Alicia Rightmyer

my favorite installment in the series

Revisado: 12-13-21

I'm fairly certain this book, and some of the other YA novels I was obsessed with contributed to my depression when I was younger. I know Gemma is heading for a bright future, but like... the ending still absolutely makes me tear up. A lot of my criticism for the last book stands less with this one. Kartik also feels more... defined? I'm not sure. But that makes the ending even more tragic. Nobody gets a happy ending, and most of the sacrifices are for love. I'm not sure if that makes it more of a case for unending, unselfish love, or if it really just wants to prove the phrase, "love never dies" false. Nobody gets love, in the end, and they all have to move on.. Even with a decade between listens, I'm still devastated by the ending.

In short, this series introduced me to the concept of "fix-it fic" and I will be taking no further questions. I would like the fandom to see a resurgence, mostly because it would be awesome to see more people interested, but even more because I need that sweet sweet fix it juice after this re-listen.

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Return to the Series Is Like Revisiting The Realms

Revisado: 11-28-21

I loved this series as a teenager and was recently compelled to return to it. I still love it. Josephine Bailey's narration is fantastic. While her voice remains measured and soothing, she still gives an animated performance, that is no less enthralling. Even the mundane world sparks with the magical in this installment.

I will say aspects of the story haven't necessarily aged well. I don't remember cringing quite as much in the mid-aughts, but the depiction of the non-white characters is less considerate than I recall. There's a clumsiness to their description that doesn't feel like Libba Bray lacks sympathy-- in fact, I think she wants Gemma to be quite sympathetic to the plight of others, and even quite open-minded for her time-- but instead perhaps lacks the foresight of a decade and a half's attentiveness in persevering to understand what words are acceptable descriptors. A lot of the characters of color-- Kartik included, and I promise I'm a MASSIVE fan of Kartik-- lack dimensionality, and even care in how they're described. Ms Bray certainly falls into the easy "food" descriptors that are so often an easy way out for writers to avoid coming up with new ways to describe dark features. (I haven't read any of her more recent works, so I don't know how she has grown as a writer since 2005.) I am glad the Romani people show up less in this book, because in my belief, possible (depending on the Romani person you ask) ethnic slurs with a complicated place in history and present should be used lightly.

On a lighter note, I was constantly embarrassed by Gemma. She's sixteen, she's a rebellious teenage girl interested in the occult. She's as emotionally messy as I recall that age being, not even counting the death threats. But this girl jumps to conclusions based on such little information. GREEN CLOAK, MUST BE EVIL!!!!! I promised I would pump the breaks, but "I don't even think of you as Indian"? GEMMA WHAT STOP WHY. I don't blame Kartik for leaving then. She grew up in India, I feel like she should be a little more sensitive to how absolutely inappropriate that was? I digress. Gemma was even more of a mess this book, I think, and with the responsibility on her shoulders, I think I can understand (mostly). I'm pretty here for it, except when I had to pause to compose myself because I was at work, on my break, not in an appropriate place to shout my frustration at fictional characters.

The romance BLOSSOMING this book is my favorite part. I'm a solid Karma shipper, and it's part of why I chose to revisit the series. When they danced in the carriage house and Kartik pulled Gemma closer because the propriety of being that close sounded DUMB? This boy needs more love in his life. His visible jealousy of Simon? Give him a hug, please. And for most of this book I regretted trusting Gemma to give him that love. Kartik and Emily could have been adorable, but Karma is just too sweet, and Gemma's addition at the end of the book of not needing anything aside from loyalty from him... yet, rekindled my adoration for them. (It never went anywhere, I was still searching through fanfiction to read decade-old fix-it fic.)

All this is my very 2021 reaction. Much of the issues may be less a part of ignorance or lack of care, and more an attempt for historical "accuracy" (which should be accompanied by context). I still adore the story, and I think the world Libba Bray created in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy is breath-taking and captivating. There are dark, dangerous, glittering corners and bright, enchanting, dangerous spectacles to enjoy in every chapter. I am thoroughly enjoying my return to the Realms and am sad to be two-thirds of the way through it. I highly recommend you listen.

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