D. Kukura 2008-09-07
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Ah, The Secret Circle. Quite simply, I adore these books. I'm absolutely thrilled that they're being re-released, as my old copies are now quite creased and have started to fall apart. I finally get to replace them! Though I'll never throw the originals away, mostly because I would feel like that was sacrilege, but also because I don't like these new covers nearly as much as the old ones.
Yes, these books are THAT good. I first read them as a young teenager, because my sister and I were both big fans of Smith's Vampire Diaries saga. At first we were both confused, because we thought these TSC would be about vampires, too. We quickly decided that witches were just as much fun to read about as vampires!
(very minor spoilers below, beware)
The heroine of this trilogy is Cassie Blake, and she is a character that every girl reading the books will both relate to and admire. As a younger reader, I remember feeling really elated by this, because if I was even a little bit like Cassie, I must be a better person than my teenage mind gave me credit for. And I think that new readers will come to the same realization.
As the story starts, Cassie is fairly ordinary, or at least she sees herself that way. She's average looking and fairly shy. She doesn't stand up for herself, and she's easily intimidated. Smith never writes her as a COWARD, though, just as a timid, typical teenage girl who desperately longs to fit in with her peers. When she first sees Diana (who later becomes her best friend), she assumes that Diana is out of her league because Diana is beautiful. A very realistic reaction, in my opinion, and one I had many times in high school.
As the books progress, so does Cassie. She slowly begins to realize her own potential without compromising who she was in the very first chapter. She's a character who follows her heart and tries to do what she really believes is right. She makes mistakes, definitely, and is far from perfect, but even when she deliberately does the wrong thing, she feels guilty about it and tries to clean up whatever messes she helped cause. When forced to choose, she almost always chooses her family and friends over her own wants. I think she's a fantastic role model for tween readers (and adult readers, too, come to think).
All of Smith's characters are very richly developed. Diana, the beautiful best friend, seems absolutely perfect at first. She's eternally kind and loving and generous and innocent. But it becomes clear that she's also TOO naive at times, TOO trusting. Faye, who is the anti-Diana, isn't as bad as she is initially portrayed. Her selfish/nasty aspects don't go away (which would be unrealistic and less fun), but her more redeeming qualities are brought to light the more the reader and Cassie get to know her.
This story is exciting and interesting. At its core, it's about Cassie discovering who she is. It just so happens that she's from a long line of witches. At the time when I first read The Initiation and The Captive, I had never read a story quite like it. I realize now that the YA market is full of supernatural paperbacks, so I don't know if that will still be true for new readers. Witchcraft, soulmates, magic, a mysterious evil... seems like a lot of books use this recipe now-a-days. But what I think makes Secret Circle (and all of Smith's books, really) stand apart, is how readers really FEEL what the leading character is feeling. Despite all the supernatural aspects, these books seem so genuine and real, because Cassie's thoughts and emotions are so understandable.
L.J. Smith will forever be one of my favorite authors because of this trilogy. It not only has been a personal joy to read and reread, but it has added to the bond that I share with my sister who first introduced me to Smith's books so many years ago. We've often read the books together, so much so that, for her 30th birthday in November, I've recently purchased her a piece of chalcedony carved in the shape of a rose (I'm a total nerd, I realize, but I know she'll immediately understand what it is and that it's my way of saying I love her and miss our childhood days).
To sum up, these books are full of awesome. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying them.
