Friday, March 29, 2013

Days of Blood & Starlight (Review)

Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2)Book: Days of Blood & Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 513
Source: Purchased

Blurb:
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.


Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?
 
My Rating:
 
It's no secret that I fell in love with Daughter of Smoke & Bone last year, it even made it onto my top reads of 2012 list, but this one just added a whole new layer to this series. It's so dark and different from Daughter of Smoke & Bone but fans of this series will be sure to love it none the less.
 
I was petrified to start this one, after the way the first book ended I had the worst ideas as to what Laini Taylor was going to do. Thankfully I was wrong but this book is still pretty difficult. There is a lot more killing and blood shed than in the first one and it's just so dark, but still unbelievably magical.
 
This time around we get to see how the characters act through different eyes: such as Zuzana and Mik's as well as Ziri and Akiva's. This added a great aspect to the book and I really enjoyed seeing things from different characters.
 
I kept praying that Karou and Akiva would work everything out and just be together, but seeing how they were apart for most of the book I was pretty sad. There are parts when they seem to be growing close again but then something happens and it is forced away. Hopefully the next one will provide us with a little more Karou/Akiva.
 
The writing is still magical and amazing. Laini Taylor is a master and no matter what she's writing whether it was sweet and fully of magic like Daughter of Smoke & Bone or dark and gritty like Days of Blood & Starlight, she can pull it off flawlessly.
 
If you were a fan of the first you definitely need to check this one out right away. It is darker but it still provides you with a sense of hope even when everything seems like it is falling apart. I will be waiting not so patiently for the next installment of this series which comes out next year.
 
 


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #5




The Collector (Dante Walker, #1)Title: The Collector
Author: Victoria Scott

Series: Dante Walker, #1
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Expected Publication: April 2, 2013





Description:

He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

 


Why I'm Waiting:
Well, Dante is a soul collector for hell, how cool is that? Plus Dante seems to be totally kick butt and I love guys who know how to kick some serious butt. And that cover is just gorgeous. The book just really sounds like something I would like and I cannot wait for it.
 
 
What are you guys waiting on this week? Leave me a link below and I'll check it out!
 
 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction (Review)

Foretold: 14 Tales of Prophecy and PredictionBook: Foretold: 14 Stories of Prophecy and Prediction
Author: Numerous authors, edited by Carrie Ryan
Series: N/A
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 351
Source: Purchased

Blurb:
Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Michael Grant, Meg Cabot, Laini Taylor, and nine more of the hottest YA authors to hit the shelves explore the concepts of prophecy and prediction in this story collection edited by NYT bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan.

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate? It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction's brightest stars.
My Rating:
 
Since this was a collection of short stories I'm just going to offer a brief opinion on each one, seeing how if I say too much it will ruin the stories for everyone else.
 
Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor 5/5
I think this was my second favorite story out of the whole book. It was just so, creepy but cute at the same time. Laini Taylor's writing is just magical and I kind of wish she would write a full length novel based on this story.
 
Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund 3/5
This one was alright, the whole premise really creeped me out, and was a bit too religion based for me. But in general it was a good story and was well written.
 
The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann 1/5
This one was a big disappointment. I love Lisa McMann but this story was highly repetitive and just made absolutely no sense to me. I really wanted to like this one but I just couldn't
 
Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot 4/5
I really enjoyed this one. The whole story takes place being told through the perspective of different teenager's who were there when an alien landed. The whole time I was reading this I kept imagining that they were being interviewed by The Men in Black. This was a great story, especially if you're a big sci-fi fan.
 
One True Love by Malina Lo 2/5
This one was an okay story. It involves love between two people of the same gender, which I have no problem with, but it really wasn't for me. I'm not a big fan of the whole knight in shining armor even if it is a woman!
 
This is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant 3/5
This one was creepy, students no longer have to go to school and learn their lessons anywhere they want by using a computer. The teacher in this one went a little too far and that kind of freaked me out a little. The story goes pretty quick and it is definitely interesting.
 
Misery by Heather Brewer 4/5
I really didn't get what was going on until after I thought about it and then once I understood the ending I realised that I absolutely loved this story. It was dark and hopeful at the same time.
 
The Mind is a Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena 3/5
This one just shows that if you think about something too much you are pretty much inviting it to happen. It was an interesting read and would have made a pretty good full length novel.
 
The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell 2/5
I'm not a big fan of the whole princess having to save the other princess because she's better than her and what not. It just doesn't work for me. The only thing I really liked about this one was the ending. It was written well but it just wasn't for me.
 
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia 3/5
What would you do if you learned that your predictions, which you thought were fake were suddenly coming true? I really enjoyed this one, it was interesting and I really didn't see the ending coming.
 
Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl 5/5
This is another one of my favorites. It was so well written and I loved the spin on Nostradamus. The ending was a major surprise for me seeing how there were predictions throughout the whole story but I guess it really shows that some things aren't what they appear.
 
Fate by Simone Elkeles 2/5
I'm not really sure about this one. I don't see what it has to do with prophecy or prediction or even fate for that matter. It was a cute story but I just don't see how it fits.
 
The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan 5/5
The whole premise for this one was just awesome. Carrie Ryan definitely knows how to write an interesting story that leaves you breathless with the twist in the end. Definitely check this one out!
 
Homecoming by Richelle Mead 5/5
This one was my favorite out of the whole collection. I was so glad to dive back into the world of Vampire Academy with Rose and Dimitri. It's funny how even when they're on vacation they still find themselves facing strigoi, but those too probably can't sit still for too long anyway. For fans of Vampire Academy this story is an absolute must.
 
 
 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #8


Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews as a way to share all the books we got during the week!
 
Wow it's been almost 2 months since I've done one of these so I have a huge haul!
 
For Review:
 
  • Emilie & the Hollow World by Martha Wells. (Thank you Strange Chemistry!!)
Random Buzzers Ambuzzador Book:

  • Dualed by Elsie Chapman (Thank you Random Buzzers and Random House!!)
Won:

  • Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne + Bookmark (Thank you Fierce Reads!)
  • Signed copy of The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban (Big thanks to Kelsey @ Ketch's Book Nook)
  • Of Poseidon (Signed) by Anna Banks. (Thank you to JennRenee @ JennRenee Read)
  • My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush (ARC) by Laura Toffler-Corrie (Thank you Mac Teen)
  • Bubble World (ARC) by Carol Snow (Thank you Mac Teen)
  • Neptune's Tears (ARC) by Susan Waggoner (Thank you Mac Teen!)
  • Famous Last Words (ARC) by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Thank you Mac Teen)
  • Love in the Time of Global Warming (ARC) by Francesca Lia Block (Thanks Mac Teen)
Purchased from Random Buzzers using Buzz Bucks:

  • Beyond (ARC) by Graham McNamee
  • Every Day (ARC) by David Levithan
  • Mystic City (ARC) by Theo Lawrence
ARCycling:

  • Under the Bridge by Michael Harmon
  • The Bridge (ARC) by Jane Higgins
Library's free take a book shelf:
 
  • Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Purchased:

  • The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
  • Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
  • Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
  • The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
  • Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
  • Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
  • Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  • Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter
  • Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
What did you guys get this week? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll be sure to stop by.
 

 
 
 


 
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

Beautiful Creatures (Review)

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)Book: Beautiful Creatures
Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series: Caster Chronicles #1
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 563
Source: Purchased

Blurb:
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
 
My Rating:
 
Let me start by saying that I didn't get my hopes up for this one, and because of that I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself enjoying this story even though at certain parts it is extremely slow. I think the thing I enjoyed most about the book was the fact that it was told through a guy's point of view. It left me as confused and lost as Ethan was and I had to discover the truth about Lena right along with him.
 
I loved that the story was set in the South. Because of this you can really see how poorly Lena is treated by the people in this town especially since they go by Southern hospitality. Where was it for her? Just because she was different all pretense was dropped and she was treated like a pariah. When Ethan begins to hang out with Lena, he begins to lose everything as well even though the town still claims him as their own since his family has been there for years. He begins to be shunned just as much as Lena, the only difference is Ethan is perfectly okay with it.
 
The fact that the story is about magic is what really held my attention. I love stories about witches, though in this case it's Casters. It was even more enjoyable due to the fact that the one telling the story wasn't the Caster but a Mortal. So we get to see the magic through the eyes of someone who isn't used to it and that really brings a whole new level to the story.
 
I really liked Ethan. He was loyal and kind and didn't put up with any of the crap the other kids in his class did. He stood up for Lena even though he was the only one doing it and never even thought twice about it. Lena was another great character, though her constant worrying did get old pretty fast, she was strong as well and when it came to Ethan there was nothing she wouldn't do to save him.
 
I recommend this for anybody who enjoys having a male point of view in Young Adult fiction. If you're a fan of magic and mystery as well as adventure then you should definitely check this book out.
 



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #4



SmokeTitle: Smoke
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Series: Burned, #2
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
Expected Publication: September 10, 2013




Description:
Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?
 
Why I'm Waiting:
I've read almost every Ellen Hopkins book out (except Triangles and Tilt but they are on my list) and I loved Burned. The story was so tragic yet during it you felt a sense of hope only to have your heart ripped out and handed to you. All of Ellen Hopkins' books have either made me cry or left me thinking about the characters long after I put the book on my shelf and I have no doubt that this one will as well. I NEED to know what happens to Pattyn, after the way Burned ended my heart broke. Besides that cover is amazing and hello? books written in verse are just plain awesome.
 
