A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)

Reader reviewed by Rachel Connell

Gemma Doyle is sent to Spence Academy in London when her mother is killed in her home India. Unlike all the other girls at Spence Academy she starts having visions of the future but she's been followed by a young man named Kartik who tells her to close off that part of her. She learns that her mother has a secret thats connected to a mysterious group of women named the Order and that is also connected to her and her mothers death.
This is a tantalizing trilogy that involves magic, mysterious creatures, and a time when women have only one place by a mans side. You will enjoy this novel if you like series with a magical side and girls with a passionate side.

Reader reviewed by Iryna

Its
1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is
shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper
boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions
of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemmas
reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, shes been
followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But
why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spences
most powerful girlsand their foray into the spiritual worldlead to?

After
reading the first chapter, the book drew me in but when Chapter #2 was
over I was yawning with boredom. And so the pattern continued:
interesting, boring, fascinating, dull until I hit the climax of the
book which pulled me in for good.

I liked how the main
character, Gemma, was able to see the future and how it didn't end at
just that. There was more to Gemma's ability then you would read in a
normal book. Libba Bray connected everything like a connect-the-dots
puzzle. However, Gemma only had maybe two visons in the entire book
which I thought was very dissapointing.

I also liked how this
book had more then one genre. It had fantasy, romance and historical
fiction in it. The sequel to this book - "Rebel's Angel" - is at the
top of my TBR list. I am hoping that it will exceed the B+ rating I am giving this book.

Reader reviewed by Insert Book Title

When I first started this book, I thought how boring. However once I actually starting getting deeper into the book, I was drawn in. Gemma Doyle wanted to be just another ordinary girl with an ordinary season in London. And once her mother died she got her wish...sort of. Upon arriving at the school, she is tormented with horrific visions. Soon, she and her friends find a dairy that helped them discover magical realms. But the power becomes too strong, and the girls begin to discover things they didn't want to know. Can Gemma deal with the power...and more importantly what she discovers about her own family?

Reader reviewed by c-alexis

I don't want to say that I disliked the book, but I think that I went into reading it with too-high expectations from all the reviews I read. Overall, the book was interesting and fun to read. I like the presentation of a magical side to the story while portraying the lives of the girls of the Victorian age. For a time when women who still seen as pawns and inferior to men, it is nice to read about a heroine who tries to find a way for herself instead of following the pack. The heroine's group of friends are too flighty to be trusted though, and I feel as if she's made the wrong friends and that may lead to a conflict in the plot. I would definitely continue to read the series though.

Reprinted here with author's permission.

Reader reviewed by Katie

Gemma Doyle, a teenage girl who is forced to move to England after the death of her mother, learns that she is not just a normal girl. She discovers a new power, a secret door to the realms, and the reason that she doesn't fit into proper Elizabethan society. But nobody knows who she really is except her mother; her friends Felicity, Pippa, and Ann; and Kartik who is meant to be her protector. But even through all the beauty in the realms, there is always trouble with the evil Circe.
I loved this book because it was unlike any other book i had read before. It is a unique, fresh story where anything is possible. I recommend the sequel Rebel Angels and the end to the trilogy The Sweet Far Thing.

Reader reviewed by Kalie

Libba Bray created a masterpiece of fantasy that still allows the reader to indulge in the scandal and mystery that we all love. Gemma has a sense of humor and not-so-gracefulness that makes the reader fall in love with her. The villian of the book is not entirely clear until the end of the book, but the plot twists only make the book more captivating. I loved the book and am looking forward to the next books in the series.

Reader reviewed by Alanna

This is kind of a dark book, but it has funny parts also. The main character is exceptionally witty. The author did a great job with Kartek: I'm head over heels in love with him! Certain parts of the story weren't really well explained, like the danger of bringing magic out of the realms. I also think we should have gotten to know the huntress better. But I would totally suggest that you read it if you haven't already, because it's a great book, and you won't be able to put it down!

Reader reviewed by Keshia

In Libby Bray's "A Great and Terrible Beauty" a sixteen year old Gemma Doyle growing up in the Victorian age goes through many things that girls these age experience. Rebellion against parents, friendships, boys, magic realms...

She is not as ordinary as she thinks she is when she loses her mom in tragedy in India and is sent to England for school. She not only has to try to fit in but also has to keep from succumbing to the attraction of supernatural beings and the connection between her mom and a society called The Order.

It was completely well done. Sticking in the time frame of the story while also showing another side to girls instead of the overly catty side that is too hyped. Plus very nice romance in there too. Can't wait until the next book.

Reader reviewed by lainie

Gemma Doyle is a spirited young lady who itches for the sophistication of the London life. On her sixteenth birthday, while shopping in an Indian Market place with her mother, her life dramatically changes when Gemma witnesses her mothers mysterious death through a vision. Gemma is the sent to live in England where she is to attend the Spence Academy. There she finds a friend in a girl called Ann and after a short rivalry she also develops a friendship with Felicity and the beautiful Pippa.

Gemma finds that the mysterious Kartik, a boy from India who has followed her to Spence. He urges her to ignore her visions.

A mysterious plot unfolds and soon Gemma discovers a secret society known as The Order and that she has the ability to travel to mysterious worlds. There she and her friends find freedom in the realms from the restrictions laid down by the society to which they belong. But will this taste of freedom and power soon leads the girls into more danger than any of them could ever have imagined.

This book is excellent, full of suspense, magic and forbidden love. This book will appeal to primarily girls and I recommend it for ages 12 and up.

Reader reviewed by Tif

A Great and Terrible Beauty is set in the late 19th century, beginning in colonial India but quickly moving on the main bulk of the story at the Spence Academy in London, England. The plot centres around 16-year-old Gemma, a rebellious girl who is looking to find herself, and three other girls she meets at the prestigious finishing school for young ladies, Felicity, Ann, and Pippa. They discover another world where all things are possible, so different from the controlled and shallow existences set out for them as females in Victorian society. But they find that these new powers are not as benign as they seem, and that there is a mystery they must unravel to lead them to the truth about the world of the Realms and about themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The plot was intriguing and interesting, and kept my reading until late at night and into the morning hours. The plot twists were not really predictable, which it important to me. And the characters were refreshingly balanced and realistic. I didn't really love or hate any of them; they each had flaws and made mistakes. Sometimes I wondered why Gemma bothered with any of them. But the multidimentional quality of the characters was a nice change from other stories, where there are the "good" and "bad" characters, the "nice" vs. the "mean" girls, while life is rarely so black and white. And I think since this is only book 1 of 3, we will see more character development and my views and feelings toward the characters will change.

The language was delicious to read, with wonderful metaphors and beautiful descriptions of the realms. I loved the use of the Lady of Shalott poem. I also liked what I saw as one of the main messages or themes of the book, about wanting the freedom to choose your own path in life, but also wanting to be accepted and loved. Definately something all young women of any time period can relate to.