From Goodreads:
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.
Sixteen-year-old
Gemma 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. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in
what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.
*****************************************
A Great & Terrible Beauty is an older book, but it is one that
will forever stay on my all-time favorite shelf. On my first time doing the Top Ten Tuesday
Meme back in November, I mentioned that this was one of the books I was of the
books that I was thankful for. The cover is what first caught my eye when I was
browsing in the bookstore. It is gorgeous! It’s prefect for the younger group
of young adults. Though I am still able to enjoy this book years after I first
read it.
Gemma Doyle is in India with her parents, when
suddenly her mother dies. Still grieving over the loss of her mother, her
father decides to move them to London. There Gemma is sent to a finishing
school, Spence Academy. She has a hard time fitting in with the other girls at
Spence and finds life there not very appealing. Her father has taken her mother’s
death extremely hard, and finds it hard to cope with daily life without the
help of laudanum. Her older brother’s attempt to help falls a little short
because he just seems to be interested in ‘appearances’ and behaving how
society dictates.
Things start
to change for her however when discovers the diary of a former student of
Spence. It is then that Gemma and her friends try to unravel the mystery of The
Realm.
A Great & Terrible Beauty is an entertaining read filled with
magic, spells, the occasional school-girl drama, and a mysterious hot guy. All
within a Victorian/Gothic setting. If the supernatural mixed with a good dose
of historical fiction is what you have been looking for then I would recommend this
book easily.
Rating: 4½ out of 5.
Buy:
This books is on my TRB pile challenge. I've been waiting to read it for so long, but I just never could bring myself to do it. Thanks for giving me the push I need with this review!
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