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Engelsfors #3
Nyckeln
Det har gått drygt en månad sedan tragedin i Engelsfors gymnasiums gympasal. De utvalda får ingen tid att återhämta sig innan deras värld vänds upp och ner igen. Frågor besvaras. Hemligheter avslöjas. Lojaliteter prövas. Tiden håller på att rinna ut och till slut kan De utvalda bara vara säkra på en sak: Allt kommer att förändras.
813 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2013
174 people are currently reading
3793 people want to read
About the author
Mats Strandberg
33 books714 followersMats Strandberg is an award-winning novelist and journalist. He is a regular columnist for Sweden's biggest evening newspaper, has been named Columnist of the Year by Sweden's Newspapers and Magazines organization, and had published three previous novels, with rights sold in numerous countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 497 reviews
February 8, 2015
I can not believe this series is over!
Best ending ever, I NEED MORE BOOKS!
I really hope they are writing a companion series, or a series based 10 years after these events!
WOULD BE AWESOME!
Best ending ever, I NEED MORE BOOKS!
I really hope they are writing a companion series, or a series based 10 years after these events!
WOULD BE AWESOME!
April 17, 2015
Los finales de saga/trilogía me dan mucho miedo. Los últimos finales que he leído (Sinsajo, te miro a ti) me han parecido cobardes y mal llevados, como si no se hubiera pensado en el final hasta que tocó escribirlo. Pero eso no ocurre con Engelsfors. Cuando lees The Key te das cuenta de que los autores sabían perfectamente todo lo que iba a ocurrir, y desde el primer libro dejan pistas de las que no te das cuenta hasta llegar al desenlace.
La evolución de los personajes a lo largo de la trilogía, la trama mágica, el apocalipsis, los "buenos" y los "malos", las relaciones familiares, la amistad, la traición, la confianza, las sospechas, el amor, la propia identidad. Todo esto aparece en la trilogía Engelsfors, y ya no sé qué hacer para que lo leáis. Se ha convertido, sin duda, en mi trilogía preferida. La emoción que sentí cuando se acercaba el final, cuando todo iba a salir bien o mal, cuando los Elegidos se lo jugaban todo y yo estaba allí, con ellos, dentro del Círculo, dándoles también mi fuerza, esperando que fueran fuertes después de todo por lo que habían pasado.
Ayer cerré la última página y ya echo de menos Engelsfors, la magia y a las chicas. Pero siempre estarán conmigo, y podré volver cuando quiera. Lo que me da pena es no poder leer 1000 páginas más, porque lo haría sin pensarlo.
La evolución de los personajes a lo largo de la trilogía, la trama mágica, el apocalipsis, los "buenos" y los "malos", las relaciones familiares, la amistad, la traición, la confianza, las sospechas, el amor, la propia identidad. Todo esto aparece en la trilogía Engelsfors, y ya no sé qué hacer para que lo leáis. Se ha convertido, sin duda, en mi trilogía preferida. La emoción que sentí cuando se acercaba el final, cuando todo iba a salir bien o mal, cuando los Elegidos se lo jugaban todo y yo estaba allí, con ellos, dentro del Círculo, dándoles también mi fuerza, esperando que fueran fuertes después de todo por lo que habían pasado.
Ayer cerré la última página y ya echo de menos Engelsfors, la magia y a las chicas. Pero siempre estarán conmigo, y podré volver cuando quiera. Lo que me da pena es no poder leer 1000 páginas más, porque lo haría sin pensarlo.
May 9, 2015
One must be afraid of power, always. Power is dangerous and must be handled with caution, carefully examined and cared for. Above all, it must be shared.
What a mess .
So confusing. So long.
I'm so happy i got to read this trilogy. It's wonderful. The plot. The world-building. The characters.
Especially the characters.. It's not a common YA series. Not everyone gets a happy ending, not every girl gets a love interest and this girls are definitely not stereotypical.
This girls have grown so much on me. They are not perfect. They feel real. The have grown so much since the first book.
The best of all : Witches and the apocalypse.
What a mess .
So confusing. So long.
I'm so happy i got to read this trilogy. It's wonderful. The plot. The world-building. The characters.
Especially the characters.. It's not a common YA series. Not everyone gets a happy ending, not every girl gets a love interest and this girls are definitely not stereotypical.
This girls have grown so much on me. They are not perfect. They feel real. The have grown so much since the first book.
The best of all : Witches and the apocalypse.
January 4, 2014
Jag var tveksam efter Cirkeln. Jag hade väntat mig en historia med starkare tonvikt på fantasyelementen än på de traditionella ungdomsboksklichéerna som inte sällan framkallar akuta allergiska reaktioner hos mig. Finnar, killproblem och tonårsfylla orsakar lätt klåda. Men då jag lägger ifrån mig Nyckeln så känner jag mig påtagligt tom, som man gör efter att ha genomgått en intensiv läsupplevelse. Det trodde jag inte från början. Men det visade sig att det inte var fantasyinslagen jag uppskattade mest, de tillhör snarare bokens svagare delar, utan det satiriska sätt som författarna beskriver Engelsfors, småstadsmentaliteten och den moderna människan på. Serien har präglats av befriande frontalangrepp på självhjälpskulten, den avskyvärda styrkekramsmaffian i sociala medier och den ignoranta folkmassa som vägrar, som kanske till och med är oförmögen, att se annat än invanda och välkända mönster.
