The Secret Circle is a young adult fantasy romance series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story revolves around Cassie, a shy sixteen-year-old, who discovers that she is a witch and becomes a member of the Circle of witches of New Salem. She must face the hatred of Faye, one of the witches; her new loyalty to Diana, her best friend and the leader of the Circle; and her love for Adam, Diana’s boyfriend.

The Initiation

Shy, sixteen-year-old Cassie falls in love with the mysterious Adam before moving to New Salem, thinking she’ll never see him again. But as it turns out, Adam is there, too, at a high school where a strange elite rule. Beautiful fair-haired Diana, whom Cassie learns to love as a sister; voluptuous dark Faye, who wants to turn Cassie into her puppet. The greatest surprise: Cassie, like the other elite boys and girls, is a witch! And then Cassie discovers that Adam is actually the boyfriend of gentle Diana, now her best friend and the leader of the coven!

The Captive

Adam and Cassie have sworn not to love each other for the sake of their beloved leader Diana. But Faye has caught them in their one embrace. Now she uses it to blackmail Cassie, forcing Cassie to lie to Diana and to dig up the strange crystal skull that gives them all such dangerous visions. Meanwhile, students are being murdered, and the witches are under suspicion. And Faye wants from Cassie the ultimate betrayal: her vote for Faye as coven leader.

The Power

Faye rules the Circle, while Diana reels from Cassie’s apparent treachery. Cassie and Adam are drawn more strongly together than ever. A new principal appears who seems to know all the Circle’s secrets and is dedicated to persecuting them. Cassie, no longer the shy girl she was only a few months ago, takes charge in solving the murders, the mystery of the crystal skull, and the true meaning of the Secret Circle. Her reward is her dream come true.

Sequel

On Smith’s December 8, 2010 blog post, she discussed the possibility of a sequel to the trilogy. It was originally to be posted on her website, but she stated that it “ballooned into a full-length novel.” As to the plot Smith says “Also: the plot is not really about Cassie and Nick falling in love. It’s about Cassie going into the underworld to pull Nick out of a coma. However, Nick misunderstands her intentions and believes that she has parted with Adam to be with him. Cassie ought to be able to simply explain to him—but Nick is now blind and says she is the only thing he cares about in life. Meanwhile, Black John has been revived in a new crystal skull and wants revenge on the entire Crowhaven Street gang.”

L.J. Smith’s Official Site | Wikipedia