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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
This book was wonderful! I'm very sad to see the Gemma Doyle trilogy come to an end, but Bray sure took it out with a bang in The Sweet Far Thing.
Rather than talk about what happens in the novel, I want to touch upon one thing that really held my interest throughout all three novels: the discontent that Gemma feels over the restraints and limitations placed upon girls and women. Bray takes the opportunity through Gemma, Felicity, and Ann to make her female readers aware of the expectations placed upon women during that era. Gemma and Felicity, most markedly, do not want to fall victim to the rank and classification system in regards to being female. Ann tries her best to not fall into the social class of servitude, although she doesn't have nearly quite as much spunk as Gemma and Felicity. These girls see no reason why they shouldn't be able to be who they want to be, dress the way they want to, live they way they want to, etc. There's a good little history lesson here for young girls about the fight that in which women have had to engage in order to gain respect and equality in this world. Bray doesn't go overboard with the idea, but she does drive the point home.
One of my favorite passages from this book is below:
Felicity takes both my hands in hers. My bones ache from her grip. "Gemma, you see how it is. They've planned our entire lives, from what we shall wear to whom we shall marry and where we shall live. It's one lump of sugar in your tea whether you like it or not and you'd best smile even if you're dying deep inside. We're like pretty horses, and just as on horses, they mean to put blinders on us so we can't look left or right but only straight ahead where they would lead." Felicity puts her forehead to mine, holds my hands between hers in a prayer. "Please, please, please, Gemma, let's not die inside before we have to." (page 601)
To me, it seems as if Bray might have left this series open-ended enough for another novel. A reader can always hope, right?
Rather than talk about what happens in the novel, I want to touch upon one thing that really held my interest throughout all three novels: the discontent that Gemma feels over the restraints and limitations placed upon girls and women. Bray takes the opportunity through Gemma, Felicity, and Ann to make her female readers aware of the expectations placed upon women during that era. Gemma and Felicity, most markedly, do not want to fall victim to the rank and classification system in regards to being female. Ann tries her best to not fall into the social class of servitude, although she doesn't have nearly quite as much spunk as Gemma and Felicity. These girls see no reason why they shouldn't be able to be who they want to be, dress the way they want to, live they way they want to, etc. There's a good little history lesson here for young girls about the fight that in which women have had to engage in order to gain respect and equality in this world. Bray doesn't go overboard with the idea, but she does drive the point home.
One of my favorite passages from this book is below:
Felicity takes both my hands in hers. My bones ache from her grip. "Gemma, you see how it is. They've planned our entire lives, from what we shall wear to whom we shall marry and where we shall live. It's one lump of sugar in your tea whether you like it or not and you'd best smile even if you're dying deep inside. We're like pretty horses, and just as on horses, they mean to put blinders on us so we can't look left or right but only straight ahead where they would lead." Felicity puts her forehead to mine, holds my hands between hers in a prayer. "Please, please, please, Gemma, let's not die inside before we have to." (page 601)
To me, it seems as if Bray might have left this series open-ended enough for another novel. A reader can always hope, right?
Gemma is forced to (finally) decide what to do with the magic of the realms now that forces of evil have begun to openly move to seize it. The time has also come for the girls to leave school and make their debuts along with choices about their futures.
OMG that was soooo loooooong. (Apparently teen Victorian lit puts me in the mood for txt speak.) Seriously, make a decision. Any decision. The realms and your lives are in danger. Do NOT play games in a castle.
I enjoyed most of the themes here, and, for the most part, I was glad of the way things ended, as well, but by the end of it, when she talked about every character's longing, I was mostly just longing for her to get on with it. Yay for strong female characters. Still pretty glad I read the series.
*Spoilery Bits!!!*
++++++++++++++++++
1. Thank goodness Ann finally had some strength, but I wish she had kicked a little more booty in the realms, too. She was kind of inconsequential there. 2. Yay for GLBTQ characters, but did she really have to be abused as a child first? 3. Kartik being gone was really the easy way out. It would've been a lot harder to explain how they got on with their life if he had continued to exist in this world.
