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k_winchester's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It was aight...
Things I liked:
-Gemma was so snarky. She was consistently pretty mean in the early part of the book, which was interesting to me as she felt like an atypical 'heroine'. As well, the group of friends she ultimately gathered was rather atypical to me, too, which I really liked - and she didn't even like any of them for a while, which was amusing.
-There was something about Gemma that even though she was pretty unlikable for a while, I was drawn in by her nonetheless. It was satisfying to her change enough to be more vulnerable and strong instead of just stubborn, and retaining her snark.
-I liked that I could not tell where the story was going and a few of those bombshells in the ending threw me for a loop.
-There was a lot of seriously gorgeous writing.
-the scene where the girls are all utterly crushed by the weight of thier position/status in the world (before taking magic into thier own hands) was SO good - honestly probably the one time in the book that really hit my emotions. Just sooo good. 👌
Things I didn't like so much:
-her thing with Kartik. I really, really wanted to be into it - and it initially felt like he was going to be a big character, but lowkey he ended up so periphery that he felt borderline pointless. It felt like the only times he really interacted with her was to refuse to answer any questions/clarify literally anything about him, his role, etc. and I feel like I know about as much if him at the end of the entire book as I did in the beginning. They had some good tension moments, but thier interactions felt so few and far between that thier interactions in the last 1/4 of the story or so felt very out of place.
-Probably a me thing, but it felt like the majority of this is Gemma having no idea what was happening AND purposefully ignoring it, to the degree that it felt like the whole story was really waiting to get to like the 80% mark before Stuff really started Happening in any meaningful way. I really didn't feel very invested or even super interested until around the 3/4 mark (curious enough to read on, but not Into It, and I wanted to feel Into it).
-just other little things here or there either feel unfinished/unresolved (which, i do realize this is the first in a series so that's probably on purpose to some extent but it's not very satisfying) or underdone or kinda pointless in the end.
- the treatment of Ann overall. It worked for snarky/mean Gemma to be so in the beginning, but it felt like later it changed from outright mean to no comment at all, rather than Gemma realizing/appreciating good qualities in Ann (outside of the realms with magic changing/"helping" Ann). And Pip, it felt like she really only called out her good qualities after she was 'dead' (maybe one other time). It just didn't sit right that these girls became so close, supposedly, and yet... As much as I did overall enjoy Gemma, this aspect felt very lacking to me, especially as she changed over the course of the story.
Tl;dr - Honestly overall, it really was alright enough, so it's a solid 3.25 for me. I did enjoy Gemma, and it was a cool story, but it ultimately wasn't enough of my cup of tea/I don't feel invested enough to feel compelled to read more in the series.
Things I liked:
-Gemma was so snarky. She was consistently pretty mean in the early part of the book, which was interesting to me as she felt like an atypical 'heroine'. As well, the group of friends she ultimately gathered was rather atypical to me, too, which I really liked - and she didn't even like any of them for a while, which was amusing.
-There was something about Gemma that even though she was pretty unlikable for a while, I was drawn in by her nonetheless. It was satisfying to her change enough to be more vulnerable and strong instead of just stubborn, and retaining her snark.
-I liked that I could not tell where the story was going and a few of those bombshells in the ending threw me for a loop.
-There was a lot of seriously gorgeous writing.
-the scene where the girls are all utterly crushed by the weight of thier position/status in the world (before taking magic into thier own hands) was SO good - honestly probably the one time in the book that really hit my emotions. Just sooo good. 👌
Things I didn't like so much:
-her thing with Kartik. I really, really wanted to be into it - and it initially felt like he was going to be a big character, but lowkey he ended up so periphery that he felt borderline pointless. It felt like the only times he really interacted with her was to refuse to answer any questions/clarify literally anything about him, his role, etc. and I feel like I know about as much if him at the end of the entire book as I did in the beginning. They had some good tension moments, but thier interactions felt so few and far between that thier interactions in the last 1/4 of the story or so felt very out of place.
-Probably a me thing, but it felt like the majority of this is Gemma having no idea what was happening AND purposefully ignoring it, to the degree that it felt like the whole story was really waiting to get to like the 80% mark before Stuff really started Happening in any meaningful way. I really didn't feel very invested or even super interested until around the 3/4 mark (curious enough to read on, but not Into It, and I wanted to feel Into it).
-just other little things here or there either feel unfinished/unresolved (which, i do realize this is the first in a series so that's probably on purpose to some extent but it's not very satisfying) or underdone or kinda pointless in the end.