Även karaktärerna tillåts växa i Nyckeln och de blir mer och bättre än de klassiska tonårskatergorier man enkelt kan dela in dem i. Minoo får ytterligare en dimension, men det är ändå Anna-Karin som genomgår den största förändringen i mina ögon.
Till sist känns det väldigt skönt att vissa ämnen behandlas på ett så självklart sätt i boken. Det ger hopp om en framtid i vilken vi slipper diskutera frågor som borde vara just det, självklara.
Även karaktärerna tillåts växa i Nyckeln och de blir mer och bättre än de klassiska tonårskatergorier man enkelt kan dela in dem i. Minoo får ytterligare en dimension, men det är ändå Anna-Karin som genomgår den största förändringen i mina ögon.
Till sist känns det väldigt skönt att vissa ämnen behandlas på ett så självklart sätt i boken. Det ger hopp om en framtid i vilken vi slipper diskutera frågor som borde vara just det, självklara.
March 11, 2021
This is the conclusion to the Engelsfors Trilogy. I actually enjoyed this series quite a bit. It was crazy and scary and sad. It was like a paranormal teen drama but really dark. I wish I could Swedish so that I could have read the original cause who knows how much got lost in the translation?
This was the longest book of the series, and yes it did drag, especially in the middle. The last third of the book had enough interesting things going on in it that it held my attention but it sure did drag till then.
This book did not leave everyone with a happy ending. In fact, it kind of left it open-ended. Like maybe the author was planning a spin-off series or something?
This was the longest book of the series, and yes it did drag, especially in the middle. The last third of the book had enough interesting things going on in it that it held my attention but it sure did drag till then.
This book did not leave everyone with a happy ending. In fact, it kind of left it open-ended. Like maybe the author was planning a spin-off series or something?
February 18, 2017
I'M NOT OKAY
February 4, 2017
Who saves the world most of the time? School girls with super powers or super guys in latex costumes.
This time we are talking about school girls with super powers. And most of the time such stories turn out to be very cheesy (and the center of attention is some boy, not, uhummm, saving the world). But I think M.Strandberg managed to wrap up the story pretty well, and give us an enjoyable book. I think this one of my favorite YA fantasy series.
What I particularity liked was well built environment and characters. Yes, you could smell Swedish meat balls (aka Swedish signature style that can be felt in many Swedish books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be precise), but I like this harsh realism Swedish authors have - they aren't afraid to talk about alcoholism, bullying, suicide, lesbian/gay relationship, death, and still keep in touch with magic.
Most situations could be easily recognized by teenagers, so I think author did a good job by portraying them. Minoo, Ida, Ana Karin, Lineya, Vanesa and other are pretty different, but still well written and finished, many people can identify with them. I liked the fact that it was not only about magic and saving the world, but also about school life, friendship, family. Most authors make these relationships very shallow (really, most of the time parents just somehow don't know that their kids are, you know, saving the world, fighting evil geniuses, and have many super powers), while there they were quite deep and important.
What I disliked - sometimes it was hard to fully understand (with all the lies, reticence and falsehood many characters told) what was really happening or was supposed to be good and evil. I know, world is complicated, but sometimes I felt puzzled and lost.
But it's great that author masterfully managed to finish the series, but also to leave the open door for additional books (that would be happening in the same universe). So, yup, I liked it.
This time we are talking about school girls with super powers. And most of the time such stories turn out to be very cheesy (and the center of attention is some boy, not, uhummm, saving the world). But I think M.Strandberg managed to wrap up the story pretty well, and give us an enjoyable book. I think this one of my favorite YA fantasy series.
What I particularity liked was well built environment and characters. Yes, you could smell Swedish meat balls (aka Swedish signature style that can be felt in many Swedish books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be precise), but I like this harsh realism Swedish authors have - they aren't afraid to talk about alcoholism, bullying, suicide, lesbian/gay relationship, death, and still keep in touch with magic.
Most situations could be easily recognized by teenagers, so I think author did a good job by portraying them. Minoo, Ida, Ana Karin, Lineya, Vanesa and other are pretty different, but still well written and finished, many people can identify with them. I liked the fact that it was not only about magic and saving the world, but also about school life, friendship, family. Most authors make these relationships very shallow (really, most of the time parents just somehow don't know that their kids are, you know, saving the world, fighting evil geniuses, and have many super powers), while there they were quite deep and important.
What I disliked - sometimes it was hard to fully understand (with all the lies, reticence and falsehood many characters told) what was really happening or was supposed to be good and evil. I know, world is complicated, but sometimes I felt puzzled and lost.
But it's great that author masterfully managed to finish the series, but also to leave the open door for additional books (that would be happening in the same universe). So, yup, I liked it.
