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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'
Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
38 reviews
josephinefarine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, and Death
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- 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
"Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can."
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman is the prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Although this was an enjoyable read with Hoffman's classic style, I definitely enjoyed Practical Magic more, mostly because I've read so many books on the Salem Witch trials, that some elements felt too familiar to other books.
We follow the life of Maria Owens, the original Owens witch. We follow her from Essex County England to Curiçao to Salem to New York and back to Salem. We also learn of her Daughter Faith, who turns to left-handed magic.
We get to see Maria struggling to figure what (romantic) love is, and though she vows not to ever fall in love (spoiler alert) she does, although what she thinks is love, isn't. Unfortunately this leads her to avoid the person who is her true love. She even calls down a curse on any man who falls in love with an Owens' woman.
Although this was a story about the Witch Trials and how women didn't get to do as they as they please, ultimately, this was a story about love: how it can destroy you when it goes wrong and how it can save you when it's true. Similarly it's also the story of a Mother's love and the complicated relationship between mother and daughter that witches and non-witches alike can relate to.
The 3rd person omniscient that Hoffman uses is a bit impersonal and feels a bit like you're floating above the characters. There was also a lot of repetition of the same descriptions and listing out the same ingredients throughout the book. I'm glad I read this prequel and now. Looking forward to seeing where the Owens women go in The Rules of Magic.
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Slavery
kathleencoughlin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Animal death and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Torture, Murder, and Gun violence
Minor: Antisemitism, Colonisation, Gore, Grief, and Slavery
soswiin's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Infidelity
bookinthebath's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Confinement
banrions's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry
maia_ep's review against another edition
- 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
- a lovely magical story, exactly the witchy read i was looking for this autumn
- hoffman's insistence on sexualizing her pre-teen characters was off-putting
- i felt maria was sometimes inconsistently characterized & made it hard to understand her choices
- i adored faith and loved her journey so much
Moderate: Animal death and Misogyny
Minor: Antisemitism and Sexual violence
linesiunderline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
While this one didn’t sweep me up quite so entirely as Practical Magic and Rules for Magic did, I still thoroughly enjoyed spending more time with a few of the Owens women, mostly because they are brave and gifted and full of heart. Something about the alternating perspectives didn’t entirely work for me - I wasn’t as consistently engaged as I was with her other two books in this cycle.
Hoffman really creates a strong sense of place, and writes so that all of your senses get involved in the reading process. I love that. Also, you want some strong women? This is a book with many of them.
Hoffman is a gorgeous storyteller. Grab a mulled cider and cozy up.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, and Xenophobia
primavera's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Kidnapping
Minor: Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
hillysreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death