What do you think?
Rate this book
Edelstein-Trilogie #1
Ruby Red
Although I had never seen him before, I recognized him immediately. I'd have known his voice anywhere. This was the guy I'd seen on my last journey back in time.
Or more precisely, the one who'd kissed my doppelganger while I was hiding behind the curtain in disbelief.
Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended - and rather eccentric - family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesly. It comes as an unwelcome surprise when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.
She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century . . . .
Or more precisely, the one who'd kissed my doppelganger while I was hiding behind the curtain in disbelief.
Sixteen-year-old Gwen lives with her extended - and rather eccentric - family in an exclusive London neighborhood. In spite of her ancestors' peculiar history, she's had a relatively normal life so far. The time-traveling gene that runs like a secret thread through the female half of the family is supposed to have skipped over Gwen, so she hasn't been introduced to "the mysteries," and can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesly. It comes as an unwelcome surprise when she starts taking sudden, uncontrolled leaps into the past.
She's totally unprepared for time travel, not to mention all that comes with it: fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, and Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart. He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century . . . .
322 pages, Paperback
First published January 6, 2009
About the author
Kerstin Gier
59 books8,024 followersKerstin Gier is the bestselling author of the Ruby Red trilogy, as well as several popular novels for adults.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kersti...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/kersti...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,867 reviews
May 24, 2015
I'll be uploading my review to my YouTube channel abookutopia!! (I review both the book & the movie).
Loved this book!!!
Loved this book!!!
January 29, 2021
“If we were in a film, the villain would turn out to be the least-expected person. But as we aren’t in a film, I’d go for the character who tried to strangle you.”
I just love this trilogy! It's funny, it's witty, it's super surprising and clever. If I need something to cheer me up I just know that the Precious Stone trilogy is the right thing to read. I just flip through the pages and hours go by unnoticed. Which is why it's one of my favourites. The plot is so light and fast-paced, this is easily one of the most entertaining books/book series ever. Kerstin Gier's humour is laugh-out-loud material, her characters are exciting, cute, brave, and often very adorable. It never once gets boring with them.
I've read (and listenend to) these books multiple times and I will do it again and again in future.
Find more of my books on Instagram
I just love this trilogy! It's funny, it's witty, it's super surprising and clever. If I need something to cheer me up I just know that the Precious Stone trilogy is the right thing to read. I just flip through the pages and hours go by unnoticed. Which is why it's one of my favourites. The plot is so light and fast-paced, this is easily one of the most entertaining books/book series ever. Kerstin Gier's humour is laugh-out-loud material, her characters are exciting, cute, brave, and often very adorable. It never once gets boring with them.
I've read (and listenend to) these books multiple times and I will do it again and again in future.
Find more of my books on Instagram
March 22, 2020
”Ready for the next adventure, Princess?”
“Ready when you are,” she said softly.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Kerstin Gier fan and to be honest my main motivation to reread this book was to make sure that more people become aware of it. At the beginning of the year I made 2020 my “German speaking Authors Year” and decided to give a special shout-out to rather unknown (German/Austrian) authors that write great books! Well, Kerstin Gier certainly is one of them! ;-)
I’ve read many of her books already but I’ve to admit that this series has a special place in my heart. I just love everything about it. I mean we have a strong heroine, an arrogant love interest, a super interesting time travel element (An inherited time travel gene?! Give it to me! *lol*), mystery, suspense, action, LONDON and a misogynistic, horrible antagonist I really want to kick in his – let’s keep this child-friendly – private parts! ;-P
Plus the friendship between Gwen and Leslie is so relatable that you can easily find yourself and your bestie in them! Admittedly the pacing in this first book is pretty slow, but if you ask me that’s mostly due to the fact that Gier tried to build up her world, characters and ideas first before she decided to dive into the main story line. Which truth be told, isn’t a bad thing. Quite the contrary, if anything it makes everything even better. =)
Still, there was one thing that irked me big time and I just couldn’t ignore it. I don’t know why they did it but they changed the MCs first name from Gwendolyn to Gwyneth and that’s not only ridiculous but also makes absolutely no sense! Especially because they left all the other names exactly like they were in the German version. We still have her mom Grace and her grandma Lady Arista, and all the other original names but they changed Gwendolyn to Gwyneth yet they also insist on using her nickname Gwen? O_o Don’t get me wrong Gwyneth is a beautiful name, but when you’re used to Gwendolyn it’s kinda weird that they felt a need to change it.
Anyway, enough of my pet peeve and back to my review! =)
The characters:
This is the moment when we’ll use your blood in order to read it into the chronograph! From now on you might have safe passage through the centuries, but you’ll also be spoiled like crazy! So think twice before you take that step. You’ve been warned! ;-)
Gwendolyn AND NOT GWYNETH:
”Why couldn’t I remember when Jack the Ripper had prowled the streets of London? And where? Surely not the elegant surroundings of Mayfair, I hoped.”
Haha! Gwen is such an amazing character and definitely one of the pioneers when it comes to strong heroines. I remember reading this book 11 years ago and how much I loved her for being so strong-willed and unimpressed by all those misogynistic men of the lodge! She was completely taken by surprise when her time travel gene kicked in but that certainly didn’t stop her from being true to herself. Unlike Charlotte she never allowed them to use her as a tool and I lived and breathed for her defiance. Yes, she’s scared and has no idea what is happening to her, this however still didn’t stop her from going her own way. Plus she gave Gideon hell for being such an arrogant, prejudiced snob and this alone was worth reading! XD
”Oh, so it’ll pass?” I made myself speak very slowly and distinctly, although I really felt like screeching. “And so if I’ve just killed a man, will that pass, too? My entire life has been turned upside down today – will that pass? Will the fact that an arrogant, long-haired, violin-playing creep in silk stockings can’t think of anything better to do than order me about, even though I’ve just saved his stupid life, will that disappear as well? If you ask me, it’s not surprising that I feel like puking. And just in case you’re wondering, you make me want to throw up too!”
Gideon:
”The young guy had dark, curly hair that fell almost to his shoulders, and such bright green eyes that I thought he must be wearing colored lenses.”
Haha! Okay, I admit it, Gideon might be nice to look at and a welcome sight for sore eyes, but in this first book he’s really obnoxious! The funny thing is that he’s completely different when he’s around Charlotte and their interactions help to see the true person behind all his insufferable behaviour. His heart is in the right place, but all the men in his family and at the lodge had a huge impact on the way he was raised and as it seems he needed a girl like Gwen to reprimand him for his demeanour. Thankfully she’s more than just ready to take up this particular kind of challenge. *lol* I feel that despite him being the future love interest I actually can’t say a lot about him. His role was more that of a side-character but I’m really looking forward to the second book when we get to know him a little bit better. =)
”Anyway, there’s no need,” said Gideon. “I can do it all far better on my own.”
Charlotte:
Charolotte’s eyes had sparkled with fury as she looked at me. “It’s not a stupid gene, it’s a gift. Something very special. And it’s simply wasted on someone like you. But you’re too childish to even understand that.”
I don’t like Charlotte and I think that will never change. Yes, she gets nicer as the series proceeds; this still doesn’t mean that she’s a great character though. I never warmed up to her and I think that’s mostly due to her being insufferable. *lol* I can understand why she’s so pissed that Gwen is the carrier of the time travel gene but it’s not like she took it away from her. Quite the contrary, I’m pretty sure if given the chance Gwen would hand it to her in a heartbeat. So instead of snapping at her cousin she should try to understand how horrible it must be for Gwen to be involved in all this mess. Especially without being prepared the way she was for years. >_< Nope, I’m definitely no Charlotte fan.
Charlotte sighed. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but think of all the new opportunities open to you, Charlotte! I envy you that! You’re free now. You can do anything you like.”
“I never wanted anything but this!”
Count Saint-Germain:
”I’d say the female blood is considerably more sluggish than ours. Just as the female mind is inferior to the masculine intellect. Would you not agree with me, girl?”
Male chauvinist pig, I was thinking as I kept my eyes cast down, stupid, pompous, boring old chatterbox.
YES, GWEN! Give him a piece of your mind! *lol* Gosh, how I hate that man! Seriously, Count Saint-Germain is such a horrible person I can’t even! He’s not only a totally misogynistic a** but also never misses a chance to point out how weak the fair sex is. In his opinion women are just decoration and nice to look at but serve no other purpose than to bear children and to obey their men. Which makes me so damn furious! ARGH!!! I just can’t with this douchebag! Let’s get rid of him and move on! XD
The relationships & ships:
Gwen & Gideon:
”I’d call that an entirely superfluous warning, Uncle Falk,” said Gideon, crossing his arms. “She’s definitely not my type.”
Teasing is a sign of affection! And those two are teasing each other like crazy! *lol* Come to think of it they might even be the reason why I’ve become such a huge fan of the “enemies to lovers” trope. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t like each other at the beginning of the book and except of being attractive there’s nothing else Gideon seems to have going for him. Still, despite their initial animosity there’s a lot of chemistry between those two and it’s a pleasure to witness it whenever it occurs. ;-P I loved how Gideon remarked on Gwen’s classmate being able to touch her while she was busy watching him with Charlotte! I mean the fact alone that Gideon knew he had touched her even though he was talking to Charlotte at that time should have told her everything, but *lol* of course Gwen didn’t notice the implication of that statement. *shakes head* I can’t wait to read “Sapphire Blue”, because I know this is going to get better and better! <333
”Didn’t I tell you to wait in the coach?” I didn’t react, so Gideon took my arm and pulled me to my feet. His face was completely drained of color. “That was incredibly reckless and … dreadfully dangerous and …” He swallowed hard and stared at me. “And, dammit all, rather brave of you.”
”So if he’s not your boyfriend, how come he can touch you?”
“He can’t. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed he was doing it.” I hadn’t noticed because I was fully occupied watching Gideon exchanging sweet nothings with Charlotte.
Gwen & Leslie:
”Where are you now?”
“Oh, Lesley, still in Duke Street. I’m walking as fast as I can.”
“Okay, we’ll stay on the phone until you get to your front door, and the moment you’re home, you have to talk to your mum.”
This conversation sounded so much like something my bestie and I would say! *lol* I’m sure she would have been worried sick as well and would have told me exactly the same thing! It’s adorable how much Leslie cares about Gwen and their friendship warms my heart! Leslie is the best friend ever! I mean she investigates everything and tries to help Gwen as best as she can. She might not be able to time travel herself but I’m pretty sure that Gwen would have been lost without her infos! XD What can go wrong if you have a bestie who’s got your back like that? <333 Exactly! Nothing! ;-)
Conclusion:
This might have been the second time I read this book but I still loved it as much as the first time around! <3 Great characters, an amazing time travel element, historical London and an awesome “enemies to lovers trope” made “Ruby Red” an irresistible temptation for me! I hope after reading this you’ll be tempted to give it a try too! ;-) Happy reading!
