The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

In the last book of the Gemma Doyle trilogy, Gemma is faced with many troubles. She has bound the magic of the realms to herself but now she must find some way to split it equally among the tribes of the realms. Life in the real world is changing too. Her friends face their own unique hardships and rely on Gemma to help them escape their lives and find comfort. The pressure is building for Gemma. When an offer of help comes from a former enemy, she gladly takes it, but will her new ally prove trustworthy? Then she finds that the dark forces of the realms are building strength and planning something sinister. When Gemma is betrayed by someone who was formerly seen as loyal and trustworthy, she is in danger of being overwhelmed with pressure and stress. Will she be able to live up to every one's expectations for her and bring safety and peace to the realms at last?

Whew. I feel like I have just finished a marathon or something equally as exhausting. This is one extremely long book. It doesn't help that I have been completely swamped with homework for the past week, so this book just dragged on for me. And yes, that was a really horrible plot summary thing, but I think this book is just way to complex to explain thoroughly and still make sense. Not that it was a bad book. Far from it. I was not thrilled with the first two books in the Gemma Doyle trilogy, but this one really blew me away. The first two books were really building up the characters and the conflicts leading up to the stunning conclusion in this book. The beginning was a little hard to get into, but once I got farther in, I was swept away. The plot is seamlessly woven with many details and twists. The characters are built beautifully; you can see all their different aspects and you really come to understand them. I had some issues with a few characters in the previous books, but they really redeemed themselves when I saw what they were capable of in this book. And the conclusion of this book was breathtaking. I loved the mystery and the sorrow and the bittersweet feel it had to it while at the same time it kept its hopeful note. I admit, I cried a little at the end which is very rare for me. I am so glad that I stuck it out through this series because once you look back on the books you see that everything is connected and that it really was a story worth reading. I highly recommend the whole Gemma Doyle trilogy. These books are a must read.