Rebel Angels: Lit. Circle I

Dear Ariel and AK,
Rebel Angels, the dark and enchanting sequel to Libba Bray’s gothic novel A Great and Terrible Beauty, finds Gemma and her two friends Anne and Felicity at Spence Academy after the tragic death of their friend Pippa. However, while the entire school mourns, the girls themselves understand that Pippa has become a figment of the beautiful realms that hosts the source of Gemma’s power. This novel explains what happens after the sun sets, after the girls leave their precious friends in this alternate world: the magic that ties Gemma to the realms has been unlocked, and it now roams free among the myriad of creatures residing there. Pippa, the sultry girl who suffered epilepsy and deep loneliness, bound herself to the realms by sacrificing her life, and now Gemma, Felicity, and Anne are faced with the realization that their friend might not be who they think she is. Gemma’s guilt towards Pippa helps her come to the conclusion that maybe sharing her gift brought more harm than it did good:
"Why is it that some secrets can drown you while some pull you close to others in a way you never want to lose?"
I believe that this statement is not only a metaphor for Gemma’s relationship with her other friends, but also for Pippa’s death. Pippa drowned in the realms, an irony that runs deep through this thought. This first section of the book truly has Gemma questioning not only herself, but everything her mother and her inherited magic stands for. She has come far since she discovered her magic, when all she wanted to do was escape the secret, deny her destiny. But now, with the arrival of friends who help her see the fun in her gifts as opposed to the dread and terror that could come from it, she is able to embrace both the realms and her friends. The secrets drew them close.