Robijnrood

Jul 03, 2011 Cara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy

I decided I was going to take some time to percolate my ideas for this book, but it's still up in the air what I exactly think. Had some aspects I liked (i.e. time-travel), and others I didn't (i.e. the arc of the story).

Alright synopsis first: Gwen is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in London (the book was written in German originally so I'm not sure why that setting was chosen). Normal enough, but she comes from a family who can time-travel. Thankfully the gene bypassed her and was given to...more I decided I was going to take some time to percolate my ideas for this book, but it's still up in the air what I exactly think. Had some aspects I liked (i.e. time-travel), and others I didn't (i.e. the arc of the story).

Alright synopsis first: Gwen is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in London (the book was written in German originally so I'm not sure why that setting was chosen). Normal enough, but she comes from a family who can time-travel. Thankfully the gene bypassed her and was given to her perfect cousin Charlotte. Gwen can enjoy a normal life without all the drama that comes with having the "special" gene. Well can you tell what's gonna happen? Gosh darn it you got it! (I'm not usually this cynical really; I'm just kind of irritated about my feelings about the book). Gwen's got the gene instead and there is lots of mystery shrouded around why this is. Now with Gwen thrown into this whole new world she meets Gideon (who is a bit of distraction to Gwen, to her great dismay); together they have an important mission to accomplish but it's hard to tell who are the bad and good guys, and if they can even trust each other.

The workings and the history behind the society is interesting. It reminds me of setups of other secret societies actually. What kind of bothered me was how Gwen has thoughts and says things like a twelve or thirteen year old which would have been fine if that was her age. Then when she meets Gideon and gets in deep with the time-traveling stuff she shifts, which was nice to see but kind of abrupt for me. Of course it has those cool scenes of how events clash the present, past and future. I’ve always loved stuff like that, and that was in here. Even though I have my reservations about it, I know others will just eat this up.

I hate when I'm indecisive about a book, but you need some books like that so you can appreciate the amazing ones. What I think is bothering me so much is that I did expect to love it and for it to be epic, and it had all the pieces but it wasn’t quite there yet. *sigh* Anyhow, at the end it leaves you in mid-stride. There is no major piece of the puzzle solved but it tantalizes you mercilessly and I will read the sequel. No matter my confusion of what I think I have to know what happens. HAVE TO.
(less)

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Apr 18, 2011 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: tween girls

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, children-s-middle-school, series-dropped-lost-steam, historical, ala-ya-2012

I knew Ruby Red wouldn't be quite my type of YA lit after reading first couple of pages of it. Even though the main character, Gwyneth, is 16 going on 17, she sounds about 12. Naturally, a quick decision-maker that I am, I made up my mind to drop it right after finishing chapter 1. After finishing chapter 1 I decided to drop it after chapter 2, and so it went...

Gwyneth is a member of the family of time-travelers. Every other generation or so her family produces a girl who starts uncontrollably t...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Ariel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, young-adult, favourites

Review to come.. It's 2:42am! THIS DARNED GREAT BOOK MADE ME STAY UP SO LATE!
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Okay! So it's the 27th now, and I'm ready to write my review. The first thing that should be apparent is that I loved this book. I gave it 5/5 stars, and it kept me up into the ridiculous hours of the night on both of the days that I read it. I recommend it to all!

Now, let's break it up.

Firstly, plot. One of the main reasons I loved this book was because it was constantly exciting. The plot kept up at a grea...more Review to come.. It's 2:42am! THIS DARNED GREAT BOOK MADE ME STAY UP SO LATE!
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Okay! So it's the 27th now, and I'm ready to write my review. The first thing that should be apparent is that I loved this book. I gave it 5/5 stars, and it kept me up into the ridiculous hours of the night on both of the days that I read it. I recommend it to all!

Now, let's break it up.

Firstly, plot. One of the main reasons I loved this book was because it was constantly exciting. The plot kept up at a great pace and it NEVER lulled. I never found myself thinking "I wish this would speed up!" Obviously, because this is the first book, there is a fair bit of information dropping to set up the whole world concept, but the author did this in entertaining ways by weaving it into conversations and other moments. Also, the whole concept of this world is so cool that I didn't mind slowing down for a while to know more about it! Plot gets top marks for constantly keeping me intrigued! Also, I need to add, that this book was at times HILARIOUS. Like, I have honestly not laughed out loud at a book for what feels like a year and this book had me bursting out at laughter, with tears in my eyes, like five times!

