Libba Bray

It's 1895, and after the death of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's being followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls - and their foray into the spiritual world - lead to?

The Gemma Doyle Trilogy: Book 1

A Great and Terrible Beauty

Manda

I stumbled upon Libba Bray while perusing the YA section at my local Bookman's. As being one who normally chooses new books by their interesting covers, I was immediately drawn to A Great and Terrible Beauty. It being a New York Times Bestseller didn't hurt either. A Great and Terrible Beauty is Libba Bray's debut novel and I have to say she hit the ball out of the park. A Great and Terrible Beauty is the story of Gemma Doyle and her dealings at a private school in London after tragedy befalls her family. Gemma finds herself with powers beyond her control and a mysterious boy on her tail. The mixture of magic, romance, and teen angst that fills this book will have you dying for more. I love the voice of Gemma Doyle and the way Libba Bray makes you want to be apart of her world. You feel a need to be a part of her normal life at Spence Academy while also in the fictional world of magic and mayhem. When this book came to an end I was dying to move onto the sequel Rebel Angels. Libba Bray will take you on a wild ride in A Great and Terrible Beauty and you'll be ready for more.

Lacy W

Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com

tw: parental death, sexist remarks, use of word gypsy and disparaging remarks made about them, self harm

This is a pre goodreads/storygraph era book. I read this book when I was in high school. Back then, I devoured books like it was my job. I was in my school library just about every other day to get books. I think the librarian had to order more books just so I had something to read. Oh, those were the days. Now I’m lucky if I can finish a book in a week. Anyway, I remember this book being so cool and the concept of travelling to a different world where you could have everything you ever wanted was the epitome of awesome. So I thought I would reread this book and see if I still loved it. It had such fond feelings for me.

Spoiler alert: I did not love the book like I did when I was in high school. I think as I have gotten older, my taste in books have changed. One of my biggest problems was Gemma, the MC. My god, she was a giant brat. While I understand that this book takes place in the late 1800s and times were different, Gemma could still be a bit more nicer. She was just a brat. She treated her family like crap. She treated her friends like crap. She was selfish and did things only for herself. Felicity and Pippa were honestly no better. They were mean to each other and to others. They acted like they were better than everyone. It really put me off from enjoying the book at all. Anne was the only decent character but she was so two dimensional. She was bullied by everyone and nobody did anything about it. 

The whole book just seemed to be about how Gemma is mourning her mom and being a brat. The cool magic concept was overshadowed by Gemma and her poor decisions. I understand that she was in shock losing her mom in such a tragic way but there were ways to grieve and not constantly put yourself at risk. I am really unsure if I’m going to continue with the trilogy because I can’t remember if Gemma gets any better. Shame because this had the promise to be really good.

Rachel Kanyid

Read 16 years apart and I still loved it!

Briar Rose

DNF at 20%. This book came highly recommended, but it's actually kind of... Boring. And racist. And the main character is a whiny little brat.

After the suspicious death of her mother in 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma Doyle returns to England, after many years in India, to attend a finishing school where she becomes aware of her magical powers and ability to see into the spirit world.

A lovely representation of Victorian Gothic literature. I couldn't really get into the characters though, which took out a lot for me.

The plot is really creative and I'm sure many more people will enjoy it more than I have.

maddie

A lovely representation of Victorian Gothic literature. I couldn't really get into the characters though, which took out a lot for me.
The plot is really creative and I'm sure many more people will enjoy it more than I have.

A supernatural version of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett.

An easy read, but the YA influence, writing and the self absorbed nature of the characters is clearly shown throughout.

Libba Bray's strong voice is what carries this for me, however I still prefer The Diviners series, I am interested to read the other two books to see what happens next to Gemma and her friends.

The ending felt a little abrupt and left a lot of lingering questions I'm definitely intrigued to find the answers to.

Victoria Justice

A supernatural version of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgeson Burnett.

An easy read, but the YA influence, writing and the self absorbed nature of the characters is clearly shown throughout.

Libba Bray's strong voice is what carries this for me, however I still prefer The Diviners series, I am interested to read the other two books to see what happens next to Gemma and her friends.

The ending felt a little abrupt and left a lot of lingering questions I'm definitely intrigued to find the answers to.

