The Initiation (The Secret Circle, #1) (2025)

I read this trilogy so many times as a teen that I had to buy a whole new set of books since they were so worn out. And then I pretty much wore those out too. I think the novels definitely qualify as guilty pleasures. I hadn't touched the books in years but when I was moving, I happened to come across my tattered copy and decided to open it up again. To my surprise, I tore through them in about a day and a half! At the age of 25, after having read these books about a dozen times, I found myself staying awake waaaay past my bed time to get that "one last chapter." I think that should say it all.

*2,5*

The Initiation (The Secret Circle #1), L.J. Smith
The Initiation (Originally published: 1992), the first part in a series of works entitled The Secret Circle, is a young adult novel by author Lisa Jane Smith. Smith is famous for her other works such as The Vampire Diaries and the Night World series. 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.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: هجدهم ماه مارس سال 2010 میلادی
عنوان: شروع؛ نویسنده: ال.جی اسمیت؛
ا. شربیانی

Is this a masterpiece? No, it’s not, but it was interesting. I’m glad I went in not expecting much because if I did I would’ve been very disappointed. The writing is simple so you just fly through the pages, the characters… don’t expect anything complex. One thing that did annoy me was how the main character was “in love” after only seeing the dude one time, but “it’s fate” so okay.

I primarily picked it up for an O.W.L.s task, but maybe I’ll continue it to find out what happens since the TV series was canceled.

✹O.W.L.s readathon✹
topic: history of magic

Back home, her friends would probably describe her as "nice, but shy" or "fun, but kind of quiet." But no one here knew that. Maybe this year she'd be Cassie the Extrovert or even Cassie the Party Girl. Maybe she'd even be good enough for the girl with the shining hair."

I started reading this series because I got into the show a few years back, only to find out it was cancelled after one season. I need to know what happens! The book is very different from the show. Both follow Cassie Blake as she leaves her hometown and moves to New England to live with her grandmother, in a new town with mysterious new neighbors/classmates. Cassie gets off to a rough start, accidentally making enemies with the school's resident Bad Girls. But she finds acceptance when the leader of 'The Club' finds out who she is and takes her under her wing.

I have some thoughts on this book and I will keep it short and sweet with a small list.

1. I don't know what the deal with L.J. Smith is but in every book I read of hers, the "Bad Girls" have black hair simply described as "dark" or "dark curls" and the "Nice Girls" have fair hair described like "moonlight" or "sunlight". What brunette hurt you, L.J.? Because I would never.

2. Cassie should just admit that she's a lesbian and she's madly in love with Diana, because that's exactly the vibe I was getting from her. That would make a better story than what Cassie does instead.

3. Cassie in the show was assertive and stood up for herself, but I much prefer book Cassie. Book Cassie is dreamy, scared, shy, helpless, and to me that just seemed more realistic for the situation she's in.

4. This 'Club' has 12 kids. I love how the story gives them all different personalities that somehow balance each other out.

5. I LOOOOOVE the references to astrology, gemstones, herbs, flowers, and even Greek mythology. I am so fascinated by all of these things and to see them in this little teen book (USED CORRECTLY) makes my heart happy.

6. I wish I had known about these books when I was actually in high school. I would have been as happy as Cassie getting initiated into 'The Club'.

"That's it," Laurel said softly from behind Cassie. "You're in."
In. I'm in. Cassie knew, with a feeling of wild exhilaration, that nothing would ever be the same again."

As a young teen, L.J. Smith was an idol. From Dark Visions to The Vampire Diaries, she crafted dark genre pieces that were both intelligent and gripping. To this day, I reread my well worn copies with childlike glee, running over in my mind the influences her writing had on my imagination: the fact that for years I wanted to be a parapsychologist, that I love overblown fantasy stories with a love twist, that even now I'm wearing a hemitite bracelet.

The first part of the The Secret Circle triology, "The Initiation" follows along as awkward, kind and somewhat meek Massachusetts transplant Cassie Blake acclimates to New Salem, a town that unbeknownst to her is run by a half-complete coven. Terrorized by some of the members of the coven and embraced by others, Cassie feels the constraints of her outsider status. Part daytime soap opera and part dark magic, the book weaves into and out of all the bestselling qualities of YA fiction.

this was absolutely terrible, like the writing sucked. the characters talked so weird? i get it was written in the 90s but the dialogues sucked. i’m confused how this women got 2 book series turned into series with writing like this

Много любима поредица, за жалост разбрах, че има доста разминавания между книгата и сериала. Гледах сериалът преди да прочета книгите и впрочем беше невероятен. Хем секси, хем тъмен, хем вещици - много интересна история също.
Много тъпо, че му падна рейтинга и го спряха след 2 сезона, а наистина завърши на клифхенгър.