February 19, 2017
I could've sworn I had already written a review on this when I finished it a bit ago, but apparently not. Or if I did, it's definitely gone. I think.
Anyways, I enjoyed this book somewhat extremely. The ending, the characters, the plot — it was all very right and fitting. As I have said when I recommend this series to anyone, the plot isn't all that original, but the take on the trope is very well done. It doesn't have to be too original to work.
This series is ultra close to my heart, I believe it was a series that kind of got me into reading again, and the years prior to and following the movie (which was a huge disappointment, but they filmed the majority of it in my town, so I don't know what to feel) I was fangirling hard over this series. And as any fangirl/fanboy/fanperson would know, there's nothing more disappointing than raving about a series only to reach a terrible ending. This book didn't disappoint, and I was so relieved. The first book drove me crazy because I loved it so much — and then I went into the second, which started off slowly but then Nicolaus started to reveal stuff and shit went down. I also believe I enjoyed the second book more than the first because the friendship between the girls and how much they actually need each other became clear. And how the characters changed through the second book was amazing — especially Ida.
As for this book, some characters were annoying, but it was 'necessary to the plot', so to speak. And I feel like some characters — Felix, for example — weren't given nearly as much time in the spotlight as I would've liked. But that's just a small complaint.
And need I say, Vanessa and Linnéa.
Anyway, I was more relieved than happy when I reached the ending. Relieved because I was pleased with the ending and because I had finished a series for once.
Anyways, I enjoyed this book somewhat extremely. The ending, the characters, the plot — it was all very right and fitting. As I have said when I recommend this series to anyone, the plot isn't all that original, but the take on the trope is very well done. It doesn't have to be too original to work.
This series is ultra close to my heart, I believe it was a series that kind of got me into reading again, and the years prior to and following the movie (which was a huge disappointment, but they filmed the majority of it in my town, so I don't know what to feel) I was fangirling hard over this series. And as any fangirl/fanboy/fanperson would know, there's nothing more disappointing than raving about a series only to reach a terrible ending. This book didn't disappoint, and I was so relieved. The first book drove me crazy because I loved it so much — and then I went into the second, which started off slowly but then Nicolaus started to reveal stuff and shit went down. I also believe I enjoyed the second book more than the first because the friendship between the girls and how much they actually need each other became clear. And how the characters changed through the second book was amazing — especially Ida.
As for this book, some characters were annoying, but it was 'necessary to the plot', so to speak. And I feel like some characters — Felix, for example — weren't given nearly as much time in the spotlight as I would've liked. But that's just a small complaint.
And need I say, Vanessa and Linnéa.
Anyway, I was more relieved than happy when I reached the ending. Relieved because I was pleased with the ending and because I had finished a series for once.
October 12, 2016
A fantastic ending for a great trilogy. The writing, the plot, and the characters all got stronger with each book, resulting in a story that I never wanted to end. Was this book perfect? No, not really. It started of slow, it was probably longer than necessary, and there were unecessary moments here and there, but I was so involved in the plot and the girls's lives that I didn't mind. So I'm giving it all 5 stars and know that I'll carry the characters with me for a long time.
The stakes were definitely higher in this book. With the apocalypse right around the corner, every little decision was important, alliances had to be formed, and the girls' friendship and lives in general had their ups and downs.
This book was much darker and the girls had to confront a lot of hardships, like loss, manipulation, power, and abusers. All of this with the end of the world looming. They all made mistakes or made tough decisions, but I always understood their motivations, even if I didn't always agree with them. I especially appreciated the fall outs between the girls, as it brought a new depth to their friendship and individual personalities.
In this novel, there's a point of view from the Borderlands, which is a sort of misty limbo filled with glimpses of moments in time. I thought it was used pretty well to fast forward some events, though the book still ended up being really long. I'm not really complaining about it, but the first 200 pages 0r so dragged for me. After that, it started to pick up and then the plot moved faster and faster. By the time I finished, I wanted to keep reading and reading about this world and characters.
As with the other books, there was a bit of mystery. I loved that we don't have all the information so we never know which alliances are going to work. It kept me guessing and I couldn't really figure out what was going to happen, even though I had my suspicions.
In the end, this series surprised me. Not only did the plot go places I wasn't expecting and explored themes I never thought it would, but the characters were also beautifully developed. The writing got better with each book and it definitely ended on a high note. These books are long, they take their time to tell you each girl's story and carefully lay out the plot, so it might not be for fast-pace lovers. But if you like urban fantasy with witches, the apocalypse, and friendship in the mix, give this trilogy a go.
The stakes were definitely higher in this book. With the apocalypse right around the corner, every little decision was important, alliances had to be formed, and the girls' friendship and lives in general had their ups and downs.
This book was much darker and the girls had to confront a lot of hardships, like loss, manipulation, power, and abusers. All of this with the end of the world looming. They all made mistakes or made tough decisions, but I always understood their motivations, even if I didn't always agree with them. I especially appreciated the fall outs between the girls, as it brought a new depth to their friendship and individual personalities.
