Summary: 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. –Patty Campbell, Amazon.com
Review: I've read this book twice – the first reading was a few months ago and I was afraid I wouldn't do it justice in a review. I also figured I'd give it a second chance as I was far from keen on it the first time through. I like it better this reading than the first reading, but I've also come to realize what bothers me about Libba Bray's writing style: it lacks a certain fluidity. She has a tendency to use periods in place of commas, especially when she is in a lengthy description. YA books should be exemplary prose, and I don't feel this is the case here; and it made for choppy reading. Bray's first person voice in the novel switches back and forth from a journaling style to a story telling style and it was noticeable to me and therefore disruptive while reading.
I also have issues with how modern the characters seem to be in a novel set in the late 1800s... especially when Bray goes to such lengths to keep the story historically anchored. (She takes a huge amount of the book with the plot exposition and laying the foundation, maybe too much). Perhaps this is an attempt to make it interesting to Young Adults, but to me it feels like over simplification. As readers, if they are mature enough to find an historical novel interesting, they are intelligent enough for historically accurate characters. I wish she had chosen modern or historical, as modernizing history sacrificed her story, in my eyes.
I'm also not sure what happened in the climax. I've not only read the book twice, but I've reread that particular passage several times and I'm still not sure what happens or, more importantly, why it happens. I will continue reading this trilogy as I'm curious to see where her writing style and plot are headed, but I can't say that I am recommending that you do the same...
3.5/5
because once I started reading it, it was a quick read. There are a few good twists in the book and one that comes in the first 55 pages of the book that I really didn't see coming but the rest of the book is pretty standard fare for James Patterson. The characters were 2 dimensional and didn't get any emotional attachment from me either way. I didn't love Lauren and I didn't hate her either. At times I just wish she would have "done the right thing" because I think it would have made for a better story than the one that was spit out here. This is probably the lowest rating I've given a book in a very long time, but I do feel it's deserved. From now on I'll probably only read the Alex Cross books and the Women's Murder Club series from James Patterson. 
, Lindsey's newest. I didn't think much of it though, I simply figured it was due to the 40 books in my "to be read" pile. Last week however, I realized that I still hadn't read it yet. Interesting... I wondered why that was. Then it dawned on me... I've fallen out of love with Johanna Lindsey. I'm not knocking the genre at all here - I may not be a big romance reader anymore, but it took me less than a couple of days to tear through 
Quinn's latest and if you've seen my recent review of 
isn't her best in my opinion but still a pretty decent read. I found that I did like all of the four main characters but I found it a little farfetched that they would resume deep, meaningful friendships after 20 years of sporadic contact. On the flip side of that I find that to be refreshing that they could resume their friendships even after a long lapse in time. Nothing like a tragedy to bring people together unfortunately and to cause them to examine their own lives. I found Saffron to be a sterotypical Hollywood actress and found some of the plot about Hollywood to be cliche. My favorite transformation of the group was Holly. From being someone she's not to coming into her own and realizing who she is. I did think throughout the book that her husband was cheating on her but it turns out he was just a jerk. 
or 
before I'd tell you to read Second Chances. The book was a good read but it didn't stir any deep emotions in me and while I liked Holly I just wanted her to wake up at some points. The rest of the characters were good but 2 dimensional. 
on February 14th.
, below is a schedule of Lauren's events from February through April. Too bad she's not making a stop in Chicago or I'd go and introduce myself. Hopefully some of our readers will go and meet her, but don't forget to mention us. :)
- first in the trilogy and a book that's officially at the top of my to be read pile). Speaking of brilliant characters, besides possibly Voldemort, I can't remember ever reading a villian as well written and completely beyond redemption as Freddie Lytton. His demise was just not good enough in my humble opinion.
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its ownway of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell. Jacob was there because his luck had run out --- orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act --- in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival. Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air. 