Book Review: Ruby Red

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

A time traveling gene runs in Gwen’s family, pulling the gene carrier uncontrollably into the past sometime during their sixteenth year. Everyone expects Gwen’s cousin Charlotte to become the time traveler. Charlotte has been preparing her whole life for the trips back in time, so Gwen is shocked when she is the one that feels the warning symptoms of time travelling at age sixteen instead of her cousin. When Gwen wakes up a hundred years in the past after a dizzy spell, she is completely unprepared. Can she change the future by talking to people in the past? Will she fall to the ground if she travels back in time and the building she is in doesn’t exist yet? The possibilities of time travel are exciting and overwhelming, but Gier explains the logistics well instead of glossing over things.

Ruby Red is a whirlwind of adventure as Gwen bounces back and forth in time. Gwen is a fun character and I loved reading the witty dialogue between her and Gideon, the other time traveler of her generation. He has the same genetic condition as Gwen and they go back to the past together to complete missions for the time traveling society that has been a secret in their families for generations. At first Gwen thinks Gideon is an insufferable know-it-all (who happens to be extremely good looking), but their friendship grows as she gets to know him. The chemistry between the two is delicious and I loved reading the scenes with them together.

Ruby Red is the first in a trilogy that is already a best seller in Germany.  The books are being translated into English and released in the United States one at a time. I’m eagerly waiting for the next one to come out in spring 2012.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast paced and fun read. Even if you don’t normally enjoy fantasy, Ruby Red will keep you hooked as Gwen unravels the secrets that her family is keeping in both the past and present.