Circle of Three #8: The Five Paths

This is the best book in a great series.Very realistic. Presents both sides of the argument. Doesn't make any false promises that magick will fix every problem in your life or make it go away with a snap of the fingers--but does show that through magick and faith, good things can be accomplished. The girls face very realistic hurdles due to their Wiccan involvement.Re: the prior review--I don't think all the difficulties came about solely due to the necklace. Kate had hidden her Wiccan involvement from her parents until this issue made them ask questions. Annie's family already knew and didn't care, but she had not told her boyfriend yet, then chose to come out Wiccan in the school paper. All these experiences are quite realistic and young Wiccans may have to deal with one or all of them at some point.

I must say, I rate all of these books with five stars, this one should get a 10! I found it correct on how it can feel to be studying wicca in school. I've never had to go through all of what Cooper did, but I've had about my fair share in the past year. This book was well written, and at sometimes over whelming as Kate, Annie, and Cooper's lives are all spinning out of control, but it had to happen sooner or later. MIght as well be sooner, right?

The Circle of Three Series takes a new personal step in this novel. In The Five Paths, Cooper, Annie, Kate, and Sasha all return to school with new fears and apprehensions. Annie wonders how the school will accept the new her and worries if Brian will still like her without Freya. Kate knows she has to tell her parents about wicca and when she reconnects with some of her old friends she has more people that she's lying to about. And when Cooper where a wiccan pentacle to school she starts an uproar. Other people who don't know about the craft are scared by it. The school Principal even orders to take it out. Soon everyone in the school is somehow involved with this battle of free speach vrs. student's apprehensions. And by the end of this book a member may be forced to leave the circle. This book was much more personal then the rest of the series because instead of focusing on magic it forcuses more on the elements surrounding it. Kate, Cooper, and Annie learn that Junior year is much more complicated than they ever thought. I think this is one of the best books in the series thus far. I swear they just keep on getting better and better. THe next one, Above the Veil, looks amazing too. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. I reccomend it to anyone who loves the series.

I have such a boring job this summer that I was able to finally pick up this book and read it. I started reading this series because it was on display at the bookstore where I worked, and before it went out of business, I bought the first 3 books. At first it was nothing spectacular, but I was hooked all the same. It is your basic teenage novel, except that the teenage heroines are studying wicca. I enjoy fantasy novels, and therefore the supernatural, but this series is different. It looks at wicca as a religion, and also investigates magic. This book takes a look at what happens to these three teenagers as they admit to their society that they are studying wicca. Cooper decides to wear a pentacle necklace at school, which causes an uproar. Cooper faces suspension, and her freedom of speech is questioned. Her two friends and fellow wicca-studiers, Kate and Annie, are dragged in with Cooper. Should they admit to studying wicca? Annie faces the judgement of her boyfriend, and Kate the judgement of her family. But what got to me about this book is not so much the issue (is wicca/witchcraft evil?), but the issue of freedom of speech in schools. I suggest this series to anyone who is interested in wicca, or anyone who wonders about it. A fantastic story.

Freedoms of expression and religion are challenged when Cooper wears a pentacle to school. Some teachers and students find it offensive and complain to the principal, who tries to see such an issue from both sides. Most of this series has dealt with its characters individually as each of them adjusts to their new beliefs. While this story appears to be about Cooper's challenge, Kate and Annie feel it hit them just as hard--especially Kate, who has just renewed a friendship with Jessica and Tara. What will she tell them when they start asking questions about Cooper? Isobel Bird hits as close to home as possible with this book!! We do not have to Wiccan to understand the pain suffered here. The series just keeps getting better. Is this story making a mountain out of a mole hill? I don't think so. The truth remains that we still have bias in this country, and around the world, based on religion. We have a Constitutional right to practice whichever religion we want here in the United States. But this doesn't mean that other people are going to just sit back and accept a religion not their own. One of the earlier books was called "Satanic". I then read the author's response to that. I took the time to email Isobel Bird, and she indirectly mentioned FIVE PATHS, knowing that I would really like it. She was right. This is definitely the best book in the series.