Secondly, characters. I love characters in books. They are the vessel through which the plot and world impact us. You can have a fantastic world but terrible characters and the book will be ruined. I was so lucky in this book that not only did I have a thrilling plot, but I also sad home of the best characters I've read in a while! One of the reasons that I don't like supernatural books, and this does have some supernaturalish aspects, is because the characters are usually so fake. They are in the world for maybe 2 days and BAM! They totally get it, fear nothing, understand all. Not here though! The main character grows up around this world, but she's never really in the know about it. And when she IS thrust into it she reacts in exactly the same way I would actually believe a person to act! She's scared, and frustrated, and excited! She acts kind of "dorky" about it, because it's so new to her! I thought it was so refreshing to have a character that admits that she doesn't understand her surroundings but that she's willing to give it a shot! She also had some really great moments where she took chances and was brave, and I really liked it. The other characters, although less developed, were also great. Her mother has a big role, which I love in YA novels because parents do exist! She also has a best friend who I really really loved. She isn't in on this time travelling world, but helps the main character as much as she can! They spend a lot of time looking things up on Google which I truly appreciated (how many times has a character in a book been confused and you know it could all be solved if they just went to the internet?!) and she's supportive, like telling Gwenyth to tell her mom about her situation and making sure that Gwenyth is okay. Overall, characters were fantastic!

Finally, I want to talk about theme. Because honestly, there wasn't one. I think themes and lessons are important in books, and a lot of the time, if they aren't there, I don't want to give a book 5/5 stars because it's missing such an important aspect. However, in this book, it just didn't need it. There are obviously some small ideas, being brave and taking chances, but that was okay. I enjoyed this book for the thrill ride that it was! It was an honest, exciting, fun book that kept me up until way past when I should have been asleep.

Translation Note: This is the first book I've read where I knew that it was translated. (I have probably read other books that are translated but I didn't know that while reading!) While I was reading I kept it in the back of my mind, but honestly, I didn't really notice anything! There were a couple times, admittedly, where some words were a bit too highbrow to seem natural, as if I doubted that the author had actually chosen THAT stuffy word and that the translator had not been able to find an easier translation and had had to use the "proper" word. Like, there was a moment when someone asked something mundane and the person answered "My day was outstanding!" .. it just didn't feel natural. However, this only happened like four times and it was never distracting or unsettling. It was just a thing.

I LIKED THIS BOOK. IT WAS GREAT. I RECOMMEND YOU PICK IT UP! I'll be getting my hands on the second book, Sapphire Blue, as soon as possible, and I hope it lives up to Ruby Red!(less)

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May 26, 2011 Anica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, re-read, fantasy, favorites

first read May 2009

When I found out about this book I knew I had to buy it. Simply because the cover is so very pretty! Plus, it is written by Kerstin Gier. You can't go wrong with that.

To be honest, I expected some kind of vampire novel regarding the cover. I am kinda glad that I was wrong. Although I wasn't very convinced that I would like the time travel part. But Kerstin Gier proved me wrong. The time travel is kinda logical, exciting and mysterious. Gwen is a very nice heroine and Gideon is...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 02-february-tbr

Loved this book! Gwen is such a charming and funny character, her voice and personality were great! The time travel aspect was well thought out, and I'm really liking how the main mystery is developing. Definitely looking forward to finishing this trilogy! (Even though the third book doesn't come out until OCTOBER! *sigh*)

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May 02, 2013 Gackelchen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book got it all.
It s funny, it s making your angry, it making you puzzling.
The lovestory (all of them) are clean and making your heartbeat going faster within 2 phrases.

A lot of you guys were complaining about how childish Gwen acted sometimes. That she is like a 12 year old instead of 16.

I have an opinion about that. You may not like it and I m sorry if that is so.
Becoz of my work, I see a lot of 16 year old girls and I can remeber when I used to be 16 ;)
I was childish sometimes, a l...more This book got it all.
It s funny, it s making your angry, it making you puzzling.
The lovestory (all of them) are clean and making your heartbeat going faster within 2 phrases.

A lot of you guys were complaining about how childish Gwen acted sometimes. That she is like a 12 year old instead of 16.

I have an opinion about that. You may not like it and I m sorry if that is so.
Becoz of my work, I see a lot of 16 year old girls and I can remeber when I used to be 16 ;)
I was childish sometimes, a lot of what I was sayin was so much bullshit and I m ashamed till now.
The 16 year old girls that coming to my store, buying YA books are childish, chicken really, and making you laugh about how they try to act cool but really, you just think of them as little kids. It s not a bad think. I like remembering having fun with 16.

