(Image from Barnes & Noble)

"...whoever they were, whatever their history might be ... They were not like anyone else" (13).

For centuries, the Owens Family has lived under a curse that taints their lives and, especially, their loves.  By leaving behind the witchery that has earned her family its dubious reputation, Susanna hopes to live a normal life.  After a modeling career in Paris, she marries a psychiatrist and bears three children: Franny, Jet, and Vincent.  It's obvious from the get-go that the kids are more Owens than anything else.  Franny can commune with birds, Jet can read minds, and Vincent can see the future.  Desperate to keep her family's secrets, Susanna admonishes the children to avoid magic at all costs.  

When the children are summoned to the Owens' ancestral home in Massachusetts, Susanna knows her efforts have been in vain.  Under the tutelage of Aunt Isabelle, the kids begin to uncover the secret of who they really are and why they can do the remarkable things they do.  With that knowledge, the three must learn how to cope with their unique gifts in a world that can't understand them.

Back in the Dark Ages before this blog was even a twinkle in my eye, I remember enjoying Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman both as a novel and as a film.  When I heard the author was publishing a prequel, I snatched it right up.  The Rules of Magic isn't quite as charming as I thought it would be (actually, it's super depressing), but it's still mostly enjoyable.  The characters are complex and interesting, though not always likable.  While there's not a ton of plot going on in the novel, it's compelling.  Overall, then, I liked The Rules of Magic, didn't love it.

(Readalikes:  Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, sexual content, and depictions of illegal drug use

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find