"Her words wound and crush, and cause more pain than most because there's always some truth in what she says."
In this novel, there's a point of view from the Borderlands, which is a sort of misty limbo filled with glimpses of moments in time. I thought it was used pretty well to fast forward some events, though the book still ended up being really long. I'm not really complaining about it, but the first 200 pages 0r so dragged for me. After that, it started to pick up and then the plot moved faster and faster. By the time I finished, I wanted to keep reading and reading about this world and characters.
"Bravery without common sense never helped anyone."
As with the other books, there was a bit of mystery. I loved that we don't have all the information so we never know which alliances are going to work. It kept me guessing and I couldn't really figure out what was going to happen, even though I had my suspicions.
In the end, this series surprised me. Not only did the plot go places I wasn't expecting and explored themes I never thought it would, but the characters were also beautifully developed. The writing got better with each book and it definitely ended on a high note. These books are long, they take their time to tell you each girl's story and carefully lay out the plot, so it might not be for fast-pace lovers. But if you like urban fantasy with witches, the apocalypse, and friendship in the mix, give this trilogy a go.
February 19, 2017
(I read this book in Swedish)
The Key is another great book in the Engelsfors trilogy. It's definitely too long, but still a really good book with an interesting storyline and lots of plot twists.
I never knew what was going to happen next, or who you were supposed to trust. Such a r i d e!! Lovely book, fantastic characters and a well built town and environment (which I would hate to live in). I don’t want this series to be over. But it is. I'm going to miss a lot of things about this series, but especially the characters. They were depicted so well in all three books, developed really nicely and felt super relatable.
The Key is another great book in the Engelsfors trilogy. It's definitely too long, but still a really good book with an interesting storyline and lots of plot twists.
I never knew what was going to happen next, or who you were supposed to trust. Such a r i d e!! Lovely book, fantastic characters and a well built town and environment (which I would hate to live in). I don’t want this series to be over. But it is. I'm going to miss a lot of things about this series, but especially the characters. They were depicted so well in all three books, developed really nicely and felt super relatable.
February 9, 2017
Man regulāri ir kāda jauniešu grāmata, par kuru nevaru aizvērties. Iepazīstieties ar jaunāko šīs kategorijas eksemplāru.
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https://vilkamidzenis.wordpress.com/2...
May 31, 2015
Jag klarade mitt mål! Jag lyckades läsa ut den här boken innan maj tog slut!
August 8, 2019
Labs nobeigums. Pirmā daļa šķita nedaudz neveikla un neoriģināla, savukārt otrā pārāk gara un nedaudz nevajadzīga, tad trešā bija tikusi vaļā no tā visa, un pēkšņi 700+ lpp nelikās par daudz.
Lai gan triloģija ir par raganām, maģiju un pasaules galu, tā nemaz neaizmirst to, ka dzīvē ir arī citas problēmas, un lieliski parāda dažādus jauniešus dažādās dzīves situācijās. Tēli šajās grāmatās ir tiešām lieliski un ticami, jebkuri viņu pieņemtie lēmumi saprotami arī tad, ja tie bija ne tie labākie. Tēlu, attiecību un reālās dzīves pieskaņas dēļ vien bija vērts izlasīt. Turklāt visas ikdienišķās problēmas ļoti labi savienojās kopā ar maģiskajām.
Beigas, manuprāt, bija lieliskas, tieši manā gaumē. Daudz neparadzemākas un oriģinālākas par pirmo grāmatu, ļotu jūtama atšķirība kvalitātē.
Kopumā šī triloģiija ir ļoti piemērota vieglai izklaidei, lasās ātri un, lai gan sākums liekas nedaudz neveikls, beigās sižets tomēr ir diezgan labi izstrādāts.
Lai gan triloģija ir par raganām, maģiju un pasaules galu, tā nemaz neaizmirst to, ka dzīvē ir arī citas problēmas, un lieliski parāda dažādus jauniešus dažādās dzīves situācijās. Tēli šajās grāmatās ir tiešām lieliski un ticami, jebkuri viņu pieņemtie lēmumi saprotami arī tad, ja tie bija ne tie labākie. Tēlu, attiecību un reālās dzīves pieskaņas dēļ vien bija vērts izlasīt. Turklāt visas ikdienišķās problēmas ļoti labi savienojās kopā ar maģiskajām.
Beigas, manuprāt, bija lieliskas, tieši manā gaumē. Daudz neparadzemākas un oriģinālākas par pirmo grāmatu, ļotu jūtama atšķirība kvalitātē.
Kopumā šī triloģiija ir ļoti piemērota vieglai izklaidei, lasās ātri un, lai gan sākums liekas nedaudz neveikls, beigās sižets tomēr ir diezgan labi izstrādāts.
October 13, 2014
☆☆★★ 4.5 magical stars! ★★☆☆
(I just reread my whole review and realized that I forgot to tell you what this book is about, oops! I don't really wanna spoil you though, so everything I'm gonna say is that it's about witches and demons.)