_________________________________
There are plenty of good reasons to start with “Ruby Red” today:
1.) It’s Valentine’s Day (Happy Valentine to you all!!!) and this is the perfect time to start with a teen romance! <333
2.) “Ruby Red” has a time travel element and since those are rare in fantasy books I read them whenever I get a chance.
3.) This is the first book I’ll read for my “German speaking Authors Year” and since it’s already February it’s about time I get my groove on!! From January – March it’s Romances and Science Fiction and this falls in both categories! So it’s the perfect book! XD
4.) As it happens “Ruby Red” is also on My Book List 2020!
5.) I love Gwendolyn and Gideon! Those two give me life! And yes this is a reread because more people need to know about this series!!! It’s too amazing to stay unnoticed! ;-)
6.) I can’t think of a sixth reason but for now five should suffice, right? *lol*
“Ready when you are,” she said softly.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge Kerstin Gier fan and to be honest my main motivation to reread this book was to make sure that more people become aware of it. At the beginning of the year I made 2020 my “German speaking Authors Year” and decided to give a special shout-out to rather unknown (German/Austrian) authors that write great books! Well, Kerstin Gier certainly is one of them! ;-)
I’ve read many of her books already but I’ve to admit that this series has a special place in my heart. I just love everything about it. I mean we have a strong heroine, an arrogant love interest, a super interesting time travel element (An inherited time travel gene?! Give it to me! *lol*), mystery, suspense, action, LONDON and a misogynistic, horrible antagonist I really want to kick in his – let’s keep this child-friendly – private parts! ;-P
Plus the friendship between Gwen and Leslie is so relatable that you can easily find yourself and your bestie in them! Admittedly the pacing in this first book is pretty slow, but if you ask me that’s mostly due to the fact that Gier tried to build up her world, characters and ideas first before she decided to dive into the main story line. Which truth be told, isn’t a bad thing. Quite the contrary, if anything it makes everything even better. =)
Still, there was one thing that irked me big time and I just couldn’t ignore it. I don’t know why they did it but they changed the MCs first name from Gwendolyn to Gwyneth and that’s not only ridiculous but also makes absolutely no sense! Especially because they left all the other names exactly like they were in the German version. We still have her mom Grace and her grandma Lady Arista, and all the other original names but they changed Gwendolyn to Gwyneth yet they also insist on using her nickname Gwen? O_o Don’t get me wrong Gwyneth is a beautiful name, but when you’re used to Gwendolyn it’s kinda weird that they felt a need to change it.
Anyway, enough of my pet peeve and back to my review! =)
The characters:
This is the moment when we’ll use your blood in order to read it into the chronograph! From now on you might have safe passage through the centuries, but you’ll also be spoiled like crazy! So think twice before you take that step. You’ve been warned! ;-)
Gwendolyn AND NOT GWYNETH:
”Why couldn’t I remember when Jack the Ripper had prowled the streets of London? And where? Surely not the elegant surroundings of Mayfair, I hoped.”
Haha! Gwen is such an amazing character and definitely one of the pioneers when it comes to strong heroines. I remember reading this book 11 years ago and how much I loved her for being so strong-willed and unimpressed by all those misogynistic men of the lodge! She was completely taken by surprise when her time travel gene kicked in but that certainly didn’t stop her from being true to herself. Unlike Charlotte she never allowed them to use her as a tool and I lived and breathed for her defiance. Yes, she’s scared and has no idea what is happening to her, this however still didn’t stop her from going her own way. Plus she gave Gideon hell for being such an arrogant, prejudiced snob and this alone was worth reading! XD
”Oh, so it’ll pass?” I made myself speak very slowly and distinctly, although I really felt like screeching. “And so if I’ve just killed a man, will that pass, too? My entire life has been turned upside down today – will that pass? Will the fact that an arrogant, long-haired, violin-playing creep in silk stockings can’t think of anything better to do than order me about, even though I’ve just saved his stupid life, will that disappear as well? If you ask me, it’s not surprising that I feel like puking. And just in case you’re wondering, you make me want to throw up too!”
Gideon:
”The young guy had dark, curly hair that fell almost to his shoulders, and such bright green eyes that I thought he must be wearing colored lenses.”
Haha! Okay, I admit it, Gideon might be nice to look at and a welcome sight for sore eyes, but in this first book he’s really obnoxious! The funny thing is that he’s completely different when he’s around Charlotte and their interactions help to see the true person behind all his insufferable behaviour. His heart is in the right place, but all the men in his family and at the lodge had a huge impact on the way he was raised and as it seems he needed a girl like Gwen to reprimand him for his demeanour. Thankfully she’s more than just ready to take up this particular kind of challenge. *lol* I feel that despite him being the future love interest I actually can’t say a lot about him. His role was more that of a side-character but I’m really looking forward to the second book when we get to know him a little bit better. =)
”Anyway, there’s no need,” said Gideon. “I can do it all far better on my own.”
Charlotte:
Charolotte’s eyes had sparkled with fury as she looked at me. “It’s not a stupid gene, it’s a gift. Something very special. And it’s simply wasted on someone like you. But you’re too childish to even understand that.”
I don’t like Charlotte and I think that will never change. Yes, she gets nicer as the series proceeds; this still doesn’t mean that she’s a great character though. I never warmed up to her and I think that’s mostly due to her being insufferable. *lol* I can understand why she’s so pissed that Gwen is the carrier of the time travel gene but it’s not like she took it away from her. Quite the contrary, I’m pretty sure if given the chance Gwen would hand it to her in a heartbeat. So instead of snapping at her cousin she should try to understand how horrible it must be for Gwen to be involved in all this mess. Especially without being prepared the way she was for years. >_< Nope, I’m definitely no Charlotte fan.
Charlotte sighed. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
“Yes, but think of all the new opportunities open to you, Charlotte! I envy you that! You’re free now. You can do anything you like.”
“I never wanted anything but this!”
Count Saint-Germain:
”I’d say the female blood is considerably more sluggish than ours. Just as the female mind is inferior to the masculine intellect. Would you not agree with me, girl?”
Male chauvinist pig, I was thinking as I kept my eyes cast down, stupid, pompous, boring old chatterbox.
YES, GWEN! Give him a piece of your mind! *lol* Gosh, how I hate that man! Seriously, Count Saint-Germain is such a horrible person I can’t even! He’s not only a totally misogynistic a** but also never misses a chance to point out how weak the fair sex is. In his opinion women are just decoration and nice to look at but serve no other purpose than to bear children and to obey their men. Which makes me so damn furious! ARGH!!! I just can’t with this douchebag! Let’s get rid of him and move on! XD
The relationships & ships:
Gwen & Gideon:
”I’d call that an entirely superfluous warning, Uncle Falk,” said Gideon, crossing his arms. “She’s definitely not my type.”
Teasing is a sign of affection! And those two are teasing each other like crazy! *lol* Come to think of it they might even be the reason why I’ve become such a huge fan of the “enemies to lovers” trope. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t like each other at the beginning of the book and except of being attractive there’s nothing else Gideon seems to have going for him. Still, despite their initial animosity there’s a lot of chemistry between those two and it’s a pleasure to witness it whenever it occurs. ;-P I loved how Gideon remarked on Gwen’s classmate being able to touch her while she was busy watching him with Charlotte! I mean the fact alone that Gideon knew he had touched her even though he was talking to Charlotte at that time should have told her everything, but *lol* of course Gwen didn’t notice the implication of that statement. *shakes head* I can’t wait to read “Sapphire Blue”, because I know this is going to get better and better! <333
”Didn’t I tell you to wait in the coach?” I didn’t react, so Gideon took my arm and pulled me to my feet. His face was completely drained of color. “That was incredibly reckless and … dreadfully dangerous and …” He swallowed hard and stared at me. “And, dammit all, rather brave of you.”
”So if he’s not your boyfriend, how come he can touch you?”
“He can’t. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed he was doing it.” I hadn’t noticed because I was fully occupied watching Gideon exchanging sweet nothings with Charlotte.
Gwen & Leslie:
”Where are you now?”
“Oh, Lesley, still in Duke Street. I’m walking as fast as I can.”
“Okay, we’ll stay on the phone until you get to your front door, and the moment you’re home, you have to talk to your mum.”
This conversation sounded so much like something my bestie and I would say! *lol* I’m sure she would have been worried sick as well and would have told me exactly the same thing! It’s adorable how much Leslie cares about Gwen and their friendship warms my heart! Leslie is the best friend ever! I mean she investigates everything and tries to help Gwen as best as she can. She might not be able to time travel herself but I’m pretty sure that Gwen would have been lost without her infos! XD What can go wrong if you have a bestie who’s got your back like that? <333 Exactly! Nothing! ;-)
Conclusion:
This might have been the second time I read this book but I still loved it as much as the first time around! <3 Great characters, an amazing time travel element, historical London and an awesome “enemies to lovers trope” made “Ruby Red” an irresistible temptation for me! I hope after reading this you’ll be tempted to give it a try too! ;-) Happy reading!
_________________________________
There are plenty of good reasons to start with “Ruby Red” today:
1.) It’s Valentine’s Day (Happy Valentine to you all!!!) and this is the perfect time to start with a teen romance! <333
2.) “Ruby Red” has a time travel element and since those are rare in fantasy books I read them whenever I get a chance.
3.) This is the first book I’ll read for my “German speaking Authors Year” and since it’s already February it’s about time I get my groove on!! From January – March it’s Romances and Science Fiction and this falls in both categories! So it’s the perfect book! XD
4.) As it happens “Ruby Red” is also on My Book List 2020!
5.) I love Gwendolyn and Gideon! Those two give me life! And yes this is a reread because more people need to know about this series!!! It’s too amazing to stay unnoticed! ;-)
6.) I can’t think of a sixth reason but for now five should suffice, right? *lol*
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 27, 2015DNF - 25%
Consider checking out Tatiana's review before reading this book, as I should have done. Because there's nothing terribly wrong with Ruby Red other than the fact that it feels very young and immature. I think I would have loved this about 10 years ago, but now the silliness and mental age of the narrator is off-putting.
The characters are in their mid-to-late teens but all of them feel like middle school kids. Take these two early scenes:
Mr Whitman took Gordon's test back from him, turned a page, and read out, "Elizabeth I was so ugly that she couldn't get a husband. So everyone called her the Ugly Virgin."
The class giggled.
