A Great and Terrible Beauty

I remember reading this just after it was originally released, and I FREAKING LOVED IT. I also remembered it being a lot scarier than it was, and a lot darker.

I love the care and consideration Libba Bray put into fleshing out the characters, the location, and the foundations of the story. I wish there was more action- I feel like the meat of the story is really in the last 100 pages, which isn't necessarily bad, but if I'd only just read the book for the first time I don't think I'd be as eager to pick up the next book in the trilogy. Because I only remember a few key elements of the series (but not when they occur) I know the story gets a lot more intense and exciting, but not when it gets more exciting.

I'm really glad I decided to pick this series back up now, it's making me feel nostalgic and it's perfect winter reading. I hope the last two live up to the creepiness in my memory, otherwise I'll feel ridiculous for how scared I remember being!

This is one of those books I'd like to call the "Koh-i-noor-of-Young-Adult", because after delving through cow shit of current YA books— there is always one that does restore hope inside me despite the Mary Sue heroines, bland/abusive love interests, lack of plot and lack of research when it comes to historical eras in which the book is set in(yes, I'm looking at you Cassandra Clare!)

*spoilers ahead*

The story follows the story of Gemma Doyle, a girl who has been brought up in 19th Century British-Ruled India all her life, until the dawning of her 17th birthday when she sees a vision of her mother's death. Traumatised, she is sent back to England and enrolled at Spence— a finishing school for young women where she does not get off to a good start, having been tricked by Felicity's clique and knows that she is being followed by a mysterious young man. but when she comes across a diary of a young girl who died in the fire of the East Wing a few years ago, learns about The Order— a society of women who possessed great power, she forges unlikely friendships with Felicity, Pippa and Ann, and together they discover The Realms— a place of great power but until their astonishment is shadowed by a menace, the same one that killed her mother...

I genuinely loved this book and this series in general. The setting of Victorian London was unique & interesting, thus catching my interest because I consider it to be oene of my favourite historical eras. I applaud Libba Bray for doing her research, the setting was mostly accurate and the dialogue was suited to that time although it can sound a bit forced at times, but nonetheless it was genuine.

I also really liked the concept of The Realms, the previous books I have read about that had the whole realms concept was Evermore which did not go down well for countless reasons. The whole idea of the Realms was really amazing, because it was a combination of a wide range of mythology as well as other fantastastical creatures:— such as the parralel between Pippa and Persephone, as well as the huntress and the Gorgon. It's also the place where The Order ruled and contained a great deal of magic. Alternately, exists the Winterlands— where there are corrupted souls and dark creatures which work for Circe, her mother's murderer.

Even though the Winterlands has been depicted of being the 'darker' of the two, the Realms also have an eerie edge to it because the creatures come across as deceitful at times which causes conflict of the good kind. With books I have read before, I never really felt inclined to read on because of lack of conflict but Libba Bray does this flawlessly to create an engaging, edge-of-the-seat plot. This series is not at all predictable and I was genuinely shocked at some of the 'surprises' because you know... they are supposed to cause the reader to be in awe and Libba Bray did this so well.

Another thing I adored was the fact that I finally came across a likable heroine— Gemma Doyle had her flaws but she carried herself well and I adored her snarky comments- she had a personality which made her likable. She wasn't infatuated with Kartik, it didn't become her life or anything, yes— it was a little weakness at times but it didn't ruin her character and that's the kind of heroines that I want. I also loved how the romance between Gemma/Kartik was not the main aspect of the story but rather a subplot which caused conflict. However my favourite character had to be Felicity, initially I hated her a lot— she was a total bitch but she grew on me- she was eccentric, witty and strong, what I also liked was her complex characterization— she has a dark past which makes me empathise as to why she acts the way she does. It did leave me devastated and I had tears in my eyes at points.

However there were somethings which made me dislike the book at times:—

± Kartik— I didn't hate him, but he was just so shady and untrustworthy so I didn't really feel attracted to him but he did have potential at times when he didn't let his 'fate' overcome his natural self, but his shady nature just seemed to outweigh it so I could never come to like him. I didn't hate him because Gemma wasn't the smitten kitten around him, didn't let him dominate her and their romance wasn't integral to the story.

± Ann— I felt sorry for her being bullied by Felicity's clique of shallow twits and how she longed to fit in, but at times she really did get on my nerves because she let her insecurities get the best of her. Even if she didn't have the high-class background, she shouldn't let that ruin her potential. She didn't strike me as a charismatic character- just one of those background characters. I don't love her but I don't severely dislike her either. She just wasn't anything special.

