The Sweet Far Thing (book review)

The Sweet, Far Thing is the third installment in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray. The book takes place in 1895, at Spence Academy for Young Ladies in England. Schoolgirl Gemma, and her friends, the spunky Felicity and the somewhat timid Ann, are struggling to return to the enchanted world they now know as the Realms. But when they finally manage to return, the girls find that things are not the same. The mythical creatures of the forest want their share of Gemma's magic--and they'll stop at nothing to get it. And the girls' friend Pippa, lost to the Realms forever, is not the same Pip that they know and love. She is becoming more and more like the evil creatures of the Winterlands each day.

Outside of the Realms, the girls are facing problems as well. Gemma's love, Kartik, plans to run away...without her. Ann's dream of being an actress is slowly slipping away, and Felicity may not receive her inheritance at all. Together, and with the help of some unlikely allies, can the girls save the Realms...and their futures?

This book was just as good as the first two, maybe even better. It was a perfect mix of humor, sadness, action, mystery, and magic. The characters were complex and realistic, and there was an eclectic mix of them. I was very sad when this book came to an end.

This book is a substitute for the Chunkster Challenge.