And:
"Lesley thinks it may be a good thing that James died young. With a name like Pympoole-Bothame, how would he ever have found a wife?" I said, after making sure James was out of hearing distance. "I mean, who'd marry a man with a name that sounds like Pimple-Bottom?"
The dialogue was all a bit inane.
Consider checking out Tatiana's review before reading this book, as I should have done. Because there's nothing terribly wrong with Ruby Red other than the fact that it feels very young and immature. I think I would have loved this about 10 years ago, but now the silliness and mental age of the narrator is off-putting.
The characters are in their mid-to-late teens but all of them feel like middle school kids. Take these two early scenes:
Mr Whitman took Gordon's test back from him, turned a page, and read out, "Elizabeth I was so ugly that she couldn't get a husband. So everyone called her the Ugly Virgin."
The class giggled.
And:
"Lesley thinks it may be a good thing that James died young. With a name like Pympoole-Bothame, how would he ever have found a wife?" I said, after making sure James was out of hearing distance. "I mean, who'd marry a man with a name that sounds like Pimple-Bottom?"
The dialogue was all a bit inane.
April 18, 2011
I knew Ruby Red wouldn't be quite my type of YA lit after reading first couple of pages of it. Even though the main character, Gwyneth, is 16 going on 17, she sounds about 12. Naturally, a quick decision-maker that I am, I made up my mind to drop it right after finishing chapter 1. After finishing chapter 1 I decided to drop it after chapter 2, and so it went...
Gwyneth is a member of the family of time-travelers. Every other generation or so her family produces a girl who starts uncontrollably travel into the past and back for short stretches of time at around the age of 16. This generation everyone thinks Gwen's cousin Charlotte is destined to be the next time-traveler. Only they are mistaken and it is Gwyneth who suddenly finds herself in the past. A lot of drama ensues and the girl is thrown into a web of old secrets and conspiracies that up to that point have been hidden from her.
Considering the fact it only took me about 4 hours to read Ruby Red in its entirety, it's safe to say it is a reasonably entertaining and fast-paced novel. The plot is moderately original and well organized, although it is obvious that this trilogy is of a kind whose books don't really have self-contained story arcs but rather are parts of one big story. So don't expect a satisfying temporary conclusion here.
I am not sure this series has an appeal to adults, like some middle-grade books do. The conflicts and relationships are fairly juvenile. The concept of time-travel is oversimplified and won't stand up to scrutiny by an adult mind - the real affect of time-travel and and constant contact of people from different eras on the future is never addressed. But for a younger crowd it's not a bad reading choice. Ruby Red offers a nice mix of PG-rated adventure, mystery, romance and cursory historical details, but nothing more. Tween girls will love the packaging too. Even my ARC is super-pretty, red and bejeweled.
Gwyneth is a member of the family of time-travelers. Every other generation or so her family produces a girl who starts uncontrollably travel into the past and back for short stretches of time at around the age of 16. This generation everyone thinks Gwen's cousin Charlotte is destined to be the next time-traveler. Only they are mistaken and it is Gwyneth who suddenly finds herself in the past. A lot of drama ensues and the girl is thrown into a web of old secrets and conspiracies that up to that point have been hidden from her.
Considering the fact it only took me about 4 hours to read Ruby Red in its entirety, it's safe to say it is a reasonably entertaining and fast-paced novel. The plot is moderately original and well organized, although it is obvious that this trilogy is of a kind whose books don't really have self-contained story arcs but rather are parts of one big story. So don't expect a satisfying temporary conclusion here.
I am not sure this series has an appeal to adults, like some middle-grade books do. The conflicts and relationships are fairly juvenile. The concept of time-travel is oversimplified and won't stand up to scrutiny by an adult mind - the real affect of time-travel and and constant contact of people from different eras on the future is never addressed. But for a younger crowd it's not a bad reading choice. Ruby Red offers a nice mix of PG-rated adventure, mystery, romance and cursory historical details, but nothing more. Tween girls will love the packaging too. Even my ARC is super-pretty, red and bejeweled.
February 26, 2018
DNF @ 177
THE REVIEW IS POSTED
Before I start reviewing this book, I just wanted to say sorry for not replying the comments earlier because college has been pretty hectic and I'm kind of in stressful situation right now and I AM CURRENTLY SUFFERING FROM READING SLUMP and I think it's because of this book. So I wanted to tell you guys that maybe I won't be as active as I used to. ( I usually checked Goodreads like 3 or 4 times in a day ) but since I've been pretty busy with college and assignments, maybe I'll just check it once or twice at the most in a day and I promise to reply the comments or the messages as soon as possible.
Now, Let's talk about this book!
Actually, this book has everything that I like to read.
Time Travel ✔️
Science Fiction ✔️
Romance ✔️
Fantasy ✔️
But none of them worked for me. This book failed me. To be honest, it's confusing and the plot was boring. look, I have read the book until page 177 and THEY KEPT TALKING AND TALKING AND I EXPECTED ACTIONS SCENES. I started to feet bored reading it when I read around 50 pages but I kept reading and the only reason I did that because I was waiting for the problem or something to happen and when I reached page 177, I honestly did not have any patience anymore. The characters talked too much and I kind of understood the story but then I kind of did not at the same time. It was confusing and I also lost my interest in reading it.
AND GWYNETH AND GIDEON WERE SO FREAKING FLAT. I could not connect to Gwyneth AT ALL and Gideon pissed me off. I hate the way he talked to Gwyneth. I got the impression that he underestimated her or thought she was stupid ? if I were Gwyneth, I would not let him talk to me that way. Who the fuck does he think he is? and I would certainly snap at him every time he acted like an arrogant jerk.
and now about Gwyneth, I could not connect to her at all. She was flat and boring. Oh! there is this scene that I don't like at all. it happens on page 182 in my copy. I did not finish this book at page 177 but while I was flipping through the pages, I came across this scene and I did not like it. I still don't like it.
I SWEAR IF I WERE HER, I WOULD SAY THAT OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF HIS FACE. WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?
GOD, THAT GUY ANNOYS ME SO MUCH. I FEEL THE URGE TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE.
I just cannot agree with Gwyneth by keeping quiet while he acted like that. In real life, I'm sure Gwyneth and me would never be friends and I hope I will never meet a guy like Gideon. Ugh. No, thank you.
thank you for reading and liking this review! I really appreciate all the likes and I hope you all have a fabulous day and happy reading to you all! ❤️❤️
-------------------------------------------------
Why did this happen to me again?😭😭😭
Review to come soon
-------------------------------------------------
I have wanted to read this book since years ago and now, I'm reading it! The synopsis sounds pretty intriguing and I LOVE SCIENCE FICTION AND TIME TRAVEL. I mean, it's so cool, isn't it? But I don't want to get too excited, because I don't know whether I'll enjoy reading it or not. I hope this book doesn't disappoint me. *cross fingers*
-------------------------------------------------
THE REVIEW IS POSTED
Before I start reviewing this book, I just wanted to say sorry for not replying the comments earlier because college has been pretty hectic and I'm kind of in stressful situation right now and I AM CURRENTLY SUFFERING FROM READING SLUMP and I think it's because of this book. So I wanted to tell you guys that maybe I won't be as active as I used to. ( I usually checked Goodreads like 3 or 4 times in a day ) but since I've been pretty busy with college and assignments, maybe I'll just check it once or twice at the most in a day and I promise to reply the comments or the messages as soon as possible.
Now, Let's talk about this book!
Actually, this book has everything that I like to read.
Time Travel ✔️
Science Fiction ✔️
Romance ✔️
Fantasy ✔️
But none of them worked for me. This book failed me. To be honest, it's confusing and the plot was boring. look, I have read the book until page 177 and THEY KEPT TALKING AND TALKING AND I EXPECTED ACTIONS SCENES. I started to feet bored reading it when I read around 50 pages but I kept reading and the only reason I did that because I was waiting for the problem or something to happen and when I reached page 177, I honestly did not have any patience anymore. The characters talked too much and I kind of understood the story but then I kind of did not at the same time. It was confusing and I also lost my interest in reading it.
AND GWYNETH AND GIDEON WERE SO FREAKING FLAT. I could not connect to Gwyneth AT ALL and Gideon pissed me off. I hate the way he talked to Gwyneth. I got the impression that he underestimated her or thought she was stupid ? if I were Gwyneth, I would not let him talk to me that way. Who the fuck does he think he is? and I would certainly snap at him every time he acted like an arrogant jerk.
and now about Gwyneth, I could not connect to her at all. She was flat and boring. Oh! there is this scene that I don't like at all. it happens on page 182 in my copy. I did not finish this book at page 177 but while I was flipping through the pages, I came across this scene and I did not like it. I still don't like it.
"She's definitely not
my type."
By she he meant me. It was a second or maybe two
before the insult sank in. My first instinct was to say some-
thing like "Well, thank God for that! I'm not too keen on
arrogant show-offs, myself." But I kept quiet.
I SWEAR IF I WERE HER, I WOULD SAY THAT OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF HIS FACE. WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?
GOD, THAT GUY ANNOYS ME SO MUCH. I FEEL THE URGE TO PUNCH HIM IN THE FACE.
I just cannot agree with Gwyneth by keeping quiet while he acted like that. In real life, I'm sure Gwyneth and me would never be friends and I hope I will never meet a guy like Gideon. Ugh. No, thank you.
thank you for reading and liking this review! I really appreciate all the likes and I hope you all have a fabulous day and happy reading to you all! ❤️❤️
-------------------------------------------------
Why did this happen to me again?😭😭😭
-------------------------------------------------
I have wanted to read this book since years ago and now, I'm reading it! The synopsis sounds pretty intriguing and I LOVE SCIENCE FICTION AND TIME TRAVEL. I mean, it's so cool, isn't it? But I don't want to get too excited, because I don't know whether I'll enjoy reading it or not. I hope this book doesn't disappoint me. *cross fingers*
-------------------------------------------------
August 2, 2018
4 SOLID STARS!
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
December 4, 2013
I had so much fun reading this book. I love the narrator! I just posted my booktalk/discussion: http://youtu.be/b5bTqUrWG2I =D
April 11, 2021
[Drake voice] I mean ... WHERE. THE FUCK. DO I. REALLY EVEN START???? I've been binge-reading one of my favorite series from way back when I was a teenager (...yes, it's the Precious Gems trilogy; yes, you can judge; no, I don't care ... IT'S ICONIC!) and I don't think I've ever made a smarter reading decision in my life. Rereading this series fuelled my body and lengthened my lifespan for at least 40 years. I'm not even kidding.
I rewatch the movies annually, so it was super fun to come back to the source material ten years after reading it for the first and last time. Funnily enough, the first movie is pretty close to the book (so no real surprises there), but the second and third movie took some ... artistic liberties, if you wanna call it that, so that I was in for a real treat when reading the books again.
