Hmmm… I came across an article that mentioned the magic in this series was actually a metaphor for girls coming into their own powers. Whether the author intended it to be taken that way or not, I found the book less random when I read with that in mind. Although, whenever the thought slipped my mind, I kept asking why after each scene! There is a certain randomness to it all that I didn’t like.

It might be that I was never able to connect with the characters that made me feel this way. The fact is that the protagonists were written to act their age and not as noble versions of themselves. So, they didn’t just use their powers for the greater good. They were selfish and materialistic, which is how we are most of the time. They shirked their responsibilities and delayed taking difficult decisions for as long as they could. Again, a very human thing to do. 

Or, it could be because the main character was a headstrong girl who didn’t want to believe what was right in front of her eyes. We all do that, so why did it bother me so much to read about it?

What I did love were the parts when the MC decided to set things right and gave her stuffy brother a piece of her mind. 

To sum up, I didn’t like this book because it felt too real. Lol

A Great and Terrible Beauty
Libba Bray
Released: 9th December, 2003

Book 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.

What I like: The characters were all very well done, and the imagery provided by the details in the book were vivid to me. Pippa is a seemingly vain girl, yet we learn underneath her beauty she doesn't want to be married off to someone she doesn't love just so she has a good social standing. Ann wants nothing more than to be beautiful and loved and to find a good husband, not become the governess of her cousins just because they got her into Spence. Felicity wants to break away from the social constructs that she's been raised in and seeks to defy her mother while yearning for her father to visit her. And Gemma is conflicted through most of the story because she just wants her mother back, and doubts her own abilities with her new found powers.

 

What I didn’t like: Sometimes the descriptions, while lovely, seemed rather unnecessary to me, and had I not realized the nature of the "friendship" the girls had, I would have said it was unrealistic since Felicity and her group of friends not only mocked Gemma when she arrived, but bullied Ann around as well solely because of her social standing and the fact Ann was there not because she had the money but on a scholarship provided by her cousins! Other than this, there wasn't much that was notable that I was miffed about with the book.

 

Overall review: A Great and Terrible Beauty is a wonderful story set in Victorian England. We get the elements of what we perceive to be true of what we know about society back in that age and Bray's lovely writing gives you pictures of what the world she has dropped Gemma into. With genuine doubts that would be normal of a girl in her standings at her age, she feels like a real person and someone who is very relatable in a sense. She endures many hardships in the first book, even doubting her own abilities. There's a lot of growth involved in her character in this book alone. I have no doubt that the next book will be just as enjoyable to read.

 

Recommend?: Yes indeed! It was a very lovely book and a very enjoyable read!

Goodreads: 3.8/5   Amazon: 4.2/5   Barnes&Nobles: 4.5/5   BookDepository: —/5

 

My Rating: 4.8/5

 

Rated Material:
Cover=4.8
Story=4.7
Idea=5
Character=4.5

I heard a lot of great things about this book so I saw it at the shop and thought I'd give it a try. IT WAS AWESOME. i liked that it took place in India at the beginning and that's something you don't really see in a lot of books. The main reason i got this book is because i absolutely adore the Victorian era and it gave me a new insight on the boarding schools at that time. The characters were ok but i wish we'd seen more of Kartik. The only thing that lacks in this book-in my opinion-was the romance. i hoped to see a little bit more of Gemma and Kartik together other that him spying on her and telling her what to do all the time.                                                                                     The other thing i didn't really like was Gemma's friends. Pipa was okay i guess but she came out a little vain to me. Anne i don't really like-Gemma said a few times that they were her friends but I've seen a couple of times when Anne doesn't support Gemma just because it would make her less cool. I guess she thinks since everyone already makes fun of her there's no reason to add to it or something which totally proves she's not a very good friend and the whole pity thing she had really made me hate her-grow a spine Anna and stick by your friends, stop pitying yourself and stand up! And as for Felicity I didn't like her because to me it seemed that she was only Gemma's friend because she could take them through the portal.                                                           The main plot was very interesting and I liked the way the author incorporated the legend into Spence Academy. Other than that this book was awesome and a fun read!!! i can't wait to read more about Gemma and hopefully a little more romance!

My review is on the audio version of this book. It is amazing what one person can do to there voice to make it sound like so many different people--reader Josephine Bailey does an excellent job. The story keeps a thrilling pace, and the characters dive into dark places and find different aspects of themselves. Like Gemma, who realizes she has special powers. Even though she's told not to use those powers, she realizes that having power has it's benefits, especially in an age when women are repressed. At the same time, there are dark forces trying to capture her to steal that power for themselves, so she has to use the power subtlely. I found the characters interesting and different, and I can't wait to listen to the rest of the series.

This is the second book in the Gemma Doyle series. I thought the first book to be OK, so I got this one from the library.

 

I didn't think it was very different from the first book. There still isn't really character development, but the pacing of the story is somewhat faster. There are also more places visited, so we finally get to see some more of Victorian England and the other world.

I thought the storyline in the other world was a bit weak, as the girls were really naive.

 

I wanted to read the rest to finish the trilogy, but I haven't found the time to do so yet. Perhaps I will do it some time...