The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
”’You can love him if you want to,’ Jet told Franny. The scar on her face bloomed in cold weather, turning the color of violets. ‘To hell with the curse. You don’t have to make the same mistakes all the other women in our family have made.’”
This 366 page novel was published in 2017 by Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.
Who should read this?
This novel is so enchanting, laced with magic and love. People who enjoy whimsical stories that intertwine the lives of many family stories while facing questions of fate and one’s own contribution to the future that are sometimes relatable to the reader. If you like a story made of characters whose lives are closely linked and to whom you will find yourself attached and longing to learn more about, follow the Owens siblings on their journey through life.
Overall Rating:
5/5 (Easily)
Other books by Hoffman:
Who should read this?
This novel is so enchanting, laced with magic and love. People who enjoy whimsical stories that intertwine the lives of many family stories while facing questions of fate and one’s own contribution to the future that are sometimes relatable to the reader. If you like a story made of characters whose lives are closely linked and to whom you will find yourself attached and longing to learn more about, follow the Owens siblings on their journey through life.
Overall Rating:
5/5 (Easily)
Other books by Hoffman:
- Practical Magic (the sequel to this novel)
- The Dovekeepers
- The Museum of Extraordinary Things
- The Marriage of Opposites
- Faithful
- Here on Earth
- The Red Garden
Summary
Life is simply anything but ordinary for the Owens siblings, Franny, Jet, and Vincent, as they reach a certain bewitching age. When the time has come, this sibling trio go to visit their aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts, expanding their experiences and understanding of the world in which they live and their place in it from the small perspective they experienced at home in New York. They learn many lessons, including that they truly do have magic in their bloodlines, that it cannot be denied without serious consequences, their family is still feared, and lastly that they’re cursed.
The curse that follows the Owens family causes great harm to befall any who fall in love with them, creating sadness and despair for them and the Owens as they realize that they will never be able to fully love someone without accepting that they will both lose everything in doing so.
While the curse is a warning for the children to act with caution, they all do as they should and act with courage. They see love coming and no matter how hard they try to fight it or deny who they are, the love they feel and fate has lines up for them will not be shoved aside.
Throughout a story of love and loss, can any of the Owens siblings discover how to break the curse and find a love that is unbreakable by the curse that their ancestors created? Time will only tell we we follow their enchanting tale.
The curse that follows the Owens family causes great harm to befall any who fall in love with them, creating sadness and despair for them and the Owens as they realize that they will never be able to fully love someone without accepting that they will both lose everything in doing so.
While the curse is a warning for the children to act with caution, they all do as they should and act with courage. They see love coming and no matter how hard they try to fight it or deny who they are, the love they feel and fate has lines up for them will not be shoved aside.
Throughout a story of love and loss, can any of the Owens siblings discover how to break the curse and find a love that is unbreakable by the curse that their ancestors created? Time will only tell we we follow their enchanting tale.
Review
I have no hesitation in granting a 5/5 for this book review because Alice Hoffman does an impeccable job with this novel. It is so beautifully written and developed throughout the six parts that I feel each piece was written in satisfying detail that links one part of their lives to the next seamlessly. The content is full and the plot, while not all rainbows and butterflies, feels as though it is made of an appropriate amount of heartbreaking events and heartwarming ones.
One thing that I love is how well developed the family is. I could tell from the way in which the story was written, primarily referring to the siblings parents as “the parents,” that their parents would not be a huge part of the book. I was still sad for them when they passed away because it was clear in the short beginning they had that they were loving parents with their kids’ best interest at heart. I also loved the dynamic between Franny, Vincent, and Jet. Franny is the emotionless, intelligent, brave, and courageous big sister who always does what she feels is best no matter what or tries to tell her otherwise. Vincent is the handsome, flirtatious, carefree, act now think later, peace, love, and musical kind of guy. Jet is the passionate, sweet, giving, and deep sister. Each is different but contributes something so wonderful to their family that they could not get by without the love and support that each shares with each other.
It did not take long for me to fall in love with these characters as I watched them grow up over a Summer at Aunt Isabelle’s. They’d matured in an irreversible way, leading them down the path of love that could not be fought but rather dealt with while grieving the losses that followed. As a result, the loss of their parents and the fates of their love interests were inevitably explained. Each story was different and varying in the tragedy that their relationship faced. None were perfect but all were unique and beautiful. I felt for each of the siblings and their lovers as their relationships were hurt and they felt the pangs of heartbreak crush their souls. I wanted to do something to help them, but had nothing more to do than read on and hope that the siblings would outwit the curse and find happiness and love in their relationships. These relationships were so wonderfully developed and enchanting to read about that I could’ve spent more time reading additional novels regaling the moments that the couples and siblings share. I simply could not get enough.
