Books are my life... discussion

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.
Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Ages 12 up) -Patty Campbell


Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy—spending time with her friends in the city, attending balls in fancy gowns with plunging necklines, and dallying with the handsome Lord Denby. Yet amid these distractions, her visions intensify—visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened that only the realms can explain.

The lure is strong, and soon Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world that Gemma takes them to. To the girls' great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship.

But all is not well in the realms—or out. Kartik is back, desperately insisting to Gemma that she must bind the magic, lest colossal disaster befall her. Gemma is willing to comply, for this would bring her face-to-face with her late mother's greatest friend, now Gemma's foe—Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task. . . .

This sumptuous companion to A Great and Terrible Beauty teems with Victorian thrills and chills that play out against the rich backdrop of 1895 London, a place of shadows and light . . . where inside great beauty can lie a rebel angel.


The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

IT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a
laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.

The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

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Aw, I love this series. The last one especially.

I think that one was my favourite too, but it was sad :'(

So true....but at least it wasn't a sappy fake ending.

Ya I guess.

i liked the first two ...o what am i saying this is one of my fav series even though i havent read the last one....idk if i want to though :)

You have to read the last one! It's really good.

This series was one of my favorite to read! It has romance, action, and fantasy. Some of the girls I thought were a little annoying but the story line was great and it was an overall awesome book.

Lol. I'm reading the second one right now, and I'm getting nervous to read the last one(;

The last one is really good to, loved them all.

I haven't read the first two books yet! But I loved the last one! Is the first 2 as good as the last book?

I think so. But I don't know what it would be like to read them after reading the last book. I would still definitely recommend that you read the other two also.

I've read the first 2 and i know exactly how the last one ends. I kinda feel cheated. After everything Gemma and a certain person go through, it ends how it does.
I don't think i'll ever read the last book :/

It's still a really good book though.

Lol, Heather(: I just remembered this series, and I'm going to finish it! Probably in...February /: I know, a long time.

You'll love it I'm sure, well most of it.

Just finished rereading this entire series a few weeks ago, and still like it a lot. There's bits and pieces i didn't like, of course, but on the whole it's a great series!

Hello everyone! I joined this group some time ago and I've never posted. Thought that I might get in the swing of things. I really like this series. But I hated the way the last one ended! Did anyone see Titanic with Leo Dicaprio and Kate whatever-her-last-name-is? The ending of this series reminded me of the end of that movie with Rose standing triumphantly gazing at the shores of wherever she was. The whole thing was cheesy and cliche and I had to roll my eyes at it.

The Kate is Kate Winslett A wonderful actress with many good movies in her resume

Winslet! I can *never* remember her last name. Doesn't she play the lead character in Sense and Sensibilty? I love that movie, haven't seen it in a while though.

Tya wrote: "Hello everyone! I joined this group some time ago and I've never posted. Thought that I might get in the swing of things. I really like this series. But I hated the way the last one ended! Did anyo..."

I've never thought about it in that way, but it really is similar to the Titanic.
And I'm glad that you decided to join in the discussions in the group, the more the better :)

(spoilers,kind of)I loved this series.My favorite character is Felicity.She had the best story,but at the end it made me so sad that she did not get to be with Pippa.Plus,I really liked Pippas creepy magical cult thing.That was awesome.

I agree. I mean Felicity was definitely not my faourite character in the novels, but she was a good one. I find that her character really added to the whole of the story, just like most of the other characters. One of my favourite aspects of these novels was the complexity of all the characters and how they all had an important role in the unfolding of the story.

Did anyone in this series get a happy ending other than they survived and got a fresh start? I haven't read it in awhile but that seemed to be a theme (view spoiler)[first loves aren't necessarily last loves. Gemma's boy turned into a tree or something. Which, when you think about it, is a good thing. So much of YA fiction the first love is some eternal together 4EVA, I will DIE for you for REALZ LOL! :) :) :)love affair. But really, how many people end up with their first love? (hide spoiler)]

Your right,that does seem to be the theme.Its true that almost nobody ends up with their first love,and its refreshing to have that in a book and not have a fairy-tale ending with sparkles and rainbows.I liked how it ended,it was very hopeful and full of possibilities and it fit the books perfectly.

*IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE SERIES DO NOT READ*
I had never thought about it like that, but yes, I suppose that was some kind of idea in the story. But to be honest when I read it, it didn't read to me as though Gemma was entirely giving up on the love she had for Kartik. I read it more as she had accepted what had happened but that she would always love him and would hold out hope to eventually see him again after life. I didn't think of it as her moving on from her first love, it didn't feel like she would ever or would ever want to love another. That's just my interpretation on the ending though.