Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

7 reviews

winkieunc's review against another edition

2.75

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

 The story took me on a roller coaster.  I enjoyed it when there was action.  However, there were some parts of the story that dragged.  It took me a long time to finish it because I was a bit bored for the first half.  It was good to find out how the Owens' curse came about, but I just wanted to shake the characters at times.

This all could have been avoided if she just stayed with Samuel and forgot about the man that left her without a word.

  2.75 stars is generous because I liked the Practical Magic movie.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

loonysaurus's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Antisemitism, Stalking, Abandonment, Colonisation

Minor: Sexual content, Classism

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Ah! What a beautiful, enchanting prequel. This was written just as wonderfully as practical magic and I adored it just as much.

Hoffman writes generational, magical stories about women so fantastically.

I loved learning how the Owen's curse began and who began the legacy, and growing with them. I felt attached deeply to Hannah, Maria and Faith and though some decisions took characters down some dark roads, the character development that came from that was phenomenal.

There's a few heart wrenching animal deaths that absolutely broke me, so just prepare if things like that greatly upset you too.

The writing was lush and rich. I always adore the little spell work included between chapters/parts. It just feels so wholesome and perfectly placed.

Overall, I adored this so much!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail

chasingpages1's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking

Minor: Chronic illness, Infertility, Sexual content, Slavery, Dementia, Medical trauma, Colonisation

oliviaburley's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

  I enjoyed Magic Lessons a little more than Rules of Magic so going with 5 stars. It feels closer in style to Practical Magic which makes sense Maria Owens' story is outlined in Practical Magic already, this book expands the story and weaves in far more details.

My only complaint is that Faith’s portion of the story feels like it was wrapped up too quickly and neatly.

Throughout the story, there’s a building up of this dark path she’s on and yet when she finally confronts her father it frizzles out and she just....changes her mind about revenge? It felt like it was done more for the sake of having a happy ending for everyone. Which, fair enough. I like these characters and have no objection to a happy ending though it does feel a little odd given the setup of Practical Magic.

In Practical Magic the Owens family has this so-called long-standing curse and the people of the town are scared of them. Yet at the end of Magic Lessons Maria & Faith have a library and a girl’s school so...what led everyone in town to be such assholes to Sally & Gillian?

I get it, time & superstitions could have easily led to the shift in the behaviour of the town for the later book. Not to mention the Owens after Maria & Faith could have caused trouble. Still, it felt a little too neat.

Oh well, I did enjoy it and will likely re-read it in the future. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder

Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Dementia

mamawantsbooks's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual content