Customer Reviews

The Sweet Far Thing (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy)

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Well, I spent the first 3/4 of this book racked by horror movie syndrome: you know, when you're watching the girl go down the long, dark hall and reach for the doorknob, having split off from the rest of the group, and you're yelling, "Don't do it!" at the screen? Only in this case, I was yelling at Gemma not to trust all the wrong people and misuse the magic she holds. She does both, repeatedly, for hundreds of pages.

Yet Bray's point seems to be that it's hard to know what to do when you're a 17-year-old girl, let alone when you carry far too great a responsibility and everyone around you is clamoring for you to hand it over to them. So while Gemma naturally distrusts the authoritarian Order and the Rakshana, she is more conflicted about her supposed allies in the realms, particularly two--make that three--individuals who are not nearly as dead as they should be.

At the same time, Gemma and her friends are trying to figure out what to do about their oh-so-scripted futures, not to mention troubles with family members. And Gemma worries over her feelings for Kartik, who pulls away, then doesn't, then does, even as she tries to make sense of events in the Realms and the warnings she is receiving in visions.

It kind of reminds me of how Harry Potter and his friends spend the middle of the last book glumly hiding out and quarreling because they lack all kinds of important information--and simply because they're teenagers and really don't know what to do next.

The Sweet Far Thing is a long read, but it is incredibly well written and moves at a surprisingly fast clip. (Watch for some lovely metaphors tucked here and there in Bray's prose.)

As for the ending, I would normally object, but I think this story is clearly focused on Gemma's efforts to make good choices and know, truly know, who she is, rather than on a stereotypical happy ending. A key theme of The Sweet Far Thing is that Gemma feels she is all alone, in spite of her friendships and allies and family--a feeling that this book ultimately confirms, though Gemma does manage to make peace with that knowledge.

The most telling moment for me is when the gate of the Winterlands demands each girl's greatest fear and greatest wish. Gemma's wish is this: "I don't know! I don't know what I want, but I wish I did. And that is the truest answer I can give."

For my part, I wish it were easier for Gemma to untangle the deceit and confusion that buffet her like storm winds, but in the end, she and her friends do what all of us have to do--the best that they can under the circumstances. And yes, they save the world. Bravo, Libba Bray!

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.

I am a high school teacher. I love young adult literature and share it constantly with my students. Even when a book is not that well-written from a literary standpoint, I will still review it well if it has a good story that my students would be interested in. I am giving this book a poor review because it was poorly written, apparently poorly edited, and even poorly plotted.

Last year, I found the first Gemma Doyle book, read it, and loved it. I could hardly put it down; it was interesting and even insightful in parts, and I was drawn to the characters. Immediately, I picked up the second book and read straight through it, quickly passing both books on to my students, who also LOVED them. We loved the characters--their problems, their voices, their humor, their struggles and sadness and love or loneliness or longing. They were real to us. We passed the books around and around and counted the days until December 26th when the third book would come out.

Even though I was far from home on the release date, I looked up a book store while on vacation and ran to pick up this book. As I started reading, I could not get into it. I kept reading, thinking that it would get better. It only got worse. I have barely been able to finish reading it within 2 months. I think this last book read like a bad soap opera, in which the actors dressed in their modern finery and put on the fake accents of Victorian-era young people. Unfortunately, my true excitement when I first picked up this 800-page tome ("Yeah! 800 pages!") turned into "Oh my gosh! Do I really have to keep reading 800 pages of this?" The answer for me was yes because I needed to be able to talk to my students about it. All of my students who loved the first two books rushed out to buy the third, and some of them still haven't finished reading it. Those who have finished it are not at all impressed. They tell me they find the plot boring, the characters fake, and the ending random.

On her website, Libba Bray tried to answer "crying" readers' questions about why the book ended the way it did. I did not mind the ending; in fact, by the time I reached it, I simply did not care how it ended. All of my students felt the same way; they felt nothing in the end except for disappointment at reading this far for nothing. I laughed and cried along with the characters (and my students) in the first two books, but I disliked them in the third. Ms. Bray compared her readers' feelings to her own feelings when beloved characters died in books like Wuthering Heights or To Kill a Mockingbird. The difference is that the authors of those books made readers care about their characters, as Ms. Bray did accomplish in the first two books of this series. Ms. Bray was disappointed that readers were so concerned about Kartik dying when there were so many strong, independent female characters in the book. I understand those readers' perspectives because the females in the last book were ridiculous and unreal. We didn't see as much of Kartik, and I think that's why I still cared a little about him.

All in all, I was disappointed. However, I hope Libba Bray will continue to write more books like the first two in this series. I will give her another chance, to be sure.

Thankfully, this is over. I thought I would never get through this last installment of Gemma Doyle trilogy. Why, oh why does this book have to be so long? Take out 300-400 pages of unnecessary secondary characters and going nowhere plot lines, its 5 epilogues, and "The Sweet Far Thing" would be a reasonably decent book (I suppose). But alas, Bray chooses to ruin her own rather original series with this endless and bizarre last installment.

