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A review by lizgriffinwords
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
So…. The book is not nearly as whimsical and witchy and charming as the movie.
If it was only the last 30%, it wouldn’t be so bad. The problem is the first 70%, which contains a lot more f-bombs and threats of sexual assault from every boy or man in town on multiple generations of Owens women. That really soured my enjoyment. Plus, the aunts aren’t featured as much as I would have expected, and flashbacks are thrown throughout, which made the timeline confusing in places.
All in all, the sort of book where you’ll likely need a palate cleanser afterwards.
If it was only the last 30%, it wouldn’t be so bad. The problem is the first 70%, which contains a lot more f-bombs and threats of sexual assault from every boy or man in town on multiple generations of Owens women. That really soured my enjoyment. Plus, the aunts aren’t featured as much as I would have expected, and flashbacks are thrown throughout, which made the timeline confusing in places.
All in all, the sort of book where you’ll likely need a palate cleanser afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Death of parent