A Great and Terrible Beauty

by Libba Bray

book data

6129 ratings, 3.83 average rating, 1300 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		30%
4		34%
3		24%
2		7%
1		2%

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published

2005 (first published 2003) by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

binding

Hardcover, 416 pages

isbn

0689875347 (isbn13: 9780689875342)

description

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble th...more

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honestly mem rated it:

10/16/07

bookshelves: books-you-should-never-read, fiction, speculative-fiction, young-adult

Read in August, 2006

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 one another, much less anyone else. The story meanders, often digressing into lengthy passages that do little if anything to advance the characters or the story. As the story progresses, drawing t...more 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 one another, much less anyone else. The story meanders, often digressing into lengthy passages that do little if anything to advance the characters or the story. As the story progresses, drawing to its predictable and dissatisfying conclusion, it becomes clear that Ms Bray has mistaken style for subtance and that her prose is not stylish enough to support this belief.

Most offensive, however, is the racial and sexual content within the book. The male lead (a young man from India) is sexualized and fetishized for his "exotic" appearance and culture; other Indian characters are shown as either submissive or violent. The Romani people wandering the schoolgrounds suffer from even greater stereotyping: the men are portrayed as slovenly, ignorant, and sexually aggressive towards the white schoolgirls; the women are docile and suitably mystical.

Her treatment of the female characters is also questionable. Though these Victorian girls wander about with decidedly un-Victorian sensibilities and though Ms Bray makes a weak attempt to decry the injustices of a society so quick to condemn the expression of feminine sexuality, the story itself does not support this modern take on the Victorian era. The girls submit to their male counterparts or pine helplessly from a distance. Sexual and romantic relationships between men and women often contain obvious and disturbing power imbalances (or violent undertones). The relationship between the four girls is emotionally shallow and deeply petty, motivated by mutual dislike and composed of backstabbing and bullying tactics. And though Ms Bray is quick to condemn the indignities and horrors of an arranged marriage, she is also quick to condemn her protagonists when they dare to act instead of react. It's a confusing mix of self-righteous pulpit pounding and misogyny, with the end result being I wanted to put my fist through the admittedly lovely and eyecatching cover.

My one relief is that I had the sense to borrow this from the library instead of buying it outright. I do not recommend it....less

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J rated it:

(review of isbn 0385732317)

01/27/08

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: teenage chicks; adult women who like escapist fare

This book is what it is: a young adult novel.

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 of them, and she recognizes that, which sets up the whole story: the outsider tries to find her niche.

I didn't care for any of the other main characters, mostly because I felt that the protagonist, Gemma, was tr...more

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Marissa rated it:

(review of isbn 0385732317)

02/06/08

Read in January, 2008

I am not someone who can watch scary movies. Now, I like scary movies (not full of blood, but full of suspense) but I have a problem in that I don't stop being scared when they're over (Lady in White, What Lies Beneath). My dad is a big Dean Koontz fan and so I read a book when I was younger. It was so scary--the walls even attacked people! I couldn't walk down our narrow hallway without feeling scared. Irrational? Absolutely. Why am I mentioning this? Well, because this book had a touch of the ...more I am not someone who can watch scary movies. Now, I like scary movies (not full of blood, but full of suspense) but I have a problem in that I don't stop being scared when they're over (Lady in White, What Lies Beneath). My dad is a big Dean Koontz fan and so I read a book when I was younger. It was so scary--the walls even attacked people! I couldn't walk down our narrow hallway without feeling scared. Irrational? Absolutely. Why am I mentioning this? Well, because this book had a touch of the supernatural suspense that I don't handle well. I am undecided whether I'll go on to read the other books in the series or not (although I was intrigued so I might try it--I'll wait a few more days to see how many nightmares I have before deciding for sure).

The story follows Gemma Doyle from the death of her mother in India to her placmeent in a finishing school back in England. Gemma has a strange ability to transport into a different realm where she sees visions. She makes friends at the school and together they begin to adventure as they learn more about the realms and what Gemma's purpose might be.

Gemma is a great character, but her friends are not so easily likeable for me. Well, likeable, but they seem such superficial friends in many ways that some of what happens doesn't come as a surprise. I think it is nice that Bray makes the characters have flaws but I don't know that I particularly appreciated them. However, some of their foibles (self mutilation for example) is something that may bring stuffy victorian characters to life for teens nowadays.

