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A review by sophactuallyreads
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
emotional
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
5.0
How do I even describe this? This was such an engrossing read and after Magic Lessons, totally not what I was expecting. It’s the strongest of the three Practical Magic books so far— and my absolute favorite.
1) I think Franny is a contender for my favorite fictional character I’ve read this year.
I simply adored Franny’s character. Granted, I always have, from the moment I saw the movie for the first time (yes I saw it before reading the book). The harsh one, with a great sense of style (which is NOT reflected in the book, but I respect it). The real one when Jet sugar coated.
I loved seeing her character grow from a gawky teenage girl into the rock of the family. Her flaws made her interesting— I love how she had her hard edges and was stubborn. You don’t see protagonists quite like Franny in much, save for Little Women, maybe. Parts of me related to her as she had to pick up responsibilities, and I’m an only child. I don’t know what it was about Franny, but she was just the most lovable, cranky witch I’ve ever read about.
Also, I loved the ups and downs of her relationship. Her and Haylin were so engaging. I hated them at times and loved them by the end. Lewis was pretty funny too, and while I wish she would’ve had a familiar more like Cadin, I understood why Lewis was written as he was. Cheers to you, Lewis.
2) Vincent and Jet were pretty darn cool too.
I got irritated with them both at times. And and Hoffman’s decisions to… well, write a lot of what happened with Vincent, were pretty alarming. Like, if it wasn’t for Franny being so awesome, what she wrote Vincent having done would’ve made me stop reading. In ways it was more concerning than Magic Lessons, which also bothered me. I wish I’d checked TWs before starting, just so I would have been aware going into it that I would be uncomfortable once again!
Overall, I loved Vincent’s romance, and Jet’s relationship with a certain older man warmed my heart. It’s nice to see people come together despite their differences.
3) I just… really liked it. Plain as that.
It didn’t make me emotional quite as Magic Lessons did, but it was such a quick read and just made me happy to read. I would’ve finished it a lot sooner if I wasn’t working late. It was never a burden to pick up, instead leaving me excited to see what Franny and gang would do next.
I wish we had more from Franny and Jet’s perspective. Picking up the Book of Magic next so we’ll see! All in all, I just love this series.
Put magic and New England in the same sentence, and I’m here for it.
1) I think Franny is a contender for my favorite fictional character I’ve read this year.
I simply adored Franny’s character. Granted, I always have, from the moment I saw the movie for the first time (yes I saw it before reading the book). The harsh one, with a great sense of style (which is NOT reflected in the book, but I respect it). The real one when Jet sugar coated.
I loved seeing her character grow from a gawky teenage girl into the rock of the family. Her flaws made her interesting— I love how she had her hard edges and was stubborn. You don’t see protagonists quite like Franny in much, save for Little Women, maybe. Parts of me related to her as she had to pick up responsibilities, and I’m an only child. I don’t know what it was about Franny, but she was just the most lovable, cranky witch I’ve ever read about.
2) Vincent and Jet were pretty darn cool too.
I got irritated with them both at times. And and Hoffman’s decisions to… well, write a lot of what happened with Vincent, were pretty alarming. Like, if it wasn’t for Franny being so awesome, what she wrote Vincent having done would’ve made me stop reading. In ways it was more concerning than Magic Lessons, which also bothered me. I wish I’d checked TWs before starting, just so I would have been aware going into it that I would be uncomfortable once again!
3) I just… really liked it. Plain as that.
It didn’t make me emotional quite as Magic Lessons did, but it was such a quick read and just made me happy to read. I would’ve finished it a lot sooner if I wasn’t working late. It was never a burden to pick up, instead leaving me excited to see what Franny and gang would do next.
I wish we had more from Franny and Jet’s perspective. Picking up the Book of Magic next so we’ll see! All in all, I just love this series.
Put magic and New England in the same sentence, and I’m here for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Incest, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: War