A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)

Reader reviewed by the book muncher

Gemma has terrifying visions starting on her sixteenth birthday. But the scariest part is where they come true. After her mothers death, Gemma moves from her home in India to a finishing school in England called Spence. There, she makes tentative friendships, discovers a diary of a girl named Mary Dowd, and receives a warning from a mysterious boy to block out her visions.

Despite the warning, Gemma keeps having her visions because she cant control them. It is through one of her visions that she discovers the secret diary of Mary Dowd. She soon learns of a mysterious Order of women, and that she possesses the power to enter the realms. She just doesnt know how powerful she is; she can bring her friends in with her.
Inside the realms, Gemma sees her mothers spirit and learns all about the magic of the realms. Unfortunately, not all is well inside this beautiful place. There is a tracker, a corrupted spirit, seeking a way into Gemmas world.

In this exciting novel, Gemma learns a portion of the history of Spence, about herself and her friends, and that her mother wasnt who she pretended to be. A Great and Terrible Beauty is one of my favorite books for many reasons, but mostly because it is such a thrilling story. There is plenty of action and magic to satisfy anyone, and even a bit of romance too. Libba Bray has woven a fantastic story that will be remembered for a long time. I recommend this to all readers who dream about the existence of another world.

Reader reviewed by Stephanie

End-of-the-nineteenth-century London meets beloved coming-of-age story meets paranormal occurrences in this smashing debut by the promising author Libba Bray. For anyone who loves historical fiction, fantasy, the paranormal, romance, coming-of-age stories...okay, that covers just about everyone...this book is a great read.

After her mother is murdered in the streets of India, where they had lived, Gemma Doyle is sent to a girls' boarding school near London. Spence is a ghastly place with cold staff and even crueler classmates, particularly the clique of power-hungry Felicity and beautiful Pippa and their group of followers. Gemma is determined not to get sucked into their manipulative lives and instead tries to focus on understanding the strange visions she has been getting recently. It doesn't help that Kartik, a young Indian man who was present with her at her mother's death, has followed her to England and is now watching her, warning her to close her mind to the visions. Which only makes the headstrong Gemma even more determined to figure out her visions, which she believes will be the clue to understanding her mother's murder.

Surprisingly though, she, Felicity, Pippa, and a doughy scholarship girl Ann form a clique of their own. Theirs consists of sneaking out away to the caves in the surrounding woods, drinking, reading out of some girl called Mary Dowd's diary, and talking wistfully about what they could do if they were not all restrained to a life of pleasing men and running households...except for Ann, whose poor status will force her to be a governess to snotty children somewhere. It's a dismal future, but such is the life for English girls.

Then, suddenly, Gemma and her friends realize that her visions about a place called the Realms is real, it's all real. They visit the Realms, a wondrous dream world where everything they want can happen. They spend almost every night there and can even bring magic back into the real world for a short period of time.

It seems almost too good to be true...and it is. There are those who want the magic of the Realms all to themselves, and they will do anything to deceive Gemma and her friends. A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY begins a fantastic trilogy about Gemma and her decisions regarding her friends, love life, and the magic of the Realms.

Reader reviewed by The Story Siren

Ive finally finished the eight hundred some pages of The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. And I must say that in the last two days I have felt what I believe to be every possible emotion there is. I almost find myself at a loss for words in the shock that I still feel.

We once again join in the adventures of the girls of Spence that we have grown to love. The story once is centered on the magic of the Realms and what Gemma must to with it now that she has bound it to herself. Although I rather enjoyed the underlying storyline of Gemma and Kartik, which is just one of many that concludes this tale.

It seems that everyone and everything are against Gemma. She cant seem to open the portal since Christmas and she no longer feels the magic within herself. She fears that the magic has not chosen her to continue in the Order. The mysterious East Wing is being rebuilt and a masked ball is to be held in its wake. And Gemma has still not seen Kartik, and his whereabouts are also a constant strain on her thoughts.

