Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle, #2) in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

May 31, 2013 Molly rated it liked it

Shelves: ya-lit, historical-fiction, on-the-classroom-shelf, fantasy, borrowed, 3-and-a-half-stars, i-want-to-like-you, spinning-wheels, read-in-2013, summer-2013

Sadly, I didn't enjoy this installment in the series nearly as much as the first. For one thing, it felt too long and a bit ponderous (especially when you consider that it only covers about 2 weeks of time). For another, it included one of my greatest pet peeves: phonetic spelling of dialect (drove me nuts in Casual Vacancy too). Granted, it isn't super dialect-heavy, but enough that it started to grate.

Anyway. At the end of the first book, Gemma discovered the truth about her mother, smashed t Sadly, I didn't enjoy this installment in the series nearly as much as the first. For one thing, it felt too long and a bit ponderous (especially when you consider that it only covers about 2 weeks of time). For another, it included one of my greatest pet peeves: phonetic spelling of dialect (drove me nuts in Casual Vacancy too). Granted, it isn't super dialect-heavy, but enough that it started to grate.

Anyway. At the end of the first book, Gemma discovered the truth about her mother, smashed the prisms that were binding the magic in the realms (thus setting it free...sort of), lost one of her best friends to the realms forever, and got her favorite teacher fired. We pick up with Gemma and co a few months after these events - they haven't returned to the realms, but they have a little Pippa shrine in the woods. There's also a strange new teacher named Miss McCleethy who seems to have it in for Gemma. But soon it will be Christmas and the girls will be free from Spence for two glorious weeks!

Eventually, Gemma and co realize that, in spite of having smashed the prisms, they can actually return to the realms, so they give it a try. And who should be waiting for them but Pippa? Only she seems...different. It's interesting to note here that, at the end of the first book, Pippa -- by all appearances -- got her happy ending in the realms. She found a handsome knight and was going to stay in a magical garden forever. Yet by the time the girls find her, she's ditched the knight, pronouncing him a bore (turns out getting anything you want all the time is sort of a snooze). Although there's freedom in the realms that's denied to Victorian ladies, they aren't the utopia they appear to be.

Meanwhile, the Rakshana (and their representative Katrik) are still following Gemma. Apparently she's the only one with the power to bind the magic (or give said magic to other beings outside of the Order). Long story short, basically everyone wants the magic, and Gemma's pretty sure she can't trust anyone (this turns out to be a wise choice, btw).

Obviously, since there's another book in the series (which I am in no hurry to pick up), the resolution here leaves a bit hanging. Basically, there's a war brewing, and Gemma has chosen her own side. Because she believes people should be free to make their own choices about power, instead of having everything decided for them. Sort of on the nose, as themes go.

I guess it just bothered me that we saw Gemma, Ann, and Felicity grow close during the first book, but it's hard to tell what their friendship is based on, other than a mutual desire to enter the realms. And we see Gemma reach that very same conclusion here. Yet in the end, she names those two among the only people she can trust (along with Katrik, who was hired to assassinate her until, like, a day ago...come on Libba. Your heroines are usually smarter than that). Their friendship seemed pretty insubstantial at the outset (Felicity and Pippa are the truly fascinating dynamic here), and Pippa's death really drives home that point. The girls seem to stick together more out of habit than any sense of fondness for one another.

On a random note, the anagram thing was one of the more ludicrous deus ex machinas I've come across in a LONG time! If you want to stay hidden, why change your name to an anagram of your true identity? Why not make it something completely different? I called the (view spoiler) Another weird minor detail (like the dialect), but it bugged.

Overall, I didn't hate it, and much like John Green, I'm starting to grade Libba Bray on a curve, but I was disappointed by this one. I have no problem with 500-page books, but as I've said about many books before, I'm not convinced this needed to be 500 pages. There is an awful lot of flitting around in the realms and fainting and failing to act until the last minute. The action seemed unnecessarily drawn out, given that the time frame is around a month or so. Bray's style was still developing in this series, it seems. I'm actually glad I read some (well, all) of her other stuff first, because I know she develops into something awesome. ...more

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Dec 29, 2007 Jenny rated it liked it

Shelves: read-young-adult

I enjoyed this second installment of Libba Bray's trilogy. The second novel picks up not long after the first one ends. Gemma Doyle and her friends, Ann and Felicity, are getting ready to leave Spence Academy for Christmas vacation. However, the arrival of a new teacher and the girls' first visit to the Realm since their friend, Pippa, died there puts them on a new quest. They must bind the magic that has been let loose in the Realm (by Gemma at the end of the first novel) by finding a Temple, t ...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Anna rated it liked it

Shelves: teen

All over the place.
Ridiculous.
At times, unbearably annoying.

But...
Witty.
Impossible to put down.
Enjoyable in a silly escapist way.

I totally have to read the third book (The Sweet Far Thing) - although, good god, it looks as if it needs some editing.

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Oct 26, 2011 Melissa Wiebe rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, fantasy, 2011

Originally reviewed at Jayne's Books.

I really enjoyed this one. The book had a good pace throughout the book and there wasn't exactly anything wanting for a little action. There were a few moments in which I got a little freaked out (aka scared) and had to put the book down and read something that was a little less freakish. Overall it was a pretty good book and would recommend it older young adult readers (those probably those 15 years and above) and those not afraid of things getting a little ...more

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