I've read quite a few reviews and know how many people are disappointed with the ending. I don't really mind where all the characters end up in this story, but I rather mind how and why they get there.

Gemma's books have never been about romance for me. The underlying idea of these books is women's independence, I get it. So I probably wouldn't have minded Kartik's sacrifice if it made any sense. For me, he dies because of Gemma's stupidity. Should she have done what she promised to do in the end of book 2 (divide the magic among the inhabitants of the realms), none of the events in the books would have happened. Thus his death is pointless in my opinion. In fact, the more I think of the details of Kartik's death, the less I understand what and why exactly happened to him. Basically, Gemma stabs the Tree releasing Winterlands' magic, Kartik sucks in this magic, then pours the magic into Gemma and then becomes a part of the Tree. WTH just happened? Why does he even have to do it? If the Tree doesn't have any more magic, how can it have this power to accept his sacrifice and why is it needed? If the Tree still holds on its evil power, how does Kartik's sacrifice change anything? Doesn't it mean that the Tree will continue its evil business in the Winterlands and will eventually corrupt Kartik the same way it did Eugenia? How is this a solution?

Now to Felicity and Pippa. Seriously, where does the gay issue come from? I have no objections to homosexuality being portrayed in YA literature, but it is handled very heavy-handedly by Bray in this book. First of all, there is no clue about this in the first two books - Felicity is caught kissing a gypsy man, Pippa dreams of a knight in shiny armor. This leads me to believe that this turn in the girls' relationship is an afterthought on Bray's part. Another issue here is that considering that Felicity is only 16 and a victim of sexual abuse, can we really be sure that her newly found sexual preference is a real one and not caused by the abuse? I just think Bray shouldn't have brought up this issue if she didn't have time to handle it responsibly and thoughtfully.

Lastly, "The Sweet Far Thing" is an unbearably long and convoluted tale that needs editing badly. First two books have a great balance of real and supernatural with a great women's independence message. This third book is unnecessarily full of numerous subplots, redundant scenes, and pages of feminist propaganda. I understand Bray wanted to give us her opinion on about every women's issue out there, but it doesn't translate into a good book.

Overall, a disappointing conclusion to an imaginative and original series. I don't necessarily regret reading the trilogy, but I will definitely not recommend it to anyone. Two stars only because I was able to finish it and it gives some kind of closure.

The last two books in this trilogy were so disappointing. For someone who had such a promising first book and introduction to a trilogy, I was surprised to find that none of the books seemed to be planned out. It's as if she wrote the books with no decided conclusion in mind. I really hated how it was evident to the reader that it seemed like there was no outline to the trilogy. Also, the journeys into the realms were ridiculously repetitive. I didn't really have a problem with the ending. It had a strong message and it's truthful. however, I did feel that the message was too aggressive and overwhelmed the fictional and literary elements of the storyline. Overall, I thought it was a poorly written book, and basically, a poorly written trilogy -with exceptions to the first book.

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.

And so ends the trilogy that began with A Great and Terrible Beauty (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), continued with Rebel Angels (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), and concludes in this final volume, THE SWEET FAR THING. I liked the first one well enough because of its unique blend of a wild, magical, mythical realm barely constrained behind stiff Victorian curtains. I really got into the second one as the plot became more complex, Gemma came into her own powers, Felicity and Ann's stories became more layered, and poor beautiful Pippa was relegated to the Realms indefinitely. When I saw how thick the third one was, my eagerness ratcheted up a notch. After all, I have been sitting around lately asking for longer books. Suddenly, here one is.

Unfortunately, 800 pages later, the best thing about it remains the first four words, it's lovely title, taken from a poem by W.B. Yeats. And it does capture the extremely bittersweet feel of the last portion of the book. But somehow this installment failed to capture my imagination. It frustrated me more than anything. Instead of making good use of everything she fought for in Rebel Angels (The Gemma Doyle Trilogy), Gemma spends the entire novel trying to decide whether or not to do what she decided to do at the end of the last book. Not until the final pages does she get a grip on herself and do what needs to be done. I thought we were done with crippling indecision in the previous books. I wanted the Gorgon to just let loose and throttle her! Meanwhile, Felicity and Ann are apparently thirteen again and spend the majority of their time being petty and distrustful, backstabbing Gemma whenever they get the chance. Pippa is the most interesting of the original friends, munching on the berries of the dead in all her Miss Havisham glory. But her path is extremely predictable. And Kartik? Fiery, beautiful Kartik? Sigh. The end to his story had far too much in common with Merlin's fate for my taste. I will say that the scene where Gemma and Kartik place their hands inside the stone was achingly beautiful. But, as with much in this hefty book, it was too little too late and I'm left feeling sad. Wishing, somehow, it could all have gone differently.

