Helpful Score: 1
The third book in the Gemma Doyle series is definitely not a let down. It was my favorite out of the trilogy.
A definite must read.
A definite must read.
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Helpful Score: 1
I must admit, I began THE SWEET FAR THING, the last in Libba Bray's enormously successful magical series, with some trepidation, having heard some bad things about it. However, I was far from being disappointed. This novel wraps up the series in a bittersweet way, and yet, knowing how the series concentrated so much on flawed characters and radical opinions (for their time, anyway), I would not expect anything else as its ending.
It is nearing the season of Gemma's debut, where she will be presented to the queen as a lady, but Gemma has far more important things on her mind than pretty gowns and airheaded girls. For one thing, Mrs. Nightwing, the headmistress of Spence Academy, and her friend Miss McCleethy, a member of the Order who wants Gemma to relinquish her magic, are finally putting into action plans to rebuild the East Wing, destroyed in a fire years ago when one of the last great priestesses of the Order and former headmistress of Spence, sealed the Realms shut for the time being. Bad things soon start to happen: workmen disappear forever in the middle of the night, and the disappearances are blamed on the gypsies.
The Rakshana continue to threaten Gemma if she does not give her magic to them, and she fears they may start to hurt her family if she does not give them what they want. Kartik, the disowned Rakshana who is linked to Gemma by the death of her mother and his brother, does not act toward Gemma how she wish he would act toward her. To top it all off, Felicity's in danger of losing her inheritance if she doesn't rein herself in for her debut, and Ann seems to be digging her own grave as a governess when she will not seize the opportunity to make something out of herself with her singing and acting talent.
And then, things go from bad to worse. A lady in a lavender dress begins to appear to Gemma in visions of warning, and rebellion is definitely stirring in the Winterlands. Pippa has gone beyond just petty with her delusions of grandeur, and the forest folk are beginning to distrust Gemma as she has not shared her magic with them. And when a particular day in May arrives, it may be the end of the world as everyone knows it, unless Gemma and her motley group of friends give it their all...and win some and lose some in the end.
I get the feeling that a lot of people don't like this book because it does not have a happy ending. But this is a fact that I appreciate because, hey, in real life, there are few perfect happy endings. Do not be daunted by its length (800+ pages), because the finale, a bittersweet one that left me crying for hours, is something that cannot be imagined: it must be read.
It is nearing the season of Gemma's debut, where she will be presented to the queen as a lady, but Gemma has far more important things on her mind than pretty gowns and airheaded girls. For one thing, Mrs. Nightwing, the headmistress of Spence Academy, and her friend Miss McCleethy, a member of the Order who wants Gemma to relinquish her magic, are finally putting into action plans to rebuild the East Wing, destroyed in a fire years ago when one of the last great priestesses of the Order and former headmistress of Spence, sealed the Realms shut for the time being. Bad things soon start to happen: workmen disappear forever in the middle of the night, and the disappearances are blamed on the gypsies.
The Rakshana continue to threaten Gemma if she does not give her magic to them, and she fears they may start to hurt her family if she does not give them what they want. Kartik, the disowned Rakshana who is linked to Gemma by the death of her mother and his brother, does not act toward Gemma how she wish he would act toward her. To top it all off, Felicity's in danger of losing her inheritance if she doesn't rein herself in for her debut, and Ann seems to be digging her own grave as a governess when she will not seize the opportunity to make something out of herself with her singing and acting talent.
And then, things go from bad to worse. A lady in a lavender dress begins to appear to Gemma in visions of warning, and rebellion is definitely stirring in the Winterlands. Pippa has gone beyond just petty with her delusions of grandeur, and the forest folk are beginning to distrust Gemma as she has not shared her magic with them. And when a particular day in May arrives, it may be the end of the world as everyone knows it, unless Gemma and her motley group of friends give it their all...and win some and lose some in the end.
I get the feeling that a lot of people don't like this book because it does not have a happy ending. But this is a fact that I appreciate because, hey, in real life, there are few perfect happy endings. Do not be daunted by its length (800+ pages), because the finale, a bittersweet one that left me crying for hours, is something that cannot be imagined: it must be read.
Helpful Score: 1
What an incredibly long book.
What I liked, well, sadly not too much. This story has been going on now for three books and nothing gets resolved until the last 50 pages. So why then are there so many other pages? I think my main problem with this series/book is that the scenes are not long enough. As soon as I felt like I was getting into what was going on the Author moved on. Because of this I had very little attachment to the characters.
I do however think that Bray is a very poetic writer. Her descriptions are new and original and very image provoking. For example tasting her name on my tongue like an exotic new curry.
As for the young adult aspect. Todays teens are faced with a multitude of things and many of them were addressed in this book: cutting, death, sexual orientation, love, betrayal, discovery etc To me the author spends the most time on the parts of life that all teens experience loved, betrayal and discovery but she does not ignore the more difficult ones however she does kind of gloss over them.
All in all I am glad I read the books but I did not enjoy them as much as I have others.
What I liked, well, sadly not too much. This story has been going on now for three books and nothing gets resolved until the last 50 pages. So why then are there so many other pages? I think my main problem with this series/book is that the scenes are not long enough. As soon as I felt like I was getting into what was going on the Author moved on. Because of this I had very little attachment to the characters.
I do however think that Bray is a very poetic writer. Her descriptions are new and original and very image provoking. For example tasting her name on my tongue like an exotic new curry.
As for the young adult aspect. Todays teens are faced with a multitude of things and many of them were addressed in this book: cutting, death, sexual orientation, love, betrayal, discovery etc To me the author spends the most time on the parts of life that all teens experience loved, betrayal and discovery but she does not ignore the more difficult ones however she does kind of gloss over them.
All in all I am glad I read the books but I did not enjoy them as much as I have others.
Helpful Score: 1
I wish that Libba Bray loved happy endings as much a J.K. Rowling does. It would have made my review of The Sweet Far Thing a little sweeter.
This book is the darkest of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. It begins as Gemma and her friends prepare for their seasons, when they will be presented before the queen at their society debut and signaling their readiness for marriage. Gemma can't master her curtsey, and that's the least of her problems. The magical realms are out of control, with mythical creatures finding ways through the cracks and into the real world. Gemma no longer holds all the power, and is having problems controlling the power she does have. And her confusing relationship with and feelings for Kartik are only getting more complicated.
The book's ending prevented me from giving this book five stars - but its a satisfying conclusion to the series. I was happy to see Gemma follow her heart - a great message for the young women readers who are the author's target audience.
This book is the darkest of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy. It begins as Gemma and her friends prepare for their seasons, when they will be presented before the queen at their society debut and signaling their readiness for marriage. Gemma can't master her curtsey, and that's the least of her problems. The magical realms are out of control, with mythical creatures finding ways through the cracks and into the real world. Gemma no longer holds all the power, and is having problems controlling the power she does have. And her confusing relationship with and feelings for Kartik are only getting more complicated.
The book's ending prevented me from giving this book five stars - but its a satisfying conclusion to the series. I was happy to see Gemma follow her heart - a great message for the young women readers who are the author's target audience.
