I am completely obsessed with the Gemma Doyle trilogy right now - I finished A Great and Terrible Beauty a couple of days ago, and read the entire sequel (Rebel Angels) today. These books are amazing!
Similar to Harry Potter, the books involve a magical world and a boarding school, although it's a ladies' finishing school and not a school of magic that Gemma and her friends attend ... and Gemma is the only one who holds special powers.
A Great and Terrible Beauty is set in 1895. After 16-yr-old Gemma's mom dies, she's sent from India to Spence, an all-girls boarding school in England. From the time her mother passes away, Gemma starts having scary visions which she tries to ignore, but then discovers she has powers to enter a secret world called the realms.
Besides the magic, the friendships and boarding school social politics are equally interesting ... especially the interactions with Gemma and the seemingly evil popular girls, Felicity and Pippa. Although she has extraordinary powers, Gemma still has the same concerns as other girls in school: trying to fit in as the "new girl," the confusing world of boys, and worrying about her family, especially her father, who is in declining health after the death of Gemma's mother.
Similar to the Luxe, there are the themes of women's oppression in a man's world. Although the girls in the book mostly feel that their fates are chosen for them by their families, Gemma feels there has to be a way to take control and choose your own destiny. The girls in this book are definitely more proper and sheltered when it comes to men than in The Luxe, though. Although England is by nature more proper, I feel like this series is probably a bit more historically accurate versus the extreme (for that time period) behavior of the girls in The Luxe.
I'm really excited because I just found out (when searching for a photo to post on the blog) that they're making a movie out of A Great and Terrible Beauty next year! The whole time I read this book I kept thinking what a great movie it could be, so I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I read this book last spring! I enjoyed it as well. I remember thinking it ended rather abruptly but I could be mistaken.
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