A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

Paperback: 403 pages Simon & Schuster Children's; New edition edition (2 May 2006)

It's 1895, and after the death of her mother, 16-year-old Gemma Doyle is shipped off from the life she knows in India to Spence, a proper boarding school in England. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma's reception there is a chilly one. To make things worse, she's being followed by a mysterious young Indian man, a man sent to watch her. But why? What is her destiny? And what will her entanglement with Spence's most powerful girls - and their foray into the spiritual world - lead to?

Magical. Absolutely magical.
The thing that really pulled me towards this book was the historical side to this novel, and I most definitely was not disappointed! I found my self reading late into the night just to find out what was going to happen to these girls.

Libba Bray has created characters filled with personality, not one at all got on my nerves. I loved being able to have an insight into the harsh reality of the 19th century society, where these young girls were just being married off to wealthy men. Now looking back on it, I think this is what gave the book that personality and oomph. All these girls wanted was to be free.

Gemma was a very strong character indeed, with lots of will power. She kept me gripped to my seat, waiting
to see what was to become of her dark visions.
The setting again, was exquisite. An old boarding school. A misty forest. A dark cave. What could be better!? 
An eerie romance was also a brew in this novel but didn't really progress a whole lot.
I cannot wait to devour the next installment in the series 'Rebel Angels.' 

5/5

The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Hardcover: 14 pages

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2010)

(Niebla #1)

It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they’ve recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house there still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners’ son, who died by drowning. With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the suspicious circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called The Prince of Mist— a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends will find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden, which will change their lives forever.

Creepy! That's the one word that comes to mind after reading this book.

First of all let me start of by saying that I was not intending to buy this book but stumbled upon it by chance. After finishing this novel in little under 2 days, I have come to appreciate the simplistic but engaging plot of this novel.

I won't give to much away, as this is one of those novels where you have to leave it as it is without revealing anything.
Basically it is about the carter family who moves into a house by the beach, a house where a little boy drowned by. With this in mind max is a little apprehensive about the whole move however eventually he settles down and starts to explore the place with his new friend Roland.
Little do they now that Roland's grandfather is hiding a terrible secret which is destined to put the lives of the boys, in danger...

This novel was paced beautifully at just the right speed leaving me captivated right through to the very end.

I loved the concept of the novel however my only flaw was that some of the ends were left untied, although I believe this is supposed to be a series... however at times you were left feeling a little unsure. Hopefully Carlos will tie up these ends in the next book.

Anyway, all in all, a great novel full of darkness, romance and an evil clown. A great novel which I believe, can be enjoyed by all ages.


3.5/5