Rating: 
Summary: So far, so good...neither great nor terrible
Review: I have only read the first 2 chapters, but I will continue reading "A Great and Terrible Beauty." Because of the promise of plot twists, luminous self-discovery that I haven't encountered yet--not because of what I've read so far.The writing is done in the style that is very popular now, but may not have staying power--abundant flashbacks, short sentences, one-word sentences, first person. The characterization of Gemma, while not stunning, is rather good. I don't love her as I loved Ella in Ella Enchanted, and the opening lines were not as captivating as Girl with a Pearl Earring. The plot reminds me vaguely of "A Ruby in the Smoke," with more of a focus on women's enternal struggles, but not as well written. PS if you purchase the edition that comes with a necklace, don't let the juvenile-ness throw you off. Although the marketing idea of selling jewelry with books (or the other way round) is very second-grade Jewel Kingdom series, and anachronistic in this case, it doesn't reflect on a bad author, just a bad marketing agent.
Rating: 
Summary: The most compelling book I've read in 15 years!
Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty is a profound exploration of a young woman's self discovery. A chest full of self revelating treasures, Gemma's struggles and thought processes bring to life the difficulties faced by young and old women alike. The resonating idea that there are no good or bad choices but never ending opportunities, doors of light, presenting themselves throughout life, challenging us to believe in our own strength and know the desires within that make us individuals.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost perfect
Review: This story tells of Gemma who is suddenly faced with her mother's strange death after seeing a vison of it and is sent to boarding school in London. There she quickly learns that she wasn't meant to blend in as the headmistress points her out to the entire school and she's made the target of a group of high classed girls. But an incident in the woods brings Gemma and the leader of those girls, Felicity, closer together. During an outside art class the girls learn of a myth about the Order, a group of witches. Felicity decides that she and Gemma should start a club with some other girls. They call themselves The Order. But what secrets might they unlock from the past? And what about this strange gypsy boy who keeps warning Gemma against her visions? And why does Gemma have rather erotic dreams about him? The story can be sort of confusing as it rushes the first chapter and then it gets sort of slow. Also the end is sort of confusing to which is why I didn't give it all 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: A Modern Myth
Review: In telling the story of Gemma Doyle, Bray charts the landscape of the feminine subconscious. Calling upon the classical myths of Circe, Kali, and Hecate, she creates a glorious myth of her own, in which Gemma's own classmates reflect back to her the facets of a woman's psyche--the Queen, the Slave, and the Whore. Kartik, the young man in the story, elicits in Gemma the confusion that the male has caused in females since the dawn of time: he attempts to be both guardian and jailer and briefly becomes a victim, less dangerous in his straightforward masculinity than Gemma's own devious companions. Bringing flesh and blood to these complex psychological ideas, Bray settles them in a truly mythic landscape, from the magical warmth of a Bombay street to the repression of an English boarding school, from the sexual danger of a gypsy camp to the thrill of an ancient Stone Age cave. Within the surrealistic splendor of this Freudian Eden, Gemma learns for herself the terrible beauty that lies hidden in every young girl.
Rating:
Summary: Almost perfect
Review: A Great and Terible Beauty skillfully combines a traditional Victorian setting with modern-style teenage drama. This is Mean Girls as gothic melodrama, and both the rich, repressive finishing school setting and the antics of troubled, bitchy teenage girls are familiar, but uniquely enjoyable combined like this. Teenage struggles against adult hypocricy are the same in all time periods, and the power of [repressed] female sexuality is a theme that arises perfectly from the Victorian-- and adolescent time period. In these ways it is a perfect book, and the fantasy elements -- menacing secret societies, utopian alternate worlds -- should be the icing on a delicious cake, but this is where the author stumbles. As with so many supernatural plots, the mystery is tantalizing at first, but as more is revealed, it only gets confusing and messy. There will be a sequel, which might tie the mystical strands tighter into the overall structure of the story, but the ending of this novel left me unsatisfied, and not in a good way. Still, it's a great read for anyone who enjoys period fiction or remembers what it's like to be 16.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it right up until the last page, but . . .
