Ruby Red

Ruby Red Trilogy, Book 1

By: Kerstin Gier, Anthea Bell - translator

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2011 Kerstin Gier, with a translation copyright of 2011 by Anthea Bell (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Humorous, romantic and suspenseful, the plot is fast-paced and impossible to put down.... The final romantic cliffhanger will leave you thirsty for the next book in this ‘jewel’ of a series." ( Justine magazine)

Time Traveling Teens!

I would have LOVED this book as a teen! I say that often with the young adult novels I read these days. I feel like there was not such emphasis on this genre when these books would have been appropriate for me!

Anyway, the time travel element is what drew me to the book, along with a beautiful add of a woman in a red gown I came across in an issue of Bookpages.

This was a quick read, but I am certain I will read the whole series to see what happens. It had just enough time travel rules and paradoxes to satisfy my whims as well as excellent tension build up with our heroine, Gwyn trying to determine who she can trust.

Frankly, the epilogue and prologue are what sealed the deal for me! You will just have to read to see what I mean!

Loved it

I loved the story line of this using a young girl and all the relationships she has with her ancestors past and present. It drew me in and I'm excited to start the next book.

Very pleasant

I enjoyed going on the journey with Gwyneth and Gideon, but you have to understand this is a 16 year old girl going through this unexpected adventure. This is school, extreme emotions and first experiences in a fantasy setting. I found the book appealing and I liked the characters. I enjoyed the time travel, the romance, the relationships, the family, and the side characters. The reader and the writer were calm and well matched - an overexcited reader grates on my nerves. I downloaded all three books so I didn't have to wait to hear what happened next. I was drawn into the story - a pleasant getaway.

Fun and entertaining!

I really enjoyed this story. I didn't notice any of the problems that others found with the narration. The ending did seem a bit rushed, almost like the author forced a segue for the next book. Some parts made me laugh out loud. Overall, I recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the current, popular youth fiction choices out today.

Very slow and pretty boring

I was expecting more. I kept listening waiting for something to happen. The idea was okay, but the story needed more to it.

witty timetravel book

I liked Ruby red a lot.
i have read it in german before and decided to buy it as an audiobook because it is so enjoyable.

Intrigued and delighted

I'm thoroughly enjoying this storyline, it's unlike any I've read before (so much mystery and I have so many questions). I'm also enjoying the narrator- she does a wonderful job. I can't wait to start the next one.

Time Travel

Would you listen to Ruby Red again? Why?

I don't usually listen to books more than once. But I am looking forward to listening to the next two in the series.

Any additional comments?

I like time travel books. So I enjoyed this book.

Give it a chance!

This was recommended to me by a friend, and what she told me was that I would need to give the series a chance. It starts off slow, and then I had tons of questions that arose from the intricate time travel rules. However, if you DO give the author that chance, it will be well worth your while. By the end of the trilogy, she clears up all of the little oddities that occur along the way and provides a lovely ending.

Ruby Read and Read Again

Very cute. I really enjoyed the characters and was quickly hooked. This is a wonderful YA book to lose oneself in. Full of curiosities. I picked up the second before reaching the last chapter. Charming.