skysbooknook's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism
Minor: War, Incest, and Cancer
tilde_c_s's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Death
Minor: Cancer, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Medical content
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Alcoholism, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Abandonment, War, Animal death, and Homophobia
chezarose79's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Medical trauma, Death, Homophobia, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Infidelity, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Cancer
fayesreads_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
1. The incest. There was literally no reason for it, & I know she had to include it because she had written it into Practical Magic already like almost 20 years previously, but hated that it was even there at all.
2. The lack of diversity. Hoffman tells such a profound generational story with these books & it would benefit so much more from being more diverse. Magic Lessons definitely had diversity, but this one was very bland on that front, apart from
Spoiler
Vincent’s3.
Spoiler
Vincent’s journey to discovering his sexuality was a really annoying queer trope. Spoilers ahead: we follow Vincent as he sleeps with his older cousin (impregnating her in the process, & it is her daughter Regina’s kids who we follow in Practical Magic), & then his 30+ year old neighbour when he’s 14 years old. The way it’s written makes it seem mutual and him just “sleeping around,” but homie was being groomed & writing that situation in the way Hoffman did did not sit right with me at all. Vincent then becomes kind of a player, sleeping around with women quite often, before eventually realizing that he’s not attached to them because he’s actually attracted to men.Someone give me a diverse & queer Practical Magic style generational saga right MF NOOOWWW
Graphic: Animal death, Car accident, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Cancer, Grief, Toxic relationship, and War
nicola4e's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: War
aislinn_mcd_harrison's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Questions to ask book club:
Is the curse real?
What do you think Alice Hoffman’s writing about youth and beauty and age?
Do you think Franny is consistent?
What do you think of how she portrayed real events like the Vietnam war and the stonewall riots?
Did you like the siblings? Who was your favourite?
This book is a prequel and the ending fairly unapologetically has nothing to do with the book you’ve read and is a preamble to practical magic - did it make you want to read the next one and why?
Graphic: Blood, Cancer, War, Homophobia, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual content
awaterswadesthrough's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Adult/minor relationship
martamae77's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: War, Sexual content, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide attempt and Animal death
shel_bay11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Cancer, Death, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, and War