Additionally, they are so relatable. Having lost a parent myself, I can feel the struggle that they feel when dealing with that type of loss. I can feel the need to step up and take responsibilities and grow up a little faster than others, giving up things that they don’t have to. I can understand the importance of sibling relationships and how you can feel like they are your world. I could feel what it is like to worry so deeply for someone else over anything that you might consider a personal threat. I, too, will always worry about and priories my family first because they are everything to me. Love is the strongest thing in our lives and we definitely have learned to live life fully and love more than less when we can.
Another area that was amazingly well developed would be the magic. From the soaps and teas that were mixed and made from standard ingredients found around outside to the spells that were written in the family grimoire or Vincent’s magus. They were easy enough to follow but unique enough that they weren’t common sense. It felt as though they were truly plausible and easy to fit in with the real work we live in daily. It was interesting to see such simple and fun magic emerge through these characters rather than hearing the same hocus pocus or redundant stereotypes discussed at a basic level. The common ideas were made Hoffman’s own with her specific details and explanations.
The magic fit in so well with the Owens’ lives as well as the time period. I loved reading about the time period and scenery in New York and Massachusetts at the time. Putting all of their story into the historical context of the time and place give it a chill effect as it was a time of peace and love. It felt like a time where they could excel with the lives that were made. I could see the kids at their aunt’s house running wild and feeling the love. I could picture it and I wanted to feel it, too, which I could thanks to Hoffman’s writing. The way that their hair rinsed out with its color and they floated when swimming was so unique and special. I felt enchanted by the magic.
At the end of the day, their stories have all been told in full, from their youth to their old age. Their relationships have been explored and explained and the whole story is full and and complete. I feel that the story was tied up neatly, but I am sad to see it completely resolved. I loved the plot and development. I loved how relatable they were even though they were witches and we simply humans. This is a story that I will certainly read again.
One thing that I love is how well developed the family is. I could tell from the way in which the story was written, primarily referring to the siblings parents as “the parents,” that their parents would not be a huge part of the book. I was still sad for them when they passed away because it was clear in the short beginning they had that they were loving parents with their kids’ best interest at heart. I also loved the dynamic between Franny, Vincent, and Jet. Franny is the emotionless, intelligent, brave, and courageous big sister who always does what she feels is best no matter what or tries to tell her otherwise. Vincent is the handsome, flirtatious, carefree, act now think later, peace, love, and musical kind of guy. Jet is the passionate, sweet, giving, and deep sister. Each is different but contributes something so wonderful to their family that they could not get by without the love and support that each shares with each other.
It did not take long for me to fall in love with these characters as I watched them grow up over a Summer at Aunt Isabelle’s. They’d matured in an irreversible way, leading them down the path of love that could not be fought but rather dealt with while grieving the losses that followed. As a result, the loss of their parents and the fates of their love interests were inevitably explained. Each story was different and varying in the tragedy that their relationship faced. None were perfect but all were unique and beautiful. I felt for each of the siblings and their lovers as their relationships were hurt and they felt the pangs of heartbreak crush their souls. I wanted to do something to help them, but had nothing more to do than read on and hope that the siblings would outwit the curse and find happiness and love in their relationships. These relationships were so wonderfully developed and enchanting to read about that I could’ve spent more time reading additional novels regaling the moments that the couples and siblings share. I simply could not get enough.
Additionally, they are so relatable. Having lost a parent myself, I can feel the struggle that they feel when dealing with that type of loss. I can feel the need to step up and take responsibilities and grow up a little faster than others, giving up things that they don’t have to. I can understand the importance of sibling relationships and how you can feel like they are your world. I could feel what it is like to worry so deeply for someone else over anything that you might consider a personal threat. I, too, will always worry about and priories my family first because they are everything to me. Love is the strongest thing in our lives and we definitely have learned to live life fully and love more than less when we can.
Another area that was amazingly well developed would be the magic. From the soaps and teas that were mixed and made from standard ingredients found around outside to the spells that were written in the family grimoire or Vincent’s magus. They were easy enough to follow but unique enough that they weren’t common sense. It felt as though they were truly plausible and easy to fit in with the real work we live in daily. It was interesting to see such simple and fun magic emerge through these characters rather than hearing the same hocus pocus or redundant stereotypes discussed at a basic level. The common ideas were made Hoffman’s own with her specific details and explanations.
The magic fit in so well with the Owens’ lives as well as the time period. I loved reading about the time period and scenery in New York and Massachusetts at the time. Putting all of their story into the historical context of the time and place give it a chill effect as it was a time of peace and love. It felt like a time where they could excel with the lives that were made. I could see the kids at their aunt’s house running wild and feeling the love. I could picture it and I wanted to feel it, too, which I could thanks to Hoffman’s writing. The way that their hair rinsed out with its color and they floated when swimming was so unique and special. I felt enchanted by the magic.
At the end of the day, their stories have all been told in full, from their youth to their old age. Their relationships have been explored and explained and the whole story is full and and complete. I feel that the story was tied up neatly, but I am sad to see it completely resolved. I loved the plot and development. I loved how relatable they were even though they were witches and we simply humans. This is a story that I will certainly read again.