± Pippa— I. Hate. This. Bitch. So. Fucking. Much. She was such an annoying, shallow twit— she was selfish and was only focused on one thing: finding her prince/knight in shining armour. I didn't see what importance she had in the story, she was just there to be the fool. The whole prince charming thing annoyed me beyond belief. Like are you honestly going to spend every hour of your life desiring a fictional figure? She was so narrow-minded and foolish that I was in disbelief as to why Felicity liked her so much, I whooped in joy when she got bitchslapped by Felicity. I just really did not like how she did something foolish but never ever blamed herself, but rather she took it out on others. I've never seen the whole intrigue of the Felicity/Pippa ship— Felicity does not deserve her, at all. I'll complain about her later because she is the only character that constantly digresses in each book but I don't want to spoill you. However I was having a party when she fucking died, no I didn't feel bad, I was euphoric thinking that she was dead and gone, hopefully burning in hell. Only, to be metaphorically bitchslapped when she appears back in Rebel Angels, all well again, complaining her ass off and being her narcissistic, idiotic self. You're being happy about the fact that people cried at your funeral? Bitch, please spare me such fuckery.

Overall, it was a great book— rich history, great plot, & mostly likable characters. I'll give this a 4.5.

3.75 stars

I went into this book knowing nothing about it except that it possibly had something to do with witches (which in the end was incorrect). I love that this is both historical and has magical elements, especially set at a boarding school, because the aesthetic and the setting of the book was really neat. I also love that despite the time, Gemma is a feminist and has a lot of confidence. However, I had more problems with this book than I have praise. I felt like Gemma was very gullible and foolish in her decision-making, something that made me shake my head the entire book. Additionally, I was having a hard time getting into this because for some reason I kept getting bored and picking up other things. I loved Libba Bray's writing style, though, so I can't wait to pick up her other books and maybe one day continue on with this series, but at this point I'm not sure.

(sorry to all my really good friends that love this book. :c)

really enjoyed this book! if you love the victorian era + supernatural elements + an all female cast then you should have a great time reading this book :) i love libba bray's writing!

DNF @ 50%

Unpopular opinion alert!

Everybody and their mother love this book. Everywhere I turned there was praise for the amazing Gemma Doyle series. So obviously I had to read it. But much to my and my enthusiastic friends' disappointment, I could never get into the book.

I tried multiple times to read it. I kept picking it up and putting it down again and again, while always having hope that someday I'll get in the mood and finish it.
That did not happen. And after two year of constant struggle, I finally called it quits with this book.

I cannot really find fault with A Great and Terrible Beauty other than that it wasn't my thing. I don't know exactly what made me not like the book. I was just extremely bored. None of the characters managed to connect with me, especially the main character. She didn't have enough personality for me to like and care about her. And the first 40% of this book was the slowest moments of my life.
I really didn't enjoy myself but I really wanted to. I guess I will never understand what all the hype was about.

Ugh, this is the worst book I have read recently. Maybe it's due to the expectation I have from reading the reviews here and the pretty, pretty covers (including Rebel Angels). I really, really wanted to like this.

For one, the characterization and language were too modern that it hardly seem believable (and I had been on a steady diet of Patrick O'Brian). The narrative writing was awkward and stilted, the characters were one-dimensional, and the plot build-up was too slow. After 1/3 of the book, I didn't care about what was happening to the girls - Gemma is schizophrenic, maybe? - so I returned it to the library without finishing.

According to the author, this is a story about an English girl named Gemma who sees things. A girl with a dead mother, a lot of guilt, strange friends and a mysterious destiny. To me, it was a story about a strong-willed teen who felt alone in the world. I specifically used the word "teen" to denote a person whose life inexperience causes her to make impulsive decisions—not all bad, mind you—but implusive nonetheless.

The story is set in Victorian-era England, a period in time where a girl's greatest hope was (supposed to be) to marry well (read money). Well-born girls were trained to smile and be proper no matter what and, eventually, "lie back and think of England".

"They were mislead. Betrayed by their own stupid hopes. Things couldn't be different for them because they weren't special after all. So life took them, led them, and they went along, you see. They faded before their own eyes till they were nothing more than living ghosts, haunting each other with what could be, what can't be."



So, while this is a story that is centered around Gemma finding a diary that reveals the secrets of the mystical "Order", I found it to be more character driven. And I mean that in the best way. I loved getting to know Gemma, Felicity, Pippa and Ann and seeing their friendship change and grow when, through a magical realm, they were able to experience the desires of their hearts.

QUOTES I LOVE... ❣️

"They see her differently now. As somebody. And isn't that what everyone wants? To be seen?"

"What if I am damaged?" "We're all damaged somehow."

"You can never really know someone completely. That's why it's the most terrifying thing in the world, really, taking someone on faith, hoping they'll take you on faith, too. It's such a precarious balance. It's a wonder we do it at all. And yet..."

"I've heard it said that God is in the details. It's the same with the truth. Leave out the details, the crucial heart, and you can damn someone with the bare bones of it."

"But forgiveness... I'll hold on to that fragile slice of hope and keep it close, remembering that in each of us there lies good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. We're each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real. We've got to forgive ourselves that."

"In every end there is also a beginning."

And with that, I look forward to reading Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing. Thank you, Libba Bray.

I’m still not quite sure how I actually managed to read this book in its entirety without losing my mind. The idea sounded really interesting but sadly this book was just a whole lot of nonsense. The writing and storyline just felt messy and like it wasn’t really going anywhere. Add to that the fact that the main character was an insufferable twit who made me want to pull my hair out and this was most definitely not the book for me and I sure as hell won’t be continuing with the series!