That said, I sometimes question what the label "Young Adult" means. I didn't feel that this was inappropriate for young adults (except for a few things, Mary Dowd's sacrifice) but that might be because it was almost too much for me, so why should a teenager have to deal with it?

I recently went on a crusade to read the books my local high school was requiring it's students to read. I thought I would be exposed to authors I hadn't heard of, my understanding of young adult fiction was limited and I looked forward to exapnding it. I found most of the books horrible, offensive, and not well-written. I wonder what makes a novel a young adult book?

It seems that having a teenage character is the only requirement. Whether it is suitable for teens (or anyone else) doesn't matter.

Okay, back to the book... I enjoyed it but it didn't bowl me over (and I admit that I expected that after hearing some reviews and reading some Q&A sessions with Libby Bray). We'll see if I read the other ones...

...less

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Cristin rated it:

(review of isbn 0385730284)

07/20/08

bookshelves: childrens-or-young-adult, fantasy

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: young adult fans

Had I read Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty when I was 12-14 years old, this probably would have been close to a favorite of mine. There’s something about the way it is written (Bray’s exploration of insecurity, the quest of finding oneself, budding sexuality and subsequent doubt, yearning and curiosity, conflicts with family, struggling with authority, self-image, etc) that is absolutely perfect for Bray’s young adult audience. Please keep the genre in mind while you read--perha...more Had I read Libba Bray’s A Great and Terrible Beauty when I was 12-14 years old, this probably would have been close to a favorite of mine. There’s something about the way it is written (Bray’s exploration of insecurity, the quest of finding oneself, budding sexuality and subsequent doubt, yearning and curiosity, conflicts with family, struggling with authority, self-image, etc) that is absolutely perfect for Bray’s young adult audience. Please keep the genre in mind while you read--perhaps then you won't feel too disappointed. This book deserves a chance, I think. It does seem misguided at times, but it's not complete tripe. I appreciate what the author is (and often succeeded in) doing here. Try not to turn your nose up at it.

*I must make an important note here, digress and ask: has anyone else noticed that using the word “gingerly” is practically a prerequisite for young adult authors to consider themselves thus? Seriously, I could (and if I ever have the time, will) make a list of young adult lit that employ that infamous word! Nowhere else have I seen that adjective/adverb so frequently used. It’s certainly never used in common speech. I’m going to test it out–just to see whether or not people look at me as though I have three heads if I actually say something like: “I gingerly took the antique mirror from its place, high upon the wall.” Seriously, who says it? Do publishers force young adult authors to throw the word in for good measure? Is it an ingredient, like paprika, that the potato salad of young adult lit just wouldn’t be the same without? For Libba Bray’s sake, I must note that she used it only once, if I’m not mistaken...and it wasn’t poorly used, by any means...It just makes me smile every time I come across it.

Back to the book–It was well done, although there were portions of the book that seemed a bit forced.

Great & Terrible Beauty is set (during the first 30 pages in India) in turn-of-the-century England, at an all girls preparatory school. Gemma, the main character, has experienced a mysterious tragedy, and enters the school with a sense of foreboding that she cannot shake, or seem to share with anyone. After a very short time, the reader is introduced to what will become an unlikely group of friends, consisting of the archetypal cruel, power-hungry beauty (Felicity), the fickle follower (Pippa), the spirited upstart (Gemma) and the dowdy outcast (Ann).

Certain aspects of the book annoyed me. One of the subplots consisted of Ann’s injuring herself, by scratching at her wrists. While I’m certain women of all eras have harmed themselves in order to remind themselves that they “can still feel”, I couldn’t help but feel as though Bray was taking an idea from a more modern story (about the more modern phenomenon of cutting, for example) and trying to push it into this novel...The lasting effect resulted in the proverbial round peg, square hole dilemma. It didn’t seem too necessary to force that type of character development on Ann, and again, seemed glaring only because it took me out of the time period that was intended for the story.

There are certain scenes that seemed to have been a bit too familiar. The most predictable scenes, however, were often followed by something pleasantly unexpected (I must be vague here, as I despise spoilers).

I have to give Bray credit for writing such a solid story with a main character who is clearly immature and flawed, yet still strong and likeable. I also appreciate the fact that Bray managed to tell an entertaining story, while trying to instill (in her primarily female audience) ideas of feminine power–a celebration of independence, strength and individuality.