I rarely read stuff that isn't "mainstream", "everybody-has-read-it" YA. I have this fear that if a book doesn't have at least 10K ratings or an average rating of 4 stars, I wont like it. That obviously I should go for the more read books, the books with tons of reviews so that I can analyze everything about the book beforehand, you know, to be sure that I'll like it. This is just a habit I've always had, and the thing that sucks about it is this: it makes me not even second-glance at books like Nøkkelen (The Key) .
I have seen this book multiple times at some bookstores not that far away from home, and in the beginning, it did actually catch my eye. It was like a huge light was shining just on that one book . It wasn't just that it was the only book on the shelf that I hadn't read, but the title and cover were also a little mysterious. So I went home and googled it, and after about five minutes I had already decided that this book wasn't for me. Five minutes of googling. That is how picky I am. That is how undeniably stupid I am.
Speed forward to a couple of weeks ago. You can probably understand how surprised I was when Gyldendal sent it to me in the mail. I mean, was it a coincidence? Or are there some higher powers somewhere that were just cursing at me to PICK UP THAT AWESOME BOOK ALREADY! STOP BEING A SNOB!
Let me tell you, this book was fantastic.
I mean, YES, it's slow. And if the characters don't interest you, then you're as good as doomed. Even though this is a fantasy trilogy, it's actually really character driven. Luckily for me, I loved hearing about all of the characters; Linnèa, Vannessa, Anna-Karin and Minoo. We get to know them, we bear with them through their ups and downs, through struggles and stress and pressure that almost makes them snap.
Linnèa is the emo girl, I guess. Her father is an alcoholic, and her best friend is dead. She rarely opens herself up and is terrified of hurting both herself and others. Vannessa is the party girl, Anna-Karin the bullied, and Minoo the really shy and school-smart.
At first they all seem like the typical stereotypes, but as the story moves on you get to be inside their heads and understand that they aren't just what I described above. They develop alot throughout the book, they grow up. I know that some of the people that have read this book thought that the book was too slow, but in my opinion, I think it was as slow as it had to be for the characters to believably mature into the people they are at the end.
As for the fantasy element, it was slightly in the background sometimes. This didn't really bother me, because even if it wasn't all up in my face at all times I could still feel that it was there. And the ending totally made up for it anyways, because when the ball first went rolling it didn't stop for any breaks.
The second half gave me so many heart attacks I couldn't even count them. The pacing sped up a bit, and things were happening all the time. There was no time for me to breathe, and the answers to everything took me completely by surprise. I could not for the life of me figure out how it would end. As soon as I thought I got it, a new thing popped up and made the story take a whole other turn!
I will definitely be trying to find more witch books in the future! (And TRY to not judge books too fast)
(I just reread my whole review and realized that I forgot to tell you what this book is about, oops! I don't really wanna spoil you though, so everything I'm gonna say is that it's about witches and demons.)
I rarely read stuff that isn't "mainstream", "everybody-has-read-it" YA. I have this fear that if a book doesn't have at least 10K ratings or an average rating of 4 stars, I wont like it. That obviously I should go for the more read books, the books with tons of reviews so that I can analyze everything about the book beforehand, you know, to be sure that I'll like it. This is just a habit I've always had, and the thing that sucks about it is this: it makes me not even second-glance at books like Nøkkelen (The Key) .
I have seen this book multiple times at some bookstores not that far away from home, and in the beginning, it did actually catch my eye. It was like a huge light was shining just on that one book . It wasn't just that it was the only book on the shelf that I hadn't read, but the title and cover were also a little mysterious. So I went home and googled it, and after about five minutes I had already decided that this book wasn't for me. Five minutes of googling. That is how picky I am. That is how undeniably stupid I am.
Speed forward to a couple of weeks ago. You can probably understand how surprised I was when Gyldendal sent it to me in the mail. I mean, was it a coincidence? Or are there some higher powers somewhere that were just cursing at me to PICK UP THAT AWESOME BOOK ALREADY! STOP BEING A SNOB!
Let me tell you, this book was fantastic.
I mean, YES, it's slow. And if the characters don't interest you, then you're as good as doomed. Even though this is a fantasy trilogy, it's actually really character driven. Luckily for me, I loved hearing about all of the characters; Linnèa, Vannessa, Anna-Karin and Minoo. We get to know them, we bear with them through their ups and downs, through struggles and stress and pressure that almost makes them snap.
Linnèa is the emo girl, I guess. Her father is an alcoholic, and her best friend is dead. She rarely opens herself up and is terrified of hurting both herself and others. Vannessa is the party girl, Anna-Karin the bullied, and Minoo the really shy and school-smart.
At first they all seem like the typical stereotypes, but as the story moves on you get to be inside their heads and understand that they aren't just what I described above. They develop alot throughout the book, they grow up. I know that some of the people that have read this book thought that the book was too slow, but in my opinion, I think it was as slow as it had to be for the characters to believably mature into the people they are at the end.