 
What are you guys waiting on this week? Leave me a link below and I'll check it out!
 
 

 
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cover Reveal: Surrender and Justice.


SURRENDER (The Ferryman + The Flame #1)
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Cover Design: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
Exclusively on Amazon / Kindle (don't forget to get your copy!)

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.



JUSTICE (The Ferryman + The Flame #2)
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Cover Design: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
Exclusively available at Amazon / Kindle

How far would you go to destroy yourself?

Krishani always knew he would have to go to the Lands of Men, but he never thought it would be like this. Enemies everywhere, an ancestor he can't respect, elders he can't trust, a curse he can't stop and friends he can't help but hate. Desperate to end the pain, he sets out on a quest to find the other Flames and face the enemy that took everything from him.
 

AUTHOR BIO
Rhiannon Paille 
Rhi was never a normal girl. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She studied at U of Sedona and MIMT, obtaining a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. She's married to a chef/comic book shop owner and has a fondness for architecture. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site.

 
Rhiannon Paille's: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter






**Both books are free on Amazon today only!**

Cover Reveal organized by xpresso book tours

Monday, March 18, 2013

Under the Bridge (Review)

Under the BridgeBook: Under the Bridge
Author: Michael Harmon
Series: N/A
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 259
Source: Received through ARCycling

Blurb:
Tate's younger brother Indy is probably the best skateboarder in Spokane. He's also really smart though he couldn't care less about school. But when Indy clashes with his father one too many times and drops out of school, it's up to Tate to win his brother back from the seedier elements of Spokane. Can Tate convince Indy to come home, finish his high school degree, and return to skating Under the bridge with their crew?

Michael Harmon's fast-paced and highly charged novel captures the enduring bond between brothers and their struggle for survival on the gritty streets of Spokane.
 
 
 
 
 
My Rating:
 
This book was extremely gritty and shows what can happen when the streets overtake someone you care about. It also shows the lengths that one teenager will go to just to rescue his brother. This is not a happy book, though it does have a happy ending. The journey throughout is dark and dreary and not full of much hope. That's the funny thing about teenagers, they try no matter what, especially when it's one of their own that's in trouble.
 
This is a story about love, but it's also a story about hate. What happens when one teen is pushed too far over the edge could very well be what happens to anyone. The streets claim you and when there is nobody left fighting for you there is no way out. Luckily for Indy his brother never gave up on him, no matter how angry he became and Tate would stop at nothing to save his brother and bring him home.
 
This is one of those books that will stay with me a long time. It's hard to forget about the struggles these characters went through, not because they're extreme or disturbing, though they certainly are, but because they're real. Any number of the events that take place in this novel can happen to anybody, and they do.
 
The whole skateboarding aspect adds a happier, more entertaining edge to this otherwise gritty novel. I don't skate and I don't pretend to know anything about it but the author made it like you knew everything these teenagers were doing. Besides the tricks there is no extreme skater lingo in this book and for that I was glad because it probably would have taken away from the other part of this story.
 
I liked Tate and Indy. They were two kids who may not have had the best lives but proved that you can fix your mistakes and still have a future no matter where you come from. Just because they come from the wrong side of town and grew up surrounded by drug dealers does not mean that their lives are set to follow that path. After all of the mistakes, Indy finds the strength to turn his life around.
 
I really would not reccomend this for younger audiences, the topics include drugs and violence and would be better suited for more mature Young Adult fans.
 



Saturday, March 16, 2013

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hey guys, since google is going to be getting rid of Google Reader, I am now on Bloglovin so you can follow me by clicking on that link above!

Friday, March 15, 2013

The Bridge (ARC Review)

The BridgeBook: The Bridge
Author: Jane Higgins
Series: N/A
Publisher: Tundra Books
Format:  ARC
Pages: 340
Source: Received through ARCycling

Blurb:
The City is divided. The bridges gated. In Southside, the hostiles live in squalor and desperation, waiting for a chance to overrun the residents of Cityside.

Nik is still in high school but destined for a great career with the Internal Security and Intelligence Services, the brains behind the war. But when ISIS comes recruiting, everyone is shocked when he isn’t chosen. There must be an explanation, but no one will talk about it. Then the school is bombed and the hostiles take the bridges. Buildings are burning, kids are dead, and the hostiles have kidnapped Sol. Now ISIS is hunting for Nik.

But Nik is on the run, with Sol’s sister Fyffe and ISIS hot on their trail. They cross the bridge in search of Sol, and Nik finds answers to questions he’d never dared to ask.

The Bridge is a gritty adventure set in a future world where fear of outsiders pervades everything. A heart-stopping novel about friendship, identity and courage from an exciting new voice in young-adult fiction.
 
