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corinnereads7's review against another edition
dnf, felt quite sexist. too cheesy and unrealistic with the romances while shallow with the relationships between the Owens women/girls. focuses intensely on how hot they are, including the 13 year old girl who has a glow-up when her hair is dyed blonde and then is immediately abandoned by her male best friend because he’s too attracted to her or something? and instead of writing him off as an asshole and getting better friends, she bakes him his favorite cake. she’s then chased across a cornfield by grown men whose graphic thoughts about a CHILD the author kindly details for us. gross.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Stalking, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
atlanticgiantpumpkin's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
As an autistic woman, I spent a lot of the book thinking “Is this actually how people think?” Because everything was very exaggerated. I do feel like it went on a bit at times giving unnecessary details, but it was wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Stalking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Bullying, and Alcohol
thesalalmon's review against another edition
Oof. I was recommended this when looking for books that were lighthearted with strong female leading characters. It was a ruse. The story is not at all centred on the women it is about, but on their impact or influence on the men around them. It’s also rapey and I got too uncomfortable to continue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 🐈⬛
🌟🌟🌟🌟
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🔮 The plot: Sisters Gillian and Sally Owens are raised by their elderly aunts in a house where there is a magical solution to any problem, even love - though sometimes spells and potions cause more issues than they solve. They each escape by different paths: one by running away, the other through marriage and having daughters of her own. But you can’t outrun trouble, and when fate brings them back together years later, it will take three generations of Owens women, and a bit of magic, to restore peace.
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This is a book about love, sisterhood, and everyday magic. There’s something really charming about it (pun intended) - I knew I would love this book when one of the sisters falls in love and it makes her whole house change. The bats that have been nesting in the eaves move out to the shed; the roses win their battle with the weeds; drafts disappear and the front path doesn’t freeze over any more. It was a sweet kind of magical realism that articulated the way the world can feel when you’re in love, like everything you touch is charmed. I feel like this would be a good book for the heartsick, as it believes in the abundance of love. It reminded me a lot of “Don’t Hesitate” by Mary Oliver - “Joy was not made to be a crumb.”
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All this blends into an overall fairytale style of storytelling that I really enjoyed, and which keeps things moving along at a decent pace. It did take me a couple of weeks to read, but I think that’s just because I was so busy last week and so ill this week! At another time I would have devoured this book.
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🍄 Read it if you’re looking for a cosy autumnal read, and enjoy magical realism, stories about families and particularly stories about sisters.
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🚫 Avoid it if you don’t want to read about abusive relationships, as that is a big theme, or if you’re looking for a book that sits more squarely in fantasy - the magic here is pretty understated for most of the book, and serves mainly to advance the emotional storylines.
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Now that I’ve finished the book I need to watch the 1998 film adaptation! All I know is that it stars 90s Sandra Bullock which is honestly all I want from any film
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Sexual violence
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was immediately enchanted by this funny, sweet, magical story of sisterhood. The sisters of the Owens family are far from perfect, but so charming that you can’t help but love them. The magic is subtle and satisfying, because everyone gets what’s coming to them (good and bad). I loved how Hoffman wove superstitions and folklore through the story, some common and some I’d never heard of.
I hit a bit of a reading slump mid-read, so it took me a while to finish, but definitely not because I didn’t enjoy the book. I’ve noticed that, for some reason, books with super long chapters (like this one, which is divided into 4 sections rather than traditional chapters) take me a lot longer to finish than books with shorter chapters.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): It’s satisfyingly happy.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Violence, and Vomit
lain_darko's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I just finished rereading this, and I have to admit it’s been awhile since I’ve read it - simply because I don’t really reread books.
This is a book I’ve long considered one of my all time favorites, but I think that honor may be given to Magic Lessons (which is part of this series, and tells the story of Maria Owens).
BUT, this book is still great... I just think Alice Hoffman has perfected telling the stories of the Owens women the farther she gets into the series. I cannot wait for the final installment (The Book of Magic) to come out later this year.
This is a book I’ve long considered one of my all time favorites, but I think that honor may be given to Magic Lessons (which is part of this series, and tells the story of Maria Owens).
BUT, this book is still great... I just think Alice Hoffman has perfected telling the stories of the Owens women the farther she gets into the series. I cannot wait for the final installment (The Book of Magic) to come out later this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child death
syltetoy's review
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had no idea the movie was based on a book! I haven’t watched it since I was a kid but I remember I loved it. From what I remember, the movie is much more action-oriented? The book is very much about love and family and expectations and the magic is small. Hoffman has a way of describing that blends simile with magic and it just was lovely to listen to. I found it easy to imagine scenes, the descriptions are very sensory. I just really really enjoyed this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
raesengele's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is such a beautifully written book that left me with so many feelings, but I can entirely understand how it won't be for everyone.
