Ruby Red
Kerstin Gier
Grade: A+
Description from goodreads.com:
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 thoughts on the book:
Wow. Just wow. The reason I picked up this book in the first place was because the cover is so different, and I am so glad I did! This is my first foray into the world of time travel, and I couldn't have picked a better novel to start with. Ruby Red is an enthralling story that will captivate you from the first page. I can definitely see why it's an international bestseller.
The pacing of the book was a bit slow at first, but the characters are so well developed, and the story was so mysterious, that I remained intrigued. Even the secondary characters had terrific, three dimensional personalities. About halfway through the book, things start to pick up, and then it's impossible to put this book down! In the last half of the book, there is action, romance, and mystery! I couldn't have asked for a better story.
The story is told from Gwyneth's POV, and she is a likable character. She has a very dynamic personality. Some of the things she says are really funny, and she won't take anyone's crap. She asks a lot of questions, but no one seems to answer them. That got frustrating sometimes. I think that was the point, though, to make the reader understand how confused and frustarted Gwyneth was. She doesn't complain, like many of the heroines in the YA books, and she also isn't obsessed with boys. She's not rebellious, and she doesn't have an attitude problem. She stands up for herself when she has to, but over all, she's a very polite, well-adjusted girl. It was a nice change.
Gideon is another great character. He's a bit standoffish and arrogant, but what teenage boy isn't? He's not some tortured soul who needs saving, though. He's just a boy who time travels. He doesn't think Gwyneth is cut out for time travel at first, but she proves him wrong time and time again. Over all, he's a decent guy, though, and I liked him a lot.
Lesley is Gwyneth's best friend, and Gwyneth told her all about time traveling even though she wasn't supposed to. Lesley is a bit of a detective, and she's always researching. I like that. She's a very intelligent and capable character from what I could tell. Google seemed to be her main love in life, and her theories on why people do things are hilarious.
Grace, Gwyneth's mother is actually present in the novel, and that's another nice change. She takes an interest in her daughter's safety and in her life. She is very supportive of Gwyneth, and she treats her like an equal. I really liked Grace as well.
Charlotte and her mother are the two most annoying characters, but even they aren't cookie cutters. Charlotte is intelligent and beautiful, but the time traveling gene skipped over her. She's resentful toward Gwyneth because of this, and her mother hates Grace because of it. She blames Grace for passing the gene onto Gwyneth, like Grace had any say in the matter. Though her actions are illogical, they are believable. Some people are just that obtuse.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened Ruby Red, and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't get a headache from all of the time travel stuff because Gier doesn't go into the science of it all (thankfully). The writing is fantastic, and the world Gier has created is wonderful. I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel, Sapphire Blue. Check out Ruby Red today. You won't be sorry.
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