My Rating:
 
I really could not get into this story. Sure the adventure was thrilling and the plot was fast paced but there was something about it that truly kept me from enjoying it. It took everything I had just to continue reading this, just to get to the end and have closure.
 
This book is aimed at Young Adults but at times it read more like a Middle Grade book than anything else. I found the writing to be choppy and at times many things didn't make sense. I found myself confused quite a few times and had to go back to re-read a paragraph just to make sure I didn't miss something.
 
I only really liked one of the characters and that was Fyffe. She was so shy in the beginning but she toughened up during her adventure with the main character Nikolai. I found Nikolai to be annoying and he aggravated me. Sure all he wanted to do was save his friends and protect them but he just rubbed me the wrong way. For hating Southsiders so much, he befriended quite a few of them pretty quickly.
 
I didn't enjoy it but that doesn't mean that you won't! If you're a die-hard fan of dystopian's then you may want to check this one out. It's a quick read but there are parts that are pretty graphic (blood and such.)


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Blood and Snow Book Blitz: Excerpt + Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Title: Blood and Snow: The Complete Set 
Author: RaShelle Workman
Publication date: 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal
Synopsis:
Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White.

Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet.

When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire.

With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter.

Or, a human.

She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister. And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires.
 
Excerpt:
 
When you lose everything, there’s only one option. Jump. Go all in. Which is what I did. With both fangs. I embraced my vampire… ism?... ness?... tendencies?... whatever. I accepted them and, the truth was, I liked it.
At least while I partook of human blood. After, when the drunken haze faded, guilt would edge its way in. I hadn’t killed another human, not since Gabe, but killing him was horror enough. It ate at my heart. I remembered the grotesque way Gabe’s body laid on the floor. The way Professor Pops and the guys looked at me. With loathing, disgust, and fear. But I deserved it. I’d become a monster, and killed a brother. A son. A boy I thought I might love. He kissed me, and I repaid him in blood. Lots of it. Maybe even all of it. My carnal need overtook all other emotions, and I let myself give in. Relished the sensation.


 
 
About the Author:

RASHELLE WORKMAN lives on a mountain with her husband, three children, and three dogs. From her back porch she can see the city lights and imagine... She's the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series (Sleeping Roses is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series.
Rashelle's Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 
 





Giveaway!
Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway



BOOK BLITZ HOSTED BY XPRESSO BOOK TOURS
 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #3





Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Expected Publication: June 4, 2013



Description:
Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
 
Why I'm Waiting:
After reading and loving Shadow and Bone last year I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this book. I love the storyline and the world that Leigh Bardugo has created and I can't wait to dive back in. Plus I desperately want to see what happens with Alina and Mal. And there's The Darkling, need I say more?
 
 
What are you guys waiting on this week? Leave me a link below and I'll check it out!
 
 

Monday, March 11, 2013

Ruby Red (Review)

Ruby Red (The Ruby Red Trilogy, #1)Book: Ruby Red
Author: Kerstin Gier
Series: Edelsteine Trilogie #1
Publisher: Square Fish
Format: Paperback
Pages: 322
Source: Purchased

Blurb:
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.

Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red is young adult novel full of fantasy and romance.
 
 
My Rating:
 
I actually almost gave up and stopped reading this one a few times. I found the beginning to be extremely boring and Gwyneth to be annoying. I'm really glad that I didn't give up on it though, since about halfway through the story really began to pick up and after that point I was hooked. The idea of time travel isn't anything new but I really enjoyed the in depth this book made it. Other books have time travelling sure but they never explain it, this one does.
 
Being a huge fan of history I was delighted to find the characters travelling to different points in the past such as the Rococo period and England in 1912. I can appreciate the fact that not only did the author research the time periods and correctly portray them but also the characters were dressed in the fashion trends of the day and who doesn't love the idea of wearing formal gowns?
 
The characters were for the most part likeable. Gwyneth got on my nerves in the beginning but she quickly grew on me. Where I thought she was a whiny brat she actually ended up being a pretty tough character. There were times when she had to show her bravery even though she was petrified. Gideon was a jerk. Simple as that. He really said some nasty things about Gwyneth, even though it wasn't her fault she was unprepared for time travel. Then he just does a complete 180 and ends up becoming extremely close to her, it seemed pretty unrealistic to me. Lesley and James were by far my favorite characters and they weren't in the book that much. Lesley was Gwyneth's best friend and she helped her gather information and she was all around funny and kind. James was a ghost that haunted their school and he was extremely kind even though he didn't realize he was dead yet.
 
All in all, this was an interesting story that had a great plot. The time travelling aspect of the story had a lot of thought and detail put into it and actually worked for the story. The history aspects were by far the best part of this novel and I am looking for ward to seeing where and when Gwyneth and Gideon go next.