“As bad as it sounds, and though this is definitely not my usual practice, I initially bought this book because it has just the most exquisite cover that I have seen in years. Hats-off to Jonathan Barkat and April Ward, the people responsible for the jacket design.
However, after reading this book, I have to say I made a really good choice and this time, despite the popular saying, my judgement of the book's cover coincides with my judgement of the novel itself. But before I go into all of that, I think I should tell you, what this book is all about:
Every family has their secrets. And for Gwen's family, it's her cousin Charlotte. Gwen has lived most of her life in Charlotte's shadow. She is just one day older than Gwen but she is also beautiful, graceful, intelligent, gets special treatment by their grandmother, Lady Arista, and every Wednesday, Charlotte attends mysterious meetings and classes. All this fuss is because Charlotte carries the gene that will allow her to travel back in time. But someone, maybe deliberately, has made a mistake. Gwen becomes aware of this mistake when she suddenly finds herself on Oxford Street, in the early 1900's.
From then on, Gwen's world is turned on it's head and shaken vigorously. Her uncontrolled leaps into the past are an unwanted surprise and she is completely unprepared for the secret society known as the 'Guardians' that are run by the de Villiers, a family like her own who also passes on the time travelling gene. Despite her mother's warning and protection, Gwen is coerced by the Guardians into a carrying out a mission with her male counter-part Gideon de Villiers. But it doesn't take her long to find out that the past, and her mission, is fraught with mind-games, danger, intrigue and, most surprisingly of all, love...
I think this is the first "time travel" book that I've ever read. And I just can't get enough of it. Especially the twist at the end. It has been plaguing my mind these past three days and has even resulted in restless nights, since my brain refuses to desist from imagining what the next book, 'Sapphire Blue', might bring with it. Another thing that I like about 'Ruby Red', is the way that Gwen and her best friend Lesley are two very realistic teenage girls (with all the faults and symptoms of an average teen) plunged into particularly unrealistic world. There is also a very nice blend of history and all-things-modern. But in spite of the engaging narrative, the action and the mysterious clues dotted at the beginning of each chapter, 'Ruby Red' still feels like only an introduction to this world that Kerstin Gier has created, with the main storyline yet to come. It's just...
For the full review, please visit:
http://lifeasiknowit-nida.blogspot.com/2011/11/succession-of-three.html ”
Anat wrote this review Friday, November 4, 2011.
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