Ще се радвам някой да ми пише как свършват книгите, надали ще ги прочета всички.

Ok, confession: I just ADORE books that have anything to do with witches, vampires, werewolves, etc. This series is such a great read! You will enjoy them if you are into YA.

you know what?
nothing happens in over 3/4 of the book. nothing.

I read the series a few years back and now realise just how much I ate it up. I decided to re - read them after watching the first ep of the TV show and deciding that it looked promising. Plus I remember really enjoying the series so thought refreshing my memory might do some good

Unfortunately with reading something years later, you notice a whole lot more.

Cassie' mother has decided that they are to move to Salem Falls after she hears that her estranged mother is ill. But that couldn't be further away from what Cassie wants. How can her mother expect her to just suddenly up and leave a place she has known as home her whole life, and especially since she met that handsome boy with the dog. Leaving would mean she would never see him again, and the very thought makes her sick. *even though it's the first time she's ever met the guy*

Her fear becomes reality when shortly after she finds herself meeting her grandma for the first time and enrolled at school. There she finds herself shunned by all including the headteacher. Lost and confused she soon discovers that there may be more to worry about than just being ignored. For a certain few seem to have their eye on her, and not all of them have the best of intention.

Through reading THE INITIATION I realised that there was a whole lot of cheesy dialogue which made me wince quite a few times actually. Not to mention it got slightly tiring every time one of the girls were described as beautiful, striking with glorious manes of black hair and Nick always as "cold". I get that he doesn't show much expression or whatever but I'd rather every time he was introduced that the word "cold" wasn't repeated. Then there is the fact that our MC is full of shit. She goes on and on about resisting and being determined to not hurt her mate, but then hardly holds back and makes out with him anyway! What happened to self - control and common sense. Don't ramble about caring for your mate and resisting someone you're not going to bother to. Worse yet, you have seen the guy ONCE in your life, and the next time you meet him you suddenly realise that you love him? I mean come on!

Right now I don't like her very much. And neither of the boys are as hot as I recalled them. Shame. But it's entertaining and one that you find yourself intrigued by despite it's flaws. So, I did enjoy the book, but I'm hoping the next two are an improvement.

I only read this because I started watching the CW series which really drew me into the storyline. However, the TV show is completely different, as the book only seems to function as a basic set-up for it.

My thoughts on the first part of the book series: It's a fast read, quite a page-turner. But its writing style - oh my. Some parts are just repetitive and there's a clear overuse of adjectives. Its tone isn't much better either. I mean some parts were really great, but others - way too over-dramatic.

I also didn't like the characterization. Personally, and that might be just my opinion, I think there are too many characters in the book. I can see why the writers of the TV show decided to cut down to 6, instead of having 12. This led to a very poor and flat characterization in the book. Basically, every character is described by their hair. I swear, I bet Diana's hair was described as "moonlight and sunlight woven together" at least five or six times. I get it, she's pretty. And Cassie's obsession with her, it's almost adoration. Slightly creepy. The same goes for the "love" scene between her and Adam. Talk about rushing into things.

And despite all of this, I still kinda liked the book. Maybe because I'm such a fan of the show. And I'm a sucker for all things magic.

4.75

I have been doing some serious comfort reading this week, blowing through this series for probably the 25th time. I LOVE it. In my opinion, the original books were so much better than the TV show (whereas I like TVD show better than the books...go figure!). These books take me immediately back to high school, when I read them for the first time. I really needed that...there are a few books that fill that craving for me, and this series is one of them.

Καλούτσικο. Ευχάριστο, απλά γραμμένο... τίποτα σημαντικό αλλά δεν είναι κακό. Είναι μικρό και όλα γίνονται πολύ γρήγορα, αν κ η πλοκή δεν είχε τίποτα ιδιαίτερο. Σε κάποια κριτική διάβασα ότι το πρώτο βιβλίο είναι εισαγωγικό, τώρα που το διάβασα κ εγώ μπορώ να πω ότι αυτό το σχόλιο είναι πολύ εύστοχο... πρέπει να διαβάσω και το δεύτερο για να κρίνω καλύτερα.