The plot of the first book can be summed up in a couple of sentences ... since this book takes place over the course of three days or so. It's quite ridiculous if you think about the heartache and the bond that some of these characters form ... whilst literally being in each other's lives for three days. BUT I DON'T CARE. Anyways, this book follows 16-year-old Gwendolyn Shepherd who to her own horror discovers that she has inherited the time travelling gene of her family. Everyone thought it was her cousin Charlotte, and so the Temple of the Time Travellers prepared the wrong girl for the past 16 years. Woopie. Gwendolyn is thrown into this mysterious new world for her and learns that she, alongside with her time travelling partner, the GOOD LOOKING Gideon de Villiers, has to complete various missions in the past to get the blood of the other 10 time travellers that lived before them into the time travelling machine. Sounds bonkers? It sure does. But it's fun.
And so in the first book we accompany Gwenny on her first two official trips to the past (one to visit the Count of Saint Germain, who is basically the founder of the Temple) and one to her great-great-grandmother Margaret Tilney who is another time traveller to get her blood. While all of this is going on, she, of course, falls desperately in love with Gideon ... and HORMONES, man, let's just say I'm lucky I'm not 16 anymore. ;)
The reason why they both have to go on these missions in the first place is the fact that Lucy and Paul (the two time travellers before this generation of time travellers) stole the old Time Machine (which already had all the blood in it) and now the new Time Machine misses a lot of its blood. LMAO. Anyways, Lucy and Paul are my favourite characters in this series and I would literally DIE for them. I'm not kidding. The prologue and the epilogue of these books are always written from their perspective and its the part I look forward to the most. They're just that iconic. Paul's nickname for Lucy is "princess" ... and okay, I might be crying in a corner of my room right now ... they're just so soft with each other. I'm so here for it.
Other icons in this series include Caroline (Gwenny's little sister), Leslie (Gwenny's best friend) and Grace (her mom). Caroline is an icon because she is simply so wholesome and supportive and I love her imagination. That girl is literally convinced that the man in black in front of their house (who is there to protect the time traveller's family) is actually a wizard. I mean MOOD. And also whenever Gwenny is down and feels like shit because no one believes in her and everyone wanted her cousin Charlotte to do the damn thing, Caroline is there to cheer Gwenny right back up. (“Nick und ich finden es gut, dass du das Gen hast und nicht Charlotte. Ich glaube, dass du alles genauso gut kannst wie Charlotte.” — I mean, Caroline is SOOO precious, we need to protect her at all cost!)
Same goes for Leslie who might get the award for best literary best friend because C'MON!!! That girl is just golden. She is so supportive of Gwenny; she's never jealous or mean-spirited, because Gwen now gets to go on all of these cool adventures. And she is also the only one in this goddamn book series with one (1) brain cell. And so we have no other choice but to stan. (“Betrachte mich einfach als den ausgelagerten Teil deines Gehirns.” MOOD ) Leslie is the one who got Gwen to tell her mom about the time travelling mishaps (bc Gwen FOR SOME DUMB REASON wanted to figure it out herself??? bitch? how?), and she's the one who keeps her focused when all Gwen wants to do is whine about Gideon.
Mr George (one of the few members of the Temple who is actually nice to Gwen and believes in her) has my heart as well. He's just so wholesome and when he just announced "I think ya'll are really underestimating this girl right here" I wanted to give him a fist bump. The rest of the Temple members are just too full of themselves to be considered nice, but I like them as characters nonetheless. Falk's tension with Grace is amazing (they used to date... and when they broke up and Grace started dating Gwen's father ... Falk actually broke his nose by punching him in the face ... I mean, talk about an interesting backstory).
Same goes for Dr White... he's so insufferable that he actually becomes ICONIC. Dr White, all in all, hates women ... like, literally despises them and thinks they're all hysterical and silly. But the way he talks and roasts them is just so ridiculous, I was thoroughly entertained. There is this one scene when both Gwen and Gideon are being dressed up to look presentable in the past and when they walk into the room, Dr White utters a compliment ... just for Gwen to notice that the doctor directed it at Gideon. It was so fucking funny. (“Schön wie der junge Maimorgen,” sagte Dr. White. Aber er sagte es zu Gideon.)
Also, one of my favorite moments in this series is when Gwen talks to Robert (the ghost of Dr White's dead five-year-old son) but Gwenny is the only able to see ghosts so Dr White has no clue who she's talking with and just assumes she's talking to him ... I DIED. I mean look at this:
Anyways, Madame - “Der Rokoko-Mann trägt bunt!” - Rossini is also quite iconic. But I think I liked her esprit a bit better in the movies than in the actual books. Same goes for Charlotte tbh. In the books, she's just horrible and since everything is shown from Gwen's perspective, it's hard to take a liking to her. However, Charlotte's character has so much depth and I honestly understand her saltiness so much. For her whole life, she sacrificed almost everything (friends, free time, a normal life) and was trained alongside Gideon in languages, fencing, etiquette, history etc. to be well prepared for her time travels when she hits 16 ... and then BOOM from one day to the other, the Temple just drops her like she's hot, Gideon starts flirting with her cousin ... and she's kinda left with ... nothing, really??? That sucks man. So yeah, I actually really enjoyed the redemption arc that she got in the movies ... in the books, however, damn, sucks to be her. (“Ich wollte nie etwas anderes als das hier.”)
But let's come to the most important characters in this series. Our lovely protagonist. Our idiot sandwich - Gwendolyn Shepherd (“Ich bin also ein Rubin”, sagte ich dann. “Das sind die roten, oder?”), and our soft booooi - Gideon de Villiers. Well, what can I say? I ship it. I stan. I am here for it. I am aware that their relationship is HIGHKEY ridiculous but their interaction is just so much fun to read, and there were so many moments that made me laugh, blush and just sigh oh-so deeply.
First of all, in the beginning, Gideon has the audacity to call Gwen "Wendy" ... and we were all offended on her behalf. TBH. But even over the course of the first book, we can already pique behind Gideon's hard facade and at the end of the day, he's just such a soft boy. I love the moments when he is just completely OVERWHELMED by Gwendolyn crying (and boy, does she cry a lot) ... (“Wein doch nicht”, sagte er hilflos. “Alles ist gut.”). He’s also lowkey (HIGHKEY) jealous and asks her one day after picking her up from school if “the boy who touched her shoulder is her boyfriend”. Gwenny denies it and then he’s all like “if he’s not your boyfriend why he is permitted to touch you”??? Like, can you chill, this boy literally just had his hand on her shoulder for two seconds. I AM WEAK. And then he's like "well, he looks like an idiot". MOOD.
Gwenny is also a queen because she's just so dumb that it's so entertaining. She knows she's not fit for any of these missions but she tries her best and she has my heart. Also, when Gideon was attacked and overpowered, SHE STRAIGHT UP STABBED A BITCH. Like, yes gurl, help your man out.
My favorite scene of this book is of course towards the end where all of my favourite characters interact with each other for the first time: when Gwen and Gideon travel back in time to get Margaret Tilney's blood, Lucy and Paul barge in and it's the best thing I've ever witnessed.
Anyways, in the epilogue Lucy and Paul are talking about Gwen, and Paul is like "I hate that bitch Gideon, he better not be touching her", and Lucy is like "Paul, you're an idiot sandwich, they're in love, so buckle up". Lucy literally loves Gideon more than Gwendolyn and I couldn't stop laughing at Paul's reaction.
So, all in all, this book is just soooooo much fun and I will never unhaul it, I'll literally hold on to it until I am old and grey. Imma still be reading this when I'm 80, and imma be having a splendid time. Trust me.
I rewatch the movies annually, so it was super fun to come back to the source material ten years after reading it for the first and last time. Funnily enough, the first movie is pretty close to the book (so no real surprises there), but the second and third movie took some ... artistic liberties, if you wanna call it that, so that I was in for a real treat when reading the books again.
The plot of the first book can be summed up in a couple of sentences ... since this book takes place over the course of three days or so. It's quite ridiculous if you think about the heartache and the bond that some of these characters form ... whilst literally being in each other's lives for three days. BUT I DON'T CARE. Anyways, this book follows 16-year-old Gwendolyn Shepherd who to her own horror discovers that she has inherited the time travelling gene of her family. Everyone thought it was her cousin Charlotte, and so the Temple of the Time Travellers prepared the wrong girl for the past 16 years. Woopie. Gwendolyn is thrown into this mysterious new world for her and learns that she, alongside with her time travelling partner, the GOOD LOOKING Gideon de Villiers, has to complete various missions in the past to get the blood of the other 10 time travellers that lived before them into the time travelling machine. Sounds bonkers? It sure does. But it's fun.
And so in the first book we accompany Gwenny on her first two official trips to the past (one to visit the Count of Saint Germain, who is basically the founder of the Temple) and one to her great-great-grandmother Margaret Tilney who is another time traveller to get her blood. While all of this is going on, she, of course, falls desperately in love with Gideon ... and HORMONES, man, let's just say I'm lucky I'm not 16 anymore. ;)
The reason why they both have to go on these missions in the first place is the fact that Lucy and Paul (the two time travellers before this generation of time travellers) stole the old Time Machine (which already had all the blood in it) and now the new Time Machine misses a lot of its blood. LMAO. Anyways, Lucy and Paul are my favourite characters in this series and I would literally DIE for them. I'm not kidding. The prologue and the epilogue of these books are always written from their perspective and its the part I look forward to the most. They're just that iconic. Paul's nickname for Lucy is "princess" ... and okay, I might be crying in a corner of my room right now ... they're just so soft with each other. I'm so here for it.
Other icons in this series include Caroline (Gwenny's little sister), Leslie (Gwenny's best friend) and Grace (her mom). Caroline is an icon because she is simply so wholesome and supportive and I love her imagination. That girl is literally convinced that the man in black in front of their house (who is there to protect the time traveller's family) is actually a wizard. I mean MOOD. And also whenever Gwenny is down and feels like shit because no one believes in her and everyone wanted her cousin Charlotte to do the damn thing, Caroline is there to cheer Gwenny right back up. (“Nick und ich finden es gut, dass du das Gen hast und nicht Charlotte. Ich glaube, dass du alles genauso gut kannst wie Charlotte.” — I mean, Caroline is SOOO precious, we need to protect her at all cost!)
