Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

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. (from GoodReads)

Review:
I was really excited to finally read Ruby Red because it's been on my to-read list for awhile and I think it's so cool that it was translated from German! I read a lot of American books so I was looking forward to trying something different. Luckily for me, I loved Ruby Red.

The book is set in London and I'm not sure if that's change because they are speaking English now or if the original was set in London, as well. London is a fabulous city and a great setting for a time travelling novel because it's so historical. I thought the concept of time travel in Ruby Red was very well done - it wasn't too complicated and it's cool how it's this big secret that no one can know about.

I thought that Gwyneth's family dynamic was an interesting part of the novel. She lives with her mom, brother and sister in a big house with the rest of her extended family. Since the time travel gene runs in families, it's essential to have a good support system because no one else in the world knows about this ability (except Gwyneth's BFF and the other families who also have the gene).

When Gwyneth figures out that it's her and not her cousin that has the gene, it causes a big rift in the family. Gwyneth's aunt and cousin think she's lying somehow and they pretty much act like little kids who have had their favorite toy taken away from them. Gwyneth starts spending time with Gideon, a time traveler who is two years older than her whose family also carries the gene. I'm sure you can guess that a romance blossoms between them and I really enjoyed reading those parts.

There's some mystery in Ruby Red, mainly dealing with past family members who stole an important artifact and it's Gwyneth and Gideon's job to get it back. I'm excited to see what they uncover because I'm sure there will be several plot twists. Overall, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from the library.

2011/Henry Holt/322 pages.