One of the few young adult novel series I read this summer was a trilogy of books based in the late 1800s and is narrated by the main character, Gemma Doyle. The books in this series are A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing all written by Libba Bray.
3 ½ out of 5 thumbs up
Gemma is a young English teen who is living with her family in India. After her mother is killed by a mysterious being, the family moves back to England, and Gemma is enrolled into Spence Academy, a finishing school for young girls. Here she is meant to learn how to become a proper lady, but instead unlocks a passageway into a secret realm where magic rules. As Gemma learns more about the realms, the magic, and the impending battle for control of the realm’s magic, she uncovers secrets about her school, her family and herself.
While I did like the storyline enough to read all three books, the story seemed to drag on a little bit at times, especially when Gemma and her friends are goofing around inside the realms. These girls have all this powerful magic at their fingertips, and all they decide to do with it is silly things like turn rocks into butterflies, or make their dresses prettier, or change the color of the trees. I guess I can see doing those things at the beginning when they’re experimenting with the magic, but they do it pretty much every time they go in there. I also found the ending a little bit disappointing, but I guess you’ll have to read it and see what you think.
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