Same goes for Leslie who might get the award for best literary best friend because C'MON!!! That girl is just golden. She is so supportive of Gwenny; she's never jealous or mean-spirited, because Gwen now gets to go on all of these cool adventures. And she is also the only one in this goddamn book series with one (1) brain cell. And so we have no other choice but to stan. (“Betrachte mich einfach als den ausgelagerten Teil deines Gehirns.” MOOD ) Leslie is the one who got Gwen to tell her mom about the time travelling mishaps (bc Gwen FOR SOME DUMB REASON wanted to figure it out herself??? bitch? how?), and she's the one who keeps her focused when all Gwen wants to do is whine about Gideon.
“Ich habe immer noch Kopfschmerzen”, sagte Charlotte, ohne den Blick vom Fußboden zu lösen.GRACE is also an icon because she is the literal sass queen of this series; especially her snarky remarks to her sister Glenda (who is also Charlotte's mother) are COMEDY GOLD. Glenda is shook to her core that her precious Charlotte isn't so special after all, and Grace is having none of it, when Glenda (A GROWN ASS WOMAN) wants to bully Gwendolyn for it ... even though it's not her fault. (“Vielleicht schaltest du zur Abwechslung einmal dein Gehirn ein, Glenda”, sagte meine Mum. Plötzlich klang sie müde. “Warum sollten wir denn so etwas erfinden? Wer außer dir würde seiner Tochter so etwas freiwillig antun?”)
“Da sehen Sie es doch.” Tante Glenda lächelte giftig
“Ich habe auch Kopfschmerzen”, sagte Mum. “Das heißt aber nicht, dass ich gleich in der Zeit springen werde.”
Mr George (one of the few members of the Temple who is actually nice to Gwen and believes in her) has my heart as well. He's just so wholesome and when he just announced "I think ya'll are really underestimating this girl right here" I wanted to give him a fist bump. The rest of the Temple members are just too full of themselves to be considered nice, but I like them as characters nonetheless. Falk's tension with Grace is amazing (they used to date... and when they broke up and Grace started dating Gwen's father ... Falk actually broke his nose by punching him in the face ... I mean, talk about an interesting backstory).
Same goes for Dr White... he's so insufferable that he actually becomes ICONIC. Dr White, all in all, hates women ... like, literally despises them and thinks they're all hysterical and silly. But the way he talks and roasts them is just so ridiculous, I was thoroughly entertained. There is this one scene when both Gwen and Gideon are being dressed up to look presentable in the past and when they walk into the room, Dr White utters a compliment ... just for Gwen to notice that the doctor directed it at Gideon. It was so fucking funny. (“Schön wie der junge Maimorgen,” sagte Dr. White. Aber er sagte es zu Gideon.)
Also, one of my favorite moments in this series is when Gwen talks to Robert (the ghost of Dr White's dead five-year-old son) but Gwenny is the only able to see ghosts so Dr White has no clue who she's talking with and just assumes she's talking to him ... I DIED. I mean look at this:
“Die anderen können mich nicht sehen”, sagte der kleine Geist.I DIED! But the actual backstory to Robert's death (he DROWNED in a pool, and the day before he just told his father how much he hated him ... UGH) is so painful. The tragedy of it all. (“Ich will ihn nicht allein lassen. Er kann mich zwar nicht sehen oder hören, aber vielleicht spürt er ja, dass ich da bin.”)
“Ich weiß”, sagte ich. “Ich heiße Gwendolyn. Und du?”
“Für dich immer noch Dr. White”, sagte Dr. White.
“Ich heiße Robert”, sagte der Geist.
“Das ist ein sehr schöner Name”, sagte ich.
“Vielen Dank”, sagte Dr. White. “Dafür hast du sehr schöne Venen.”
Anyways, Madame - “Der Rokoko-Mann trägt bunt!” - Rossini is also quite iconic. But I think I liked her esprit a bit better in the movies than in the actual books. Same goes for Charlotte tbh. In the books, she's just horrible and since everything is shown from Gwen's perspective, it's hard to take a liking to her. However, Charlotte's character has so much depth and I honestly understand her saltiness so much. For her whole life, she sacrificed almost everything (friends, free time, a normal life) and was trained alongside Gideon in languages, fencing, etiquette, history etc. to be well prepared for her time travels when she hits 16 ... and then BOOM from one day to the other, the Temple just drops her like she's hot, Gideon starts flirting with her cousin ... and she's kinda left with ... nothing, really??? That sucks man. So yeah, I actually really enjoyed the redemption arc that she got in the movies ... in the books, however, damn, sucks to be her. (“Ich wollte nie etwas anderes als das hier.”)
But let's come to the most important characters in this series. Our lovely protagonist. Our idiot sandwich - Gwendolyn Shepherd (“Ich bin also ein Rubin”, sagte ich dann. “Das sind die roten, oder?”), and our soft booooi - Gideon de Villiers. Well, what can I say? I ship it. I stan. I am here for it. I am aware that their relationship is HIGHKEY ridiculous but their interaction is just so much fun to read, and there were so many moments that made me laugh, blush and just sigh oh-so deeply.
First of all, in the beginning, Gideon has the audacity to call Gwen "Wendy" ... and we were all offended on her behalf. TBH. But even over the course of the first book, we can already pique behind Gideon's hard facade and at the end of the day, he's just such a soft boy. I love the moments when he is just completely OVERWHELMED by Gwendolyn crying (and boy, does she cry a lot) ... (“Wein doch nicht”, sagte er hilflos. “Alles ist gut.”). He’s also lowkey (HIGHKEY) jealous and asks her one day after picking her up from school if “the boy who touched her shoulder is her boyfriend”. Gwenny denies it and then he’s all like “if he’s not your boyfriend why he is permitted to touch you”??? Like, can you chill, this boy literally just had his hand on her shoulder for two seconds. I AM WEAK. And then he's like "well, he looks like an idiot". MOOD.
Gwenny is also a queen because she's just so dumb that it's so entertaining. She knows she's not fit for any of these missions but she tries her best and she has my heart. Also, when Gideon was attacked and overpowered, SHE STRAIGHT UP STABBED A BITCH. Like, yes gurl, help your man out.
My favorite scene of this book is of course towards the end where all of my favourite characters interact with each other for the first time: when Gwen and Gideon travel back in time to get Margaret Tilney's blood, Lucy and Paul barge in and it's the best thing I've ever witnessed.
“Lady Tilney, ich habe Ihnen schon beim letzten Mal versucht zu erklären, dass Ihr Besuch Sie mit vollkommen falschen Fakten gefüttert hat”, sagte Gideon. “Sie machen einen großen Fehler, wenn Sie den falschen Menschen vertrauen.”I mean, Paul just oozes BIG DICK ENERGY IN THAT SCENE. I am living for it. I literally gasped out loud when he came into the room like that! Gideon is, of course, highly suspicious of both of them, because they stole the old Time Machine and he was indoctrinated by the Temple to regard them as enemies ... but Gwen is like HI WHAT'S UP, why did you flee back in the day? I loved it. The energy in that room was wild. When Paul wanted to greet Gwenny Gideon was like DO NOT TOUCH HER, and when Gwendolyn talked to him he was like STOP TALKING TO HIM, WE ARE LEAVING IMMEDIATELY. Oh wow. (Also, Lucy and Paul seeing their daughter for the first time (yup Gwen is actually their daughter, it's complicated, we'll get into that in the last book) had me weak as well: “Das kann ich nicht glauben”, sagte das Mädchen. — “Glaub es ruhig, Prinzessin!”, sagte Paul. I AM CRYING!)
“Das sage ich ihr auch immer”, sagte eine Männerstimme.
Anyways, in the epilogue Lucy and Paul are talking about Gwen, and Paul is like "I hate that bitch Gideon, he better not be touching her", and Lucy is like "Paul, you're an idiot sandwich, they're in love, so buckle up". Lucy literally loves Gideon more than Gwendolyn and I couldn't stop laughing at Paul's reaction.
So, all in all, this book is just soooooo much fun and I will never unhaul it, I'll literally hold on to it until I am old and grey. Imma still be reading this when I'm 80, and imma be having a splendid time. Trust me.
March 16, 2021
Gwyneth is a 16 years old school girl. She was raised in a family full of secrets where her cousin Charlotte was the center of attention and care. After all, she was the gene carrier. She can travel back in time and thus she should be prepared. Gwyneth never envied her, though. She always helped Charlotte who was pretty much arrogant. But she was going through a lot, right? She has to learn everything about the past, learn new languages and maintain high grades. Until all her efforts were in vain and Gwyneth was the actual time traveler of the family. However, she knows nothing. She wasn't prepared. Everyone was being discreet -and still is- about the whole thing until their efforts were proven wrong. Then, she meets Gideon. The gene carrier of the de Villiers family. He's interesting and very handsome true. But also arrogant and treat our heroine like she's a useless ordinary girl. And now they have a mission to accomplish together. But who should she trust when even her mother is not telling her everything?
Minor spoilers ahead
Let's see. First of all, time traveling and telling things about the future here and there should much more complicated. A single act can change the future (at least for the family) but not here. If they informed the count that the Gwyneth is the one who has the gene and not Charlotte and he recorded it in the Annals, that won't mean that they'll teach her instead of the other one? I could go on all day how they could change the future and how to prevent Lucy and Paul from accomplishing their goals. Nope, too many illogical things.
And what's up with Gwyneth? She's way too immature for a 16 years old girl! Why couldn't I feel anything for Gedeon? I really hope I'll like him better in the next book. Even though he treated her like trash, she stilladored admired him. Well, at least, it was enjoyable. I was going to give it 3 stars but then noticed that the flaws were too many. And they talk about logic for God's sake! Also her mother, she wants to protect her? She has to be more convincing! How can her daughter trust her if she keeps from her all the secrets? Too many messed up things. No, the whole family is messed up, truth be told.
Minor spoilers ahead
Let's see. First of all, time traveling and telling things about the future here and there should much more complicated. A single act can change the future (at least for the family) but not here. If they informed the count that the Gwyneth is the one who has the gene and not Charlotte and he recorded it in the Annals, that won't mean that they'll teach her instead of the other one? I could go on all day how they could change the future and how to prevent Lucy and Paul from accomplishing their goals. Nope, too many illogical things.
And what's up with Gwyneth? She's way too immature for a 16 years old girl! Why couldn't I feel anything for Gedeon? I really hope I'll like him better in the next book. Even though he treated her like trash, she still
March 12, 2021
Eine zuckersüße, echt witzige Geschichte mit vielen guten Ideen. Leider sehr sehr offen gehalten, sodass es eher wie ein Prolog wirkt. Na ja, dann muss ich wohl bald weiterlesen 😅.