Kirsten Simkiss

Having been a big fan of The Diviners series by the same author, I was very excited to read this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it nearly as compelling. Nor did I find the characters nearly as interesting, often devolving into catty teenage girl behavior - which, while realistic considering the characters ARE teenagers, was not much fun to read in the end. They did grow on me over time, but there was this baseline of everyone being cool with bullying behaviors on some level or another and it irked me. Even Kartik, a character of color and potentially the long term love interest, was kind of one note and bully-like. As a whole, not my favorite cast of characters.

As far as the actual plotline goes, I found it to be interesting enough. I’m not sure we really understand much regarding Gemma’s powers even from this 403 page book. I’m hoping we get more in later installations of the series to explain what exactly it is that’s she’s capable of and who Circe is in the story.

All in all, not a bad book, but unless the next volume improves my view of the characters, I’m not sure this is a keeper for me.

Jihad Mahmoud

I loved the book really loved it !! it was great and it kinda feels like living in the Victorian age with all the corsets and skirts !! I loved how gemma's mother turns to be Mary! I liked how felicity trusted gemma after seeing her with Ithal but I felt like she was forced to trust gemma because she has no other choice ! but there are somethings I didn't like that the events is shifting quickly which it leads to miss some details like after touching the runes I think there must be some details of how they get through out the door or the portal with such great power but actually the scene ends with feeling the power and another one starts with gemma in her bed which it was a little disappointed!! also I didn't like how easily gemma told the girls about her power it's that they were mean couple of days and now they are trustworthy !! it was tragic how pippa died it was so sad but it also a little wise that she chose death and live nice place rather than staying in reality and be trapped with Mr. bumble!! in the end her fate was death even if she chose reality marrying Mr.bumble was making her feel dead inside it felt like she is only a doll to him!! and I was so sad that the book ends without summing the relationship between gemma and kartik ! I also thought that gemma should check the east wing which it might have another secrets or reveals beside Mary's dairy!! although this little flaws and missing details I loved the book and I loved Gemma!

Sara Turner

I love this book and I’m excited about diving into the rest of the trilogy. This boom hit different the second time. I wish the girls were not so shallow. But it is an interesting storyline!

Marissa Luzio 

This is the first book in Libba Bray's trilogy,Gemma Doyle. It starts off with Gemma in India where her and her mother live. Some events play out and Gemma finds herself in London with her brother on their way to a boarding school, due to her mothers sudden death. Its basically like every other school book except based in the Victorian Era. Has the mean girls, then the mean girls open their arms toward the slightly vulnerable protagonist which then creates drama. This all happens except, its slightly more paranormal. 

I actually liked this book! As soon as I was done it, I knew that I should probably go and buy the next one haha! Of course the book leaves you off wondering whats going to happen next, so thumbs up to Libba Bray, for her writing skills that made me buy the second book in this trilogy :) I would definitely suggest reading this one!

Estamos no ano 2033. O mundo foi reduzido a escombros. A humanidade foi quase extinta. Mas alguns milhares de pessoas sobreviveram, sem saberem, no entanto, se serão os únicos habitantes da Terra. Vivem no Metro de Moscovo, o maior abrigo contra ataques aéreos no planeta. É o último refúgio da humanidade. É um mundo sem amanhã, sem espaço para sonhos, planos ou esperanças. Aí o sentimento deu lugar ao instinto - e o mais importante é a sobrevivência. A qualquer preço. VDNKh é uma estação habitada, que se situa na extremidade norte da linha e ainda é considerada segura. Mas há uma nova e terrível ameaça. Artyom, um jovem que vive nessa estação, é incumbido de penetrar no coração do Metro e de viajar até à lendária estação conhecida por Pólis. O objectivo é alertar todos os habitantes do Metro para o perigo que se avizinha e, assim, obter apoios para a defesa da VDNKh. O futuro da sua estação natal está agora nas mãos de Artyom, tal como o futuro do Metro e da humanidade."" Uma Beleza Grande e Terrível é o tipo de livro que não conseguimos largar...É uma vasta tapeçaria de saias rodadas, de sombras dançantes e de coisas que se escondem na escuridão. É um retrato vivo da época vitoriana, altura em que as raparigas eram educadas para serem as esposas de homens ricos... E é a história de uma rapariga que viu um caminho diferente.