As the reader continues on Gemma's journey, the existence of magical realms and an ancient, mystical Order takes over the bulk of the plot. The magic of the realms teeters on the edge of becoming a metaphor for drug use; at times I thought the narration of the story would break, and the reader would be told that the “magic” was really heroine, or something like it. My guess is that Bray was trying to find a venue for the exploration of Power, and what potential harm it can do to a person who thirsts for it without any thought of the consequences.

If you’re looking for a slightly creepy, entertaining novel, you’ll enjoy A Great & Terrible Beauty. I want to read the sequel, Rebel Angels, which I consider a good sign. ...less

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Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0385732317)

10/25/08

bookshelves: mystery-general, mysteryhistoricalfiction19th-centur, scififantasy

Read in October, 2008

recommended to Emily by: good question
recommends it for: life-long readers of Burnett, fans of The Craft, Dead Poet's Society or anything along those lines

This is what I do when I'm stressed: find something that I would have read as a tween, devour, feel better, shop for more books. It's held me in good stead since, well, I was a tween.

Picture a Victorian finishing school . . . like out of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. Imagine that the school has forbidden areas closed off after a tragedy like in The Secret Garden. (I'm completely blanking on the plot for Little Lord Fauntleroy and never read Burnett's adult fiction, so her oth...more This is what I do when I'm stressed: find something that I would have read as a tween, devour, feel better, shop for more books. It's held me in good stead since, well, I was a tween.

Picture a Victorian finishing school . . . like out of Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. Imagine that the school has forbidden areas closed off after a tragedy like in The Secret Garden. (I'm completely blanking on the plot for Little Lord Fauntleroy and never read Burnett's adult fiction, so her other work might be referenced as well).

Now add our heroine, Gemma, raised in colonial India (like a Burnett heroine!) with penchant for sardonic commentary on the hypocrisies of her world (like a Jane Austen narrator).

Mix in some Dead Poet's Society and The Craft, as well as a nice dash of the spiritualism of Burnett.

Now, you have this book.

If the above description put you off, maybe it isn't for you. But for me, it was a nice, quick read and the quality surprised me. Granted, it falls into the category of the out-of-place protagonist being "special." But as much as I might mock it, I drawn just as much as anyone else by that "it's okay that I'm not popular because I'm just special and one day somebody will recognize this" cliche. I think my doctorate is in large degree due to that self-indulgent delusion.

The relationships between Gemma and her companions fits the ambiguous, dysfunctional, and volatile power struggles I remember from my teenage "friendships" with other girls. This is a book that embraces the flaws of its characters and let's them emerge as fully-realized women instead of stock characters.

I was looking for something to get a young cousin of mine that had strong female leads who did something other than obsess over boys (there's a little of that, but it's tied closely to ideas of sexual awakening and female power), and this fits the bill. The last few young adult books I read embraced the idea that if a twenty-something guy is interested in a sixteen (or younger)year-old girl, it shows how mature she is and how trustworthy he is (go ahead, spend the night, in his bed, twenty-something guys who hang out with high-school girls will never ever pressure them to have sex).

Um . . . that type of guy is a creepy loser who hangs out at Goth coffee houses looking for someone who will be flattered enough by any attention that they won't notice that said guy is a creepy loser. I don't want that type of guy in my Goth coffee house, and I don't want a young relatives bringing him over for dinner. It's not that books need to teach morality or that sex is immoral (because neither is the case), but it's the type of crap I would have believed at that age, and I don't feel comfortable buying books for a fourteen year-old that seem to promote self-delusion and stupidity. Instead, I read those books and then send them to my college-aged sister. She's almost a twenty-something anyway....less

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Tera rated it:

07/18/08

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: Fans of fantasy/victorian. Might annoy history buffs.

First off, I have to say I don't think this necessarily belongs in the juvenile fiction category. It hovers in some nebulous region between juvie-fic and regular fiction. There were plenty of times when I shook my head wondering if some parent somewhere had just blythly given this to their kid because it was in the "safe category". Also, the cover art kinda turned me off to reading this at first.

Anyway, the story follows Gemma Doyle on her journey from being a sheltered (and so...more First off, I have to say I don't think this necessarily belongs in the juvenile fiction category. It hovers in some nebulous region between juvie-fic and regular fiction. There were plenty of times when I shook my head wondering if some parent somewhere had just blythly given this to their kid because it was in the "safe category". Also, the cover art kinda turned me off to reading this at first.