Review: This book was wonderful and kept me entranced right up until the end. However, I agree with another reviewer that the end could be less ambiguous and more satisfying. If there isn't a sequel planned, there ought to be because there are still questions that remain unanswered.
Yet, I would still recommend this book highly to other readers. And, although it is a young adult book, I think that there is plenty for adults of all ages to latch onto and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Magical, sweet and true to times
Review: I'm going to be straight to the point.
This book is true to how women were at the time this book is set for. How girls have to deal with marriage, and schooling. And with the lovely mix of magic, be it good and bad, makes you wonder if a story like this really could have happened. It kept me so intrigued that I didn't really want to put the book down. The last parts are the romance and how it can affect a friendship, and what power can do to some people.
This is a book for people of all ages, and I don't mean just women, boys will find this interesting as well.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously dark
Review: No matter how well I think I know this book, I keep coming back to it--I just read it for the third time, which was almost as wonderful as the first time I breathlessly tore through it. Gemma Doyle, brought up under the British occupation of India in 1895, must suddenly move to an English boarding school after her mother dies under mysterious circumstances. Though she receives a less-than-cheerful welcome at Spence, she manipulates her way into a circle of powerful girls and with them explores her mysterious past and her growing powers as a member of the ancient Order.
I was originally intrigued by A Great and Terrible Beauty as the quintessential Gothic Victorian novel, the kind I've been dying to find and read. Bray delivers in this aspect; her atmosphere is wonderfully dark and haunting, and she evokes a clear, saddening sense of the Victorian obsession with beauty, perfection, and doll-like women who do as they're told. Though she sometimes beats the reader over the head with her emphasis on the powerlessness of Victorian women, she nevertheless makes the reader feel a great sympathy with these girls who long for independence. On an unrelated note, Bray's word choice is exquisite--I love the way she puts her sentences together, in an elegant manner that adds to the atmosphere.
Yet Bray adds the dimension of a powerful beast trying to stop Gemma's exploration of her supernatural abilities, and though the majority of the book keeps the reader frightened and aware of this looming darkness, the ending fails to maintain this terrifying feel. The book culminates in a stereotypical fantasy battle that threw me off the first time I read it and almost made me want to laugh this last time.
I guess I might be a purist, wishing that Bray could have stayed with a straightforward, realistic Gothic novel, but she handles the fantastical element well, only slipping near the end. Overall she creates a world I'm always reluctant to leave, despite my qualms with the magic. A Great and Terrible Beauty is just that, a book beautiful in its atmosphere and surroundings, great in its perspective, and terrible in the way Victorians idolized their women.
Rating:
Summary: My Review on " A Great and Terrible Beauty"...
Review: When I first got this book, I didnt think that it was going to be as good as it really is. The minute you sit down and read this book you are almost "pulled into" the book. The descriptions are so vivid that it makes you feel like you are a character in the book. This book is so captivating it leaves you happy and satisfied at the end, but at the same time it really makes you want to read a sequel.
At first I never really understood why the author would choose the title as "A Great and Terrible Beauty" but as you begin to read more and more you begin to understand. The author is great at combining historical fiction, romance, adventure, danger, secrets, friendships, and enchanted worlds but most of all about the power of the main character, a mysterious girl.
Rating:
Summary: A remarkable book
Review: One of my biggest complaints about YA books is they tend to be predictable. A Great and Terrible Beauty is not one of those books. With it's historical setting, unique plot twists, a touch of romance, and a little fantasy, this is a great choice for an adolescent girl. Moms and dads won't find anthing objectional in this book, and any daugther that enjoys reading will enjoy this book. A small warning, this is not a light read. If you spend most of your time reading Lemney Snickett or Traveling Pants books, this may be a jump for you!
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