Libba Bray does a great job with A Great and Terrible Beauty, the first book in her thrilling series. This book is great for anyone 16 and older!
Gemma Doyle has been her whole life in India and it is her dream to go away to England to become a proper lady and enter into society. However, her mother has made it impossible so far for Gemma to go away. After an argument with her mother Gemma rushes off only to have a vision of her mothers death. When she finds her mother dead she is shocked and scared by what her vision showed her. However, she knows that she can’t tell anyone, especially now that she is finally going to England.
When Gemma is sent off to a finishing school in England known as Spence, she thinks that it is going to be everything she has dreamed of. Her dreams are quickly shattered when she realizes that she doesn’t fit in with the rest of the girls around her. As Gemma finally starts to make friends she surprises herself by confiding in them and their lives change.
As the girls read about the mysterious Mary, they begin to wonder if all the things that they are reading about could be real. The girls realize that there is only one way to find out and that is by trying to explore this new world. As the girls explore this new world they begin to change and soon realize that things are not always as they same. While dealing with these changes, Gemma must also deal with the fact that someone is out to get her and the powers she holds. Will she be able to destroy them before it is too late? You’ll have to read it to find out!
July 1st, 2008 at 8:31 am
I loved this. I have yet to read the sequels but after the first twenty or so pages, I couldn’t put this down. I think that some teens younger than 16 could handle it, though. I was 12 when I read it
Great review.