Anyway, the story follows Gemma Doyle on her journey from being a sheltered (and somewhat annoying) girl in India to being a strangely naieve (and somewhat annoying) young lady in a British boarding school after witnessing her mother's death. But don't get me wrong, I did actually enjoy the book! I just wish the reviews I had read before purchasing it were a little more realistic. You'll hear there's magic, you'll hear there's fantasy, you'll hear there's four stalwart friends on an adventure. Well, two out of three isn't bad. Don't go into this book expecting to love the characters. Or expecting to see the same tired cliched characters. That's one thing I really enjoyed, was that the author made much more realistic characters (ie flawed) and did not seem to hesitate to let them do awful things.

The girls aren't nice. I still don't know why Gemma chose to consort with them other than out of sheer desire not to be alone. Even Anne, the supposed "nice" one isn't what I consider trustworthy. Each girl seems to be harboring her own agenda, and as a reader older than Gemma's age I found myself tsking over and over again at Gemma's obliviousness. Perhaps that's the author's intention, to give us characters that teach what NOT to do, instead of having us relate to them.

That being said, I think this book had strong enough writing to warrant being read more than once, and I think it could be read and appreciated on different levels depending on the age of the reader. If I were giving this to my niece, I would definately discuss it with her. There's some rah-rah, go team feminism and some more adult themes that I thought could have been handled better. Plus there's some pretty heavy themes about people's choices and how people we love can still do horrible things.

All in all, a good read, just don't think it's sterilized since it's in the juvenile section....less

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Jenny rated it:

07/22/08

recommended to Jenny by: Nobody
recommends it for: Everyone, except maybe little kids.

I love this book. I love the entire series. I found them first in seventh grade, but the third one hadn't come out yet. I was scanning my middle school library's shelves, when I noticed an interesting cover near one of my favorite book series. I read the back and I thought the plot was interesting. So I decided to give it a chance and read it. I thought they were great. I mean, I really didn't consider them as some of my favorite books. Eventually, I went on with my life and sort of forgot abou...more

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Ukrainer rated it:

05/03/08

Read in April, 2008

Libba Bray’s 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 on her sixteenth birthday. Tragedy strikes, though, and she finds herself shipped off to a finishing school. Defying all logic, Gemma does everything she can to ingratiate herself with the schoo...more

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Starr rated it:

03/25/08

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in March, 2008

OK, so at first this was a really slow read, but it's the ending that lingers, making you think. Whether you make the physical decision or not, you are making a choice. We see that with Gemma, who must make major decisions about not only her life, but the life of her friends. And the biggest decision of all - will she accept who she is and forgive her mother, a woman she really didn't know at all?

As mentioned in previous reviews, this book takes place in victorian era London, when girls were...more

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Maura rated it:

(review of isbn 0689875355)

02/23/08

bookshelves: fantasy-or-sci-fi, fiction, kids--books

This is a young adult book, so I tried really hard to take that into consideration when judging it, but there are so many other, well-done kid/teen books out there that I feel OK about occasionally trashing one.

It basically follows the same overdone storyline we've all seen way too many times: boarding school kids whose parents don't want them discover they have magical powers, and they go through the whole 'magic for good versus magic for evil' struggle. This one didn't work because there ...more

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Laura rated it:

05/12/08

Read in May, 2008

Is it fair to say I hate a book if I didn't even finish it? My high school English teacher would say No. But I don't care. I hated this book. It was painful for me to read. I didn't like the story or the characters. I agonized over each word that was written. For nearly 6 weeks I tried to make myself sit down and read it. When there was a choice between scrubbing my toilet and reading this book, I chose the toilet!

I know there will be some who will throw me into the streets and cast stones a...more

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Angela rated it:

07/30/08

Read in December, 2007

recommended to Angela by: A friend from work

This is a mystery/fantasy book about a girl who is sent to boarding school after her mother is murdered. I enjoyed the setting and "alternative universe" created in this book, but too many questions were left unanswered. I thought the general plot was unique and interesting, but lacked complex character development. I thought it was entertaining but typical for a young audult fiction with a sequel.

