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| The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy) | 
 enlarge | Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  118 reviews
Sales Rank: 2252
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 832
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 6.1 x 2.1
ISBN: 0385730306
EAN: 9780385730303
ASIN: 0385730306
Publication Date: December 26, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a
laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.
The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 113 more reviews...
 Not everything has a happy ending January 3, 2008
44 out of 58 found this review helpful
Gemma and her friends Ann and Felicity are back in Ms. Bray's final installment of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. Gemma and Fee are waiting to enter society as women and Ann is preparing to become a nanny. The girls have much to discover, such as their desires, destines and who are their true friends and enemies.
The book is a long 800+ pages, and to be frank sometimes it felt like it. The book starts out with a lot of talk about balls and the Victorian Era. For people who want to read about the Realms and Kartik the first 200/300 pages maybe a bit tiresome. Also I felt the book could have moved a little more quickly. Around page 600 or so I found myself flipping through the pages in order to get to the good stuff.
The writing is good. The plot dragged a tad, and after much thought I agree Gemma's character didn't progress as I hoped it would.
The ending is bittersweet for Gemma and many readers are having a difficult time with this. I can understand that because when I read Little Women I was upset when Jo refused to marry Laurie. Still, the readers' passion impresses me because these are teens that care deeply for characters in a YA book series. And who says teens don't read!
Gemma's decision at the end was a bit of a shocker. I kept scratching my head thinking "where did that come from?" It made no sense and was never hinted at in the previous two books. It just seemed to happen out of the blue, which was a bit difficult to swallow.
Overall, I did enjoy the novel, but I think that Ms. Bray's characters were able to get away with far too much. Each one got what they wanted in the end, which was rather disappointing. As a person who has studied, and taught history, I thought the girls were far too modern in their beliefs. It would have been nice if one of the girls had been trapped by their station in life and had been forced to mold to society's views.
As a series I enjoyed it very much and I hope that Ms. Bray continues to write.
Unexpected Twists and Turns January 7, 2008
23 out of 28 found this review helpful
At over 800 pages, The Sweet Far Thing has plenty of time to veer into uncharted waters, and often does; sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Ms. Bray injects her story with fantastic characters by the dozens, hysterical and untried teenage girls, sinister forces, and even romance as she brings her trilogy to a close.
Beginning where Rebel Angels left off, we find Gemma Doyle back at Spence Academy with a huge decision to make: How and when should return the magic from the realms that she has bound to herself? Who can she trust? Unsure of herself but finding that she enjoys the power,Gemma and her friends Ann and Felicity return to the magical realms in order to gain information and be with their fallen friend, Pippa. But things have changed and Gemma's going to be forced to make alliances she's unsure of, and in neither her magical world nor her reality can she find guidance. In her quest to do what's best, Gemma's led to a mysterious tree in the Winterlands and learns she must recover a long lost dagger if she wants to bring peace back to the realms.
At times frightening, at times action-packed, the story is a good ending to an intriguing series. The length could indeed have been cut down; though Ms. Bray does a good job of bringing many of the plot points to fruition, there are some that do seem abrupt and unfamiliar. Things are not tied up neatly and a happy ending isn't necessarily in the cards. Overall, this one kept me turning the pages and engaged me, and that makes it a book I can recommend after having read the first two.
 A gripping end to a "spellbinding" trilogy January 16, 2008
20 out of 30 found this review helpful
I was enthralled for all 800 pages of this book, and while I was anxious to learn the fate of the characters, I didn't want the book to end. The Gemma Doyle trilogy is a wonderful blend of social commentary, mystery, history, and fantasy. I agree with some reviewers who pointed out the anachronisms of the book, especially how the young women were far "too modern" for the Victorian era in terms of their opinions, behavior, and feminist agenda. This book reads as more of a retrospective social commentary on that era (or "revisionism" if you will), for it's hard for us modern women to relate to the social conditioning of otherwise intelligent women who lived in accordance with the oppressive rules and restrictions of genteel society. Gemma can apparently see beyond her time and place in history, and she constantly gripes about the conditions of women, noticing in turn the degrading situations of both privileged "ladies" and exploited factory workers.
