Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is one of those books that I have been meaning to read forever, literally, the book was first published in 1995 when I was just a teeny tiny 7 year old but I bought the paperback a few years later when I must have been about 12 or 13 and just never got round to reading it, when I saw last year that Alice Hoffman was revisiting this and releasing a prequel to the book, I knew I had to read this one quickly. I'm so annoyed I hadn't read this book sooner, it's literally the most perfect book to curl up with on a cold winters day, once, I started reading this, I really struggled to put it down, the story itself is fairly slow paced if I'm honest, although there's plenty to keep you reading along, the real crux of this book is the two main characters and their stories and how they develop throughout the book, the story follows two sisters Gillian and Sally who tragically lose both their parents and are sent to live with their two aunts who just so happen to practice magic and we soon learn that the girls themselves have magical tendencies too, the book takes the girls from their childhood and being bullied and essentially outcasts at school right through to their adult years navigating relationships and life as they go.
There is definitely a key incident that happens that forms part of the central plot line for the book but the main thing for me that I loved about this book was the relationships, be it romantic relationships, the girls bond as sisters and also the various family relationships that are included as well. The book is so beautifully written, it's almost poetic at times and one particular reference to the lilacs in the garden almost made me feel like I was actually standing in Sally's Garden, which honestly, on the cold January day that I was reading this, I really did want to be transported to the balmy, summer garden. Another key point for this book is that, despite the fact it's now over 20 years old, it doesn't feel dated at all which was something I was a little concerned about before reading this.
If you're after a high action, fast paced read, this may not the be the one for you but if you want to get lost in another magical world for a little bit, grab a cup of tea and a blanket and give this one a go. I can't wait to read the prequel now which focuses on the lives of the two Aunts before they became guardians to Gillian and Sally and I'm hoping it will be as much of a dream as this one.
Soph x
There is definitely a key incident that happens that forms part of the central plot line for the book but the main thing for me that I loved about this book was the relationships, be it romantic relationships, the girls bond as sisters and also the various family relationships that are included as well. The book is so beautifully written, it's almost poetic at times and one particular reference to the lilacs in the garden almost made me feel like I was actually standing in Sally's Garden, which honestly, on the cold January day that I was reading this, I really did want to be transported to the balmy, summer garden. Another key point for this book is that, despite the fact it's now over 20 years old, it doesn't feel dated at all which was something I was a little concerned about before reading this.
If you're after a high action, fast paced read, this may not the be the one for you but if you want to get lost in another magical world for a little bit, grab a cup of tea and a blanket and give this one a go. I can't wait to read the prequel now which focuses on the lives of the two Aunts before they became guardians to Gillian and Sally and I'm hoping it will be as much of a dream as this one.
Soph x
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