When all else fails Gemma feels she will never return to the realms until a mysterious stone is found in the midst of the East Wing construction. Which turns out to be a secret door in which she has seen in her visions complements of a Miss Wilhelmina Wyatt, former Spence Lady and author of A History of Secret Societies.

Once back in the Realms, Gemma cannot deny the changes that are happening around her, but yet she is still not ready to share the power. Gemma must carry around the responsibility of the magic, figure out whom she can trust, try to help her friends and also work toward her debut season! No wonder it took eight hundred pages!

Bray does not disappoint in the final chapter of Gemmas tale. The plot twists where plenty! Felicity was her brash self and Ann as insecure as ever, but in the end these girls surprised me for the better! The writing was detailed and painted vivid pictures even more so than the two previous books. I couldnt put it down, and now thats it over I fear I will miss these girls.

Reader reviewed by ambeen

A Great and Terrible Beauty is about Gemma and her mysterious powers to enter other realms. Gemma starts as the outcast at Spence Academy for girls but soon has a few friends that she is able to share her powers with. Gemma's powers come with a consequence, though, and someone is after her and her unique power. The suspense from this mystery, gothic styled novel is thrilling and will keep girls reading late into the night!

Reader reviewed by Emily TT

A great and terrible beauty was a good book
Really splendid, tons of twist and turns and the characters (most of them except Circe and ya know the bad guys) are pretty much likable.
Gemma Doyle's narration is witty and at times humorous. The book is well written and the ending will leave you wanting to read the sequel "Rebel Angels".

Reader reviewed by abscae

This book was surprising. I never thought I'd like an old era book ever, and yet I find myself reading the book in barely three hours.

I am a true romantic so the thing that pleased me best was the romance, yet the entire concept of the book thrilled me, and the plot was full of excitement. Just the twists and turns discovered, especially nearing the end of the book was amazing.

Reader reviewed by kaitlin

This book explore the life of Gemma who has recently lost her mom due to circe, the antagonist in this story. She goes to Spence, a girls school in England. There she makes a couple unlikely friends, and together they make a sort of coven that uses gemmas supernatural powers to go into the other realms. Along with all of that, Kartik, a member of the orders enemy clan constantly buts heads with Gemma. I really enjoyed reading this book, especially because it was set in early england, and i love historical fiction books.

Reader reviewed by Rosie

This amazing novel by Libba Bray is the story of a girl living in England in the time of corsettes, ladies boarding schools, and new fashons. But behind it's extravagant exterior lies a world of high society and secret betrayls. Enter Gemma Doyle, who just moved in with her english grandmother after having spent her life in India. Guild-ridden by her mother's death and struggling to stay afloat at Spence acadamy, the last thing she needs it these strange visions she's been having. But could they be the key to her mother's death??

An amazing book that I highly recomend. Pick this one up today!

Reader reviewed by ibelieveinbeauty

Set in India and then in London, this story follows 16 year old Gemma Doyle from the day of her mother's death. Having witnessed her mother's murder in a strange vision Gemma's life is turned upside-down, not helped by the fact that she has been sent to SPence, an academy for young ladies near London. Here she befriends Ann , a quiet, plain girl, Felicity, charming and power-hungry, and Pippa, beautiful and destined to be married off young.
With them and their teacher Miss Moore, and the help of an old diary, Gemma discovers her mother,s secrets and what they mean for her.Thje handsome Indian boy Kartik who follows her to England tries to prevent her from uncovering the past but ends up with Gemma falling for him.

This novel, Libba Bray's first, is going to become a classic for teenage girls. Fast-paced and well-thought out it will give enjoyment time and again.
The sequel 'Rebel Angels' and the third book in the trilogy, not yet published will mark Miss Bray as an author not to be underestimated.

Reader reviewed by Anna J. Shommor

A Great and Terrible Beauty is a great book. It has wonderful imagination. Many fiction books are based on myth but this one and its' sequel (Angel Rebels) have one of the best stories that I have heard of. The books are good cliff hangers but not too much that you are dissapointed. It was, though, a good thing she added the sequel or it would make A Great and Terrible Beauty seem incomplete.