Toujours Pur (dot) Net

[Ginny Weasley]

From Amazon for the first book "A Great and Terrible Beauty:"

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.

Gemma, 16, 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 wi! th the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

This set of books is one of my favorites. I read AGATB a couple years ago and started reading the second book (Rebel Angels) but never finished it. I fiiinally finished all three books like last week. The first one is definitely my favorite and there were a lot of things in the last one (The Sweet Far Thing) that really annoyed me. I think Libba Bray does a good job in giving her characters flaws but some times I feel like she over flaws them, lol.

The ending kind of disappointed me because I wanted to see what the Realms were going to be like once everything was over. And I was sad to see the girls part . These are some of my favorite books, though! Anyone else a fan?

[Cho Chang]

I'm not sure how long ago I got into this series, but my sister suggested them to me and I avoided them. I didn't like the book cover, I thought this was a book about a girl trying to get noticed in society in the late 1800's. Totally wrong, it's because I didn't read the book jacket -- or at least I don't remember reading it lol.

I think the realms got me into the series, because the way Libba Bray describes it, it seems like a type of heaven to me. I loved the first book and I just had to continue to the second and I think the Sarah Reese-Toome aka Miss Moore twist was pretty good. When I got to the third book, it was much more darker and reading about the Winterlands was so creepy.

I was also sad at the end, but I guess Libba Bray ended it realistically? AGATB was going to be made into a film, but the rights were dropped I think? I really hope someone picks it up though, I would love to see it as a film!

[abitofadork7]

Oh, I like these books a lot, as well. I forget how I got into them, but I needed something to read, which is often the case, and the story sounded interesting, so I gave it a shot. I was hooked...I like that the characters were...realistic, I guess is the word. They have to make difficult choices and face the consequences.

I didn't mind them being dark. The pictures I got in my mind from the descriptions were eerie, but in a peaceful, almost park-like sort of atmosphere, with a hint of danger. I was sad at the end, like Elly and Keri, but it wasn't a bad finish. It just didn't happen the way I would've liked. Great books, and they have excellent movie potential.