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    The Rules of Magic: A Novel
    The Rules of Magic: A Novel
    The Rules of Magic: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Rules of Magic: A Novel

    Written by Alice Hoffman

    Narrated by Marin Ireland

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    An instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick from beloved author Alice Hoffman—the spellbinding prequel to Practical Magic.

    Find your magic.

    For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

    Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

    From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Yet, the children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the memorable aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

    Alice Hoffman delivers “fairy-tale promise with real-life struggle” (The New York Times Book Review) in a story how the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is “irresistible…the kind of book you race through, then pause at the last forty pages, savoring your final moments with the characters” (USA TODAY, 4/4 stars).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateOct 10, 2017
    ISBN9781508238287
    Author

    Alice Hoffman

    Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Book of Magic, Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick), the Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.

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    Reviews for The Rules of Magic

    4.5/5

    1,233 ratings96 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It's alright. The witchy details are the fun part. The plot is a bit uninspiring. I want to marry Franny.

      3 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Lovely fantasy, another beautiful novel from Alice. The narration felt perfect. Highly recommended.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the characters. Some moments dragged, but a good listen. I enjoyed the relationship between the sisters.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      First novel that I've read/listened to from this author and I will certainly look for more of her books. I enjoy fantasy and this book falls into a subcategory of this genre dealing with the topic of witchcraft. The novel follows the generation of a family of witches, the Owens, who believe they have been cursed when it comes to love. We watch Susannah Owens raise her 3 children intent on keeping them as far away from majick as possible by creating a set of strict rules that inevitably get broken as the children sense that they are different. When the eldest daughter turns 17, she is invited to spend her summer holidays with her Great Aunt who still resides in the family's 300 year-old house in Massachusetts. Not wanting to break this longstanding family tradition, her parents permit her and her siblings to make the trek. The summer is a period of awakening and all 3 gain a better understanding of who they are. The novel progresses onward from this point & follows the family as they grow into adulthood & manage life as witches. I loved the novel. It has a well planned & easy to follow storyline with in depth character development of pertinent individuals. The characterization captured by the narrator is exceptional. I will certainly recommend this audiobook to friends. I look forward to the next novel that continues this saga.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      It was boring to begin with and then the author had to add a gay twist. There are three characters. The population is less than 5% gay. Why?! Why always with the homosexual romance?! Fast forwarded through those parts that just don’t float my boat and then I just said heck with it and quit.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is a good book, well written and easily imagined but I found it so sad. I gravitate towards saddness so this should not put anyone off reading it. Someone else might read it with more of a glass 1/2 full kind of attitude. I suppose when your fate is intertwined with a curse things are going to be difficult but this just makes the joyous times more lovely. If you enjoyed the movie Practicle Magic then this book will give you an insight into who the aunts are. It has a great story, interesting characters and moves along nicely not to mention a lot of wonderful magic. I listened to it as an audio book and the narrator did a superb job. I probably enjoyed it more due to the narrator who gave each character heart. I rarely leave reviews but this book deserves one or some sort of magic made me do it. Enjoy.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Way better than PracticalMagic, this book was a nice surprise.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Cliche and repetition and terrrrrrrible , utterly inconsistent character development

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Warm n heart wrenching. I have loved all of Alice Hoffman’s books!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Loved this book till the end. Well developed captivating characters. The narrator was great which for me is everything in an audiobook.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A must read if you love the movie Practical Magic!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I. Love. This. Series!

      Every book in this series so far has literally pulled me in. I can't get enough! I can't wait to tackle book 4 next month!

      5 stars

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      So painful remorse at every page. Nothing in it made you laugh or feel joy. Nothing to give you insight. Just sadness all the way through.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5


      I am a fan of the movie Practical Magic, so I figured this might be a fun read.

      I listened to to audiobook and it was a bit slow in the beginning but it picked up. I enjoyed the characters personalities and their stories. Also, the magic and herb remedies were fun and detailed.

      I might move to reading Practical Magic next and keep the fun going.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      if you love practical magic then you need to read this prequel! enchanting

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This was a beautiful, cozy book with tons of witchy things. I love the importance of family and how much the main characters were forced to grow. I loved seeing their lives progress. I think this book has the potential to touch many people. I also loved all those witchy home remedies... I am now rinsing my hair with Rosemary!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Loved it. Totally recommend this book! From love to magic to love to more magic and really understanding the real meaning of love and family. Great read!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      One might think, while perusing potential Next Listens, that this book is just a prequel to the movie that most everyone saw back in the day. So...magic, love, loss and redemption with kind of a dark sort of romcom vibe. And yes, it has those elements, but it has so much more to offer the listener. There is a taste of what it might have been like to live in the sixties with a war going on, when homosexuality was still very much frowned upon. And no cell phones or computers ~yikes.

      You follow the Owens children as they grow, and learn what it means to be human, or close enough. They learn lessons the hard way, they rebel, make choices and suffer consequences, as we all must.

      I feel like I should be singing, “The Circle of Life” while I tap out my little review.

      I would wager that you will cry, chuckle, and definitely enjoy the ride should you decide to hit Play on The Rules of Magic.

      Oh, and the voice talent totes nailed it!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Beautifully written and performed. You simply don't wanna stop listening and can't wait to back to it ♡

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      Although it sheds some pretty interesting light on the Owens family background, the characters as well as the development of the plot fall flat in some areas.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A beautiful tale of the strength of love, familial and romantic. There is quite the collection of emotions here and I found myself falling in love with these sisters. The reader deserves an award for her part in this. I think I’m going to listen to it again to see if I missed anything. Enjoy this book!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I am a fan of Practical Magic. Both the book and the movie.
      I love that we get background into the Owen's curse and the aunts. Oh it is wonderful to hear about the aunts. I know there is complaints about a brother that was never mentioned. I think Hoffman did a fine job explaining what went on with that. I would recommend this book to my friends that I know who enjoyed the first book.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Gripping and light. The cure for love is to ...
    • 5/5
      Such a lovely book and a true treasure that so many people will enjoy!
    • 5/5
      It’s such a compelling book and a beautiful continuation to the prior one, following the Owen’s family history through the 50s and 60s and that connection at the end was something that made me smile.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the story and loved the characters. I did feel that there was a sad undertone throughout, though. I'll continue with Practical Magic now to see how the story continues (I watched the movie so long ago that I don't recall anything).
    • 2/5
      I would have loved this book as a young teenager.
    • 5/5
      This is my new favorite book! So moving. If you liked Practical Magic you’ll love The RULES OF MAGIC. I’m going to miss all the great characters. As soon as I’m done with this review I’m going to look for my next Alice Hoffman book. If you love magic and love this book is for you.
    • 5/5
      Beautiful, magical, family. Feeling like a hug. Read it
    • 5/5
      I throughly enjoyed this book! I liked Practical Magic, which was a quick and easy read. But, I loved this one so much more. The family’s history is intriguing and makes the first book even more interesting, in my opinion. Highly recommend to read!