Review: Ruby Red

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Everyone thinks that Charlotte is the one in the family to inherit the time travel gene. Her birth date was predicted by Sir Isaac Newton, after all, and he knew a thing or two about equations. As a result, she has spent her entire life training for time travel; she is fluent in several languages, is a history-wiz, and knows how to ride horses and fence. And she is the only one in the family who can tell her grandmother to mind her own business. But Charlotte does not inherit the gene. Her cousin, Gwyneth does.

When Gwyneth finds herself in a different decade when she goes out to buy her aunt cookies, she knows something isn’t right. After all, Charlotte was the one with the gene and the training. But Gwyneth is definitely the one who has the gene, as is confirmed by two additional trips to the past. Soon, a secret is revealed and Gwyneth is brought into a secret society. She and another time traveler, Gideon (who happens to be really, really good looking), must go back in time to complete a mission. However, it seems that they are being watched or betrayed, and not everything goes according to plan. Gwyneth and Gideon must find out who is trying to stop them from completing their mission, and from returning to their own time with their lives.

This book was awesome. After reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter I needed something light and fluffy and this was perfect. I was engaged in the story, and I thought Gwyneth was really funny. She is a character that many teens will relate to, and her crazy family was quite entertaining. Particularly Aunt Maddy. Gideon was a little hard to follow as a character, but I’m hoping his personality will be less bi-polar as his character develops and readers get to know him.

Gier wrote a compelling first book, and made me want to get the second book, Sapphire Blue, ASAP (I’m still on the waiting list). Was it great literature? No. Was it something teens (and me) will enjoy, and will they (me) get sucked into the story? Yes.

Ruby Red was originally written in German. The translation into English was done by Anthea Bell.