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titalindaslibrary 's review for:
A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This did not age well at all ðŸ˜
I loved this as a teen. But upon re-reading in 2024, I cannot get past the g*psy slurs referring to Romani people, the constant fetishization of brown men throughout, and how insufferable this girl gang is. Two of them are straight up mean, the POV we're stuck with is temperamental Gemma who's barely kinder than the bullies, and the only relatable girl is constantly looked down on by everyone! Get me out of here!
I'll give Libba Bray's more recent work a chance. But while I can see how this trilogy would've been a hit in 2003, it did not stand the test of time.
I loved this as a teen. But upon re-reading in 2024, I cannot get past the g*psy slurs referring to Romani people, the constant fetishization of brown men throughout, and how insufferable this girl gang is. Two of them are straight up mean, the POV we're stuck with is temperamental Gemma who's barely kinder than the bullies, and the only relatable girl is constantly looked down on by everyone! Get me out of here!
I'll give Libba Bray's more recent work a chance. But while I can see how this trilogy would've been a hit in 2003, it did not stand the test of time.