OMG that was soooo loooooong. (Apparently teen Victorian lit puts me in the mood for txt speak.) Seriously, make a decision. Any decision. The realms and your lives are in danger. Do NOT play games in a castle.
I enjoyed most of the themes here, and, for the most part, I was glad of the way things ended, as well, but by the end of it, when she talked about every character's longing, I was mostly just longing for her to get on with it. Yay for strong female characters. Still pretty glad I read the series.
*Spoilery Bits!!!*
++++++++++++++++++
1. Thank goodness Ann finally had some strength, but I wish she had kicked a little more booty in the realms, too. She was kind of inconsequential there. 2. Yay for GLBTQ characters, but did she really have to be abused as a child first? 3. Kartik being gone was really the easy way out. It would've been a lot harder to explain how they got on with their life if he had continued to exist in this world.
2.5 stars. Meeeh. I couldn't care less for an ending, I'm sorry. I only liked the world of England during the 19th century.
Had to DNF after almost 500 pages just hoping it would pick up at some point. Way too much time just frolicking in the realms or Gemma talking about what she needs to do but not doing it. Some reviews say the “last 100 pages are worth it” but what a slog of 700+ to get there! This was long enough to be 2-3 books, but easily hundreds of pages could have been cut and would have told a better story. I read spoilers after I decided to DNF, and I may skim some of the rest or check out the last 100 pages. The first book in this series was nice and unexpected….but this one kind of ruined it all for me.
Editing to add: Ended up skimming a ton and finished. There’s some fun & exciting stuff, but it all could have been done in a fraction of the pages. A lot of unnecessary content fillers. Even characters who had “growth” all you ever saw was their repetitive inaction, then suddenly they’re on the good side or not.
In the author interview at the end, the author says something to the effect of “if I could go back in time I would have made this a series of 4, not a trilogy” and I’m like….girl you are the author. Who cares if you released 2 calling it a trilogy! Make “Book 3 Part 1” and “Book 3 Part 2” if you really want to call it a “trilogy.” Fans would love to get an extra book in the series, and it would have made you more money!
Plus, she says she isn’t sure if this is the end of Gemma’s story because she left it open ended. Well then why was it so important to contain this to a trilogy???? It would have been so much more interesting and easier to digest if this were two separate, well-edited books.
Editing to add: Ended up skimming a ton and finished. There’s some fun & exciting stuff, but it all could have been done in a fraction of the pages. A lot of unnecessary content fillers. Even characters who had “growth” all you ever saw was their repetitive inaction, then suddenly they’re on the good side or not.
In the author interview at the end, the author says something to the effect of “if I could go back in time I would have made this a series of 4, not a trilogy” and I’m like….girl you are the author. Who cares if you released 2 calling it a trilogy! Make “Book 3 Part 1” and “Book 3 Part 2” if you really want to call it a “trilogy.” Fans would love to get an extra book in the series, and it would have made you more money!
Plus, she says she isn’t sure if this is the end of Gemma’s story because she left it open ended. Well then why was it so important to contain this to a trilogy???? It would have been so much more interesting and easier to digest if this were two separate, well-edited books.
This book actually had a good story but it was MUCH too long. It is an 800 page book. I didn't care at all about the story for about the first 300 pages which is why I am giving it 2 stars. I would think with that kind of a beginning a lot of people would have given up on the book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What can I say? I love the characters (flawed as they are), I love the imagery, the writing is exceptional. I have no complaints. I'm surprised this series hasn't received more fanfare.
It's over! ...and I'm a little sad. This wasn't the best book in the series by any means, but the ending, I thought, was really well done if not a little rushed. Then again, all the plot twists in this book make sore from whiplash. In general...a good attempt for the final book in this series.
A good vacation read and overall interesting. I don't feel that I wasted my time. By far the characters are most redeeming and least annoying in this book.