I appreciate that Gemma is a "flawed" heroine and that all of the main characters are mixed bags. When authors idealize their protagonists, we the readers are left feeling almost intimidated by such perfection. But when protagonists make both good and bad choices, yet prevail with integrity, we can relate to their characterization on a deeper level. Libba Bray has explored this theme of "chiaroscuro" (characters live in both the light and dark) in all three of the novels that comprise the Gemma Doyle series.
Spoiler Warning
Yes, I was disappointed that Kartik was sacrificed to the Tree of Life and hoped that he wouldn't end up like Eugenia Spence, where his identity would fuse with something entirely different from himself. But I take comfort in that Gemma's narration noted that the energy of the Winterlands was changing after she had distributed the magic. I thought the part about Pippa sacrificing sentient beings in order to gain power was inconsistent. I assumed that she had to go to the Winterlands to strike up this bargain of sacrificing bunnies or human beings in order to garner magic (independent of what Gemma "gifted" her with), and this magical stipulation could easily be inferred when Pip admitted to going to the Winterlands by herself. When she beheaded most gruesomely one of the members of the Order, she did so outside the Winterlands and in her own domain in the Realms. This horrible gesture seemed not only inconsistent, but gratuitous. Pip didn't start off as a violent character (quite the opposite, a prim if rather vain girl who didn't venture outside the well-established social mores of Victorian England). She became a distortion of her former self after she ate the berries, compounded by an unchecked power trip over the factory girls (over whom she resided as a self-appointed queen) and an insatiable lust for magic. Gemma was told that it wasn't too late for Pip, but Pip's deterioration became more and more evident when Pip learned that it was too late to cross over and that she was stuck in the unpredicatable Realms for eternity. Even marriage to Mr. Beadle (an unattractive, middle-aged man) seemed a more palatable alternative than this consequence of eating the deadly berries.
If poor Pip became a lost cause, then I like that Circe was redeemed. Sarah/Hester/Miss Moore/Circe (whatever name you hang on this woman) admitted her weaknesses (her "dark corners") and hunger for power, yet she did try to save Gemma and was spared eternal misery as a reward, as she joined the exalted members of the Order in the hereafter.
This trilogy was a tour de force, and I only regret that it has come to an end. I wouldn't mind a revisit to Gemma and the Realms as she navigates through a university education and her irrevocable ties to Spence Academy. If Libba Bray can be persuaded to give us another Gemma Doyle novel or at least a spin off, I will be one very happy fan.
 Dissappointing conclusion to an original series December 27, 2007
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
MILD SPOILERS PRESENT:I have been eagerly awaiting this concluding book, but I have to say now that I finished it, I am dissappointed. I had hoped to see Gemma mature in this last book. However she remains as immature and self centered as when the first novel started. Sometimes I just wanted to slap her! It seems to me that Felicity and Ann were only friends with her because they could get to the Realms through her magical abilities.She continues with the same insecurities about her friends and her father. I like the part where is starts getting corrupted and overwhelmed by holding all the magic to herself, but even then she seems to have little insight into her own behavior. She makes bad choices through out- how could she trust Circe again! Kartik however shines- he has the maturity and courage that Gemma does not. When Gemma grants him some magic to do whatever he wants, instead of using the magic like her friends Fee and Ann, Kartik declines to use it and instead embraces Gemma. This was the most romantic scene ever! The conclusion to Kartik and Gemma love story was a real let down. I think most of us were hoping for a happiliy ever after ending.His self sacrifice seemed wasted, since I am not sure Gemma has learnt anything from it. Why does she decide to sail off to America- this seems to come out of left field.I would have preferrred and ending where Gemma and Kartik go back to India together. Overall a real downer to an otherwise imaginative series.
A Complicated Relationship: A Flawed Attraction, but ultimately a redeeming end to the trilogy. December 28, 2007
13 out of 19 found this review helpful
*****CAUTION: SPOILERS**********
Let me preface this by saying that this has been a complicated relationship, with this trilogy. I have had issues and enjoyments with these books, and this review will tackle some (actually, most) of them. I start with the faults first. Do not think I hate the books. It's complicated.
