A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Bray, Libba. A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York: Delacorte Press, 2003. 403 pages. $16.95 ISBN 0385730284
Readers Annotation: After the death of her mother on her 16th birthday, Gemma Doyle learns that she has magical powers and that her mother is not who she thought she was.
Plot Summary: Gemma Doyle grew up in India, although she always wanted to live in England like her parents did when they grew up. On her 16th birthday, Gemma begged her mother to let her go to school in England, but her mother forbade it. After running away in a fit of rage Gemma has a vision of her mother being murdered. She searches the city for her mother and eventually finds her exactly where she saw her in her vision, and she is dead. Gemma discovers that it was her mother's wish for her to go to school in England if anything should happen to her, so she is sent away to Spence Academy for Girls. While at Spence, Gemma makes friends with the popular Felicity and her sidekick Pippa, as well as the shy, future governess Ann. After a few art lessons with Miss Moore and impromtu history lessons of the warrior women who used to gather on the grounds, Gemma realizes that she must be part of the ancient order. She continues to have visions, and is visited in flesh and blood by Kartik, an Indian whose brother died in the attempt to protect Gemma's mother. Although warned not to use her growing powers, Gemma gives in to temptation and takes her friends with her into the Realms. In the Realms they can do anything they imagine, but it is only Gemma whose power flourish even out of the Realms. Gemma is forced to decide the fate of the realms, and essentially the fate of her friends.
Critical Evaluation: A Great and Terrible Beauty is an excellent fantasy with the perfect amount of adventure, magic and romance. The writing is particularly elloquent and seems to transport the reader back into Victorian England. Bray does a fantastic job describing the emotions and feelings of Gemma with the loss of her mother, the drug abuse of her father, her mixed feelings for Kartik and the uncertainty of the magic she holds. Bray also presents teen girls with an empowering female character who may have special powers, but must deal with growing up like any teenage girl.
Information about the Author: Libba Bray completed the Gemma Doyle trilogy and is soon coming out with her new young adult novel, Bovine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their son.
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance.
Age Level: Ages 14 and up
Curriculum Ties: Can be included in a unit that discusses folklore or that of Victorian England.
Book talking ideas: Discuss what it would be like to have magical powers and be able to enter into other realms. Are the issues Gemma deals with in Victorian England that different than what teenage girls deal with today?
Challenge Issues: The ideas of magic may be a concern for some parents.
Why I included it: I included this book because Libba Bray is one of my favorite authors. The Gemma Doyle series has a big online following as well.
Bray, Libba. A Great and Terrible Beauty. New York: Delacorte Press, 2003. 403 pages. $16.95 ISBN 0385730284
Readers Annotation: After the death of her mother on her 16th birthday, Gemma Doyle learns that she has magical powers and that her mother is not who she thought she was.
Plot Summary: Gemma Doyle grew up in India, although she always wanted to live in England like her parents did when they grew up. On her 16th birthday, Gemma begged her mother to let her go to school in England, but her mother forbade it. After running away in a fit of rage Gemma has a vision of her mother being murdered. She searches the city for her mother and eventually finds her exactly where she saw her in her vision, and she is dead. Gemma discovers that it was her mother's wish for her to go to school in England if anything should happen to her, so she is sent away to Spence Academy for Girls. While at Spence, Gemma makes friends with the popular Felicity and her sidekick Pippa, as well as the shy, future governess Ann. After a few art lessons with Miss Moore and impromtu history lessons of the warrior women who used to gather on the grounds, Gemma realizes that she must be part of the ancient order. She continues to have visions, and is visited in flesh and blood by Kartik, an Indian whose brother died in the attempt to protect Gemma's mother. Although warned not to use her growing powers, Gemma gives in to temptation and takes her friends with her into the Realms. In the Realms they can do anything they imagine, but it is only Gemma whose power flourish even out of the Realms. Gemma is forced to decide the fate of the realms, and essentially the fate of her friends.
Critical Evaluation: A Great and Terrible Beauty is an excellent fantasy with the perfect amount of adventure, magic and romance. The writing is particularly elloquent and seems to transport the reader back into Victorian England. Bray does a fantastic job describing the emotions and feelings of Gemma with the loss of her mother, the drug abuse of her father, her mixed feelings for Kartik and the uncertainty of the magic she holds. Bray also presents teen girls with an empowering female character who may have special powers, but must deal with growing up like any teenage girl.
Information about the Author: Libba Bray completed the Gemma Doyle trilogy and is soon coming out with her new young adult novel, Bovine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their son.
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance.
Age Level: Ages 14 and up
Curriculum Ties: Can be included in a unit that discusses folklore or that of Victorian England.
Book talking ideas: Discuss what it would be like to have magical powers and be able to enter into other realms. Are the issues Gemma deals with in Victorian England that different than what teenage girls deal with today?
Challenge Issues: The ideas of magic may be a concern for some parents.
Why I included it: I included this book because Libba Bray is one of my favorite authors. The Gemma Doyle series has a big online following as well.
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