Ruby Red by Kersten Gier
8:34 PM
Publisher: Henry Holt
ISBN13: 9780805092523
Genre: Young Adult
Review by Phil
Synopsis (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 birthdate 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.
Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birthdate 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:
I read Ruby Red over a month ago, and it is just now, as I read the sequel “Sapphire Blue”, that I can actually get my thoughts wrapped around it.
Ruby Red is your typical Young Adult love story. There is a young girl, who acquires some un-foreseen ability out of nowhere, a guy she initially doesn’t like but ends up falling for, and evil characters cloaked in mystery and secrets. Gwenyth, our protagonist, has grown up her entire life thinking that her cousin Charlotte has inherited the time traveler gene in her family. A gene that skips every few generations, and a gene in which Galileo Galilei himself predicted Charlotte would acquire. However, despite Galileo’s amazing mind, he calculated wrong, and Gwenny ended up receiving the time traveler gene….Oh and she can talk to ghosts and demons that no one else can see or hear.
The time traveler gene gives its owner the ability to travel into the past at any given moment, the only downside, the carrier of the gene can not control when they are going to travel, and where they are going to travel to. Only with the help of a secret society , whose soul purpose is to protect the alive time travelers, can Gwenny learn to control her ability, and use it towards a greater good.
Ruby Red altogether for me was good. I loved the quirky humor and the initial plot line. But with most YA books I do not like the romance in this book at all. Gwenny and Gideon’s relationship just seems a little forced to me. Gwenny has said many times in the book that she despises Gideon, saying he is pompous. But then out of literally nowhere, a romance is wedged in-between them. I think if Gideon was rather just a friend in this book, that as a whole it would be a lot stronger.
I did really love the time traveling in this book though. The connection between the twelve birthstones and the twelve time travelers was really intriguing, and I really liked how Gier compiled two seemingly different elements.
My only big complaint about this book was the romance, and the fact that physically the book is a weird shape. It is a lot more narrow then other books I own so it sticks out and doesn’t look very neat on my shelf (but that is just nitpicking).
In the end I enjoyed Ruby Red enough to make me want to read the second book, Sapphire Blue, which I am currently reading (March 21, 2013) right now! I gave Ruby Red 3/5 stars!
♚♚♚♔♔
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