Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Jocelyn

A Great And Terrible Beauty, the first of a trilogy by Libba Bray, was certainly great rather than terrible. It's the beginning of the story of Gemma Doyle, who, after the unusual death of her mother in India, is sent off to an English boarding school. Gemma's experiences at Spence Academy, however, are not typical of the Victorian boarding school environment that she has been shoved into.
There's a bit of a supernatural twist on things, and it all began long before her mother's mysterious death in India. Gemma is pulled into a story of secret societies, other worlds, and mysterious old diaries, and the reader is pulled along with her.
You will be immediately drawn into this book, with its brilliantly created characters, fascinating setting in Victorian England, and amazingly original plot. It is most certainly worth the time it would take to read it, as you'll find. You will, in fact, want to read it over and over! This book is sure to become a favorite for teens for years to come.