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Shauna/Doorways rated it:

07/16/08

Read in July, 2008

This was interesting, but not my cup of tea -- too Gothic. I didn't really feel pulled into the characters, and the sniping schoolgirls got on my nerves. I did like Gemma's character, but there was just something missing that kept me from knowing her personality... and she was the narrator! I seemed to understand some of the other s a little better. I guess that was just it... she was supposed to be "mysterious" but I just found her a little flat instead. The plot was a little obvi...more

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Kirsty rated it:

08/10/08

bookshelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

Read in August, 2008

recommended to Kirsty by: Emma

I picked this up after a friend kept talking about it in a GR group I belong to.

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 with the characters in the book.

The plot moves very well, and there were a number of 'cliffhangers' which kept me turning the pages. There was a nice mixture of fantasy and realism, that made for a great re...more

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Liesl rated it:

07/02/08

bookshelves: young-adult-fiction

Read in July, 2008

A gripping and eerie read, this book aimed at tween girls presents a 16 year old struggling with how she should behave versus defining herself as an individual. I really enjoyed this book and had a difficult time putting it down. A bit spooky at times in a somewhat cheesy, but fun way, it made me feel the same jumpiness upon hearing a bump in the night as when I was a young girl reading similarly themed books.

In the end it has a good message as we start to see the heroine, Gemma, g...more A gripping and eerie read, this book aimed at tween girls presents a 16 year old struggling with how she should behave versus defining herself as an individual. I really enjoyed this book and had a difficult time putting it down. A bit spooky at times in a somewhat cheesy, but fun way, it made me feel the same jumpiness upon hearing a bump in the night as when I was a young girl reading similarly themed books.

In the end it has a good message as we start to see the heroine, Gemma, grow up and transition into an adult. During this book, Gemma evolves from seeing a world that revolves around her to recognizing that she is part of a bigger picture. By the end she no longer sees things in merely black and white, i.e. you support what she wants or are against what she wants, but rather recognizes the complexity and multi-faceted nature of other people and situations. [An aside: This is a lesson in growing up that strangely a lot of the people in our society seem to have missed. Many people from some leading political figures (you know the crew I'm talking about!) to some everyday citizens have a tendency to see only black and white, good vs evil, for vs against. Perhaps they should read this silly little tween novel to learn that most people and situations cannot be summed up so simply. :)]

I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I would recommend this to the intended audience of 10-12 year old girls and to women who were avid readers as kids and want to return to the giddiness and excitement of reading an unfolding mystery told by a girl on the edge of womanhood.

One passage that I liked that captures a good message of the book:

"Forgiveness... I'll hold on to that fragile slice of hope and keep it close, remembering that in each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. We're each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real. We've got to forgive ourselves that. I must remember to forgive myself. Because there's an awful lot of gray to work with. No one can live in the light all the time."
...less

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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0385732317)

09/25/08

Read in September, 2008

recommended to Lisa by: Emma
recommends it for: Girl Power People

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Wow. Libba Bray Just Wow!

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 that talk about women, our place in society, how we feel about ourselves, how we let ourselves be manipulated; and throughout history the struggle women have had to be taken seriously.

Possible spoiler---...more

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Kerri rated it:

04/26/08

bookshelves: fantasy, girl-books

Read in January, 2007

I wasn’t so sure about this book when I heard about it, but it changed my mind pretty quickly. There is a supernatural tone to it, as well as an old-fashioned tone. The main character is being forced to be an obedient young lady of the 1800’s, but she acts and sounds more like a typical teenager of today. I love her rebellious side! And the mystery that she has to solve is really interesting too! By the way, there are two more in the series. This is just the first one.

Summary:<...more

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Kristy rated it: (review of isbn 0385732317)

06/06/08

Read in June, 2008

I don't read much gothic literature, but this one is gold. It's set in the Victorian age and most of it takes place in England, but it starts off in India (when the Brits were still running things there). Gemma is a sixteen-year-old British girl living in India with her parents. When tragedy strikes and her mother dies, she's shipped off to England to a boarding school with explicit instructions to tell anyone who asks that her mother died of cholera. HINT: She didn't. :o

Gemma blames h...more

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Sunny Rae rated it:

02/18/08

Read in January, 2006
recommends it for: femmenists, women, fantasy types

This book is absolutely amazing.
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 outragiously against this. Like i think maybe femenist is the word. just not man bashing. lmao, anywho, a girl named Gemma, 17, lives in India with her mother. Until Her mother is murdered, and she sees it in a vision...more

A Great and Terrible Beauty

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