Losing Gemma

by Katy Gardner

Book Overview

Two girls went travelling in search of adventure, in search of 'real life'. Only one came back ...

A chilling, gripping novel about the backpacking holiday of a lifetime with utterly devastating and unexpected consequences, this is a dazzling and assured first novel destined to become an instant classic.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0141005467
• ISBN13: 9780141005461
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Penguin Books, Limited (UK)
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 0.0" x 0.0"

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT READ

This is the most interesting, and gripping book I have read in a long time. I could not put the book down, and finished it in about 4 hours. I have recommended this book to nearly everyone I know and everyone enjoys it as well. Have a great time reading this interesting and powerful novel!!

This book ensnared me into it's web...

"Losing Gemma" is magically written. It got me so interested I honestly couldn't put it down. Even now, after a few days of finishing it, I still think about the story and how certain events changed the lives of 2 people so dramatically. I love how Katy Gardner has written the story in such a real way - where people's little idiosyncratic quirks are included in a way that makes you feel part of the picture. Also, I was able to learn a bit more about India and it's culture - that's always a good thing! I would recommend it to anyone.

I left my heart in Calcutta...

There are so many reasons why I can recommend this book. For me personally, it struck a chord as I was a woman in my 20's in the 80's and I also did some traveling, albeit not to India. The writing is especially descriptive of India--sights, sounds, smells--I can picture some of the places in my mind even never having set foot in India. The story is good, the pace is fast, and the characters likeable.Having said that, what I most liked about this book was its search, the author's, the character's, and the reader's, for the truth. The truth about ourselves as we know it within our hearts and our spirits, and how we are often the roadblock standing between our own happiness and fulfillment as a person. Some may find it, some may keep searching for it and never find it, and some may never look; but when Esther lost Gemma, and herself, she also found herself. My words may be trite, but "Losing Gemma" is not. I found it to be a deeply moving and exciting book.

a fantastically enthralling read!

What I liked most of all about "Losing Gemma" was that it was not so much a mystery novel about the incomprehensible and tragic death of Gemma Harding (though this was a prominent motif), as it was an incisive and telling look at friendship. Esther (the narrator) and Gemma have been best friends and confidants since primary school. And, in Esther's mind anyway, their friendship, characters, the roles each play -- Esther, the beautiful and clever one, and Gemma, the awkward, naive one that needs looking after and guidance -- seems set in stone. So that when Esther and Gemma set off for their holiday trip to India, Esther little expects the experience to have such a telling impact on their lives (her's especially). We're allowed to know from the very first page some of what happens: somehow, tragically Gemma dies during their holiday, and Esther carries with her the guilt that she had somehow allowed this to happen by not taking proper care of Gemma. The entire tragedy colours Esther's life completely, and she is never really able to let go of her guilt. So much so that years later, Esther again makes the trip to India to find the answers she is looking for: why Gemma died, and if indeed she (Esther) played a crucial role in Gemma's death."Losing Gemma" is a truly rich and engrossing read. As I noted it is not so much a mystery novel, as it is a book about friendship. And Katy Gardner's light handed and accessible prose style makes this novel easy reading as well. I almost finished the book in one go, and really begrudged the hours I had to spend doing other things instead of finishing this intriguing novel. This is a book that makes you think. From the very beginning, Gardner sets us up to accept certain 'truths' about Esther and Gemma's characters. She then quietly and subtly deconstructs all our preconceptions by interspersing Esther's narrative here and there with Gemma's own thoughts and feelings. This allows us to see that while Esther is almost an omniscient narrator, she is not all knowing. And she certainly was not at all privy to Gemma's inner most thoughts and desires. This juxtaposition of what Esther perceives is occurring and what Gemma believes is going on adds texture and depth to the novel. And the backdrop to all this, India, with all it's exotic and alien othernes that Esther believes she has a handle on, but who actually hasn't, added nuances to the mystery of what happens to both Esther and Gemma, and the events that lead up to Gemma's death. (Another thing I rather liked was the manner in which Gardner ended the novel. Without giving anything away, I'll only say that I think that the manner in which things were left added a certain reality to the novel.)"Losing Gemma" is a 'gem' of a novel. It is also a novel that will make you wonder about the close friendships in your own life as well -- if you have an inkling as to what you friends really think and feel about you. So, sit back and be prepared to read a truly enthralling nov

INCREDIBLE...COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!!!

My life as I know it was completely put on hold until I finished this book. Set aside at bit of time, this is not the kind of story you can just casually read, you'll want to know every morsel until it is done. The story of Esther and Gemma is beyond fasinating. I don't mean to be so vague but I just don't want to give anything away. Since you've looked this far at the book...just buy it and read it, you wont be sorry!!!!!!