I think there’s a certain attraction to rereading a book. Just like seeing a movie for a second time, rereading allows the story and the language to fully sink in.
Right now I am rereading A Sweet Far Thing, the last book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray.
One reviewer on audible.com wrote this about her experience with this magnificent series: “Well, I might not be smart enough to get it, it was overall a repetitious imaginary land of witches, witchcraft, fantastical beings, or maybe hobbits that went the wrong way looking for “precious”. Well, it wasn’t that great.”
It is an understatement to say that I was outraged by this reviewers’ view. It most certainly provoked a loud and rambling rant that I’m not quite sure was coherent.
I think this trilogy is magnificent because:
- Libba Bray’s language is deliciously spectacular.
- While it is listed as YA, there are certain themes (like sexual abuse and addiction) that a middle school reader might not have understood.
- It does reflect on serious issues, but it has a lot of humor. For instance, the main character complains that “The trouble with mornings is that they come well before noon.” As I woke up at seven for my eight o’clock class this morning, I completely understand.
- It does not have a particularly happy ending. It might sound odd to list this as a pro, but I think so often writers are so pressed to make all endings happy, that some of them don’t come out quite real.
- Libba Bray did a lot of research on the Victorian era and it shows because she captured the strict rules of that period quite nicely.
As always, if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading this series, I would definitely recommend it.
If you have already read it, I would love to hear your thoughts.