The Unwritten Rules of Magic

By Harper Ross

Book Overview

For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.

Emerson Clarke can't remember a time when she felt in control. Her father--a celebrated author--was a chaotic force until he got Alzheimer's. Her mother turned to gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. If only she could arrange reality the same way she controls the stories she ghostwrites, life could be perfect.

Or so she thinks.

After her father's funeral, Emerson steals his vintage typewriter--the one he'd forbidden anyone to touch--and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. When it comes true the very next day, she tries another. Then, those words also spring to life. Suddenly, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to rewrite happiness for herself and her daughter.

But the more she shapes her real-life, the more she uncovers disturbing truths about her family's history and the unexpected cost of every story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, yet when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250394554
• ISBN13: 9781250394552
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

2.5 stars

UNWRITTEN RULES OF MAGIC by Harper Ross A vintage Underwood typewriter that grants typewritten wishes?! Yeah, it’s not as wonderful as it sounds. You know what they say about being careful about what you wish for. Less magical realism, more of a story about grief, loss and dealing with the aftermath. I don’t need my FMC to be “likeable”, but Emerson is such a control freak and martyr. How is this person. a supposedly smart and successful ghost writer, acting so stupidly? Gah. While this started off great, by the end it fell apart for me. It all felt too YA when it’s not marketed as such. This wasn’t for me. Loved the concept, disliked the execution. Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️