The Initiation and the Captive Part I (Secret Circle, Books 1-2)

by L.J. Smith

• ISBN10: 006211901X
• ISBN13: 9780062119018
• Publish Date: 20 September 2011 (first published 1 August 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 416
• Language: English

Reviews

[mysticalmanuscripts]

The Secret Circle follows Cassie, a new girl who becomes a part of a group of witches. She has to navigate social dynamics and face magical challenges in her new school, despite having limited knowledge about magic.

This was a hard book to get through. Throughout the book, Cassie does not seem to be very likeable, which to me is crucial for a decent book. When Cassie moves to their town, a group of witches treats her like absolute crap. During her time with them, she is taken under the wing of Diana, another member of the group. Cassie has a tendency to feel sorry for herself and compare herself to Diana and the other girls in the group, and so you do not feel bad for her.

As the book progresses, it becomes increasingly frustrating to see her not grow as a character. There is also an awful love story between her and Diana’s boyfriend. Out of nowhere, they declare their love for each other behind Diana's back, even though Diana has been nothing but kind to Cassie. The love between them feels fake and contrived, and I was not rooting for them to get together. The storyline is okay, but I could have skipped it. This book could have been better if Cassie’s character had progressed and the love story had been more realistic.

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