Uma Grandiosa e Terrível Beleza

Angela Guilherme

Kali Olson

When A Great and Terrible Beauty opens, Gemma Doyle is an unruly, bratty teenager throwing a bit of a tantrum—not quite the proper Victorian lady we’d expect. Gemma has grown up in India and even though the country is firmly under the Empire’s thumb, she longs to experience England. Her mother forbids this, but Gemma is about to get her wish. Walking in the marketplace, Gemma is overcome by a vision that foretells her mother’s death—a vision that comes suddenly and violently true. Guilt-ridden and bereft, Gemma is sent to Spence Academy, a boarding school in fashionable London. And not only is she snubbed by the beautiful, popular girls and her dumpy roommate alike, but mystery has followed her as well. An unknown young man from India spies on her and even more bewildering, the visions haven’t stopped. Despite her grief, Gemma is not one to shirk adventure. She knows she’s on the verge of a great discovery, especially after she finds an old diary that hints at a mystical society called The Order. Gemma makes an uneasy alliance with the most influential Spence girls and together these young ladies begin to explore the sort of power and mystery that is normally forbidden to the standard meek Victorian woman. And once Gemma and her fellows have tasted that power, they’re determined never to go back to the life of mild gentility they’ve being trained to accept. Fans of supernatural romance like the ever-popular Twilight Saga will be drawn to Gemma and to the otherworldy flavor of her adventure. Equal parts mystery, horror, fantasy, and historical fiction, with a dash of forbidden romance thrown in, this trilogy from author Libba Bray is a decidedly original take on the Victorian Age.

Caroline Mao

Gemma and Felicity are the OTP.

Okay, so honestly, the beginning was absolutely awful. I recall being disappointed but unsurprised, because though I'd heard of this book often and also of this author, it was a pretty typical setup - bratty teenage female protagonist with bratty teenage female rivals who happen to be beautiful and rich queen bees. Also, a tragic past no one truly knows or understands and a wilting flower sidekick who couldn't stand up for herself. Like, that's the beginning in two sentences.

It was so much better than that.

It's historical fiction, so admittedly there's a lot of casual sexism in there mixed in with racism, ableism, and homophobia, but on a feminist reading, the four girls did so well. Ugh, I love them. Especially Felicity. And Gemma. And Felicity and Gemma. *dreamy sigh* I loved Pippa and Ann a lot too - while I can relate to Ann better, I preferred Pippa, and what she chose to do in the end broke my heart. I feel like Ann sort of got a lot of spotlight/character introduction in the beginning, but not so much in the end, and didn't have any serious strong or weak moments like the other girls did.

I also liked Gemma's mother, and I don't care what you say, Mary/Sarah is also the OTP and nothing will ever convince me otherwise. I was a little confused as to what happened in this book with them sometimes, and I will look it up later, but I loved their dynamic. Canonical queer women in this book is a thing I need so badly, because the girls' interactions are *-* I do not care about the boys at all. Especially Kartik. He wasn't unlikable or anything, mind you, he was just boring and uninspiring and absolutely nothing he did made me feel even remotely attracted to him, and I'm not sure why Gemma liked him at all. (Because she should get with Felicity instead. I have no shame.)

I love this book a lot and the beginning was definitely worth it.

Alexa Jade

this wasn’t bad!!!!!!!!! it was enjoyable and brilliantly paced.

Meredith kirby

I tried to like this, I really did. I went into reading A Great and Terrible Beauty knowing all the bad reviews but I've enjoyed books with awful reviews before, unfortunately this isn't one of those times. Overall I don't think it's a bad book, it's just that nothing really happened. I couldn't get invested into this book because there was nothing to get invested in. I felt the whole book was kept a steady, uninteresting, slow and boring pace.

Tatiana Alvarez 

Libba Bray is such a fantastic author so I was excited to dive into her other series. I read The Diviners and mostly loved it (minus the ending) so I knew I needed to read more by her. 

I absolutely adored the main character and her struggle with her mother’s death and the expectation of who she needs to be now that she’s gone. I listened to this book and adored the reader so I highly suggest it!

