Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

22 reviews

bookishfaye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This book is a very slow burn & very heavy on the historical elements so with that being said I can see how this book is maybe not for everyone. I have never seen or read practical magic & decided to go about the series in chronological timeline order so I’ve started with the story of Maria Owens. I absolutely loved every second of this book, it was beautiful, & heartbreaking, & hopeful, & devastating & I’ll be jumping right into The Rules of Magic Asap!!! 

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Content Warnings

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

meganjeg's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I struggled to keep up the momentum with this book even though it is so well written. Part of it is the way the story jumped through time, I found it hard to connect with the characters. And part of it was the intensity of the storyline, every character was dealing with trauma. Also, I read this book first and even though that makes sense chronologically, sometimes prequels don't hit the same as the main series. 

That being said, the writing is excellent, I could vividly imagine the places in the story and, even though this is a fantasy book, it felt realistic - a feminist allegory of generational trauma. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Abandonment, and Religious bigotry

citrinuke's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Torture

julianalo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, Death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion, Sexual assault, and Slavery

kathleencoughlin's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

This was fine. I haven't read Practical Magic so I'm not sure if reading that first would have been a better choice. It's not required and I wasn't confused or anything, but maybe that would have explained some if the places where the pacing seeme off? Idk

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Blood

Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Torture, Murder, and Gun violence

Minor: Antisemitism, Colonisation, Gore, Grief, and Slavery

martamae77's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Pregnancy

soswiin's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.25

such a good read but it isn't re-read material. loved how morally grey maria was but her story was just soo slow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Infidelity

banrions's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• 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

The last paragraph was perfection. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

linesiunderline's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

I discovered Alice Hoffman only in the last two years, and I’m a fan. Sign me up for her books when I am in the mood for something lush and atmospheric that just says, “Fall.” Add witches, and a love story, and I’m in. 

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

  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. 

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Content Warnings

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