Book guide
A Great and Terrible Beauty
At a rigid Victorian boarding school, a girl haunted by prophetic visions unlocks a seductive and dangerous spiritual realm.
Genre and trope pairingsFantasyFound powerFantasyPortal fantasyFantasySecret powersGothic FantasyForbidden romanceGothic FantasyGhostsGothic FantasyOccultGothic FantasyFamily secretsParanormalGhostsParanormalOccultParanormalPsychic abilitiesMysteryAmateur sleuthMysteryFamily secretsMysterySecret pastHistoricalForbidden romanceHistoricalClass divideRomanceForbidden romanceYoung AdultForbidden romanceYoung AdultSelf-discoveryYoung AdultFound powerYoung AdultComing of ageYoung AdultBoarding school
Buy or view on Amazon UK
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
About A Great and Terrible Beauty
In 1895, sixteen-year-old Gemma Doyle is sent from India to England’s Spence Academy after her mother’s death. Lonely, guilt-ridden and troubled by visions that have a habit of coming true, she struggles to fit into the school’s strict society. A mysterious young man follows her, while her growing bond with Spence’s most powerful girls draws them toward a hidden spiritual world and the dangerous secrets surrounding Gemma’s destiny.
Reading signals
- Spice
- Light
- Darkness
- Dark
- Pacing
- Balanced
Series
Gemma Doyle · Book 1 of 3
Content warnings
- suicide
- child death
- violence
- self-harm
- animal cruelty and death
- drug addiction
- alcohol use
- sexual content
- bullying
- Romani stereotyping
