciate how the author tied it together in the end.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel. Thank you!

I really enjoyed the first part of this novel, the struggle between Ivy and trying to find a place where she’s accepted and loved is just heartbreaking.

The second part of the story was almost like a fever dream. I think Mia was struggling to find her own place to be accepted and found comfort in her favorite book.

Good book. I liked the characters and the dialogue. The story kept me interested, so it was a quick read. A good read

Alice Hoffman is the best of the best when it comes to magical realism. Her creative storytelling and beautiful prose is captivating. The Invisible Hour did not disappoint. I was immersed completely in Ivy’s and her daughter Mia’s world. Sad and oppressive is the cult community they found themselves and it was a shame (but no surprise) that books, an easy escape, were banned. I am reminded of Stephen King’s quote, “Books are uniquely portable magic.” That’s true for some, but not for all, and it’s definitely the case for this one. I was transported! The time traveling ties to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was incredibly unique and well done. My favorite quote in this book was, “… once she began to read, she understood that there was a door that would lead her out of her situation, and that every book was a door; and that there were a thousand lives she might live.” This story slowly unfolded for me and kept me glued from beginning to end. It is so sequel worthy. The last chapter left too many unanswered questions and I wasn’t ready to leave its magic. 4+ stars.

I want to thank Netgalley, Atria Books and Alice Hoffman for an advanced e-copy in exchange for this honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! This is my first time reading a book by this author and I will definitely read more. It drew me and I couldn’t put it down.

Alice Hoffman has a way of drawing you into her novels that is unparalleled. Everything I have read by her is amazing and I can't wait to continue my fangirling.

Oh I really enjoyed this one. Strong female characters, and a fun time traveling plot. It all weaved well together.