In this sparkling prequel, we meet sisters Frances and Jet and Vincent, their brother. From the beginning their mother Susanna knew they were unique: Franny with her skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, who could commune with birds; Jet as shy as she is beautiful, who knows what others are thinking, and Vincent so charismatic that he was built for trouble. Susanna needed to set some rules of magic: no walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles and certainly, absolutely, no books about magic...
But the Owens siblings are desperate to uncover who they really are. Each head down a life-altering course, filled with secrets and truths, devastation and joy, and magic and love. Despite the warning handed down through the family for centuries - Know that for our family, love is a curse - they will all strive to break the rules and find true love.
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[Once upon a time, before the whole world changed, it was possible to run away from home, disguise who you were, and fit into polite society]***
(Scribner, 10 October 2017, ebook, borrowed from my library)
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I haven't read the book Practical Magic but love the movie so I really wanted to read this book.
I thought The Rules of Magic was fantastic. I loved every page. I binge read it across to long reading sessions because I could wait to uncover the next piece of the Owens puzzle.
What I liked about the book is, despite Jet, Franny and their brother Vincent being witches and having special gifts, they see this as perfectly ordinary, just a part of their nature and personality, a perfectly normal way to be. There's something I really liked about this.
I liked the characters. They are really well written and come to life on the page. I liked the way the novel explores the bond between the sisters and their brother. The Rules of Magic is incredibly sad at times, especially as the sibling's experience pain and heartache, in part because of their lineage.
I liked the way the final chapter links directly into Practical Magic which I need to read now.
