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loonysaurus'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, and Self harm
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Stalking, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Racism, and Abandonment
Minor: Classism and Sexual content
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Genocide, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual content, Infidelity, Infertility, Death, Dementia, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Stalking, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Pedophilia, Blood, Medical content, and Violence
danimain'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
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Sexism, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Child abuse
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pedophilia, Slavery, and Kidnapping
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Historical Fantasy
Magical Realism
Witches
Salem witch trials
Witch heritage
Early America
One Bed
Journey
Coming of age
Generational Curse
Kidnapping
Alice Hoffman’s writing often feels like campfire storytelling . It’s such a specific style that is a perfect example of the Art of a tale. With whimsey, magic and love she transports her readers to another place and time.
I found the history of the Owens family and the originator of the love curse to be rich in prose, vivid descriptions and a careful attention to history.
This is a slow moving tale that follows the entire life of the matriarch of the Owen’s family. But Hoffman completely captures the scene of each of the places the MC finds herself, as well as the misogynistic and fearful tone of the time.
“Do as you will, but bring harm to no one.
What you will give will be returned to you threefold.”
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Dementia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
bookishfaye's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Violence, Chronic illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Animal death, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
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
emakay's review against another edition
Graphic: Death and Sexism
apoppyinthewind'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? It's complicated
5.0
My only complaint is that Faith’s portion of the story feels like it was wrapped up too quickly and neatly.
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.
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Minor: Dementia, Sexual content, Slavery, and Violence
elizabethamarx's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexism, and Slavery