Name: Izza's review of The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
Item: The Sweet Far Thing
Rating: 5
Author: Izza

Libba Bray

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.

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy: Book 3

The Sweet Far Thing

Hannah

Izza

Sara Turner

This book could have probably been three books. SO MUCH happens in this book and I found myself wanting for some endurance. I did, however, enjoy it immensely. I read some reviews that are upset about Kartik’s fate or the relationship with Pippa and Felicity, but I found it all to be incredibly unique and beautiful. Definitely unexpected and I adore the series for what it is.

Marissa Luzio 

I will admit, I didn't like this book as much as the other two. It was still a great way to end a fantastic trilogy thats for sure. I just found that at some parts, I would skim over it because I thought they were unnecessary information, but thats just my opinion. Being the romantic kind of person I am, I was a bit disappointed and I feel like the ending and what happens between Gemma and Kartik was a bit odd. There is really no way else to say it. It was an odd ending for him. Im glad Libba Bray didn't kill him but still..hm... I just wish it was better in a way. I know a lot of people agree with me on this one. I wont say what happens for obvious reason of course haha. This reviews going to be pretty short because again, I was a little disappointed with Bray for this book. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic trilogy and I probably will re read the first or second book again because I truly loved them :)
Despite what I said, I think if your a person who has read the first 2 books and now are wary because of other reviews and mine (I'v read a lot and it's the same thing as my review), all I say is, please do read this one, hey maybe you'll like the ending more than us. But ultimately, i think everyone should at least finish the trilogy even if the ending sucked a little hehe.

Maria

последняя треть была и вовсе совершенно невыносимой, я практически перестала понимать, что происходит. смысла 90% персонажей тоже не поняла. очень надеюсь, что diviners к концу серии не скатятся вот в такое вот. полторы звезды, причем половина - за мой собственный героизм при дочитывании

Heather Murray

I think this book is really well done. It was slow at some points, but had a great story behind it. The characters were fantastic and amusing. Some areas lacked structure, but it the story kept going. It was also quite long.

Samantha

2.5 ish stars

I don’t know why I went into this with high hopes. This book was WAY longer than it should have been, especially since half the book, absolutely nothing is happening. It just didn’t draw me in or capture me in any way. I had to force myself through this one. I rolled my eyes A LOT

***review contains spoilers** 

As usual, Gemma ignores every single warning she is given by people looking out for her. She continues to lie and evade her responsibilities to share the magic like she promised, but then acts like she doesn’t understand why the residents of the realms are upset with her and are on the edge of war? She already made the decision in the last book to form the alliance and share the magic, yet she spends this entire book backtracking on that and keeping the magic to only her little band of fake friends. 
In true fashion of the other books, the “friends” lie to each other, backstab each other, use each other (cause let’s face it, if Gemma didn’t have the ability to get them to the realms and give them magic, Felicity, Ann, and Pippa would have all forgotten she existed and none of them would be friends). They still fat and “ugly” shamed Ann relentlessly throughout and she was only “beautiful” when she was changed by magic.

The Felicity/Pippa twist just seemed…. Weird? NOWHERE leading up to that bit did their relationship EVER seem like anything more than two best girl friends if there had been more stolen glances or touches it would have made more sense. They only acted the same way towards each other as they did with their friends they weren’t secretly in love with. It just seemed forced for a plot twist that wasn’t believable and authentic. At least not to me – a non-straight woman.

Kartik’s death made absolutely no sense to me and I’m still not entirely sure what happened? Like, he sacrificed himself for Gemma, I get that. But now he’s stuck as some tree in the Winterlands for the rest of eternity? Will he be corrupted in the Winterlands? Or is all the “evil” gone now? Because Eugenia didn’t start out evil? I don’t know. 

Gemma in the end gives up everything to start a new life in America in New York, which, I don’t know, just seems like an ending that was slapped together and mediocre.

Stephanie Haynes

3.5/5. i just don’t know why this needed to be 800+ pages long??

Amanda Furlan

Wren Hardwick

This was a reread of a reread of a reread et cetera (literally can’t tell you how many times I have put myself through this book). But I knew I needed to read this book again to have it fresh in my mind in order to review it correctly. 

When asking my sister (who introduced this series to me in grade school) how I should review this book, she stated that I should just use crying gifs... so here are a few of those: 















Libba Bray does not hold back when it comes to your heart. Yes, this book is a really, really long one, but Bray likes her descriptions and her character development. There are so many things going on in this book that are just on the side, but are so important to the characters and why they make the decisions that they make.

I will let you know that some people believe there is some “fat shaming” in this, and I can see where they are coming from, but you also have to see when the book was written and what time period this is in. You also have to understand this is a bunch of girls who are just trying to get the upper hand on each other, and that is an easy stab. And it isn’t anything that is glorified. Libba is very big in the diversity and acceptance community; with that said, that would never be her intent to do that to anyone. 

Our three girls Gemma, Felicity and Anne believe they are in the clear. They put Circe in her place and all they have to do is share the magic with some of the creatures and people in The Realms and things will be great. 

But what if Gemma doesn’t want to give up the magic? What if Felicity and Anne want the magic to change the path their parents and guardians carved for them to take? What if, putting Circe in her place actually was exactly where she wanted to be? What if changing the path of the magic opened new doors for the Winterlands? 

I can’t review this book properly. It breaks my heart every time I read it and it legitimately makes me cry every time. I read this with a friend this time, knowing she would need emotional support, and she got mad at me because I put her through that roller coaster. 



This series is so close to my heart. It is the series that made me not just love books but into a reader. 

---

Chapter 69 is the absolute worst omg I hate this I’m dying my heart. I can’t. I.. omg I will never love again. 

- - - 

50%: I hate the build up because I know what’s going to happen, this being a reread x1000, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. This book means the absolute world to me. It’s one of those books you always want to reread but then you remember “wait this book murdered me. Why am I reading this again?”

Buddy Read (Re-Read for me) with my main girl Kayla because she doesn't understand the extent of emotional trauma she's about to experience.

Aurora Lucretia 

After discovering an enchanted world, Gemma Doyle has bound the dark magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. As Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds, in the final book of Bray's bestselling trilogy.

Katie Egan

Monicap

Ashley shackelford

Martha F.

Cassidy Nolan

Julie Pib

Megan During

Jade Warren

Megan VanBuren 

~Anna~

Courtney

The gripping conclusion to the critically acclaimed New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Gemma Doyle trilogy, an exhilarating and haunting saga from the author of The Diviners series and Going Bovine.

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father alaudanum 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.

Hannah &
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

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Hannah &The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

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Hannah &
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray