7.6 /10 1 Votes
Language English Media type Print (Paperback) Originally published 1992 Followed by The Captive Publisher HarperCollins | 3.8/5 Goodreads Publication date September 15, 1992 Pages 320 pp (first edition) ISBN 0061067121 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Series The Secret Circle series Genres Fantasy, Romance novel, Young adult fiction Similar The Captive, The Secret Circle - Volume III, The Secret Circle: The Initiation, The Vampire Diaries: T, Dark Reunion | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Initiation, the first part in a series of works entitled The Secret Circle, is a young adult novel by author L. J. Smith. Smith is famous for her other works such as The Vampire Diaries and the Night World series.
Contents
- Plot
- Cassie Blake
- Faye Chamberlain
- Diana Meade
- Melanie Glaser
- Adam Conant
- Nick Armstrong
- Editions
- Awards and recognition
- Reception
- The series
- Adaptation
- References
The novel follows a young girl, Cassie Blake, who moves to New Salem. She befriends a mysterious group of teenagers who run the high school. She finds out that she's part of a coven of witches, and on top of that, the boy she's destined to be with is dating her best friend.
Plot
A chance encounter brings sixteen-year-old Cassie Blake to fall for the mysterious Adam Conant. After meeting him, she rids herself of the idea of a relationship with him because she thinks they’ll never see each other again. Cassie and her mother move to New Salem, and, much to her surprise, Adam is there. At her new high school, Cassie encounters a strange group of students who rule the student population. In time, she meets Diana, the fair-haired beauty, whom Cassie comes to love like a sister. Faye Chamberlain, the voluptuous and dark puppet master, desires to turn Cassie into her plaything. After her encounters with the group of students, Cassie learns that she, along with the other students, is a witch. Cassie later finds that the boy she feels sparks with, is actually the boyfriend of Diana, leader of the coven and Cassie’s best friend.
Cassie Blake
Cassie is shy and withdrawn, until she meets Adam. As the main protagonist of the novel, Cassie’s journey involves the sticky situation of falling in love with her best friend’s boyfriend. She finds out that she is a witch, and is later initiated into the coven.
Faye Chamberlain
Faye, the antagonist, pushes her friends, and first cousin, Diana, around a lot because she enjoys the thrill of it. Faye longs for the rush of power that magic brings her. She believes that magic should be used to benefit those who can wield it.
Diana Meade
Diana, Cassie’s best friend and Faye’s first cousin, is the leader of the coven of witches. As the embodiment of everything light and good in the world, Diana believes that magic should be harnessed for positive purposes.
Melanie Glaser
With an above average knowledge of crystals, Melanie is an expert on the mysterious crystals in the coven of witches. She becomes fast friends with Cassie. Melanie has a calm and collected personality, and she is a friend to Diana. She believes that magic should be used for good.
Adam Conant
Adam practices good magic and is the all-around boy next-door type. His girlfriend is Diana, but he quickly falls for Cassie after their chance meeting. He is friends with Faye, Melanie, and Nick.
Nick Armstrong
Nick is very mysterious and quiet, but over time becomes more outgoing. He is a member of the coven, and friends with Adam. After Cassie moves to New Salem, Nick quickly becomes infatuated with her.
Editions
The novel has been published in many editions in hardcover, paperback, and e-book form. In 2008, HarperCollins Publishers released an omnibus edition of the novel entitled "The Initiation and the Captive (Part 1)," which included the first novel and the first half of the second novel in the series.
Awards and recognition
Reception
The Initiation has received much critical acclaim since its release in 1992. A member of the site So Many Books, So Little Time, wrote that the novel is "one of the best books about witches" they have read. A user by the pseudonym of prophecygirl at Wondrous Reads said that the novel was "fast moving and easy to read." The user goes on to say that "it is still just as good over a decade later." A member of The Juggler, in affiliation with the Pagan Newswire Collective, posted a review stating that The Initiation was 'fairly Pagan-positive and aware,' and that Smith "seems to get modern witches in a way that most authors do not."
The series
"The Secret Circle" series includes six novels, but L. J. Smith only wrote the first three novels. The second three are written by Aubrey Clark.
The novels written by L. J. Smith within the series are:
Other novels in the series, by Aubrey Clark, are:
Adaptation
The CW picked up the pilot of The Secret Circle in 2011. After just one season, the show was canceled.