April 1, 2014
Sometimes I really wonder what young adults see in certain young adult books. This series has pretty good ratings but I just don't see it. I was so bored for the first eighty percent of the book. I felt as if I had no idea who this heroine really was. I don't even think it says how old she is until late in the book, which left me feeling a little off about her character. Since each year makes a big difference when it comes to teens, not knowing if she was twelve or seventeen was weird. So much of the story was a bunch of old English people sitting around talking to each other.
The story of the guardians and the time travelers is so full of plot holes, and so many questions that I have aren't even alluded to. Or if they are answered, it's basically with a big ole question mark. As if the author didn't really know how to explain why there is an apparent "time travel" gene. She just allows the characters to say "Well, we're not really sure." Why one male, one female? No clue. It just is. What's the point of the time traveling if it's only for a few minutes to a couple of hours? It seems so pointless. There's no fantasy here, just an odd, secretive political intrigue about a secret society of once-a-generation time travelers who go back into time to...what, talk to other time travelers? I just don't see the point. They're not doing anything meaningful, just hopping back and forth and arguing about it.
I may continue the series if I get a wild hair all of a sudden. The last twenty percent was actually fairly fast paced and interesting, finally. The romance peeks out for half a second, there's some blood and guns and swords and chasing.
And then it ends extremely abruptly. So abruptly, in fact, that I thought that my audiobook had failed to finish transferring to my phone. I actually went and checked the library's website and my Overdrive account to see if the entire last part downloaded. It was weird. And frustrating.
The story of the guardians and the time travelers is so full of plot holes, and so many questions that I have aren't even alluded to. Or if they are answered, it's basically with a big ole question mark. As if the author didn't really know how to explain why there is an apparent "time travel" gene. She just allows the characters to say "Well, we're not really sure." Why one male, one female? No clue. It just is. What's the point of the time traveling if it's only for a few minutes to a couple of hours? It seems so pointless. There's no fantasy here, just an odd, secretive political intrigue about a secret society of once-a-generation time travelers who go back into time to...what, talk to other time travelers? I just don't see the point. They're not doing anything meaningful, just hopping back and forth and arguing about it.
I may continue the series if I get a wild hair all of a sudden. The last twenty percent was actually fairly fast paced and interesting, finally. The romance peeks out for half a second, there's some blood and guns and swords and chasing.
And then it ends extremely abruptly. So abruptly, in fact, that I thought that my audiobook had failed to finish transferring to my phone. I actually went and checked the library's website and my Overdrive account to see if the entire last part downloaded. It was weird. And frustrating.
June 20, 2021
Ingredients Needed:
- A time travel story.
- Set in England.
- Some scenes taking place in Victorian England.
- A fun (yet somewhat annoying) main character.
- A smart and cute love interest.
- A secret society of time travelers.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients and pour into pan. Bake until published. Serve to me, who will then freak out over how many elements of this book she loves.
Yeah, this book is pretty damn amazing. If you know me at all, you know I'm absolutely obsessed with time travel, the Victorian era, and England. When I figured out that this book had all of those elements, I knew that I was going to love it.
This book had its issues, especially the grammar (yes, I do know that this book was written in German and then translated to English) but I adored it nonetheless.
- A time travel story.
- Set in England.
- Some scenes taking place in Victorian England.
- A fun (yet somewhat annoying) main character.
- A smart and cute love interest.
- A secret society of time travelers.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients and pour into pan. Bake until published. Serve to me, who will then freak out over how many elements of this book she loves.
Yeah, this book is pretty damn amazing. If you know me at all, you know I'm absolutely obsessed with time travel, the Victorian era, and England. When I figured out that this book had all of those elements, I knew that I was going to love it.
This book had its issues, especially the grammar (yes, I do know that this book was written in German and then translated to English) but I adored it nonetheless.
May 22, 2022
"Eternity hangs from this moment."
°•*⁀➷
This was such a sweet read. The perfect one for after one of the most emotional reads ever, aka House of Sky and Breath.
First and foremost, I loved Lesley. She was funny, kind, understanding and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Gwyneth is so very lucky to have her, and I feel so very lucky to have met her.
Gwynteth was so relatable and entertaining. Gideon was aloof and adorable and the best kind of grumpy boy. I find myself wishing I had read this years ago simply because I would have loved this as a pre-teen. All of you who read it at the right time: I hope you know how lucky you are. No matter what though, this is an ultimate comfort read. Just in the general sense of the word.
I'm so thankful for friends who love to share books, and especially the friend that sent this one my way.
- Paige
°•*⁀➷
This was such a sweet read. The perfect one for after one of the most emotional reads ever, aka House of Sky and Breath.
First and foremost, I loved Lesley. She was funny, kind, understanding and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. Gwyneth is so very lucky to have her, and I feel so very lucky to have met her.
Gwynteth was so relatable and entertaining. Gideon was aloof and adorable and the best kind of grumpy boy. I find myself wishing I had read this years ago simply because I would have loved this as a pre-teen. All of you who read it at the right time: I hope you know how lucky you are. No matter what though, this is an ultimate comfort read. Just in the general sense of the word.
I'm so thankful for friends who love to share books, and especially the friend that sent this one my way.
- Paige
July 13, 2017
I cannot believe how much I loved this book. I ended up reading it in one sitting because I was so engulfed in the plot. There are so many questions I have that need to be answered so I quickly put the other two books of the trilogy on hold at my library. I ended up ordering pizza from Dominos because I did not want to put the book down to cook. lol
January 22, 2015
Before I delve into this review I first want to point something out - I should NEVER have picked up this book. Why you may ask? Well, because this does not even remotely sound like a book I would enjoy. The blurb alone would be evidence enough of that, two particular sentences stand out the most:
"can spend her time hanging out with her best friend, Lesley, watching movies and talking about boys."
Oh and it gets worse...
"He's obnoxious, a know-it-all, and possibly the best-looking guy she's seen in any century..."
So, from this blurb you can easily gather that the romance is going to pretty central to the plot and if you have to happen to like that, that is great and you may well just enjoy this book. I, however, HATE plot lines driven by romance so I should have known better than to read this book, but guess what?...I didn't even read the synopsis. I purely bought this book due to all the hype surrounding it, something I did quite a lot when I described the book blogging/booktubing communities.
So that is just pretty much just a disclaimer to say that while I had strong feeling of dislike towards this book it is not because the book promised to be something more, I was just too silly to read the synopsis and know not to read it.
Now, onto the less than glowing review.
One of the worst things about this book, for me, was how it read. Words and sentences did not flow together like they should, their were several typos in the first page alone and it felt like I was reading a book aimed at children rather than young adults in the sheer simplicity of the language. Now, don't get me wrong sometimes simple language is a great deal better than the convoluted overly metaphorical language used by some authors but this was too simplistic. Now I feel a bit harsh commenting on the writing style and language as this is a translated book, so do bear that in mind if you plan on reading it.
It was not only the writing style that appeared to be aimed more towards pre-teens but the plot as well. The protagonist of the story Gwen was supposed to be a sixteen year old girl, but read more as a twelve year old. For example her discussion of "kissing boys"...
"Kissing, said Lesley, ought really to be taught as a school subject...We often discussed what the ideal kiss would be like, and there were any number of films we'd watched over and over again just because of the good kissing scenes in them."
A twelve year old talking like that...okay fair enough but SIXTEEN...no.
Not only is Gwen really immature but she also really dense. Okay harsh I know but she genuinely knows nothing, and can't even remember a password that she has heard like ten times,
"The password?" Quark edit bisquitis. Or something like that. "Qua redit nescitis." Well, i'd had it almost right.".
There are plenty more incidents just like this that make Gwen out to be a total ditz. My favourite line of all had to be this,
"When we had come in, someone had risen from a chair at the desk , nodded to Mr. George, and left the room without a word. "Was that man mute?" I asked. It was the first thing that came into my head."
Oh, but of course he is mute because what other explanation could there possibly be...
Gwen's best friend isn't much better(again, more twelve than sixteen), she was the most flat and pointless character. She had no personality except to be the friend who googled everything and finds out loads of information and is soooo excited for her friend. Booooring.
There was not one character in this story that I actually liked. Gideon was, of course, the most beautiful specimen to ever grace the earth and also a complete chauvinist along with every other male in the story. Every character was just so unoriginal - you had the crazy great aunt, the snobby aunt, the self-righteous cousin, the worried mother, the excited friend and the handsome love interest...need I say more.
Aside from all of that, the most annoying thing about this book was the complete and utter lack of a plot line. I mean, nothing happened...NOTHING. After 100 pages in I thought, okay something is going to happen now...nope...200...nope...then towards the end something happens...just nothing exciting.
I am not even going to discuss the romance...
I want to finish on a positive note so I will say I liked the idea of time-travel...
I will not be continuing this series for very obvious reasons...
October 5, 2018
Glad I read it. I did enjoy it but I hope the sequels pack more of a punch.
Caution - LOTS of fat shaming in chapter 11.
Caution - LOTS of fat shaming in chapter 11.
January 25, 2018
*4.25 TIME TRAVELING STARS*
Well, this was quite interesting and unique! I haven't read anything like this yet! I didn't love it as much as other young adult books out there, but I think that's mainly because I listened to this as an audiobook, which I've never done before. It took me a while to get used to the reader's posh British accent but eventually I really got into it! The story is centered in England so it was kind of fitting anyway.
First of all, I loved the whole time traveling idea and it was thought out beautifully! I've never read a book about time travel before, and I loved that it wasn't scientifical but just something that occurs in Gwyneth's family when some chosen people reach a certain age.
All the events happening in this book were really exciting, from Gwyneth discovering it's her possessing the time travel gene and not her cousin Charlotte, to all the funny and sometimes scary situations she encounters during her expected and sometimes unexpected time travels, to Gwyneth seeing dead people's ghosts... Everything had me yearning for more and I wonder how it all connects!
What I didn't like however, were practically all the major characters. The side characters, like Leslie, James, Gwyneth's mom, Lucy, Paul, and even Charlotte, were all pretty interesting and likeable. They were all unique and a big part of what made this story so good. But oh dear gods, I didn't like Gwyneth and Gideon at all! Gwyneth acted like a scared, whiny and clueless little girl most of the time, which annoyed me to death! I sincerely hope she'll grow some backbone soon. Gideon however is just a bossy, cocky prick and I don't trust him one bit! I really hope to see some major character development in the next books.
All in all, I liked it but I didn't love it. I'm going to listen to the next two audiobooks anyway though! They really can't leave me hanging like this after ending Ruby Red with a kissing scene, ugh! I'd love to read more aboud Gwyneth's supposed magic as well.
Well, this was quite interesting and unique! I haven't read anything like this yet! I didn't love it as much as other young adult books out there, but I think that's mainly because I listened to this as an audiobook, which I've never done before. It took me a while to get used to the reader's posh British accent but eventually I really got into it! The story is centered in England so it was kind of fitting anyway.
