Bray, Libba. A Great And Terrible Beauty. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2003. 403 pages. ISBN-10: 0385730284. ISBN-13: 978-0385730280.Plot:
Gemma Doyle has spent the entire 16 years of her life with her family in India, but all she wants is to go to London. When her mother is tragically and mysteriously killed on her 16th birthday, following a vision Gemma had of the occurrence, she gets her wish, but it’s no longer what she wants. She is sent to Spence Academy, where her grandmother believes she can be taught to be a proper young lady. While there, Gemma continues to have ever more confusing visions, one of which leads her to a diary of a young girl named Mary. Mary also has visions and writes of a magical world called the Realms and a group of powerful women called the Order. This is all made more complicated by an Indian boy, Kartik, who warns Gemma that she must close her mind to her visions or terrible things will happen.
Though she tries to fit in at Spence, she is bullied by the school's most popular clique until she finds a way to blackmail them to let her and her roommate Ann into their circle. Gemma, along with Ann and their new friends Felicity and Pippa, learn more about the Order through a teacher at Spence and eventually find a way to enter the Realms. They discover that the magic of the Order and the Realms is threatened by a former member named Circe who committed a terrible crime years ago to gain power. It is now Gemma’s responsibility to save the Realms and the Order, but she isn’t sure if she is really the girl for the job
Critical Evaluation:
This is an engaging and enjoyable start to the trilogy. It is reminiscent of Victorian Gothic horror novels such as those by the Bronte sisters, but written in a way to appeal to the modern reader. Bray paints an equally vibrant picture of both Victorian England and the fantasy world of the Realms. The juxtaposition of the two worlds and the lessons Gemma must learn to travel each provide an interesting metaphor for coming of age and finding one’s place in the world. Bray’s treatment of the idea of female empowerment manages to stay just short of preachy. Even when it tends toward the heavy-handed, the story is engrossing enough that the reader can forgive her for more obvious moments, especially as the message is such an important one. Gemma’s sarcastic wit, coupled with her vulnerability, make her a humorous and likable narrator. As she stumbles many times while trying to find her place in both of her worlds, she is a character to which the reader can relate and support. Her relationships with the other characters, particularly Kartik, Felicity, and Miss Moore, serve to develop and explore the different facets of her personality, while still providing interesting story lines to fill out the novel. In all, this is a well-written and entertaining book.
Reader's Annotation:
After her mother's tragic death, Gemma Doyle is sent to Spence Academy , where not everything is as it seems. Gemma isn't quite the girl she seems to be, either.
Author Information:
Libba Bray was born March 11, 1964 in Alabama, but she grew up in Texas. Her mother was a teacher and her father was a preacher. She had dreamed of being an actress, but that dream was derailed when she was 18. She was in a terrible car accident that resulted in the loss of one of her eyes and several reconstructive surgeries. She used writing to battle the pain and depression she felt during that time and it paved the way to her current career.
She moved to New York at the age of 26 with only $600 that she had put in her shoe. She still lives there with her husband and son. She loved theater growing up and so spent many years as a playwright. Her first novel - A Great and Terrible Beauty, the first of the Gemma Doyle trilogy - was published in 2003. She has since published 7 more books, including the second and third novels of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.
Genre:
Horror
Curriculum Ties:
Geography: England, India
History: Victorian Era, Colonialism
Sociology: Family Dynamic, Friendships
Psychology: Self-Awareness, Coming of Age, Grief
Booktalking Ideas:
- Discuss differences in lifestyle for a teenage girl in Victorian times and a teenage girl today.
- Focus on the relationship between Gemma, Felicity, Pippa, and Ann.
- Speak as Gemma in the aftermath of one of her visions.
- Tell the story of The Order.
Reading Level/Interest Age
14 and older
Challenge Issues:
Witchcraft/Magic
Violence
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
This is one of my personal favorites.