Maria

ну ок, не diviners. персонажи немного одномерны - пожалуй, все, кроме джеммы, раскусываются одним зубом. магия не очень понятна пока (но ок, мы только начинаем). викторианский сексизм поскрипывает на зубах, но куда уж без этого. по звездочкам четыре с минусом.

Caitlyn DeRouin

3.9 Rating.

While the story line is what drew me in, the intricacies of the characters is what kept me intrigued. The magic in these characters is the way that Bray makes them so easily relatable, I found myself drawn to these characters because I could relate to them. It would be easy to say that these characters are one dimensional, especially at the start, but in saying that I think you miss the point that Bray is trying to make. These girls live in a time where they have to put on a facade and be the people that their families, teachers and society expect them to be. But once they discover the realm, there they can be who they truly want to be. 

The plot itself is interesting and while there were moments that I found a bit predictable, there were certain things that I didn't see coming. It took about 50 pages for me to become completely invested in the story, but once I was I couldn't let go. I found myself excitedly turning every page to figure out what would happen next. Bray has created quite a magical world and I'm excited to return to it.

Después de la muerte de su madre en extrañas circunstancias, Gemma empieza una nueva vida en Inglaterra, estudiando en la Academia Spence, un prestigioso internado para señoritas. Allí se verá inmersa en misteriosas situaciones, y casi sin quererlo, formará parte de La Orden, una antigua hermandad de mujeres con poderes mágicos, como el de cruzar una puerta hacia los reinos donde viven los espíritus de los muertos y seres maravillosos.

La orden de la academia Spence

Emir Andrés Ibañez

No pensé que este libro me iba a gustar tanto sobre todo por la sinopsis y el inicio tan cliché que tiene, pero a medida que la historia comenzó a desarrollarse quedé embobado.
La ambientación es perfecta: tenebrosa, oscura, misteriosa.
La prosa es exquisita: la descripción de las emociones, paisajes, pesadillas y visiones de Gemma, los diálogos sinceros y precisos.
La crítica social, los dilemas morales, la exploración de la naturaleza de las relaciones entre las adolescentes, me encantó.
La verdad es que quedé encantadísimo.

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Nok ei veldig bra bok jeg har lest i det siste! The Victorian Era er en tid jeg liker godt å lese om - pene kjoler, korsetter, gentlemen og tea parties. Når man så blander det med god fantasy så blir det perfekt! Jeg elsket å lese om turene til The Realms (det var så bra beskrevet) og om de forskjellige personlighetene til Gemma, Pippa, Ann og Felicity -- særlig Felicity var artig å lese om. I tillegg var det mange tvister i plottet og slutten gjorde meg veldig trist… Den førte til at jeg har lyst til å lese Rebel Angels så fort som mulig!

Leonie

The book was bland and the characters all unlikable. I don’t think I’m invested enough to read the sequels.

Lonneke

3.75.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for forever now. After 6,5 years it was finally time to pick it up and I'm happy that I did! I really liked that the book had a historical boarding school setting and how the witchy vibes where woven into that story. The book also has a little bit of a chickflick vibe without going overboard on the comedy. It wasn't a full four stars because even though I liked the story overall, I think the book was a bit too much of an intro for a book of this size. I would have liked a bit more information about the magic system and the reasoning behind Gemma's powers.

Also, I didn't really like how Gemma was very naive in certain moments and a 'strong woman' in the next scene. There wasn't that much character development since the author just randomly decided how mature Gemma needed to be for the moment which is cheap writing to me. This was Libba Bray her debut novel though, so I'm curious to see if this will be better in the next book.

Renee Delcourt

I read this book back when it first came out. I was in high school and I immediately fell in love with it. I loved both Gemma and Kartik. They were different from most characters I've read and they really made the book interesting. Anne Felicity and Pippa also contributed a great dynamic to the book. Anne, a quite self-conscious you girl destined to be a nanny because of her social status, Felicity, the gorgeous and highly sought after young lady, and Pippa, Felicity's bestfriend and in some cases partner in crime add humor and comradery to the plot line. They discover another realm that seems could only be real in dreams and learn to bend the rules of physics to their will. 

This book was one I loved when I was younger. I still reread it from time to time just to feel like I did then. :)

A Great and Terrible Beauty The Gemma Doyle Trilogy: Book 1

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