The Rules of Magic: Book Review
Some books don’t just tell a story—they wrap you in a spell. Alice Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic is one of those rare novels. As the prequel to Practical Magic, it takes us back to the 1960s and into the lives of the Owens siblings: Franny, Jet, and Vincent. With Hoffman’s trademark blend of history, witchcraft, and lyrical prose, this book explores love, loss, family, and the unshakable weight of a curse that has followed the Owens line for centuries. It’s tender, heartbreaking, and hauntingly beautiful—easily my favorites in the series.
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Quick Look
- 1960s vibes
- rich sibling story
- witchiness scale: 4/5
- second best of the series
Published October 10, 2017
Publisher's Synopsis
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.
My Review
This was my very first Alice Hoffman book, and wow—it absolutely swept me off my feet. I got completely lost in the world of the Owens siblings—Franny, Jet, and Vincent—each of them so vivid and unforgettable that I felt entranced from the very first chapter. Though I ended up reading the series out of order (something Hoffman herself has said is perfectly fine), I’m actually glad I stumbled into it this way. Starting with The Rules of Magic set the bar so high that it remains my favorite of the entire Owens saga.
Part of that might be timing—it was the first one I could get my hands on through Libby—but it was also pure luck that I chose the audiobook. Marin Ireland’s narration was perfection. She captured the quiet subtleties of Hoffman’s prose while leaning into the heightened drama exactly when the story called for it. Her performance only deepened my connection to the characters and the heartbreaks they endure.
What makes The Rules of Magic stand out from the rest of the series, at least for me, is how fully fleshed out the siblings’ journeys feel. This isn’t just a witchy tale sprinkled with curses and spells (though, yes, there’s plenty of that enchantment to love). At its core, it’s a coming-of-age story wrapped in historical fiction and threaded with themes of identity, love, grief, and destiny. The relationships—between the siblings, their family, and the people they dare to love despite the curse—are so rich, layered, and human.
If you’re drawn to magic, but also crave deeply emotional, character-driven stories, The Rules of Magic is a book you won’t forget. It’s lyrical, haunting, and easily my favorite of Hoffman’s Owens family novels. Honestly, if I could read it all over again for the first time, I would in a heartbeat.
My Rating
In the end, The Rules of Magic is the book that truly captured my heart in the Owens family saga. It’s witchy, yes, but it’s also deeply human—full of love, loss, and the bonds that tether us to one another no matter the cost. Hoffman’s prose is lyrical without ever losing its emotional punch, and the Owens siblings are the kind of characters who linger long after you close the book. If you only pick up one novel from this series, let it be this one—it’s pure magic from start to finish.
read the rest of my Practical Magic series reviews ↓
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