The Book of Magic (Practical Magic, #2)

by Alice Hoffman

When I began writing, it was a great surprise for me to realize that The Book of Magic began with the Death Watch Beetle announcing the death of a major character. Jet’s death is the cause of everything that occurs in the novel, and I soon realized that even though a character is gone, they can continue to affect everyone else. Because Jet knows she has seven days to live, she gets to choose what is most important for her to do during the time she has left. In that way, the knowledge of her death is a gift. I think she uses those days quite well. She knows what matters most.