Author(s): Kerstin Gier
Edition: Hardcover, 324 pages
Source: Bought at NCTE 2011
Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository
The Summary
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Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.
My Opinion
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I picked up a coy of Ruby Red during NCTE. On the last day, many publishers mark
down finished copies and I’m
usually able to snap up some great books for cheap! Of course I hadn’t heard of the book at the time, but it’s
gorgeous cover (I’m such a sucker for covers) hypnotized me with it’s pretty
and I had to grab it! After
reading it, I am sure as hell glad I did!
Gwyneth is your average teenage girl. She giggles with her best friend, does
alright in school, and thinks watching historical movies qualifies as studying
for history tests. And, of course,
she can talk to ghosts…Okay maybe she isn’t so average. But, if you can believe it, this isn’t
the strangest part of her life.
Nope, she’s descendent from a line of time travelers. Hooked yet?
I immediately loved Gwyneth. She is such a relatable character because she isn’t much
different from real teens. Even
while dealing with weird stuff her reaction is what I imagine mine would be in
her situation. And she does it all
with a great sense of wit. Her
best feature, and what makes her really likable, is her relationship with her
best friend Leslie. As Gwyneth’s
confidante, Leslie isn’t kept out of the loop about anything, be it time
traveling or chatting up ghosts.
This keeps Gwyneth grounded when the weird gets weirder. I would definitely hang out with these
two any day.
In fact, each character Gier crafted was very
realistic. You could really feel
their emotions and personalities.
I think this is so important because without rounded characters the
story is flat. Also, the way Gier
balanced the “good”, “bad”, and “neutral” characters also helped balance the
plot. There is a mystery afoot,
and you get a sense of whom may be or may not be involved by the way they act,
helping the reader follow the plot more easily. When you’re dealing with time travel, you need something to
help you keep it all straight!
The only thing I felt was off in the book was the ending: it
just stops. There isn’t really a
climax, and that made the plot feel like it was missing another quarter. It was a lot of build up, albeit
entertaining build up, for little pay off. But then again there are two more books in the series, so
hopefully there will be a better climax and resolution coming up.
Overall, this was a very addicting story. I read it all in one day, and I wanted
more immediately. Sadly, I don’t
know German otherwise I would order the next two books already. I’ll have to just patiently (which is
so very hard) for them to be translated into English. But luckily, you don’t have to wait to enjoy Ruby Red by
Kerstin Gier; pick up a copy and start reading now!!
Extras
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Final Rating
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Book Cover: 4/5Book Title: 4/5
Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 7/10
Overall: 43/50: B
I loved Ruby Red, too, which is saying something because I do not, as a rule, enjoy time travel books. I picked it up, however, and it was a happy surprise. It's been killing me that the Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green have been published...but aren't available in the States yet. I guess maybe as an American I'm not used to it?
ReplyDeleteSapphire Blue is actually coming out this year! I believe October? So not too long of a wait. I'm so excited to see more overseas YA being published here!
DeleteYeah, sometimes I feel like time-travel is overdone, or just really confusing with all the jumps in time, but I think the way Gier crafted the legend behind the whole time-travel situation is interesting!
I quite like time travel :D I haven't read so many books about it, so this sounds perfect for me ^^ Thanks for the review!
ReplyDelete