by
Libba Bray
published: December 9th 2003 by Random House Children's Books
details: ebook
series: Gemma Doyle #1
literary awards: ALA Teens' Top Ten (2004), Iowa High School Book Award (2007)
isbn: 0375890491 (isbn13: 9780375890499)
About the Book:
A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel. Read more about this book at Goodreads.
Twenty-one things you didn't know about the Author can be found on her Goodreads author page.
My thoughts:
This story follows the adventure of the protagonist, Gemma Doyle as circumstances take her from her home in India to Spence a finishing school for girls in London. Gemma has visions that she doesn't understand, but soon she is lead, through the help of a spirit, to a diary that sheds light on an organization of powerful women called "The Order" and 8 magical realms that they governed. Gemma finds that she has the ability to enter these realms. With the help of her friends and the diary Gemma begins to unravel a great and terrible mystery.
This story took me by surprise. I'm not sure what I expected when I started reading. It has the elements of fun and frivolity that you would expect from a story about teenage girls in a boarding school, but the story has deeper and darker elements that left me feeling a little creeped out. The book is well written, with a good story line and enough of the occult to leave me shivering. I can't wait to continue the adventures of Gemma Doyle in the next two books of the series. (Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing)
Book #9
Book #27
2 comments:
I really enjoyed the first one but I never went any further with the series.
Great review Kaye! I recently purchased this one at a library sale. I have the first book and this one so now I need the middle one! Can't wait to read them!
I wanted to apologize for my being so lax in commenting on reviews. I'm a bad challenge host...bad. *slaps own hand* Anyway, I'm going to try to do better, I promise.
Also, I have an announcement up on the challenge blog, if you wouldn't mind checking it out.
Thanks and happy reading!
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