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A review by monetp
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
5.0
"Still Hannah feared for her fate, for this was the day when Maria realized she would be beautiful, for all the good it would do her in this cruel, heartless world." ~ [b:Magic Lessons|50892349|Magic Lessons (Practical Magic, #0.1)|Alice Hoffman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593355938l/50892349._SX50_.jpg|75786942]
Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020! If you're searching for an autumn novel filled with atmospheric language, beautiful prose, thrilling action, haunting plot twists, and memorable characters, this is the story for you! If you think you know Maria Owens' story from [b:Practical Magic|22896|Practical Magic (Practical Magic #1)|Alice Hoffman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490354120l/22896._SY75_.jpg|4030671], prepare to be surprised. The context added to Maria's story is so rich and intriguing. Most prequel novels are crap, but "Magic Lessons" is a gorgeous story all on its own, and in every way it is just as phenomenal as Sally and Gillian's story.
What's so suspenseful about this book? Let's just say the death watch beetle shows up several times and I was never prepared! My heart was racing every time this happened! I was crossing my fingers for Maria, Samuel, Finney, Catherine, and Faith to make it through. This book is so addictive I swear I read through the entirety of Maria's life in less than 72 hours.
What I appreciate about this novel is that it clears up most of the questions I had from "Practical Magic." The Owens' family history is explained in a really fascinating and often unbelievable way - trust me nothing is what it seems in this book! The opposite natures of Maria and Faith made the latter half of this book all the more engaging and dynamic. I loved how this book really dived into what makes light and dark magic so different. I'm also sure I caught a few references to "Practical Magic" too... Real quick: I expected going into this book that I would only appreciate the female characters, and don't get me wrong, they are AMAZING but Samuel is such an endearing guy. The jailbreak scene...oh my gosh! The scene that really impressed me was when Maria wrote the letter to save all the Salem women from burning and you know she did it not just because it was the right thing to do, but because she swore after Hannah she "would never again watch another woman burn." SO MANY TEARS
The only scene that genuinely confused me was how Samuel was able to survive in the water? I didn't quite understand how he came back to life/survived??? I really wished that explanation had been fleshed out more. Overall this has become one of my new favorite witch stories and it was such a fun time. I will definitely be reading any and all future Owens family adventures.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Magical practitioners were everywhere in England, in the court and in castles, but magic books were forbidden for the poor and for women. There were searches for magical manuscripts belonging to women, which were often found hidden..."
"She would never again watch another woman burn."
"October came quickly, a glorious month when the fields turned yellow. The leaves might appear green in shadow, but when sunlight pierced through there were threads of scarlet and orange."
"Magic continued to flourish in Manhattan, for most New Yorkers looked the other way when faced with the unusual, be it magic or not."
"These are the lessons to be learned. Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn."
Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020! If you're searching for an autumn novel filled with atmospheric language, beautiful prose, thrilling action, haunting plot twists, and memorable characters, this is the story for you! If you think you know Maria Owens' story from [b:Practical Magic|22896|Practical Magic (Practical Magic #1)|Alice Hoffman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490354120l/22896._SY75_.jpg|4030671], prepare to be surprised. The context added to Maria's story is so rich and intriguing. Most prequel novels are crap, but "Magic Lessons" is a gorgeous story all on its own, and in every way it is just as phenomenal as Sally and Gillian's story.
What's so suspenseful about this book? Let's just say the death watch beetle shows up several times and I was never prepared! My heart was racing every time this happened! I was crossing my fingers for Maria, Samuel, Finney, Catherine, and Faith to make it through. This book is so addictive I swear I read through the entirety of Maria's life in less than 72 hours.
What I appreciate about this novel is that it clears up most of the questions I had from "Practical Magic." The Owens' family history is explained in a really fascinating and often unbelievable way - trust me nothing is what it seems in this book! The opposite natures of Maria and Faith made the latter half of this book all the more engaging and dynamic. I loved how this book really dived into what makes light and dark magic so different. I'm also sure I caught a few references to "Practical Magic" too... Real quick: I expected going into this book that I would only appreciate the female characters, and don't get me wrong, they are AMAZING but Samuel is such an endearing guy. The jailbreak scene...oh my gosh! The scene that really impressed me was when Maria wrote the letter to save all the Salem women from burning and you know she did it not just because it was the right thing to do, but because she swore after Hannah she "would never again watch another woman burn." SO MANY TEARS
The only scene that genuinely confused me was how Samuel was able to survive in the water? I didn't quite understand how he came back to life/survived??? I really wished that explanation had been fleshed out more. Overall this has become one of my new favorite witch stories and it was such a fun time. I will definitely be reading any and all future Owens family adventures.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Magical practitioners were everywhere in England, in the court and in castles, but magic books were forbidden for the poor and for women. There were searches for magical manuscripts belonging to women, which were often found hidden..."
"She would never again watch another woman burn."
"October came quickly, a glorious month when the fields turned yellow. The leaves might appear green in shadow, but when sunlight pierced through there were threads of scarlet and orange."
"Magic continued to flourish in Manhattan, for most New Yorkers looked the other way when faced with the unusual, be it magic or not."
"These are the lessons to be learned. Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn."