Book Club Discussion Questions
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
- Despite visions and a special destiny, Gemma is not so unlike the other
girls at Spence in her feelings of alienation and her yearning for
acceptance. Gemmas need to fit into her new school leads to her being
locked in the chapel in the middle of the night. Would you have made
the same choice? Have you ever done something you didnt want to do, to
get someone to like you? Have you ever taken advantage of someone who
wanted you to like him or her?
- The Realms are a place where
anything seems possible. Each of the four girls wants one thing above
all else: Felicity desires power, Pippa seeks love, Ann wants beauty,
and Gemma craves self-knowledge. Does any of the characters achieve her
goal by the end of the story? Why or why not? What would you want?
- Gemma says of Felicity, I dont yet know what power feels like. But
this is surely what it looks like, and I think Im beginning to
understand why those ancient women had to hide in caves. Why our
parents and teachers and suitors want us to behave properly and
predictably. Its not that they want to protect us; its that they fear
us (p. 207). What kind of power is Gemma talking about? What is it
that she thinks the parents and teachers and suitors fear?
📖
Get the full reading guide
Join BookBrowse free to unlock all 10 discussion questions, author background, themes, and more for A Great and Terrible Beauty.
Join free — it takes 30 seconds
Already a member? Log in →
- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.