Ši knyga tik dar kartą patvirtino, kad mano sritis fantastinės, bet ne per daug, knygos, kuriose pilna paslaptingų dalykų, romantinės gijos. Skaitant šią knygą, puslapiai tiesiog patys vertėsi, rašymo stilius lengvas, kiekvienas veikėjas savaip patiko, iš pradžių maišėsi visi vardai, bet knygai įpusėjus, išryškėjo visų veikėjų tam tikri charakterio bruožai. Šis kūrinys šiek tiek priminė M.Stranberg,Sara B.Elfgren ,,Ratą", tad jei skaitėte minėtąją knygą. tai manau patiks ir šioji. Rekomenduoju visiems, kas yra fantastikos mėgėjai, bet mėgstą tokią, kurioje jos nėra per daug ir yra gan lengvai suprantama.

am i going to kill all my fond memories about this series? maybe

anyway, im going to reread this soon, also full offense, the show was bad and books after #3 don't exist

My opinion on this book is biased. Very, very biased. Disgustingly so.
First I'll give a very short review on the book then I'll move on to the show.
This book is so flawed but it's impossible for me to give it less than 4 stars.

The Book
“Will you swear to be loyal to the circle? Never to harm anyone who stands inside it? Will you protect and defend those who do, even if it costs you your life?” -pg. 185

Cassie Blake and her mother have moved to New Salem to live with Grandma Howard. She's not too excited about leaving her friends and California behind. And she certainly doesn't want to attend a new school full of people she doesn't know, but she has to. On her first day she gets on Faye Chamberlain's bad side, which is, as she'll find out, one thing you don't want to do. Then Diana Downey comes to the rescue. She takes her under her wing and introduces her to people in the Club. Nobody's ever been this nice to Cassie. Now, if only Cassie wasn't in love with Diana's boyfriend...

This book isn't any good. It's full of two-dimensional characters, stereotypes, and love at first sight. BUT I LOVE IT!
Cassie is annoying with her lusting after Adam after seeing him ONCE and she's selfish. Faye is a bitch, Deborah is mean as hell, Suzan is...just there I guess, Diana is the “Purity Princess”, Adam is so 2-dimensional it hurts, the Henderson twins are neither here nor there, and talking to Nick is like talking to a brick wall.
Their parents are never around. Every single character is extremely attractive (except Grandma Howard), and they're all hooking up with each other. Even though they're kinda related.
Cassie is threatened and bullied, and the adults don't care. She opens her locker to find anything from a doll hanging from its neck to rotting hamburger meat and when she goes to the principal (with proof!) he tells her to solve her own problems. I believe he uses those exact words.

Usually, all those things would make me throw this book down in frustration, but I didn't. I read it in less than a day and I will read it again one day. Because I really do like it. It was nothing new and it didn't exactly shock me or anything, but LJ Smith is to me what a V.C. Andrews book was to those who grew up in the 80s. A guilty pleasure.
It calls to me, lures me into a van with candy, then takes me on a very short ride around the block, then drops me back off again like nothing ever happened.

And I willingly get in the van every.single.time.

No regrets!

Quotes:
”The silver cord can never be broken. Your lives are linked. You can't escape each other any more than you can escape destiny.” -pg. 24

“I hoped you'd never be in enough trouble to need it, but I wanted to be there for you if you were. If you'd ever done what I told you, held it tight in your fist and thought of me, I'd have known, and I'd have tracked it down, no matter where you were.”

The Show
I am fascinated by witches, shocking betrayals, and certain supernatural TV shows. Unfortunately, this book contains witches, betrayal, and it was made into a short-lived tv show. & I watched it religiously.

Damn you, CW for canceling this show after it's first season even though it was nominated for (and in my opinion, won) New Fall Show You're Excited For, Best New Series, Best Sci-Fi or Fantasy, Favorite New TV Drama, Best-Youth Oriented Television Series, and Best Main Title Theme Music.

And now that I remember, the soundtrack was so good. It couldn't have been better, I found new songs I had never heard of before and LOVED. Damn you, CW!

