The Rules of Magic

I've been doing really well with the books I have won from Goodreads. Like The Shadowland, The Rules of Magic is one of the best books I've read this year. The Rules of Magic hit all the right feelings. It was an emotionally charged tale of three siblings, though Franny was the star. I loved Jet. I adored Vincent. Since this is a prequel to Practical Magic, I knew the tale would end with Franny and Jet living in the Owens house together. I still hoped for a different ending. I wanted them to be the ones to break the curse. I wanted them to find love and live happily ever after. In this prequel, Alice Hoffman gave so much more depth to Franny and Jet, to their stories. Though, I have only seen the Practical Magic movie, after reading novel, I want to read the book.

Endings are so important to me. The ending can change how I feel about a story. Sometimes I delay reading the end because I have a feeling something bad will happen to a character I love or because I want to hold on to the characters for just a little while longer. Both were the case with The Rules of Magic. I wanted to keep Franny, Jet and Vincent. I wanted to keep Haylin, William, Raphael and April. I wanted so much to know more about April. I wonder if Hoffman will ever write April's story. I liked learning about the Reverend and more about the curse and feud. I liked learning more about the town and the Owens' place in it.

Hoffman's writing was beautiful, flowing from one image to the next. I could see Franny and Haylin swimming, I could see Vincent and his guitar, Franny carrying daffodils, the children listening in on their father. I could see the garden and the box of lettuce, the vines and wild hair. Hoffman transports you into the lives of the Owens', from childhood to adulthood, eating chocolate cake for breakfast. The Rules of Magic has made me a fan of Alice Hoffman and made me more of a fan of the Owens' family.