A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

I remember walking through a book store several years ago and seeing the cover of this book and just thinking that it was so beautiful. I didn't care what the story was about, as long as I could have this pretty book sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to find the opportunity to read it. When I received The Diviners for Christmas, the author's name sounded familiar, so I turned to Goodreads to find out why. That was when I saw the familiar title, and I  knew that it was hidden somewhere in my closet, where all of the books that didn't fit on my shelf were stored, so I went looking for it.

I went into this book with literally no knowledge of the plot, and I think that was the best thing that I could have done with it. not knowing anything left my expectations open, allowing me to read it for myself without anyone else's opinions sitting in the back of my mind, trying to convince me to like it or hate it. It was completely up to me to decide. 

The story follows Gemma Doyle, a young girl who has spent most of her life in India with her family, but has always wanted to go to school in England. One day, she has a vision of her mother committing suicide, and when she discovers that it has actually happened, she begins to question her own reality. However, it results in her getting what she has wanted for so long, and she is sent to a boarding school called Spence. 

She meets three girls and together, the four of them become obsessed with Gemma's power and the places it can take them, even if it leads them through horrors, twists, and turns that they would never have expected.

I did love this book, although it took me a while to get into it. The first fifty or so pages were rather slow, but once Gemma is at Spence, the story really picked up.  I enjoyed the plot more than I thought I would, and I loved the elements of magic that were weaved into an otherwise normal society. The only thing which kept me from rating this book five stars were the characters. I found the majority of the characters to be whiny, annoying, and just generally hard to take during some of the events which were taking place. That being said, each of them had their own distinct voice and personality, which I think is very difficult to do in a book like this, so I think that Libba Bray did a really good job of that.

Over all I found this book to be really enjoyable, and I can't wait to pick up its sequel, Rebel Angels, and continue following the adventure.

STAR RATING: ★★★★ 1/2