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Libba Bray Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Libba Bray

Libba Bray

How to pronounce Libba Bray: First syllable rhymes with rib. Libba is a nickname for Elizabeth. Her full name is Martha Elizabeth Bray

Libba Bray Biography

Libba Bray is an author of young adult novels, including A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing and Going Bovine.

Her first novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty, was a New York Times bestseller. In November 2006, a video promoting the book was a part of The Book Standard's Teen Book Video Awards.

Libba Bray lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Libba Bray's website

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Interview

Libba Bray, author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels, reveals her favorite books, her favorite movies, the men who broke her heart, and much more!

Q: From the beginning, you envisioned Gemma as a heroine who kicks butt and takes names–all in a corset and crinoline. What changed about the character after you began writing the book? What stayed the same?

A: It's hard to believe, but I actually envisioned Gemma and the book as being much lighter and funnier. Yeah, right, because dealing with supernatural visions, secret societies, and lots of not-quite-dead people is always a real laugh riot, right? Okey-dokey. Moving on . . . I did always see Gemma as sardonic, a social commentator in the vein of a Jane Austen character, and I think that stayed the same. But as often happens in the course of the writing, the character took over, and I discovered that Gemma was much more vulnerable and conflicted and infuriating and all those yummy things that make people into people. And for that, I am glad.


Q: Gemma is accepted into the most powerful and mean-spirited clique at Spence only because of blackmail–she keeps a secret that could destroy Felicity's future. But as her friendships with Felicity, Pippa, and Ann develop, she begins to love and trust them. And she is offered, in turn, love and trust, anger and mistrust. The only rule of the ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Libba Bray at BookBrowse
The Diviners jacket Going Bovine jacket The Sweet Far Thing jacket Rebel Angels jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Libba Bray but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Ann Brashares

    Ann Brashares

    Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her three brothers and attended a Quaker school in the DC area called Sidwell Friends. She studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Rebel Angels

    Try:
    The Second Summer of The Sisterhood
    by Ann Brashares

  • Ananda Braxton-Smith

    Ananda Braxton-Smith

    Ananda Braxton-Smith is a journalist and children's author. She has written several titles including a series for older readers, the Secrets of Carrick. The first two books in the series, Merrow and Tantony, were Children&#... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    A Great and Terrible Beauty

    Try:
    Merrow
    by Ananda Braxton-Smith

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