The show was freakin' sweet! There were plot twists that made me scream, magic, and all of that aggravating teenage angst and lust I claim to hate but secretly like.
And the actors and actresses were very attractive. In fact, the lady who played Diana (who by the way also stars in the very popular show Teen Wolf) was Miss Louisiana Teen USA in 2004 and Miss Teen USA. And her acting wasn't too bad. I wasn't too keen on Thomas Dekker playing the main character Adam on account of me not finding him attractive at first, but he grew on me, dammit. Then close to the end they brought along Grey Damon and I was like “daaaaaamn, where has this random little white boy been all my life?!” Even Cassie's dead-beat dad, Joe Lando, was fine!
And I've always been secretly jealous of Britt Robertson... so very pretty, so very small and pretty.

I don't understand how Vampire Diaries is still being filmed and Secret Circle isn't. They're both by L.J. Smith and they're both Paranormal Romances.
Is the fascination with vampires that real?

The CW really dropped the ball on this one. But what's done is done.

Overall, I would recommend reading this book if you, like me, love witches and drama or if you though the show was great (even though the 2 are very different). By the way, it's on Netflix so if you're even a tiny bit curious go check it out!

"Det var gået op for hende at der var noget langt værre end at blive ydmyget. For første gang denne uge frygtede hun ikke for sin stolthed, men derimod for sit liv."

Jeg så første (og eneste) sæson af 'The Secret Circle' og jeg var så væk i den og ærgrerede mig også en del, da tv-serien kort tid efter blev aflyst. Jeg fandt senere ud af, at serien var baseret på en bog, men tiden gik og andre bøger var mere interessante og sådan kan det jo gå.
Men! Da jeg så, at de søde folk fra Tellerup genudgav bogen og så endda med et sindssyg flot cover, kunne jeg simpelthen ikke holde fingrene væk længere!

Bogen var en del anderledes end tv-serien (eller er det omvendt? Bøgerne kom jo først) og det var faktisk virkelig forfriskende, for så havde jeg ingen anelse om hvad der skete på næste side! Dog krævede det en del tilvænning, fordi jeg langsomt skulle kaste mine minder og forventninger ud af vinduet, efterhånden som historien skred frem.
Bogen kom dog godt efter det (igen... det er jo egentligt serien der er kommet senere, men I ved hvad jeg mener... Håber jeg) og begyndte stille og roligt at trække mig ind i dens edderkoppespind af ideer og bange anelser.
Historien er ret flydende, på trods af dens høje spændingsniveau og udover mine tilvænninger, så var der ingen afbrydende hak eller forvirrende hjørner og kanter på turen - det kørte bare derudaf og forfatteren efterlod mig ikke med andet valg, end bare at følge med.

Halvdelen af bogen er ikke noget særligt - den er fyldt med klicheer, typiske karakterer og nærmest ikke-eksisterende voksne. Den er fyldt med mystik og sager som læseren har regnet ud, men selvfølgelig ikke hovedpersonen.
Dét er noget, der normalt ville kede mig, men... På en eller anden måde, har Smith formået at gøre det fandens afhængiggørende alt sammen og jeg faldt pladask for alt det åbenlyse og trivielle alligevel.

Bogen er utroligt spændende, hvis man kan nyde en ordentligt omgang ungdomsdrama med en snert (eller to) af noget overnaturligt. Jeg var i hvert fald helt væk i bogen og ser meget frem til at læse videre på serien og til at se, hvordan Smith videreudvikler historien.

"Denne gang kunne hun ikke engang skrige. Hun mærkede hvordan hendes øjne blev store, nærmest lige så store som den udstoppede ugles. Hendes mund åbnedes i et lydløst gisp. Hendes mave gjorde oprør. Lugten..."

Total Cliche for a magic book to take place in New Salem….Ironic. Cassie is an interesting character. She doesn’t want to be there. She feels out of place and really just wants to go home. Nobody wants to be her friend and it is making her very upset, she really doesn’t want to be there. Through the beginning of the book there are subtle hints of magic that Cassie keeps seeing but she doesn’t think that it is even possible so she ignores it, that is until the Club approaches her. Then she knows she isn’t just crazy. But as with most books there are a few people that are part of the club that do not want her to be part of the club. To make matters worse the guy she is madly in love with is dating her best friend Diana, who is also the leader of the Club. The beginning of the book Cassie is a shy girl, that is until Adam. Who is also dating Diana. Faye is about the most annoying character in almost any book. Stuck up snot if you ask me. I feel bad for Cassie with her predicament with Adam and Diana….

