Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

52 reviews

jasmine256's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death of parent

danaslitlist's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.0

This was definitely very different from what I was expecting. A lot of sexual content throughout which isn’t a bad thing but often times I felt taken aback by it. Overall it was enjoyable though it did lag on from time to time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death

mhari's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-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

Review

Genre: Fantasy fiction, paranormal fiction, speculative fiction. 
Age Range: 16+ 

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Setting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Relationships: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing Style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notes

This is one of those rare occasions where the movie is better than the book. I delved into Practical Magic expecting a fast paced paranormal novel with plenty of action and spookiness. But, to my dismay, I got instead a novel following the journey of two sisters with only a hint     of the paranormal. However, I did enjoy the book, although it is one of those books that you read once and only once. In the end, it turned out to be a novel symbolising the beauty and danger of falling in love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Death of parent

lldavey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

jourdenreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

atlanticgiantpumpkin's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

As an autistic woman, I spent a lot of the book thinking “Is this actually how people think?” Because everything was very exaggerated.  I do feel like it went on a bit at times giving unnecessary details, but it was wonderful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

At one point, one of the girls is chased down in a field by men trying to rape her.

jude7's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A great book and I'm super excited for the prequels and sequel!! It's a bit different from the movie but I don't think I would say I like one more than the other - the ways the movie is different actually add to the story and simplify some of it. I really enjoyed more of the backstory of Sally and Gillian that is in the book vs barely any in the movie!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent

brittishliterature's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Such a perfect October/Halloween read! I was drawn into the narrative very quickly and looked forward to picking the book up every day. I enjoyed Hoffman's writing style and structure for this novel - it often felt like magic weaving in and out through multiple viewpoints and character stories to create a beautiful tapestry. I usually don't read much magical realism, but after this one, I look forward to trying out the genre more! 

The ending felt a little anticlimactic, and I would have liked to spend more time with how it ended. But nonetheless, the ending and the relationships between the Owens family left my heart feeling warm and happy. Overall, I loved it and can't wait to continue with the others in the series at some point! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Grief

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Death of parent

genny's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted mysterious 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

3.75

This was so readable, I just flew through the pages...the writing style really worked for me, though I can easily see how it may annoy others. It almost reads like a stream of consciousness that jumps from one character to another. This is definitely more magical realism than fantasy. There's no deep lore about the women's magical abilities (though this may be explored in the other books in the series); they're not full-blown witches that just happen to live with mortals a la Sabrina the Teenage Witch. They make potions and curses and there's something magical in their bloodline that no one can run from, but it is primarily a family saga.

I can't help but be weirded out by the portrayal of romantic love throughout this book - it's always this extreme obsession. The love-at-first-sight descriptions are actually insane! Where this book really shines, IMO, is in its portrayal of grief and familial love. To be clear, I liked it! I haven't watched the movie, which everyone seems to love and apparently has a vastly different plot, so I wasn't let down by anything. I'm interested in reading the other books but I need a break first from Hoffman's writing - again, I found it beautiful, but in an exhausting way. 😅

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Death, and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

bexi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse and Drug use