false 3682 18 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. <p> Gemma, 16, 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. <I>A Great and Terrible Beauty</I> is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Ages 12 up) -Patty Campbell 2113193 2003 A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1) total:14149|5:4189|4:4581|3:3646|2:1308|1:425| 14149 53248 20339 2400 1 49 false false Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Sun Oct 14 13:58:42 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 16 11:41:47 -0700 2007 A Great and Terrible Beauty is neither great nor beautiful, though it is indeed -- wait for it! -- terrible.

The characters are simple and one-dimensional, their actions both petty and selfish. I find it difficult to believe any one of the four girls at the heart of the story cared for on...more...]]> 5 17 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 12 16:40:47 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 27 11:38:16 -0800 2008
That said, it's a very good one. You can read the summary on the book's page, so I won't go into that here.

I loved the juxtaposition of Victorian England, colonial India, and the fairy world. The protagonist doesn't belong in any...more...]]> 3 10 false false Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 05 06:43:01 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 06 11:43:23 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 9 false false Mon Aug 11 14:42:49 -0700 2008 Mon Feb 23 08:06:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 9 false false Sun Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 11 10:43:48 -0700 2007 Sun Jul 20 20:21:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 7 false false Fri Aug 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 13:22:23 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 09:27:18 -0700 2008
I'm really glad I did pick it up. I was sucked into the book from page 1. The author definitely has a way with words... She painted such a vivid image of the surroundings that I felt as though I was there wi...more...]]> 5 5 false false Mon May 26 16:33:08 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 22 18:07:16 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 6 false false Wed Feb 20 06:45:37 -0800 2008 Sat Feb 23 17:39:42 -0800 2008
It basically follows the same overdone storyline we've all seen way too many ...more...]]> 3 6 false false Wed Apr 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat May 03 20:34:39 -0700 2008 Sat May 03 20:35:52 -0700 2008 A Great and Terrible Beauty is a young-adult-novel-slash-Victorian-romance-slash-magical-fantasy; it wants to be many things, but I’m not convinced it succeeds in any.

Great and Terrible is the first in Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy. Gemma discovers she has magical powers ...more...]]> 4 2 false false Fri Oct 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 25 11:01:54 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 25 11:24:49 -0700 2008 1
Picture a Victorian finishing school . . . like out of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. Imag...more...]]> 4 7 false false Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 28 08:21:35 -0800 2008 Sun Mar 08 16:03:33 -0700 2009 Twilight) but was unable to resist this one, probably on account of the cover because corsets and old-fashioned undies fascinate me (even my wedding dress had a corset back). And after the first chapter, I wanted to strangle the main charac...more...]]> 3 4 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 18 20:41:24 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 18 20:56:07 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 3 false true Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 06 09:05:39 -0700 2008 Thu Sep 25 11:36:13 -0700 2008
This is one of those books that when you've finished it you feel like you've found a kindred soul in the author. It was a great story, really. But there was more, it probably deserves a reread on my part. It kept me thinking of all of the books I have read ...more...]]> 5 2 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Apr 26 14:17:20 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 26 14:18:28 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 3 true false Sun Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 22 14:13:15 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 12:29:07 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 2 false false Fri Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 04 00:17:46 -0800 2008 Fri Jun 06 13:33:03 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Mon Feb 18 19:51:06 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 18 20:07:25 -0800 2008 I am definatley in love... haha
Okay so this book is set in the victoran times,in london, where women were to be looked at, and they were like trophies. They were for appearences and breeding purposes in ways, lol.Which if you know me at all, i am outragiou...more...]]> 4 2 false false Sat Oct 20 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 23 11:57:06 -0700 2007 Tue May 27 09:53:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Fri Jun 15 20:39:06 -0700 2007 Wed Jan 09 19:21:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Thu Dec 04 14:07:25 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 07 13:10:59 -0800 2008 2 more...]]>