Not a fanThis book does not hold up y'all... there was just this characterization of Romani men as being aggressive and hypersexual that I did not like... there was a lot of fat shaming in this book.
A Great and Terrible Beauty (2003)
Others: Mixed It's 1895, and after the suicide of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's been followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls--and their foray into the spiritual world--lead to?From the Hardcover edition.
- ISBN:
- 9780807223765
- Length:
- 403 pages
Genres: fantasy, historical fiction, young adult
Lists: …
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2007 · 634 pages · 4 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveIT HAS BEEN A YEAR OF CHANGE since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father alaudanum 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.From the Hardcover edition.
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Also fantasy and young adult50%Similar descriptions38%Camilla loved bothPersonalize your recommendations12%Rebel Angels
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2005 · 548 pages · 2 reviews
Others: MixedAh, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma's visions intensify--visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring 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. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma's willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother's greatest friend--and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.From the Hardcover edition.
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Also historical fiction and young adult51%Similar descriptions36%Camilla loved bothPersonalize your recommendations13%The Little White Horse
Elizabeth Goudge
1920 · 272 pages · 1 review
Others: PositiveIn 1842, thirteen-year-old orphan Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, her family's ancestral home in an charmed village in England's West Country, and she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort, that shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it. Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. The enchanted valley of Moonacre is shadowed by a tragedy that happened years ago, and the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. Determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley, Maria finds herself involved with an ancient feud, and she discovers it is her destiny to end it and right the wrongs of her ancestors. Maria usually gets her own way. But what can one solitary girl do? A new-fashioned fantasy story that is as wonderful as the best classic fairy tales. (The 1994 mini-series "Moonacre" and 2008 movie "The Secret of Moonacre" and the are both based on this book.)
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Not a fan
Loved iti loved this series i couldn't put down i read all three books in a row in like the space of a week and they are big chunky books i think it's brilliant
Review 1 of 2
Loved itA great and terrible beauty but I love Bray that one gets good it's solid I liked it.
Review 1 of 2
Not a fanI've tried to read a great and terrible beauty and I didn't like any of her previous books just gonna throw that out there was that a fan-like at all it's not like they were okay I did not like them
Not a fani just could not really get into this book it felt a little dated i didn't particularly like the characters or the setting
Loved itit is a great fantasy series and it's one of the first ones I read so that's why I love it so much is cuz it got me into the whole fantasy genre. it's an awesome series full of fantasy awesome relationships between the girls and love the main character