From the Bookshelf of Nothing But Reading Challenges…

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle, #1)

Libba Bray

Start date: October 1, 2011

Finish date: October 31, 2011

Discussion: Books of the Month

Why we're reading this: We voted and this one was chosen as the October YA BOM. Link to discussion;
http://www.goodreads.com/topic …more
[close] We voted and this one was chosen as the October YA BOM. Link to discussion;
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

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What Members Thought

Oct 05, 2012 Jessica rated it liked it

Shelves: victorian, young-adult, almost-read, urban-fantasy

I enjoyed this, but it isn't up to the standards of Libba Bray's newer books. I was disturbed by how quickly our heroine joins forces with the mean girls, and the story felt recycled from a Lois Duncan book I read in the 7th grade (Down a Dark Hall, which is fabulous in a retro way!) I am rather sad, as the idea of it was great - a story about supernatural goings on in the Victorian era is totally my bag. But, alas, this was not all it could have been. I might read the others, as I bought the se ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 22, 2011 Trisha rated it liked it

I actually really enjoyed this book. I liked that the main character and supporting characters were all flawed ~ some more than others. I liked that I didn't always agree with their choices, but I could always see WHY they were making their choice. The characters stayed consistent with who they were.
I also liked the worlds that were set up, and trying to understand the differences of each one.
It is, though, definitely a YA book, so don't go into thinking you're reading adult gothic fiction. It' ...more

1 like · Like · see review