Ruby Red by Kerstin Geir (translated from German by Anthea Bell)

From the Book Jacket: Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Thoughts/Reactions: Ruby Red appeals to the young teenage girl in me. It has humor,   period drama, secret societies, prophecies, and time travel. The world is simple but interesting and while the main character Gwyneth is a bit silly and young, she’s funny and brave although perhaps a bit foolhardy. She can be quite silly, but I liked that, and rather than being awed by her destiny as a time traveler, she stays fairly grounded. When those around her want to brush her aside, she refuses to stand on the sidelines of her life even when her life becomes very scary and confusing.

I also liked the world and the family histories that are set up in the book. I liked the ghosts, the prophecies, the family relationships, and even the best friend. What I also liked is that I didn’t feel that this book copied The Hunger Games, Twilight, or Harry Potter like so many books being published right now. It’s just a fun story.

My biggest problem with the book is that there is not much plot progression. (I also didn’t like the romance but I’ll go into that when I review the second book.) There is a lot of humor and the world is set up, but the book ends on a cliffhanger and nothing in the book has been resolved, only more questions are presented. The next book in the trilogy picks up almost immediately where Ruby Red ends and it also ends without much resolution so the books feel like they’re chopped up parts of a larger work, just bits of story. Neither Ruby Red or its sequel Sapphire Blue  felt like they could stand on their own. That said, they’re both fast paced enough and amusing enough that I read both very quickly and I do plan to read the final installment when it comes out in October.

Recommended for young teenage girls, suitable even for the ones on the young end of the YA spectrum, or older ones looking for a very light and funny read.

Read for the 2013 Color Coded Reading Challenge: Red. Other books I’ve read for the challenge are here.