First of all, I loved the whole time traveling idea and it was thought out beautifully! I've never read a book about time travel before, and I loved that it wasn't scientifical but just something that occurs in Gwyneth's family when some chosen people reach a certain age.
All the events happening in this book were really exciting, from Gwyneth discovering it's her possessing the time travel gene and not her cousin Charlotte, to all the funny and sometimes scary situations she encounters during her expected and sometimes unexpected time travels, to Gwyneth seeing dead people's ghosts... Everything had me yearning for more and I wonder how it all connects!
What I didn't like however, were practically all the major characters. The side characters, like Leslie, James, Gwyneth's mom, Lucy, Paul, and even Charlotte, were all pretty interesting and likeable. They were all unique and a big part of what made this story so good. But oh dear gods, I didn't like Gwyneth and Gideon at all! Gwyneth acted like a scared, whiny and clueless little girl most of the time, which annoyed me to death! I sincerely hope she'll grow some backbone soon. Gideon however is just a bossy, cocky prick and I don't trust him one bit! I really hope to see some major character development in the next books.
All in all, I liked it but I didn't love it. I'm going to listen to the next two audiobooks anyway though! They really can't leave me hanging like this after ending Ruby Red with a kissing scene, ugh! I'd love to read more aboud Gwyneth's supposed magic as well.
April 19, 2018
Sixteen-year-olds Gwyneth Shepherd and Charlotte Montrose are cousins, born only two days apart and raised in the same house by their close-knit, comically dysfunctional family. They thoroughly resent each other. Charlotte is a multitalented model student, beautiful, graceful, and poised. Gwyneth - Gwen for short - scrapes by in school, trips on her own legs, suffers from a nervous stomach, says the wrong thing everytime, has no fashion sense, and her only talent is memorizing inane pop culture trivia. Also she sees dead people.
There are two families in this London with a secret "time travel" gene that manifests in the de Villiers men and the Montrose women. Each time-traveller's birth has been foretold. Charlotte is apparently this generation of Montrose' traveller, called the Ruby, and she has been trained since early childhood. But there's been a mistake. The Ruby is not Charlotte, but awkward, silly Gwen, who has no idea what to do. And now a threat from the past is about to enter the present, because of course it is.
Content Advisory
Violence: Gideon de Villiers and Gwen are attacked by assassins in the eighteenth century. She saves him by picking up a sword and stabbing the last remaining assailant. There's a lot of blood, and she's aghast at how easily the blade pierced flesh ( "like cutting a cake!" ) Gideon reassures her that she missed the vitals and the man will live, but she's still deeply shaken. Their coachman got half his face shot off during the skirmish. The whole scene had a realistic, somber tone very different from the rest of the book.
Sex: A few fleeting innuendos. Gwen is embarrassed by the cleavage on her eighteenth-century gown and is given a bodice insert to cover it. On another occasion, she indignantly accuses Gideon of staring at her chest. She bumps into a young couple who look just like her and Gideon kissing behind a curtain at a party in the 1700s, and they themselves kiss at the end of the book - in the empty confessional of an abandoned church, which is not the best place for that, but then they were hiding from assassins...
Language: A few used of "bloody" so we know we're in England.
Substance Abuse: Racokzy is experimenting with belladonna.
Nightmare Fuel: Racokzy's drug use has made his eyes opaque like a corpse's. St. Germaine is a Sith Lord in all but name. The Circle claims that their time machine needs blood samples from all the travellers in order to run.
Conclusion
This Ruby is not quite perfectly cut. There are a few parts where you can tell it was written by an Anglophile rather than a real Briton, and many places where you can tell it was written by an adult rather than a teen (most of Gwen's movie star tidbits go back to the 90s). The conflict is extremely hard to follow. Gwen often reads like a much younger character - she constantly whines and panics, needs everything explained to her over and over again, and must either eat, throw up, or go to "the loo" every two pages of so.
But you can still recognize the London setting, the plot is no sillier or more convoluted than the average YA urban fantasy - and Gwen's pathetic awkwardness is actually acknowledged and played for laughs, making her a lot more relatable than many other main characters in this genre. Even the sparks between her and the much cooler Gideon are plausible enough; the book just asks us to believe that they are attracted to each other, not that they're already in love after two days of knowing each other.
A well-paced time travel thriller/comedy, quite clean overall and largely free of Insta-love, that doesn't take itself too seriously. Recommended for fans of the Selection series, the Stravaganza series, and the Secrets of Nicholas Flamel books.
There are two families in this London with a secret "time travel" gene that manifests in the de Villiers men and the Montrose women. Each time-traveller's birth has been foretold. Charlotte is apparently this generation of Montrose' traveller, called the Ruby, and she has been trained since early childhood. But there's been a mistake. The Ruby is not Charlotte, but awkward, silly Gwen, who has no idea what to do. And now a threat from the past is about to enter the present, because of course it is.
Content Advisory
Violence: Gideon de Villiers and Gwen are attacked by assassins in the eighteenth century. She saves him by picking up a sword and stabbing the last remaining assailant. There's a lot of blood, and she's aghast at how easily the blade pierced flesh ( "like cutting a cake!" ) Gideon reassures her that she missed the vitals and the man will live, but she's still deeply shaken. Their coachman got half his face shot off during the skirmish. The whole scene had a realistic, somber tone very different from the rest of the book.
Sex: A few fleeting innuendos. Gwen is embarrassed by the cleavage on her eighteenth-century gown and is given a bodice insert to cover it. On another occasion, she indignantly accuses Gideon of staring at her chest. She bumps into a young couple who look just like her and Gideon kissing behind a curtain at a party in the 1700s, and they themselves kiss at the end of the book - in the empty confessional of an abandoned church, which is not the best place for that, but then they were hiding from assassins...
Language: A few used of "bloody" so we know we're in England.
Substance Abuse: Racokzy is experimenting with belladonna.
Nightmare Fuel: Racokzy's drug use has made his eyes opaque like a corpse's. St. Germaine is a Sith Lord in all but name. The Circle claims that their time machine needs blood samples from all the travellers in order to run.
Conclusion
This Ruby is not quite perfectly cut. There are a few parts where you can tell it was written by an Anglophile rather than a real Briton, and many places where you can tell it was written by an adult rather than a teen (most of Gwen's movie star tidbits go back to the 90s). The conflict is extremely hard to follow. Gwen often reads like a much younger character - she constantly whines and panics, needs everything explained to her over and over again, and must either eat, throw up, or go to "the loo" every two pages of so.
But you can still recognize the London setting, the plot is no sillier or more convoluted than the average YA urban fantasy - and Gwen's pathetic awkwardness is actually acknowledged and played for laughs, making her a lot more relatable than many other main characters in this genre. Even the sparks between her and the much cooler Gideon are plausible enough; the book just asks us to believe that they are attracted to each other, not that they're already in love after two days of knowing each other.
A well-paced time travel thriller/comedy, quite clean overall and largely free of Insta-love, that doesn't take itself too seriously. Recommended for fans of the Selection series, the Stravaganza series, and the Secrets of Nicholas Flamel books.
January 6, 2022
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Might Contains Spoilers*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 06.01.2022
I decided to re-read this because apparently I'm testing myself. Don't know why. Anyway, I remember this had some interesting storytelling and enemies to lovers trope and I wanted to see if I would still like it. However, it wasn't really a true enemies to lovers trope as far as I'm concerned. That said, the concept of this trilogy is interesting, but with the re-read, I can report that the book has a lot of information and contains a somewhat immature main character that seems a bit weak. But this re-read was a bit better for me than Matched was for some reason - maybe the writing style worked better for me here - so I'm willing to continue with the re-reading of the series, and hope that the main character will grow more and that the love interest will be... more... alpha. Again here as with Matched , I miss sexual tension and sex but I found it easier to be without in this one than Matched . Wish this was a NA though...
The characters:
The list is a bit long so I've put it in a spoilers tag.
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Young Adult) Fantasy, Science Fiction > Time Travel (M/F).
Series: - Series, Book One.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
Triggers? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - I'm guessing Gideon de Villiers?
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Already have.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes, if you like time-traveling and YA.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably not.
Rating - 3/2 (weak) stars.
First read review:
Rating: 4 stars.
September 28, 2015
“Ready when you are.”
Ruby red, with G major, the magic of the raven, brings the Circle of Twelve home into safe haven.
This book is incredibly mind-blowing.
Time travel. Chronograph. Ghost-encounter.
With a good amount of suspense and mystery.
February 8, 2016
Well that was a fun ride! I read this in one sitting for the #rainbowthon 2.0 and I really enjoyed it!
I definitely feel like this was a great opening and solid setup for the rest of the trilogy; but while it was incredibly fun there was definitely no rising action or climax in the story. It was also a bit predictable (seriously, I saw that twist coming from the prologue) but I love Gwen (and her friendship with Lesley!) so much that that didn't bother me as much as it usually does. I liked figuring things out along with her. The romance (or lack thereof) was also very refreshing...although I do want to see it develop more in the next book because I want to swoon a little bit. Can you really blame me?
I'm definitely interested in seeing where the story goes and how the time travel and stone system (?) works and the bigger role it plays in the story. Overall, I just really enjoyed this. It was a fun ride.
I definitely feel like this was a great opening and solid setup for the rest of the trilogy; but while it was incredibly fun there was definitely no rising action or climax in the story. It was also a bit predictable (seriously, I saw that twist coming from the prologue) but I love Gwen (and her friendship with Lesley!) so much that that didn't bother me as much as it usually does. I liked figuring things out along with her. The romance (or lack thereof) was also very refreshing...although I do want to see it develop more in the next book because I want to swoon a little bit. Can you really blame me?
I'm definitely interested in seeing where the story goes and how the time travel and stone system (?) works and the bigger role it plays in the story. Overall, I just really enjoyed this. It was a fun ride.
April 2, 2016
I can seriously not express my love for this book. Maybe a five star rating is a little bit too much but literally my mind is blown at this moment!!
December 27, 2019
This felt more like a long prologue. Still, it sucked me in from page 1, and I just ordered the next two books. I am so intrigued, and time travel is seriously a lifelong dream of mine. Plus it is set in London. And a little Gideon don't hurt nobody ;)
August 27, 2016
I decided I was going to take some time to percolate my ideas for this book, but it's still up in the air what I exactly think. Had some aspects I liked (i.e. time-travel), and others I didn't (i.e. the arc of the story).
