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.
Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order
I was not excepting to enjoy this as much as I did, this was also the first book I completed for Peruse Project's read a thon. This book takes place in the Victorian age which I personally have not read to much about. So back in the Victorian age girls were groomed for the lives as rich men's wives, but Gemma Doyle is a girl who say it a different way. Libba Bray really is a talented author, the book came alive inside my head, I also found it really interesting how she used a place that is not usually a setting for novels, India is rarely a setting in the books I read.
Gemma she let peer pressure get to her a lot and she didn't listen to the warnings. She was a really interesting character, but she wasn't my favorite one. She didn't have any courage until the end, she spent precious time dreaming about a boy who should be the enemy. But that being said I still liked her, that's what irritates me about this book, the character are so lovable but they have flaws. It makes them more realistic. This book fits into a lot of genres so it will appeal to a lot of people for example its young adult, supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, romance and historical fiction. Lately I've really been enjoying historical fiction, actually since I read The diviners by Libba Bray, I've been obsessed with the genre and Libba Bray's work. I give this book a 4.5 out of 5.
-Jordyn
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