- the treatment of Ann overall. It worked for snarky/mean Gemma to be so in the beginning, but it felt like later it changed from outright mean to no comment at all, rather than Gemma realizing/appreciating good qualities in Ann (outside of the realms with magic changing/"helping" Ann). And Pip, it felt like she really only called out her good qualities after she was 'dead' (maybe one other time). It just didn't sit right that these girls became so close, supposedly, and yet... As much as I did overall enjoy Gemma, this aspect felt very lacking to me, especially as she changed over the course of the story.
Tl;dr - Honestly overall, it really was alright enough, so it's a solid 3.25 for me. I did enjoy Gemma, and it was a cool story, but it ultimately wasn't enough of my cup of tea/I don't feel invested enough to feel compelled to read more in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death of parent
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Self harm, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, and Fire/Fire injury
starrynews's review against another edition
4.0
This book is about a young woman named Gemma Doyle and is set in the late 1800s. Gemma discovers that she has an unusual power for having visions that come true, which turns her world upside down, especially when a tragedy befalls her family. She is sent to an English boarding school, after having grown up in Bombay, India. As she struggles to fit in at boarding school, she must also deal with her new powers and a mysterious boy that follows her from India. This is an intriguing book with a plot that really draws in the reader.
kristenkong's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read and although I enjoyed it, the book has the uneasy task of having a great voice and yet not much in the way of a plot.
tirz_joy's review against another edition
5.0
Damn - I don’t remember the last time I devoured a book so fast. I mean I love the Ana Huang books I’m reading right now but holy - Libba Bray’s writing is gorgeous and intense! It had me hooked and drawn in! I couldn’t get enough!
melodypage's review against another edition
5.0
I devoured this first book in a day. The female friendship and the magic kept me turning pages. It even inspired me to paint a portrait of one of the characters: Felicity. I identified with her character most. Pippa's arc is probably my favorite in this first book, though.
annieb1223's review against another edition
2.0
Not really a fan. Gemma was annoying. Writing was really good, story didn't mix with me.
dmoatmeat's review against another edition
1.0
Oh tralala we're insipid and stunning young ladies with our corsets and we giggle and flit around our boarding school all day. Oh spooky, now it's night time and we're pretend witches and we sneak off to a cave. Is that a gypsy camp? And a haaaaaaunted diary? And what about some KUTE BOIZ that give us aching longing feelings in our forbidden areas?
I want a time refund for this crap.
I want a time refund for this crap.
ofravensandincense's review against another edition
5.0
The first in a trilogy, A Great and Terrible Beauty introduces Gemma, a 16-year-old English girl living in colonized India in 1895. When her mother is murdered at the beginning of the book, Gemma is sent to a finishing school in England where she discovers there is a lot more to her mother's murder and her own history. Newly discovered powers allow Gemma to take herself and three friends into a realm where magic is possible and these otherwise oppressed girls have all the power. Her actions set off a chain reaction which has a rival group, the Rakshana, threatening Gemma and demanding power they believe belongs to them.
Bray's use of gothic tropes and the supernatural give power to women who would be otherwise powerless in 1895 England, simply raised and 'bred' to be wives and nothing more. The language is beautiful, and the plot is engaging - always leaving the reader to want more. You'll finish it desperately grappling for the next book in the trilogy.
Bray's use of gothic tropes and the supernatural give power to women who would be otherwise powerless in 1895 England, simply raised and 'bred' to be wives and nothing more. The language is beautiful, and the plot is engaging - always leaving the reader to want more. You'll finish it desperately grappling for the next book in the trilogy.
ladybrik's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like this book had the potential to be great - and maybe the following two books redeem this one - but I had a hard time connecting to any of the characters. I wanted to like them; I wanted to feel the bond they supposedly had - a bond strong enough to travel to an entirely different realm - but their friendship felt forced and rushed and insincere. Also: the overwhelming likeness to the movie The Craft was really, really hard to escape. I mean, that's basically what this was; all that's missing is black nail polish & lipstick.
All that aside, I couldn't put it down and I liked it enough to want to eventually read the other two books. So all is not lost. I just wish it was amazing. I wanted it to be amazing. That it fell short is really disappointing for me.
All that aside, I couldn't put it down and I liked it enough to want to eventually read the other two books. So all is not lost. I just wish it was amazing. I wanted it to be amazing. That it fell short is really disappointing for me.