First of all, I think it too long. The first 300 pages could have been cut. NOTHING HAPPENS. And someone has to tell Libba Bray that it is simply absurd to have these adventures in the realms and then have it all forgotten and cast aside, to have normal occurrences back at Spence. It's like something monumental happens and the next thing you know, everyone's talking about bonnets and balls.
Another thing. Libba Bray's writing can be too convoluted, full of an awareness of its sometimes excellent phrases. Convoluted: in about 3 sentences, Gemma goes from being in Spence to being in the realms. "I reach the door". Oh, so in about 30 seconds, she managed to escape whoever she was talking to, run outside, put her hands on the stone, and enter the realms unnoticed?
Then there are things like the scene in which she looks at gargoyles. She is in her bed, then she "looks at the gargoyles", "turning her head" to do so. For God's sake, she would have to get up out of the bed first and open a window in order to see the decorations that are ON THE ROOF.
I noticed this at the end of "Rebel Angels", the last pages of which was, simply put, chaotic. For a good 50 pages (the last 50 pages), I had no idea what was happening, or, rather, too many things were happening and too few were being explained or understood. Gemma flew between the realms and the "real" world again, while I wondered why she just didn't stay in the realms and sort out the problem if the situation there was so crucial and why exactly she was running around London if the realms were in such a dire situation.
Also, someone needs to tell Libba Bray that her protagonist, Gemma Doyle, is frustratingly, unchangeably STUPID. What kind of person defeats an evil force that was responsible for her mother's death and then, one book later, GIVES THAT IMPRISONED VILLAIN MAGIC?!? What the hell did Gemma THINK would happen by giving CIRCE more magic in exchange for stupid information? That nothing would happen? That this evil person would do nothing? Or that Pippa could be trusted, especially, as we are told OVER AND OVER, as her eyes are constantly shifting from their normal violent to a frightening white-blue? And that her teeth have become sharp? And that there is something unsettling about her now?
And why, WHY is Pippa still around? I thought we dealt with this back in Book 1, for God's sake. It shouldn't take 2 more books to get rid of her. She died, she didn't cross over, she was corrupted. All right, fine. End it. I'm tired of hearing the girls say, "Oh, let's visit Pippa," and the endless reminders of "Boohoo, I'm dead and trapped" and "Boohoo, Gemma, you left me here,"
(Also, does no one else notice a correlation here between these infuriating, 2-syllable, -a sound ending names? Gemma? Pippa? Libba?)
And Gemma NEEDS A BACKBONE. I am sick and tired of hearing "I know I shouldn't go to the realms today but Felicity and Ann want to go" and "I know I shouldn't be doing this, but they're my friends". Oh, yeah. Friends. They're such good friends that Felicity controls every action and conversation, snaps, and dominates, and can be downright nasty and unseeing to both Gemma and Ann. And Ann never sticks up for herself or for Gemma, and even shallowly abandons her to try and be part of Felicity's company.
Too many pages of nothing happen, in which some crucial points are revealed. Those things should be expanded on, not endless depictions of all of the girls at Spence.
Also, someone needs to tell Libba Bray that her frequent face-value injections of "British humour" (on which, the flap tells us, she was raised) are not that witty. Also, they are downright anachronistic. No Victorian girl would say "Right. Jolly good." That sort of terse, modern speech came later; or, if it was used at all in 1895, it would have been by "lower-class" fishmongers or dockworkers, certainly not by a young lady of considerable "upper-class" status.
Speaking of anachronisms, the use of the present-tense is initially startling because it is so thoroughly modern and is not a usual element of historical fiction. One can grow accustomed to it, but sudden sentences (involving contractions), like "I'm running..." scream of the 21st century. Or idiomatic expressions like "I'll get to it" or "Hear me out". I get the sense (or perhaps I get the sense that this is what others will say) that Libba Bray is trying to ensnare modern readers, ones who don't normally enjoy historical fiction. The result is to make those who do wince and become annoyed and frustrated. Too much of that leads to rage against the author, believe me.