All right synopsis first: Gwen is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in London (the book was written in German originally so I'm not sure why that setting was chosen). Normal enough, but she comes from a family who can time-travel. Thankfully the gene bypassed her and was given to her perfect cousin Charlotte. Gwen can enjoy a normal life without all the drama that comes with having the "special" gene. Well can you tell what's gonna happen? Gosh darn it you got it! (I'm not usually this cynical really; I'm just kind of irritated about my feelings about the book). Gwen's got the gene instead and there is lots of mystery shrouded around why this is. Now with Gwen thrown into this whole new world she meets Gideon (who is a bit of distraction to Gwen, to her great dismay); together they have an important mission to accomplish but it's hard to tell who are the bad and good guys, and if they can even trust each other.
The workings and the history behind the society is interesting. It reminds me of setups of other secret societies actually. What kind of bothered me was how Gwen has thoughts and says things like a twelve or thirteen year old which would have been fine if that was her age. Then when she meets Gideon and gets in deep with the time-traveling stuff she shifts, which was nice to see but kind of abrupt for me. Of course it has those cool scenes of how events clash the present, past and future. I’ve always loved stuff like that, and that was in here. Even though I have my reservations about it, I know others will just eat this up.
I hate when I'm indecisive about a book, but you need some books like that so you can appreciate the amazing ones. What I think is bothering me so much is that I did expect to love it and for it to be epic, and it had all the pieces but it wasn’t quite there yet. *sigh* Anyhow, at the end it leaves you in mid-stride. There is no major piece of the puzzle solved but it tantalizes you mercilessly and I will read the sequel. No matter my confusion of what I think I have to know what happens. HAVE TO.
All right synopsis first: Gwen is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in London (the book was written in German originally so I'm not sure why that setting was chosen). Normal enough, but she comes from a family who can time-travel. Thankfully the gene bypassed her and was given to her perfect cousin Charlotte. Gwen can enjoy a normal life without all the drama that comes with having the "special" gene. Well can you tell what's gonna happen? Gosh darn it you got it! (I'm not usually this cynical really; I'm just kind of irritated about my feelings about the book). Gwen's got the gene instead and there is lots of mystery shrouded around why this is. Now with Gwen thrown into this whole new world she meets Gideon (who is a bit of distraction to Gwen, to her great dismay); together they have an important mission to accomplish but it's hard to tell who are the bad and good guys, and if they can even trust each other.
The workings and the history behind the society is interesting. It reminds me of setups of other secret societies actually. What kind of bothered me was how Gwen has thoughts and says things like a twelve or thirteen year old which would have been fine if that was her age. Then when she meets Gideon and gets in deep with the time-traveling stuff she shifts, which was nice to see but kind of abrupt for me. Of course it has those cool scenes of how events clash the present, past and future. I’ve always loved stuff like that, and that was in here. Even though I have my reservations about it, I know others will just eat this up.
I hate when I'm indecisive about a book, but you need some books like that so you can appreciate the amazing ones. What I think is bothering me so much is that I did expect to love it and for it to be epic, and it had all the pieces but it wasn’t quite there yet. *sigh* Anyhow, at the end it leaves you in mid-stride. There is no major piece of the puzzle solved but it tantalizes you mercilessly and I will read the sequel. No matter my confusion of what I think I have to know what happens. HAVE TO.
January 22, 2023
Uff, das war hart.
Das erste Mal habe ich das Buch 2010/2011 gelesen und damals war ich so 16/17 Jahre alt und fand es ganz ganz toll.
Jetzt bin ich 29, schreibe meine Bachelorarbeit über das Buch und analysiere die Geschlechterrollen. And I don't like what I see. Es ist einfach so belastend und aus der Zeit gefallen (haha aus der Zeit gefallen und es geht um Zeitreisen wow funny). An manchen Stellen so EXTREM problematisch, dass ich mich richtig erschrocken habe und sehr sehr wütend war/bin.
Aber gleichzeitig ist da auch eine gewisse Faszination, weil ich es richtig krass finde, welche Dinge vor noch gar nicht allzu langer Zeit anscheinend noch völlig akzeptabel waren und wie sich mein eigenes Weltbild verändert hat.
Naja, jedenfalls 1 Stern, am liebsten 0, für dieses sehr sehr schlecht gealterte Buch.
Das erste Mal habe ich das Buch 2010/2011 gelesen und damals war ich so 16/17 Jahre alt und fand es ganz ganz toll.
Jetzt bin ich 29, schreibe meine Bachelorarbeit über das Buch und analysiere die Geschlechterrollen. And I don't like what I see. Es ist einfach so belastend und aus der Zeit gefallen (haha aus der Zeit gefallen und es geht um Zeitreisen wow funny). An manchen Stellen so EXTREM problematisch, dass ich mich richtig erschrocken habe und sehr sehr wütend war/bin.
Aber gleichzeitig ist da auch eine gewisse Faszination, weil ich es richtig krass finde, welche Dinge vor noch gar nicht allzu langer Zeit anscheinend noch völlig akzeptabel waren und wie sich mein eigenes Weltbild verändert hat.
Naja, jedenfalls 1 Stern, am liebsten 0, für dieses sehr sehr schlecht gealterte Buch.
June 9, 2023
What a fun read!
August 9, 2015
Unpopular opinion time!
I came so incredibly close to DNF-ing this. A bunch of my friends gave lovely reviews to this book but I saw Rachel had given it a one star and I was immediately apprehensive. We tend to have similar taste, especially with fantasy (and wedding dresses) or whatever the hell this was so I should have known better.
I have never been so bored with a fantasy novel. I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. Yes, we get that Gwyneth is is special and she has powers that her jealous and sort of horrible cousin was supposed to inherit but that's it. There's no danger here. There's nothing going on besides running around in the past in period appropriate clothes trying to catch the right timing. It's all a bit silly.
Then there's this whole secret society thing where everybody in the world knows about time traveling but nobody knows what they actually do with these powers. I'm sorry, but people would be trying to infiltrate that shit and kill people off. There would be legitimate danger at some point. But besides one assassination attempt, they just frolic around in their corsets and top hats and ride in carriages.
Also, Gwyneth makes a horror/action movie mistake when she tells her best friend everything about what is going on in this super secret society. I mean, come on. You are asking the girl to get killed, kidnapped, or something. Nothing ever good comes out of something like that, especially when ONE OF YOUR FUCKING TEACHERS IS IN THE SECRET SOCIETY.
The love interest, Gideon, was rather stupid and shallow. Super judgmental and flip flops very quickly about what girl he likes. Does he like Charlotte? Only if she's a special snowflake which she isn't. As soon as Gwyneth is special, Gideon likes her. There's insta-love and a male lead that ended up irritating the hell out of me. He acts like he is top shit but gets over powered and out maneuvered on several occasions.
So here it is. The Big Finish! The Rude Conclusion!
Main female lead that is too stupid to live. Would have slapped her given the opportunity. Nothing actually happened throughout the book. Male lead is an idiot and shallow as hell too.
February 23, 2021
Die Filme haben mir schon richtig gut gefallen also wollte ich auch das Buch dazu lesen.
Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht mir hat der erste Band gut gefallen.
Falls ihr auch die Bücher lesen möchtet und die Filme dazu schauen wollt dann lest auf jeden Fall erst die Bücher.
Euer Readandfit
Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht mir hat der erste Band gut gefallen.
Falls ihr auch die Bücher lesen möchtet und die Filme dazu schauen wollt dann lest auf jeden Fall erst die Bücher.
Euer Readandfit
October 6, 2022
Published in English as Ruby Red
16-year-old Gwendolyn Shepherd has grown up knowing that her snootty cousin Charlotte was destined for great things as the family's newest time travelling member. Yet when it's Gwen who travels to the past unexpectedly, she finds things anything but exciting. Especially as this gets her inducted into a weird mysoginistic cult, in exchange for avoiding uncontrolled time jumps.
I've watched the 2013 German TV movie a few years back, and found it cringey enough to not feel like either reading or watching any more of the series. Fast forward to my current language-based self challenge, and I'm giving the series a second chance after all.
As a rule, Kerstin Gier is one of the authors I tend to rate highly for both her adult and YA novels, though I've had a fairly underwhelming experience with In Wahrheit wird viel mehr gelogen and must've restarted the audiobook for A Castle in the Clouds 5 times by now.
Overall the story wasn't... dismal. As a matter of fact, up until the 50% mark things were looking fairly intriguing with Gwendolyn alternating between disbelief of her time travelling episodes, and the undeniable excitement of looking around in the past. When she eventuallysells her soul joins the Lodge to manage her uncontrollable time jumps, I was expecting some sort of direction for all the time travelling jumps. Instead, the story gets mostly bogged down with Gwen's (annoyed) drooling over her time travel companion. Because of course there's a guy, who's tall and handsome and smart and sporty... and generally a royal pain in the ass. What's not to love?
Score: 2.3/5 stars
There is nothing particularly bad in here, I just no longer have the patience for such blatant YA tropes. I would not go as far as to suggest watching the movie to complete the reading experience, unless of course you're big on masochism. Still, the atmosphere is nicely done for some of the scenes, and Lady Margaret Tilney shines in both the movie and the books.
=======================
Review of book 2: Saphirblau
Review of book 3: Smaragdgrün
Book #13 of my "read at least 20 books in German" challenge.
16-year-old Gwendolyn Shepherd has grown up knowing that her snootty cousin Charlotte was destined for great things as the family's newest time travelling member. Yet when it's Gwen who travels to the past unexpectedly, she finds things anything but exciting. Especially as this gets her inducted into a weird mysoginistic cult, in exchange for avoiding uncontrolled time jumps.
I've watched the 2013 German TV movie a few years back, and found it cringey enough to not feel like either reading or watching any more of the series. Fast forward to my current language-based self challenge, and I'm giving the series a second chance after all.
As a rule, Kerstin Gier is one of the authors I tend to rate highly for both her adult and YA novels, though I've had a fairly underwhelming experience with In Wahrheit wird viel mehr gelogen and must've restarted the audiobook for A Castle in the Clouds 5 times by now.
Overall the story wasn't... dismal. As a matter of fact, up until the 50% mark things were looking fairly intriguing with Gwendolyn alternating between disbelief of her time travelling episodes, and the undeniable excitement of looking around in the past. When she eventually
Score: 2.3/5 stars
There is nothing particularly bad in here, I just no longer have the patience for such blatant YA tropes. I would not go as far as to suggest watching the movie to complete the reading experience, unless of course you're big on masochism. Still, the atmosphere is nicely done for some of the scenes, and Lady Margaret Tilney shines in both the movie and the books.
=======================
Review of book 2: Saphirblau
Review of book 3: Smaragdgrün
Book #13 of my "read at least 20 books in German" challenge.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,867 reviews