I am an avid reader and a huge fan of a both A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. Fans of these two books may be disappointed, because I certainly was.

This book is beautifully written and although there were minor things (mentioned in other reviews) that irked me, the overall story was fantastic. Ringing in at over 800 pages I never saw a dull moment where I was bored or wasn't compelled to keep reading. I do not think that Gemma lost all her redeeming qualities, as other reviewers have said. Instead, I think that her actions were understandable as she is, after all, a teenage girl forced to cope with feeling alone while her world crashes down around her.

The only thing that I truly did not like was the ending.

SPOILERS, (AS IN IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK, I BESEECH YOU NOT TO READ FURTHER!!!):

I am no sucker for a happy ending, and I do not think that any book needs one to be good (in fact I think that many, many, many books are better off without them) but I was enraged by the way that this book ended. After all the romance between Gemma and Kartik that the reader waits for through the first two books, how can Libba possibly give it to us and then do what she does to Kartik? What she does to Gemma? I understand that the ending is hopeful with Gemma going off to be her own woman in New York, but Libba kills (she might as well have) Gemma's soul mate (they were meant to be together, they had the same dream! ahhh!)! I am not one to cry at the end of books but I cried from the time that Kartik is imprisoned in the tree of all souls until, um, 20 minutes after I had finished the book. I was inconsolable. I don't mean to be dramatic but I think a part of me died when Kartik did. I also do not agree with anyone who says that they couldn't have been together in real life for firstly, this is a work of fiction, and secondly, they were clearly in love so that they would have made it work whether in London, India, or New York. And then, not even was the ending with Gemma's father happy. I expected more for the conclusion of a series that has characters the reader comes to know and love so much.

I was dissappointed in the last book of the Gemma Doyle trilogy. There were a lot of loose ends, and it seemed to be rushed through a lot of the story, and way slow through other parts. I enjoyed the journey, but it lacked a certain pull to keep me completely entertained and interested that the other two books did not lack. And while Anne and Fee and Gemma were there at Spence, it seems they never went to class, like they had all the freedoms in the world, and they were supposed to be young and controlled teens. What was the purpous of that setting if she wasnt going to use it in her last book I wonder? The tree had little explaination, as did a lot of the other little stories entertwined in this book. It wasn't a total flop, as it did keep my interest in parts of the book, but it certainly lacked the finness her other two books possessed. Plus, I am completely confused about Kartik and their story ending at the tree...hmmm? If things in the realms and ownership of the magic were "changing", then why did Kartik have be taken by the tree, why would any soul have to be a part of the tree? Did I miss something? I guess I'll just finish the story in my own immagination, and make it a great ending! It surely could have been better, but all in all, it deserves 3 stars.

SPOILER WARNING.

Once I finished the final book in the series I was eager to go online and read everyone's thoughts on A Sweet Far Thing. I'm not going to summarize the story for you, nor am I going to provide a list of things I liked and disliked about the book. This review is for those of you who felt cheated by Kartik's untimely end. I, like many of you was heartbroken when Kartik died. Despite his presence being rather sporadic throughout the series, I too had grown rather attached to his character. I wanted Kartik to find his destiny, to confront his brother, and confess his love for Gemma. I expected all three of these events to happen in the final book. However, I knew that Gemma and Kartik would not have their happily ever after. I was not surprised in the least that they did not end up together (in the physical sense, that is). In the spiritual sense, well, that is something entirely different.

One of Bray's flaws when it comes to writing, is that there is never enough evidence to support her claims. Felicity was a character I had the largest issue with. Through out the course of the series we discover that she was sexually abused as a child and in love with her best friend Pippa. I did not foresee either of these revelations. There was no indication whatsoever that Felicity and Pippa shared feelings for one another other than intense friendship. Also, there are certain signs that indicate when a person has been abused and I just didn't recall anything from the text that eluded to Felicity's tortured past.

Kartik and Gemma's relationship, however, is an entirely different story. From the very beginning their destinies were intertwined. Both had experienced a great loss and both were expected to complete a difficult task. Many things brought them closer together and at the same time tore them even farther apart. Deep down both characters knew they wouldn't be together in the end. They had a common purpose but two entirely different fates. If you need proof, go back to the passages that detail Kartik's dreams/visions. Gemma was meant to die, and Kartik fulfilled his duty as a true member of the Rakshana by protecting his priestess. Kartik sacrificed himself so that Gemma could live and do what she was destined to do: bring magic back to the Realms. Otherwise, why did she come back from the dead? She could have taken the easy route and left the harsh reality behind and lived in paradise. They both made difficult choices, but they did what they believed to be right and they sacrificed a great deal. I for one believe that in the future Kartik and Gemma will find a way to be together. After all, Kartik isn't truly dead. He lives on in the realms and Gemma is apart of the realms, so in a sense, they will never be apart.