A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Recommended to be by a coworker I like and respect, this book was something I had been contemplating reading for a while because I liked the title. I had no idea what it was about. I was told it was Harry Potter-esque, but I don't think that is quite true.
Gemma grew up in India, and when she was sixteen, her mother is killed. It is covered up by saying she died of cholera, but the truth is she is murdered by beings from another plane of existence. Gemma always wanted to come to London, and now that her mother is gone, she gets her chance. She is sent to Spence, a boarding/finishing school for well off English girls.
At first, she is a bit of an outcast, but soon finds herself consorting with Felicity and Pippa, the most popular girls at school. The create a little club for themselves, and include Ann, Gemma's roommate, an orphan/scholarship recipient. They start out telling stories, but then discover that Gemma has some magic inside her that can transport them to other realms. The only problem with this is that someone is out to get the keeper of the realm magic, and will do anything to get their hands on it, even imitating Gemma's mother to win her trust.
There are so many things I want to talk about, but I am afraid that in doing so, I will give away the whole story. All I can say is that I was taken enough with this one that I bought the other two books in the trilogy right about the time I hit the halfway point. I want to know what happens to Gemma and her friends.
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