Ruby Red

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth discovers that she, rather than her well-prepared cousin, carries a time-travel gene, and soon she is journeying with Gideon, who shares the gift, through historical London trying to discover whom they can trust.

Staff Review:

This young adult novel has all the ingredients for a perfect escape: time travel, a secret society, cheeky ghosts, best friends, and a romance which begins with mutual dislike. The story is set in present day London where we meet our reluctant heroine, Gwen Shepherd. She is content with her life of normalcy and is grateful her cousin received the mysterious time travelling gene and not herself.

Wrong. Not only does Gwen possess the gene but she is the Ruby, the last of twelve time travelers and foretold to have magical abilities. Both the secret society, known as the Guardians, and Gwen are less than thrilled at this turn of events. Enter the disdainful and arrogant but impossibly good-looking Gideon. He is her time traveling counterpart and determined to complete the secret missions on his own. What follows is a wonderful tale of adventure filled with villainy, theft, secrecy, beautiful costumes and fast-paced dialogue. Much of the book is spent setting up the story but the plot never drags. Indeed, my only complaint is that the sequel, Sapphire Blue, does not come out until 2012.

-- by Mollie H.