Looking for a fun and spooky-but-not-too-scary book to put you in the Halloween mood? Well, The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop has you covered.
I simply adored this wonderful novel by Abigail Drake. It’s a delightfully saucy romp filled with enchanting magic and a deliciously satisfying romance. There’s also a lovable cast of charismatic characters and a steady stream of mounting mystery. That’s right, folks. This one’s got it all.
What’s The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop about?
I love me some good magical realism, and The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop certainly delivers it. Main character Grace is studying to be a chemistry professor. When she takes a sabbatical to help her lovably quirky Aunt Lucy run her magic shop, she discovers that she possesses more skills with chemistry than she thought — she’s a descendant of witches, and pretty powerful ones at that.
The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop is full of lots of cozy charm as Grace finds her footing at her aunt’s shop. She’s embraced by the townsfolk, who are all friends of her Aunt Lucy. And, of course, there’s a love interest. A seriously hot love interest, which makes for some deliciously racy scenes between Grace and her suitor.
However, before you go thinking that this book is your just typical romance, think again. Beyond the potion-making, sexy trysts, and dancing naked in the moonlight (yes, that happens), Drake uses The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop to deliver a strong and welcome message of tolerance.
What I loved about The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop
This book was a perfect blend of the real world and the magical one. Grace’s love for science is conveyed on almost every page through science puns at the beginning of each chapter, and through the science talk that peppers most of Grace’s conversations. (Even the romantic ones!) Now, I’m not a girl who likes science. (Read: I loathe it.) But, Drake’s charming way of blending Grace’s affinities for science and magic completely had me hooked.
I put off reading the The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop when I saw it was a walloping 460 pages. This was to my extreme detriment. I was delighted to find that the story moves swiftly along, bolstered by good writing and fun and witty dialogue. I was quickly engrossed by the characters and their stories, and, before I knew it, those pages were flying by. In true “CJ loves a book” fashion, I put off reading the final 15 pages in order to make the The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop reading experience last a little longer.
A important message of love and tolerance
A main reason Grace is assisting her aunt is that her shop, and several others in town, are under attack. Someone is trying to run the, shall we say, nonconformist shopkeepers out of town: there’s supposed witches, professed Wiccans, tattooists, Goth punk rockers, lesbians, and, perhaps my favorite character in the novel, transgender Sally Stein, the once-pro football player who now identifies as a woman (as does her male-born Yorkie-Poo) and runs the second-hand clothing shop.
As Grace & Co. go against the onslaught, it’s made clear that the only real monsters in the story are the ones attacking these kind, generous people who are just trying to live their lives. The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop, above all else, is about overcoming stereotypes and refusing to dismiss anyone because of their intellect, class, gender, sexual orientation, or even their quirky eccentricities. Everyone’s clearly welcome at the magic shop, which is exactly what makes it such an endearing and magical place.
Should you read The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop?
The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop is a great read any time of year, but it’s fantastic for Halloween season. There’s spooky mischief going on, some dabbling with potions and spells, and the Hocus Pocus Magic Shop’s preparations for its annual Samhain (aka, Celtic Halloween) party. If you stayed in on Friday nights as a kid to watch Melissa Joan Hart in Sabrina the Teenage Witch (raises hand), or if you enjoy books like The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, then The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop is one to put on your TBR list.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop?
Be sure to check out my book-inspired recipe: Hocus Pocus Cupcakes!
