A Great and Terrible Beauty

the setting by itself, a boarding school in victorian england was fantasizing. all of the characters were so well-developed. the plot as well, the beginning events foreshadow so many things. it’s incredible. i adore this book.

This book was compelling and mysterious... definetly a great book! The characters were so real and the setting was so elaborate! It took me exactly a day to read this book(i read it in 4 of my classes...) I just couldn't put it down! I highly reccomend this book, as it sits up at the top of my favorites list including the Abarat and Harry Potter books. I look forward to any more books by this author

A great book that I couldn't put down from start to finish. I was even caught reading it in one of my classes it was so good. I picked it up at first thinking it was a historical fiction, the type of book I normally read, because it is set in the 1800's. And while it did have the essence of the past with girls wearing petticoats and being engaged to 40 year old men at 16 (yuck!) it was mainly about the struggles of Gemma and controling her new found power while trying to uncover a mystery. So if you like historical fiction, fantasy, drama or a good mystery book with a touch of romance, that also captures the reader from page 1, this book is for you. I highly recommend it.

"Wow!" was all I could say after reading this book. I was awed by the characters, the setting and the lyracisim of the story, which seemed so believable despite its fantastical plot. The book centers around Gemma Doyle, a 16-year-old British teen living in India during the late 1800's. Anxious to go live in London, Gemma is miserable in this foreign land, to say the least. When her mother dies mysteriously, Gemma is sent to an English boarding school, Spence, to finish her education.But trouble doesn't stop there. Gemma is haunted by mysterious visions, where she sees her mother, a young girl and a myserious beast. At the same time, she must attempt to assimilate into the elite Spence society. Later, Gemma uncovers the diary of Mary Dowd, which unleases the story of the Order, an old Spence society, no longer existing, that was comprised of girls who traveled to other realms and the spirit world. In addition, the secrets of Mary's death, and her friend Sarah's, are unraveled. When one of Gemma's new friends decides to reinstate the Order, Gemma and two others join her. But this coming-of-age heroine will quickly discover that all is not as it seems...and someone (something?) is after her. This is an incredible story. It is well-written and captivating. The characters, especially Gemma's friend Felicity, literally seem to step off the pages and enter our world. But what really sets this book apart from any others is the way that Libba Bray has woven a sharp analysis of Victorian society into a gripping fictional tale. A Great and Terrible Beauty is a must-read that will stick with young adult readers long after the last page has been turned.