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A Great and Terrible Beauty


A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1)









Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)
Author: Libba Bray
Genre: Fantasy/ Historical Fiction/ Paranormal
Published: December 2003
Medium Read In: Paperback
Pages: 403


Rating: 4.5

Why I Read It: I have an unholy routine of getting books whose titles seem to pop out at me. I saw this in the library and grabbed it.

Summary: A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.


Review: This book was a different and refreshing read. When I borrowed this from the library, I had so many doubts about this book. When I started reading this, I could not put this down for nothing. This is a page turner since it's so suspenseful. Gemma's narration was excellent and provided the story with great understanding of her thoughts and feelings about her new powers. One amazing story and the rest should prove to be the same.

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