Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Goodreads
330 pages, YA Historical Fiction, Time Travel
Edelstein Trilogie #1
My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

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.

My 2 cents

I kind of expected this to seem more like a MG book, just from its packaging.  But its definitely YA, through and through!  I really enjoyed the story overall.  I seem to have been on a time travel reading kick lately, so I was comparing this to Hourglass by Myra McEntire and Tempest by Julie Cross.  While it didn't live up to either one of those, Ruby Red was unique with its own flavor.

I did love the characters.  They were all about "off"--stuffy, idiosyncratic rich people who seemed a little disconnected from reality!  Gwyneth and her best friend are the only two characters who seem to be normal.  Although Gwyneth can see dead people, and has conversations with them regularly!

I really did not like Gideon at first.  He is really into Charlotte, and he's really snobby to Gwyneth.  But by the end of the story, the rules seem to have changed.  Gwyneth and Gideon really need each other, and when Gideon realizes this, his attitude changes pretty quick!

My biggest complaint is definitely how it ends.  This is one of those trilogies where it will be better to read them all at once.  This book felt a little bit short, and cut off.  I loved the historical aspects, the setting (London!), and the cult like society that reminded me a lot of the Freemasons.  If you are looking for a fun, historical time travel story, this one is it!