As for the fantasy element, it was slightly in the background sometimes. This didn't really bother me, because even if it wasn't all up in my face at all times I could still feel that it was there. And the ending totally made up for it anyways, because when the ball first went rolling it didn't stop for any breaks.
The second half gave me so many heart attacks I couldn't even count them. The pacing sped up a bit, and things were happening all the time. There was no time for me to breathe, and the answers to everything took me completely by surprise. I could not for the life of me figure out how it would end. As soon as I thought I got it, a new thing popped up and made the story take a whole other turn!
I will definitely be trying to find more witch books in the future! (And TRY to not judge books too fast)
January 8, 2024
A young adult book made me cry. I repeat: A. Young. Adult. Book. Made. ME. Cry.
Holy fuck, this series will be the end of me.
…Can I swear on reviews like this? I am a bit rusty when it comes to writing actual reviews, and to be fair, after finishing this absurdly massive, heartbreaking monster of a book, I am a mess
(which will be my excuse if this review turns out to be utterly dog shit, so you have been warned).
Anyway, let me tell you what the Circle series is all about: A group of teenage girls find out that they have magical powers, are the chosen ones and have to save the world from evil!
… Oh, you have heard that one before?
So did I. Or at least I thought I did. The plot is not exactly groundbreaking, but what makes this book/ the whole series so special are the characters.
And, oh boy, do we have a lot of characters. Especially main character. 5 to be exact, naturally with 5 different POVs... which should make things weird and confusing as hell, but miraculously it works.
Probably because the girls couldn’t be more different from each other. In the beginning, they all read like terrible clichés: the good girl, the party girl, the bully, the weird girl and the victim but turns out that each one of them is so much more than just that, and they are also constantly growing and changing throughout the series, giving us (5 times!!!) the simply top-tier character development that we as readers deserve.
I can’t believe I am saying that, but in the end I was rooting for the bully probably more than for the good girl and when the hell does something like that ever happen?
I also love that it’s not like, "Oh, we are the chosen ones; we are suddenly best friends for life!" Far from it, in fact, it takes them a huge part of the series to even be civil to each other, and that makes sense because why should five completely different people who have seemingly nothing in common suddenly be besties?
Another great thing about these books is that the characters actually read like teenagers.
I feel like when it comes to young adult (especially when there is fantasy in the mix), a lot of authors are way too focused on making their main characters likable, strong, independent and mature that they kind of overdo it to the point where, yeah, sure, the character is cool but could be just as well a twenty-five year-old.
Not here, though. Nuh-uh, here the girls have typical teen problems like getting into stupid fights with their parents, worrying about grades and caring too much about what the other students think of them and I love the Circle series for it.
Actually, I think there is not a single thing I do not love about it. The characters, the story, the ROMANCE —all of it is simply perfection and now I will add this series to my all-time favorites shelf because it obviously belongs there.
Holy fuck, this series will be the end of me.
…Can I swear on reviews like this? I am a bit rusty when it comes to writing actual reviews, and to be fair, after finishing this absurdly massive, heartbreaking monster of a book, I am a mess
(which will be my excuse if this review turns out to be utterly dog shit, so you have been warned).
Anyway, let me tell you what the Circle series is all about: A group of teenage girls find out that they have magical powers, are the chosen ones and have to save the world from evil!
… Oh, you have heard that one before?
So did I. Or at least I thought I did. The plot is not exactly groundbreaking, but what makes this book/ the whole series so special are the characters.
And, oh boy, do we have a lot of characters. Especially main character. 5 to be exact, naturally with 5 different POVs... which should make things weird and confusing as hell, but miraculously it works.
Probably because the girls couldn’t be more different from each other. In the beginning, they all read like terrible clichés: the good girl, the party girl, the bully, the weird girl and the victim but turns out that each one of them is so much more than just that, and they are also constantly growing and changing throughout the series, giving us (5 times!!!) the simply top-tier character development that we as readers deserve.
I can’t believe I am saying that, but in the end I was rooting for the bully probably more than for the good girl and when the hell does something like that ever happen?
I also love that it’s not like, "Oh, we are the chosen ones; we are suddenly best friends for life!" Far from it, in fact, it takes them a huge part of the series to even be civil to each other, and that makes sense because why should five completely different people who have seemingly nothing in common suddenly be besties?
Another great thing about these books is that the characters actually read like teenagers.
I feel like when it comes to young adult (especially when there is fantasy in the mix), a lot of authors are way too focused on making their main characters likable, strong, independent and mature that they kind of overdo it to the point where, yeah, sure, the character is cool but could be just as well a twenty-five year-old.
Not here, though. Nuh-uh, here the girls have typical teen problems like getting into stupid fights with their parents, worrying about grades and caring too much about what the other students think of them and I love the Circle series for it.
Actually, I think there is not a single thing I do not love about it. The characters, the story, the ROMANCE —all of it is simply perfection and now I will add this series to my all-time favorites shelf because it obviously belongs there.
