Circle of Three #8: The Five Paths [Paperback]

Isobel Bird (Author)

Book Description

Series: Circle of Three | Publication Date: August 7, 2001

North and south and east and west,
earth and fire, air and water,
And the fifth path, center's spirit,
on it walks the searching daughters.

The five-pointed star is the Wiccan symbol of the Spirit, and that's how Cooper wears it. Those not versed in the ways of the Craft find it unsettling, however. Will Cooper, Annie, and Kate be able to withstand the tide of controversy bearing down upon them?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Isobel Bird has been involved in the world of paganism and witchcraft for many years. She lives and dances beneath the moon somewhere in New England.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064472981
• ISBN-13: 978-0064472982
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,581,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the 15, May 8, 2002

By 

Stormy (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Circle of Three #8: The Five Paths (Paperback)

This is the best book in a great series.

Very realistic. Presents both sides of the argument. Doesn't make any false promises that magick will fix every problem in your life or make it go away with a snap of the fingers--but does show that through magick and faith, good things can be accomplished. The girls face very realistic hurdles due to their Wiccan involvement.

Re: the prior review--I don't think all the difficulties came about solely due to the necklace. Kate had hidden her Wiccan involvement from her parents until this issue made them ask questions. Annie's family already knew and didn't care, but she had not told her boyfriend yet, then chose to come out Wiccan in the school paper. All these experiences are quite realistic and young Wiccans may have to deal with one or all of them at some point.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best one from this series (so far), August 20, 2001

By 

Nicole Alger "imanoonle" (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle of Three #8: The Five Paths (Paperback)

I have such a boring job this summer that I was able to finally pick up this book and read it. I started reading this series because it was on display at the bookstore where I worked, and before it went out of business, I bought the first 3 books. At first it was nothing spectacular, but I was hooked all the same. It is your basic teenage novel, except that the teenage heroines are studying wicca. I enjoy fantasy novels, and therefore the supernatural, but this series is different. It looks at wicca as a religion, and also investigates magic. This book takes a look at what happens to these three teenagers as they admit to their society that they are studying wicca. Cooper decides to wear a pentacle necklace at school, which causes an uproar. Cooper faces suspension, and her freedom of speech is questioned. Her two friends and fellow wicca-studiers, Kate and Annie, are dragged in with Cooper. Should they admit to studying wicca? Annie faces the judgement of her boyfriend, and Kate the judgement of her family. But what got to me about this book is not so much the issue (is wicca/witchcraft evil?), but the issue of freedom of speech in schools. I suggest this series to anyone who is interested in wicca, or anyone who wonders about it. A fantastic story.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SLAM DUNK! - updated review 1/24/2012, August 9, 2001

By 

Anthony Manno (Mt. Prospect, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle of Three #8: The Five Paths (Paperback)

Updated review: January 24, 2012

Freedoms of expression and religion are challenged when Cooper wears a pentacle to school. Some teachers and students find it offensive and complain to the principal, who tries to see both sides of the sensitive issue.

Most of this series, so far, has dealt with its characters individually as each of them adjusts to their new beliefs. While 'The Five Paths' appears to be about Cooper's challenge, Kate and Annie feel it hit them too--especially Kate, who has just renewed a friendship with Jessica and Tara.

Isobel Bird hits as close to home as possible with this book! While the book deals with being Wiccan, religion happens to be more of a subtext here. Anyone who has suffered discrimination will find this book relatable.

I did some research after reading this book. Wicca has been a federally recognized religion since 1986, but it remains oppressed. Most people do not even know that Wicca is protected under our laws; it has been twenty-six years.

Just because the pentacle/pentagram really is used by Satanists and other cultures does not mean that molehills have been turned into mountains. Ms. Bird--while writing fiction--is trying to educate the rest of us about how things have remained the same because biases have kept the truth hidden for over two decades...I mean millennia.