The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Reviewed by Libby, age 14, Wisconsin
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
School. It's never fun. Whether it's mandatory or not, whether your teacher is giving you a lecture or you're taking a test, we all get sick of school once in a while. But if you think you hate it now, take a time machine back to the late 1800s when The Sweet Far Thing, by Libba Bray, took place. Back then, women didn't learn about physical activities or mathematics. They went to school to become ladies. And Spence Academy is the school Gemma Doyle gets sent to in this series.
The Sweet Far Thing is the last book in Bray's trilogy which began with A Great and Terrible Beauty and continued with Rebel Angels. Chances are, if you've already read the first two, you've read the last one also. But for those of you who have never heard about the Gemma Doyle series, here's a little background information: After Gemma's mother dies, her father sends her off to Spence Academy to become more proper. During her time there she reveals secrets about her mother that may not be so flattering. She also discovers she is the key to open the realms, another world where dark magic runs wild, and she holds all the power.
The Sweet Far Thing is definitely one of my favorites in the series. It may have over 800 pages, but I flew right through them. It's the plot and Libba Bray's writing style that made me fall in love. One of my favorite things in this third book is the characters. You learn so much about the characters, and you're even introduced to new ones. I could never predict what a character might do next, and it was fun to make guesses. Some of the behavior seemed to come out of nowhere, but if you thought about it, it made sense. One thing I personally think makes a good book is that it's unpredictable, and this book is certainly that.
If you're thinking this book is too long or sounds too boring, think again. You'll be through the entire thing before you know it, and you'll be striving to have the next one in your hands. The series provides something for everyone. There's evil, magic, and even romance. So go and pick the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray at a local Target or Borders, or you can go to your local library. These books are worth the read!
My Rating:
The Sweet Far Thing: 4 stars (of a possible 5)
The Gemma Doyle series (as a whole): 4.5 stars (of a possible 5)
