Reviews

Magic Lessons: A Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

soldiersailor's review against another edition

I found it mostly very boring and from other reviews it seemed it would not improve.

kleeworthy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

meredith_williams_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-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

4.0

This was a book club pick, and while I don’t think I would have picked it up on my own, I ended up really enjoying it. I’ve seen the movie version of practical magic and had a general understanding of the story before reading the prequel. I really enjoyed the mix of historical fiction and fantasy, especially the ways in which the author weaved in factual information about the Salem witch trials. The novel has much of the same feminist messaging as the movie and, to me, was a great depiction of the power that women have when they come together to fight against oppression. I would recommend this read if you want something heartfelt and historical for spooky season. 

jordanrosez90's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.0

milavis's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

reannasera's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

unhingedfemaleprotagonist's review against another edition

5.0

As a devotee of the Practical Magic books, I am of course giving this five stars. In this book, we learn the story of Maria, Owen's ancestor from the Old Country who came to America in the 1600s to find a man she mistakenly thought she was fated to love. Brew your courage tea and hunker down for another beautiful book by Alice Hoffman.

annafuller666's review against another edition

emotional relaxing 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

tinlizzyd08's review against another edition

4.0

Alice Hoffman never disappoints. Not sure how I missed this book when it came out in 2020 since I love Practical Magic. Funny but it gave me more of the vibes I got from the movie than the original book. Do you think authors can be influenced by the movie versions of their books when writing sequels/prequels? Interesting to think about!

This prequel takes us back to the first Owens woman, Maria and tells us her life story and how she got to America! We then get to meet her daughter Faith whose personality is vastly different than her mother’s! Loved their stories and getting a recounting of the Salem witch trials. There were lots of little threads coming together from the series and I enjoyed seeing puzzle pieces slotted into place. Such a good tale!

elliewinthrop's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5