Thursday, September 6, 2012

Review of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier



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.

(Summary from GoodReads)
London? Time travel?  Stunning cover?  Of course I had to pick up Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier.  Sure, I had a few small problems with this book, but I sped through it and am very eager to read the rest of the series.

Ruby Red gets off to a fast-paced start as Gwen time travels right away.  I was really intrigued by Gwen and the fact that she was positioned as something of an underdog.  She’s not my favorite character of young adult literature, but I enjoyed reading her story.

Gier does a nice job of world-building in this story.  Her concept of time-travel was well thought out and interesting. I loved reading her descriptions of all of the eras that Gwen visited.

What frustrated me about Ruby Red was the lack of satisfaction at the end of the story. There were a few points where I thought I knew for sure right where Gier was taking us, but I never got to find out if I was right.  I’m not a blogger who has started to hate all series just because everything is part of one, but this particular instance frustrated me, because a little more resolution would have been nice.

Even though Ruby Red didn't completely satisfy me, I enjoyed the quick ride I went on during Gier's novel.  This is a book that goes perfectly with a rainy day and a cup of Earl Gray tea. I want to know where Gier is taking her characters, so I look forward to picking up my ARC of soon.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

4 comments:

  1. This one intrigues me. I love time travel books so this was on my TBR since it first came out but I haven't had the chance to read it yet. While I'm sure I'll be disappointed with the unsatisfying ending as well, I think I'll pick it up soon. Great review!

    Reply
  2. I haven't heard of Ruby Red, but I love the premise. Vivid descriptions are so important to me, and I am glad to hear that this one goes into detail about different time periods. Thanks for the recommendation!

    Reply
  3. One of my biggest pet peeves is when the first book doesn't have a full story arc and you HAVE TO PICK UP THE SECOND BOOK OR ELSE.

    Despite that, I'm still intrigued by this one. Especially since you found the characters and world-building so appealing.

    Reply
  4. I like worldbuilding, but I am one of those people who really needs a satisfactory ending. I think I am going to stay on the fence with this one. :-)

    Reply

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