I have no idea why this is such a cult classic. I wish I had started here rather than reading the lacklustre prequels first because I could have just DNFed and given up on the whole series.

There isn’t a single witchy thing that happens in this entire book, and it is so freaking disappointing. I spent the entire book waiting for someone to do something with magic, and honestly, the closest you get is when someone starts dating a magician. That is an actual plot point in this ridiculous book.

I had to keep reminding myself that book was written first and the prequels were written decades later because there is a lot of disconnect between these stories. Almost nothing in Practical Magic aligns with what we’re told in the prequels. Are we just supposed to assume it’s the family lore being distorted over time like a bad game of telephone? Because everything from Maria’s story to the lightning disaster is changed to fit a different narrative.

I’m so frustrated I wasted so much time on this series - it basically pushed me straight into a reading slump. It took me four days to slog through Practical Magic, let alone the days spent trying to force my way through the two prequels. Suffice it to say; I will not be reading The Book of Magic. I feel let down by the lore surrounding this series, the absolute lack of magic and witchy vibes in Practical Magic, and the total apathy I feel for Hoffman’s writing. Never again.