This is a reread, I first read it when I was around the age of the protagonist, Gemma. The first time I read A Great and Terrible Beauty I LOVED it; I devoured it and the other two books in the series. I went into this reread understanding that I am not a teenager anymore and that my reading tastes have likely changed. That being said, I still enjoyed it and would still recommend it!

This book takes place in a Victorian boarding school for young girls that are taught how to be “proper” ladies – so all the sexism and stereotypes that you'd expect to find: how to be a good cook, wife, dance partner, beauty tip, etiquette, politeness, ect. But our protagonist is a leading lady who doesn’t take so kindly to these gender norms. She is a young spitfire who pushes the envelope, eventually bringing some of her friends along with her on her shenanigans. There is everything scandalous from a young teen’s perspective: sneaking out, skinny dipping, curiosity about boys and underage drinking – this is why I think I loved this book when I was younger, they were rebels and broke all the rules & gender norms. Now in my 20s, I still loved their defiance and it made me giddy.

Side rant for one second: I am not sure how I feel about Kartik as a character, he seems a bit grabby/ aggressive; he seems to grab Gemma’s wrists a lot to direct her places or get her attention, and I am like “stop grabbing her and use your words!”, but I think I may be extrapolating it in my mind as Kartik being intentionally demeaning and hurtful, but it may not be meant to be taken that way whatsoever.

Another thing I like about this book is the character development. We have a major character die in the beginning but this does not stop the author from creating a strong relationship between Gemma and this character. In addition, Gemma’s classmates that you first think of as catty bullies, you get to understand why they behave that way and eventually start to accept these characters as flawed friends.

This book is hard to categorize; it is definitely teen/young adult (YA) but it has elements of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. For a teen read, this is not your normal YA read. There is a bit of a romance, but it is not the focal point; the main focus is on the relationships Gemma has with her mother and her new school friends. Plus, I’m a sucker for anything with visions or dreams.

I still highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the other two. Throw together a bunch of flawed characters, a boarding school, a clumsy & opinionated leading lady, Victorian era elements, magic, and dreams & visions and you have a recipe for the perfect summer read.

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A Great and Terrible Beauty - Likewise Book Reviews

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