← Back to search
Cover of The Initiation

The Initiation

L. J. Smith (1992)

SubgenreParanormal Romance
Age groupYA 12-17
Content ratingPG-13
Pages (Quick Read (<250))
SeriesThe Secret Circle #1
Setting
CSM age13
Goodreads3.79
Buy on Amazon ↗Buy on Bookshop.org ↗Buy on Apple Books ↗

Content levels

ViolenceMild
Sexual contentMild
LanguageMild

Trigger warnings

Forbidden RelationshipManipulationPower Imbalance

Positive tags

Coming of AgeMysteryHigh AngstFriendship

Hero archetypes

Mysterious Hero

Heroine archetypes

Fish out of WaterHeroine with Secret

Protagonist archetypes

Coming-of-Age Protagonist

Tropes

Hidden IdentityForbidden LoveComing of AgeFish out of WaterMagic AcademyMorally Gray ProtagonistSecret Society

Themes

IdentityPower and CorruptionLove vs DutyBelongingTemptationMoral Ambiguity

Synopsis

Cassie is drawn into the Secret Circle, a coven of young witches whose power has controlled New Salem for three hundred years, and when she falls hopelessly in love with the leader's boyfriend, she is tempted to use dark powers.

Is The Initiation appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 13 and up.

Teens navigate romantic entanglements and supernatural power dynamics with temptation to use dark magic. Includes forbidden attraction, peer pressure, and exploration of moral choices with supernatural consequences.

What to know going in

This book has mild violence, mild sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include forbidden relationship, manipulation, and power imbalance.

Who'll love this

Teens will be drawn into a secret world of witchcraft, forbidden romance, and the dangerous allure of dark powers.

Tags

Paranormal RomanceSupernaturalContemporary FantasyDark Romance