And then, just when these blaring things are coming to a head, something like Pippa's and Felicity's love is revealed. It's one of those elements, like the realization of Felicity's father's molestation of her, that make me go, "Wow. Okay.". And the story gains some weight, some splendour. It becomes more dramatic, heavier; I take it more seriously; I respect it more.
But you see why this have been a complex relationship. The story is absorbing but sometimes rushed, frenzied, unclear, and convoluted. The characters are NOT one-dimensional, but they are all frustrating (or can be), Gemma above all. I predicted each realization (like Circe's escape from the well) that sluggishly hit her 100 pages in advance.
Sometimes Bray doesn't take care with the details of the realms. Maybe I should have re-read the 2nd book before I started the 3rd, but the intricacies of the who exactly Philon, Creostuc, Asha, and everybody else are need to be clearer.
This review may sound vitriolic. It is not necessarily meant to be. I have all 3 books. I bought each with excitement and happiness. I read this last one in one day straight. I did nothing but sit on my bed from noon to two in the morning and read. I am eager to talk about them, and I do like them, alright, even (this last book has allowed me to saw it) love them, but at times the issues I have with the characters, ploy, and Bray's writing take head and make me frustrated.
I think this book in particular is too long. The first 300 pages of it needn't have existed. I am not sure why they did. I was utterly unable to name a single important thing that happened during them. All it does is set up Wilhelmina, the visions, etc., etc.
I understand when books need to/ want to simply "establish a mood", but really, this is too much.
HOWEVER, THAT SAID: I have said this a complex relationship. Frustration/Enjoyment. I enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, love, enjoy many parts of this book.
There are nice, even lovely sentences, metaphors, and especially, imagery. (Though this sometimes does not placate me towards the other flaws.)
And I get the sense that this book is really more (or that Bray has tried to make it more) about *existence*. During the battle in the realms, the backdrop of 1895 faded away and when Gemma returns, the Victorian world of its "corseted" truths (I also really liked Bray's use of the corset imagery with the truth that Victorian society--and, in that message, ours too--restrains and the blinders its people desperately employ to survive with a minimum of pain) and putting on appearances seems inconsequential and shallow. It is what Gemma has been battling against. This book is about existence, disobedience, truth, appearances, doubt, the necessity to know the truth always, about ourselves and others, the necessity not to lock away but to confront.
So really, the ending of "The Sweet Far Thing" was quite touching. And the very end, Gemma's and her friend's fates, didn't strike me as part of this master plan to show the reader the message of "Do what makes you happy", "Do what you want", "Be who you are,". I think this is because one of the things Bray does do is that she has proven Gemma's journey to us, so when she embarks on her decision to "be who she is", we know who that person is, and we have been her fighting her way through confusion and doubt, through sorrow, through utter loneliness and distrust, into clarity and determination, out of necessity, out of survival. We have seen her make choices, accept the consequences, fight, live, die. It's like a great catharsis; at the end, we must simple be. And yet, the complexity that I love about it is that even as Gemma stands in the middle of her debut ball and forsakes it for its shallowness and appearances, she acknowledges that some people need those appearances and illusions, and that someday, when they are ready, they will cast "the bricks" (more good imagery) down, confront the light of truth and honesty, and then perhaps built more illusions. But, instead of feeling complete and utter contempt, she leaves these people to it, because she understands. She herself has relied on illusions; now she has broken them down. But she knows that not everyone can, and must do it in their own time.
I suppose the sweet far thing to which the title refers is the bell in Yeat's poem that calls us onwards, to death or life. But really, the book advocates the sweet *near* thing: the immediacy of existence, the present consciousness of oneself, because only then--or rather, here--can that thing become sweet. It becomes self-actualization and understanding of the world. But perhaps the element of the far enters when one views this from afar, and sees the journey that one must take to achieve the sweet near thing.
Complicated feelings: there are flaws in this trilogy, but this third book somewhat redeems them.
Any book that can get me to think of existence and that can impart such a feeling, a message, that even though it is clearly written out, also lingers unspoken, in the very feel of the book, is worth consideration and understanding.
I felt changed by this book.
That said, there are some lingering problems. Why is Circe suddenly good? What is it with the Tree?.....
Damn you, Libba Bray. Bravo, Libba Bray.
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