Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

26 reviews

maite_moonchild's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Alcohol

omill16's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Rape

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

I think it would be impossible for me not to compare the book to the movie I’ve seen countless times. I never expect a movie to be a perfect retelling of a book, but having now read the book, I am surprised by how different they are… and even more surprised to find that this may be the one time that the movie is better than the book… 😬 Sorry, not sorry.

That’s not to say that the book isn’t great in its own right, though! I’m not normally a fan of this descriptive style of writing, but Hoffman’s writing is definitely an exception. I almost want to describe it as lyrical, though I don’t think it technically is. It’s beautiful, though, for sure. Captivating. Magical. Though different, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading the origin story of the characters I’ve loved for over a quarter century. 

I do have to say that nearly three hundred pages contained within only FOUR chapters is an absolutely horrific choice. Borderline cruel. Were this any other book, I would’ve returned it without reading a page for that fact alone. I would really like to read the other books in this series but if they have similar chapter lengths, I may have to pass. If you’ve read them, please let me know if Hoffman learned the art of reasonable chapters!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

williamabookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder

gracebrady's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

A beautiful tale of family and love. The third person POV is excellently executed. Different from the movie, but its own special story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Murder

beckyhofman's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

bxnnny's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad 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

3.0

of course, i have always loved the practical magic movie ever since i was a kid, but i'd never gotten around to reading the book it was based off of until now. i kept my expectations low as i had heard from others that the book doesn't quite compare, and i tried to still go into it with an open mind. i will say that the movie is leagues better, but i still have an appreciation for the book. i enjoyed the writing style and the way the story was told. the characters were complicated and complex as well as their relationships to one another. that being said, i wish the aunts were more likeable, fun, and wise like their movie counterparts and i wish both sets of sisters had a closer bond as shown in the movie as well... but i can appreciate that the book version of their relationships was a little more complex than that. overall, i appreciate this book for what it is and will continue to cherish the movie separately.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Murder

an attempted sexual assault on a minor. nothing happens, but she is chased down by two men who intend on raping her. she is able to get away safely.

internationalreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Unique writing style; I liked it but it may not be for everyone. The pacing was pretty weird, a lot got packed in to the last 15% or so of the book. And I’m not sure how I felt about how casually the author wrote about domestic violence. This may be the rare case where the movie is better than the book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ce_read's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I was raised on the movie so it's hard not to compare the two. The writing could be a bit hoakey and ham-fisted for me at times, but ultimately compelling and entertaining. I second some other reviews that said some characters were introduced abruptly or not well-enough developed, and of there were themes or plot devices, I didn't pick up on them. Not my usual fare 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

prairiebunny's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted mysterious tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty and Stalking