For starters, it's magical realism, not fantasy, so if you want hard magic systems and Harry Potter esque witchcraft, look somewhere else.
Second, know that it is written in a stream of consciousness style and highly character driven, so if you're more comfortable with linear plot lines or are prone to claiming that "nothing happened" look somewhere else.
Finally, it is nothing like the movie (which was perfect for me since I never did get much out of it beyond the house and Nicole Kidman's face), so if it's one of your absolute favorites, look somewhere else.
For everyone still here, you are in for a treat! Why have I waited so long to read an Alice Hoffman book? Her prose is lyrical, almost fairy tale like, and moves seamlessly from one thought to the next which makes it difficult to put down.
One thing I've noticed a lot in other reviews is people criticizing the fact that every Owens woman is described as some kind of traffic stopping sort of beautiful (some more literally than others), but I'd argue that that's the point. Because it's written in this fairy tale style, hyperbole is to be expected. The princess is never just an average princess, she the fairest in all the land, the prince is always handsome, the witch is always ugly and disfigured. What Hoffman does is take that hyperbole and then makes them real despite of it. Yes, the women are traffic stopping level of gorgeous, but they're also broken, flawed, and struggle with getting through life, understanding what real love is, seeing themselves the way the rest of the world sees them. And that beauty is never treated as "this is a good person because she is beautiful." Sally refuses to see herself as anything other than a mother, as a woman worthy of love and longing. Gillian believes she deserves to be abused and used, never letting men see her for anything other than her beauty. Antonia is cruel and puts all her worth in her looks to the point where when her sister out shines her, she loses her confidence and has to learn what parts of her truly matter. Kylie learns deals with the hazards of beauty from an early age. The lesson is that it doesn't matter how beautiful you are, because that beauty is, after all, only skin deep. From page 227, "Although she'd never believe it, those lines in Gillian's face are the most beautiful part about her. They reveal what she's gone through and what she's survived and who exactly she is, deep inside."
For starters, it's magical realism, not fantasy, so if you want hard magic systems and Harry Potter esque witchcraft, look somewhere else.
Second, know that it is written in a stream of consciousness style and highly character driven, so if you're more comfortable with linear plot lines or are prone to claiming that "nothing happened" look somewhere else.
Finally, it is nothing like the movie (which was perfect for me since I never did get much out of it beyond the house and Nicole Kidman's face), so if it's one of your absolute favorites, look somewhere else.
For everyone still here, you are in for a treat! Why have I waited so long to read an Alice Hoffman book? Her prose is lyrical, almost fairy tale like, and moves seamlessly from one thought to the next which makes it difficult to put down.
One thing I've noticed a lot in other reviews is people criticizing the fact that every Owens woman is described as some kind of traffic stopping sort of beautiful (some more literally than others), but I'd argue that that's the point. Because it's written in this fairy tale style, hyperbole is to be expected. The princess is never just an average princess, she the fairest in all the land, the prince is always handsome, the witch is always ugly and disfigured. What Hoffman does is take that hyperbole and then makes them real despite of it. Yes, the women are traffic stopping level of gorgeous, but they're also broken, flawed, and struggle with getting through life, understanding what real love is, seeing themselves the way the rest of the world sees them. And that beauty is never treated as "this is a good person because she is beautiful." Sally refuses to see herself as anything other than a mother, as a woman worthy of love and longing. Gillian believes she deserves to be abused and used, never letting men see her for anything other than her beauty. Antonia is cruel and puts all her worth in her looks to the point where when her sister out shines her, she loses her confidence and has to learn what parts of her truly matter. Kylie learns deals with the hazards of beauty from an early age. The lesson is that it doesn't matter how beautiful you are, because that beauty is, after all, only skin deep. From page 227, "Although she'd never believe it, those lines in Gillian's face are the most beautiful part about her. They reveal what she's gone through and what she's survived and who exactly she is, deep inside."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
inthefallstateofmind's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to love this book since I loved the movie so much. However I found it to be quite slow. The descriptions are beautiful and give great insight into the characters and locations, but they’re very repetitive. The plot is not super deep and is predictable. I just expected a little bit more out of it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Murder