“Will you swear to be loyal to the circle? Never to harm anyone who stands inside it? Will you protect and defend those who do, even if it costs you your life?”

Not gonna lie that is a scary thought considering half the Coven hates her

I watched the TV show when it was on a long time ago. I enjoyed the book better. The Cassie in the show wasn’t as likable I liked shy reserved Cassie from the book much better.

I read this because the television show looked like something I wanted to watch, if that makes any sense. It was okay. Predictable, but short, I think, and not slow. Also, not suspenseful in any way. I feel like it's a little dated. It definitely reads like the first book in a series. Nothing gets resolved. There are a lot of explanations of witchy things. I saw the Craft, thanks, I don't need you to explain to me the ethics of love spells or calling the elements or blah blah blah. I know this book predates the Craft, but it's not like it predates teenage girls' interest in witchcraft. It felt like the author was rehashing basic concepts instead of inventing their own mythology. And, what really bugged me was that there should be adults around trying to put a stop to these shenanigans but they're all oddly absent or kind of detached. I don't know. At least it's not another YA series set in a boarding school.

This is a little spoiler-y, but I need to bring this up. I think it was 12 original families all living on an isolated island and intermarrying since the 17 century? Wouldn't there be some major birth defects by 1992? I mean, at the very least they wouldn't all be beautiful, right?

This first book is amazing! No wonder it was made into a TV show! I really love it! Though I must admit, the book is better than the TV adaptation! They changed a lot of things from the number of characters, plots, names and even their appearances! JEEZ! :(
I can't wait to read the other books in this series!
I really feel sympathy towards Cassie! Poor Cassie! Why is it Adam and Diana needs to be together? :'( I always wonder if Cassie's mom never left New Salem, is there a possibility Adam and Cassie will still end up together without hurting anyone?
I HATE FAYE! Really! She blackmailed Cassie! **sighs**

It's got some flaws, but nostalgia demands four stars. I have read this book a gazillion times since I was a teenager, and I still love it.

Ενα νεανικό δροσερό ανάγνωσμα με έναν αέρα μυστηρίου όπου οι τελευταίες 100 σελίδες σε βάζουν στο τρυπάκι (ω ναι έχει ανατροπή!) να θες να διαβάσεις και το #2 σίγουρα !

Kdybyste se ptali, fakt se mi to nelíbilo. 😁 nuda, nuda a klišé...

Well, considering how much my book club members hated this book, I think I rather enjoyed it.

The story is definitely a guilty pleasure reading, but read in context (a YA book written in the early 1990s), it seems pretty typical. Yes, there were some cringe-worthy moments, but they reminded me of being a stupid teenager. So often the characters' actions or reactions in YA books today are too adult. The insta-love feels inauthentic. In this book, however, it felt exactly the way I remember. Except for the whole big, bully of a guy threatening me part. I remember falling in love with cute boys I met on vacation and never saw again. This book takes that experience and tells a "what-if" story with it.

I also like a lot of the witchy elements. Smith takes some liberties, but her witches give tribute to actual Wiccan beliefs and practices. Again, in YA books today, the tradition often gets set aside in favor of flashy, shiny newness, but tradition persists for a reason.

I metaphorically face-palmed with the introduction of the crystal skull. This is not necessarily Smith's fault, but all I could think was - nuking the fridge. The book was kind of short and felt like it was just the introduction of the story to come, but, again, this was kind of what those series were like back in the day.

This is not great literature, but I liked the book. It was a quick, easy read, too, so I may even keep reading the series.

Am citit această carte, mai mult pentru nostalgie, pentru că serialul a fost printre primele pe care le-am văzut și le-am admirat. Cartea e puțin schimbată. Nu e rea, dar e puerilă. Are prea multe personaje și Adam și Cassie se îndrăgostesc prea din senin (like, I get it, destiny, but still). Însă chiar vreau să termin seria și să văd cum se împachetează totul. Clar serialul e mai bun!

Cassie Blake is distraught when her mother decides to uproot to the small town of New Salem, in order to take care of a grandmother that Cassie had never even met before. But that is only the start of her problems. Starting a new school, trying to make new friends - and discovering that some of the people she would most like to befriend are all part of some secret Club that Cassie is not permitted to join. Then a girl dies, and Cassie is finally initiated into the Secret Circle, learning that magic is more than just a folktale.