April 30, 2016
Wauw.. Wat een boek, wat een serie. Ik heb zo intens genoten van alle levendige personages en de spannende en mysterieuze gebeurtenissen, en ik ga het zo missen! Natuurlijk geef ik dit boek 5 sterren en ik hoop heeeel hard dat er ooit nog een vervolg komt, want dat kan best met dit einde!
September 18, 2021
Nejmen alltså wow??? Den här serie är så bra från alla tänkbara perspektiv.
Vi följer 6 olika ungdomar som alla får veta att de är häxor. Alla kommer från olika familjeförhållanden allt från den klassiska familjen med mamma pappa barn till tjejen som bor ensam i soc-lägenhet.
Karaktärerna i sig har också väldigt spridda både personligheter och social ställning i skolan, och de får under seriens gång lära sig att inte bara acceptera utan även lita på och älska varandra på ett sätt de aldrig hade gjort om de inte dragits samman.
Hela serien är otroligt välutvecklad, intressant och får en att verkligen vilja fortsätta läsa och ta reda på vad som kommer hända härnäst. Jag vill även säga att jag är högst imponerad över hur väl den här serien har hållit i tiden, det är tio år sedan första boken gavs ut och den låg definitivt i framkant med inklusivitet jämfört med många andra böcker som gavs ut på tidigt 10-tal.
Jag är starkt imponerad av hela den här serien, både till inklusivitet, innehåll, själva historien och verkligen alla aspekter av boken. Den är snabbläst trots sin längd, gripande och framförallt riktigt REALISTISK. Karaktärerna beter sig precis som ungdomar på gymnasiet gör, de vuxna har svårt att lita på de "alternativa" och väljer att ta den lättare vägen och lita på de "populära" för det är väl klart att de inte skulle ljuga?
Jag är riktigt imponerad, och har du inte läst den här serien rekommenderar jag STARKT att du går och gör det direkt! Kan även rekommendera ljudböckerna väldigt varmt, även om uttalet på gympa (jumpa) störde mig väldigt mycket (och ordet är starkt återkommande genom serien) och även att inläsaren uttalar p'na i "psykolog" och andra liknande ord gick mig lite på nerverna, men det är lätt att se förbi när böckerna och inläsaren i övrigt är så himla bra!
Vi följer 6 olika ungdomar som alla får veta att de är häxor. Alla kommer från olika familjeförhållanden allt från den klassiska familjen med mamma pappa barn till tjejen som bor ensam i soc-lägenhet.
Karaktärerna i sig har också väldigt spridda både personligheter och social ställning i skolan, och de får under seriens gång lära sig att inte bara acceptera utan även lita på och älska varandra på ett sätt de aldrig hade gjort om de inte dragits samman.
Hela serien är otroligt välutvecklad, intressant och får en att verkligen vilja fortsätta läsa och ta reda på vad som kommer hända härnäst. Jag vill även säga att jag är högst imponerad över hur väl den här serien har hållit i tiden, det är tio år sedan första boken gavs ut och den låg definitivt i framkant med inklusivitet jämfört med många andra böcker som gavs ut på tidigt 10-tal.
Jag är starkt imponerad av hela den här serien, både till inklusivitet, innehåll, själva historien och verkligen alla aspekter av boken. Den är snabbläst trots sin längd, gripande och framförallt riktigt REALISTISK. Karaktärerna beter sig precis som ungdomar på gymnasiet gör, de vuxna har svårt att lita på de "alternativa" och väljer att ta den lättare vägen och lita på de "populära" för det är väl klart att de inte skulle ljuga?
Jag är riktigt imponerad, och har du inte läst den här serien rekommenderar jag STARKT att du går och gör det direkt! Kan även rekommendera ljudböckerna väldigt varmt, även om uttalet på gympa (jumpa) störde mig väldigt mycket (och ordet är starkt återkommande genom serien) och även att inläsaren uttalar p'na i "psykolog" och andra liknande ord gick mig lite på nerverna, men det är lätt att se förbi när böckerna och inläsaren i övrigt är så himla bra!
November 11, 2021
Jag förstår inte varför det tog mig sån vansinnigt lång tid att ta tag i att läsa den här serien. Den har ju precis allt jag gillar. Jag gillar att skriva själv, också, och jag vill så gärna skriva om magi en dag. Så tänker jag att "det kanske låter töntigt om jag skriver det på detta och detta viset". Efter att ha läst den här serien så måste jag tänka om. Det blir inte töntigt. Det är rakt och ärligt, enkelt att läsa, allvarligt och skitsorgligt och hemskt och jätteroligt. Det är representation på rätt sätt. Det är så många bra karaktärer och de är människor på så många olika sätt. Jag kommer verkligen vilja läsa om hela serien igen, någon dag. Det bästa en berättelse kan ge mig är inspiration till att vilja skriva mer och det har den här serien verkligen gjort.
