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mar1ska's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It really intrigued me when I was 11 but I felt too young to really understand it, nonetheless it has been on my mind for years and I'm happy I found the title (thanks reddit)!
Reading up on this story and looking back on it, Fidelity definitely must've had a part in my gay awakening. Little me in her sheltered Christian family was crying and reading this book in secret...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism and Classism
_hexposito's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm
sassyykassie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, and Death
sophiena93's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I first read this series when I was at school and it's been my favourite series since. I regularly reread this. If you want a strongly female cast especially this is one for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Drug abuse and Toxic friendship
jmkendall0218's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
ashleechmiel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
itsreirei's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book feels like The Craft set in the Victorian era. I see why some may dislike it but I personally quite enjoyed reading it. Curious to see where the story goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
bzliz's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Although this is categorized as YA, I don’t think I could have endured or enjoyed it as a young adult. I picked it up because I remember the cover from when I was younger but I don’t recall ever reading it. Even after finishing, I can’t be sure if I read it and forgot or if the cover is just burned in my brain for some reason.
Gemma Doyle leads a group of sheltered girls into a world of magic that she herself doesn’t understand and has only just begun to experience. The group discovers the past tragedy of a group before them called the Order whose desire for power had deadly consequences and tread the fine line of falling into that same tragedy.
Portions drag on a little and to enjoy this you need to endure the historical trappings of misogyny and racism, plus the performative propriety and customs of the time. The magic system explored is less of a system encountered in many fantasy novels and is more like a nebulous innate ability that no one can explain and at times it left me outright confused.
Gemma Doyle leads a group of sheltered girls into a world of magic that she herself doesn’t understand and has only just begun to experience. The group discovers the past tragedy of a group before them called the Order whose desire for power had deadly consequences and tread the fine line of falling into that same tragedy.
Portions drag on a little and to enjoy this you need to endure the historical trappings of misogyny and racism, plus the performative propriety and customs of the time. The magic system explored is less of a system encountered in many fantasy novels and is more like a nebulous innate ability that no one can explain and at times it left me outright confused.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism, Self harm, Sexism, and Vomit
bekahzabel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
4.5/5 🌟 I read this series in middle school and circled back to it in effort to re-explore some favorites as an adult. I’m so happy I started with this one, it felt like slipping back into a cozy familiar dark bedtime story. Libba Bray’s writing style is suitable for both YA and adults in this series.
I noticed so much more allusion, foreshadowing, and hidden gems this second time around.
If you like:
Coming of Age Witches
Discovering & Developing Power
Found Family
Sisterhood
Dark Academia
Secrets & Plot Twists
then this trilogy will hit the spot for you.
I noticed so much more allusion, foreshadowing, and hidden gems this second time around.
If you like:
Coming of Age Witches
Discovering & Developing Power
Found Family
Sisterhood
Dark Academia
Secrets & Plot Twists
then this trilogy will hit the spot for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Self harm, Grief, and Murder
ricksilva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Sixteen-year-old Gemma Doyle witnesses the terrifying murder of her mother in colonial India, seemingly by supernatural forces. Back England and enrolled in a girls boarding school, Gemma discovers a diary of a former student who sought the secrets of an ancient Order of sorceresses, and the power of a dream-dimension called the Realms.
In spite of warnings to stay clear of these secrets, Gemma and three friends begin to explore their own magical potential, eventually finding their own way into the Realms in the hope of changing the fate that awaits them all back at their dreary school.
This story careens headlong toward tragedy with little effort on the part of any of the main characters to stop it, in spite every possible warning.
The characters are definitely not always likeable, but they all do grow beyond their original simple impressions, and the character development helps keep things interesting and keeps the reader engaged even as terrible and obvious mistakes are made again and again.
In spite of warnings to stay clear of these secrets, Gemma and three friends begin to explore their own magical potential, eventually finding their own way into the Realms in the hope of changing the fate that awaits them all back at their dreary school.
This story careens headlong toward tragedy with little effort on the part of any of the main characters to stop it, in spite every possible warning.
The characters are definitely not always likeable, but they all do grow beyond their original simple impressions, and the character development helps keep things interesting and keeps the reader engaged even as terrible and obvious mistakes are made again and again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Self harm and Sexism