These days the YA market for books is flooded with paranormal activity - witches amongst them. But in 1992 when L J Smith first wrote The Secret Circle trilogy it was something fresh and new - and should be reviewed with that in mind. L J Smith was producing well-written compulsive novels about teenagers in love LONG before Edward Cullen was even a glint in Meyer's eye.

The opening book in this trilogy reads at a breakneck speed. Smith does not linger on too many opening details, just sets the scene so that Cassie is placed in New Salem ready for the main action to begin. This as far as I am concerned is a positive, because Cassie's life prior to her move is not of interest and therefore should not be lovingly expanded.

For me, the biggest strength of Smith's writing is the characters. Here she handles a main cast of twelve, with some peripheral characters who will play a further role in the subsequent two novels of the trilogy. To sufficiently flesh them out and give them strong characteristics that ensure you want to read more about them in such a slight novel (my edition, only 287 pages) takes real skill. And her physical descriptions are just wonderful:

"It occurred to her, quite incidentally, that these were probably the three most beautiful girls she'd ever seen. It wasn't just that each had perfect skin, free of the slightest trace of teenage blemishes. It wasn't their gorgeous hair: Deborah's dark disordered curls, Faye's pitch-black mane, and Suzan's cloud of reddish gold. It wasn't even the way they set each other off, each one's distinctive type enhancing the others' instead of detracting from them. It was something else...A kind of confidence and self-possession...An inner strength, an energy..."

Cassie is a very strong main character - by her own admission, she is shy and not very outgoing. However, these traits never become the absolute focus of Cassie - rather, they are just a part of who she was. There is also evidence that she has massive potential for growth and character development in future novels, which I am looking forward to exploring. In fact, most of the characters feel very real - they have foibles, and both good and bad qualities. The Henderson brothers and Sean suffer a little from not gaining much 'screen time', but I feel sure this will be remedied.

I also love the innocence of the romance - this is definitely YA from early 90s in content. Kissing is as far as these teens are prepared to go, and I for one love this. Too often in YA books I read that have been published more recently there is far too much focus on young girls going further than they perhaps should, and The Initiation harks back to a more chaste time.

The only real problem with this novel is it is very much the opening book in a trilogy, so we are really only getting to know the characters and touching on the main gist of the plot, which will be fleshed out in The Captive.

In conclusion, anyone who has come to the YA paranormal romance genre recently should definitely check out this opening novel in a classic trilogy. I adore all three books beyond reason and very nostalgically. L J Smith has a fine ability to write characters you will end up caring deeply about, and her prose is magnificent. Highly recommended.

I decided to read L.J. Smith's The Secret Circle series when heard it was being produced as a TV series this year. I read her Vampire Diaries series before watching the show and found I enjoyed her writing much more than I did the television version of the story. After having read the first book in The Secret Circle series, The Initiation, I found myself less than impressed and hoping the producers take some liberties with the story line in this book.

The Initiation doesn't do much to endear the reader to Cassie, the series main character. Throughout the book, she's annoying. She obnoxious about not wanting to be on summer vacation on the east coast and not liking the "friends" she's made. Honestly, why hang out with them then? If these people are so awful, why not just spend time alone or attempt to make new friends? When the grandmother she's never met needs help, she whines about wanting to home, rather than move to New Salem and help the old woman. For a brief moment, she allows that the new environment will allow her to redefine herself and admits it could be a positive thing, but them quickly falls into the role of victim - it's not her fault no one likes her, blah blah blah. Cassie finally makes a friend and it's platonic insta-love. They're sisters now, or whatever, therefore Cassie will follow her blindly and wants to join a "club" the new friend belongs to, even though the "mean girls" also belong. And of course, there's a guy, but their love is forbidden and is obviously leading to a super awkward love triangle.

The Initiation does have a strong resemblance to one of my favorite movies, The Craft, with teens using witchcraft and not always for good. While I don't expect the series to be much like the movie (especially since the movie was made after the book came out), the possibility for The Secret Circle to have witchcraft used for both good and evil motives delights me. I enjoyed all of the magical aspects of the book, especially the fact that it goes detail about the use of both herbs and crystals as opposed to depending on spells alone.

The Secret Circle series has potential, but The Initiation didn't quite wow me. Cassie is grating, much like Elena in The Vampire Diaries is. Smith's female protagonists are all too often weak and sort of stupid when it comes to both common sense and romantic entanglements. Hopefully Cassie faults will be toned down in the rest of the series as not to distract from the magical story line.