January 24, 2015
Nyckeln är lite för omständlig, de olika delarna av handlingen är inte tillräckligt bra hopknutna. Det är f��r många karaktärer som dyker upp och försvinner på ett alldeles för rörigt sätt. Jag tror att berättelsen hade mått bra av att redigeras hårdare och bantas ner med ett par hundra sidor. Men med det sagt så måste jag erkänna att jag älskar den ändå (och att jag grät mig igenom de sista femtio sidorna). Huvudkaraktärerna är så fint beskrivna och får verkligen utrymme att utvecklas här i sista delen. Jag brukar rekommendera Engelsforsserien till ALLA och det kommer jag fortsätta att göra efter att ha läst sista delen.
December 16, 2013
Nej, detta var inget värdigt avslut på denna trilogi. Den hade kunnat vara minst 200 sidor kortare utan att något viktigt gått förlorat. Här är det för mycket tankar och förklaringar. Även ungdomar kan läsa mellan raderna.
August 14, 2015
For being a very big book it was so intense and full of turns! You never really knew what was coming and I've read 845 pages in 5 days. So there it is. Man, I love the characters. So much. A wonderful trilogy. I love it.
June 8, 2016
Tykkään tässä sarjassa erityisesti siitä, että se sijoittuu ihan lähelle (Ruotsiin) mikä saa sen tuntumaan niin aidolta. Juoni oli koukuttava ja vaikka kirja olikin pitkä (ehkä liiankin; tiivistämisen varaa oli), luki sen kuitenkin nopeasti.
July 26, 2017
Jag är inte någon som gillar fantasy och övernaturliga berättelser. Men just hela denna triologi, har gjort mig mer uppmärksammad på genren. Hela triologin är fantastisk, språket är enkelt, en riktig bladvändare. :)
July 24, 2023
4,5 ☆
July 30, 2015
my babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 3, 2023
i love this trilogy SO much. review (ramble) to come probably!
November 30, 2016
"What shall we do next?" "Keep on saving the world."
I really, really loved this - The Key was, without a doubt, the best book of the trilogy.
I really, really loved this - The Key was, without a doubt, the best book of the trilogy.
June 1, 2020
English below ->
Känner mig helt tomt nu jag har läst den sista delen av Engelsforstrilogin och berättelsen är slut. Igen (precis som de andra delarna av serien gjorde), boken levde upp till alla mina förväntingnar och kanske en liten mer.
I den här sista delen av trilogin trode jag att berättelsen om Linnéa var den mest närvarande. Någonting jag tyckte om, men egentligen hade jag också ville veta en liten mer om Minoo, till exempel när hon var i herrgården efter hon försöckte hjälpa Adriana. Att jag fick ingen mer information om det, var ändå inget riktigt "big deal" för mig.
I alla fall tyckte jag mycket om slutet av serien och hur alla personer i berättelsen utväcklade sig själv och deras krafter. Jag ser fram emot att kolla på filmen och läsa serien igen nånstans i framtiden!
Honestly I feel quite empty now I have read the last part of the Engelsfors trilogy and the story is finished. Again (just as the other books of this series did), this book absolutely lived up to my expectations and maybe even a little more.
In this last part of the series I found the part about Linnéa to be the most prominent. Something I enjoyed, but I also would have liked to know a little more about Minoo, for example when she lived at "herrgården" after she tried to save Adriana. However, that I didn't get more information about that wasn't a real big deal for me.
To conclude this short review, I really liked this end of the series and how al the characters developed themselves and their powers. I am looking forward to watch the movie and maybe re-read the series sometime in the future!
Känner mig helt tomt nu jag har läst den sista delen av Engelsforstrilogin och berättelsen är slut. Igen (precis som de andra delarna av serien gjorde), boken levde upp till alla mina förväntingnar och kanske en liten mer.
I den här sista delen av trilogin trode jag att berättelsen om Linnéa var den mest närvarande. Någonting jag tyckte om, men egentligen hade jag också ville veta en liten mer om Minoo, till exempel när hon var i herrgården efter hon försöckte hjälpa Adriana. Att jag fick ingen mer information om det, var ändå inget riktigt "big deal" för mig.
I alla fall tyckte jag mycket om slutet av serien och hur alla personer i berättelsen utväcklade sig själv och deras krafter. Jag ser fram emot att kolla på filmen och läsa serien igen nånstans i framtiden!
Honestly I feel quite empty now I have read the last part of the Engelsfors trilogy and the story is finished. Again (just as the other books of this series did), this book absolutely lived up to my expectations and maybe even a little more.
In this last part of the series I found the part about Linnéa to be the most prominent. Something I enjoyed, but I also would have liked to know a little more about Minoo, for example when she lived at "herrgården" after she tried to save Adriana. However, that I didn't get more information about that wasn't a real big deal for me.
To conclude this short review, I really liked this end of the series and how al the characters developed themselves and their powers. I am looking forward to watch the movie and maybe re-read the series sometime in the future!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2017
Så spännde från början till slut även om jag inte känner mig helt nöjd med slutet. Hela del 5 känner jag inte vart så som jag hade önskat att det skulle slutat. Jag tycker inte att den vanliga världen skulle vara magisk. Jag ville att cirkeln skulle förbli en hemlighet och att det skulle vara slut på häxeriet. Fortfarande en riktigt bra serie!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2017
så bra bok
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