So now here is the problem with Gwen.
ATM in all the YA books (Maybe not all...) the girls are 16 and having trouble in life. Or got to struggle with impossible fictional things.
When I read one the books, and I getting to know the caracter, I NEVER imagined a 16 year old girl. I do now "She is 16" but in my head it s always a 21 year woman.
And this is because the caracters are always acting way much to adult than it is realistic. And they need to be in some of the books becoz of the back up story. Still, you have to remember that this behaviour is not a natural 16 years old girl behavior, but a fictional "I have to behave like an adult if not I m going to die"

Also I do believe that the YA books would have way less success if the girls really react apropriated to they age.

(Or maybe, german girls are just childisher than US/UK girls? ;) )

Now there is this german YA book from an author , you have to know, always paint the reality in funny books. And it is because of the thruth and realistic actions (not in here I know, but in some other books) you re laughing and the books are beloved. So she wrote about a realistic 16 year old girl in a fictional story. I understand why some of you feel weird reading it after all these so adult 16 year old girls everywhere...(less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge, cover-love, fantasy, ghosts, england, own, young-adult, time-travel, favorites

First of all, that cover! It's gorgeous. I can assure you it is even MORE gorgeous in person since I own a hardback of this book. But guess what? They re-did the cover and now it's just a girl in a pretty dress!! And the sequel, Sapphire Blue, I don't even think they are publishing in hardback. Can you imagine this gorgeous cover in blue? I. AM. DISAPPOINT. But that has nothing to do with the contents, and so we move on to the actual review. But the cover!! *cries*

Ruby Red started out terribly f...more First of all, that cover! It's gorgeous. I can assure you it is even MORE gorgeous in person since I own a hardback of this book. But guess what? They re-did the cover and now it's just a girl in a pretty dress!! And the sequel, Sapphire Blue, I don't even think they are publishing in hardback. Can you imagine this gorgeous cover in blue? I. AM. DISAPPOINT. But that has nothing to do with the contents, and so we move on to the actual review. But the cover!! *cries*

Ruby Red started out terribly for me. There was so much telling. All dialogue, and it was clunky and awkward. No sensory language whatsoever. The opening chapter did nothing to hook the reader and nothing happened. I didn't care for the writing style at all. I kind of felt like I was being talked down to. So it was a good thing I stuck with it. After about three chapters, the book all of a sudden got good. At some point I became loath to put it down. It felt like it was written by a completely different author. There was still more telling than I would have liked, and the writing style was a little odd, but the story was absolutely riveting and so unique.

Gwyneth was a brilliant protagonist. She was sassy, intelligent, and stuck up for herself when she needed to. Not at first, but she grew into her personality and that made her grow in my eyes. In the beginning, she was easily intimidated by everyone around her. But as the story progressed, she finally started standing up for herself and grew a backbone. I'm not saying I started out hating her, but I did think it was annoying how she let everyone, even her own family members, walk all over her. I look forward to reading the next book when she hopefully stands up to the rest of these buttheads and proves herself. There is one particular character I am thinking of, and I want her to get what is coming to her so badly. No spoilers. It's hard because I want to spill it all!!

I wouldn't say it's a slowly paced book, but it does take a little while to get going. So you need a little patience with this one. After Gwyneth time-travels for the first time, things start to pick up. And yet, I don't think this is a book for everyone. You can tell by reading that it has a long story arc. And this book was only just the beginning. I'm not even sure how many books are in this series. So if you like a book with a beginning, middle, and end, I can assure you that this book is not for you. But it's definitely worth reading if you like a longer, more epic type of storyline.

I've never been a fan of time travel books. I can now say that I don't think I've given them a fair shake. This book was utterly fabulous. If anyone has any great time travel stories to recommend me, I'd be happy to hear your recommendations. I'm not saying this will ever be a favorite genre (I didn't even like Back to the Future that much), but I'm willing to try since I really liked Ruby Red. I'd like to leave you with a quote that is a testament to Gwyneth's awesomeness.

"Gwyneth, we have to get moving! Breathe deeply, and it'll pass."

I stopped dead. This was too much.

"Oh, so it'll pass?" I made myself speak very slowly and distinctly, although I really felt like screeching. "And so if I've just killed a man, will that pass, too? My entire life has been turned upside down today--will that pass? Will the fact that an arrogant, long-haired, violin-playing creep in silk stockings can't think of anything better to do than order me about, even though I've just saved his stupid life, will that disappear as well? If you ask me, it's not surprising that I feel like puking. And just in case you're wondering, you make me want to throw up too!"

FYI. This one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Not an evil one, but it's still there. (less)

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May 09, 2012 Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, read-in-2012

Ruby Red was fantastic. And going out on a limb here, probably one of my favorite reads of 2011 (thus far).

Ruby Red is quite different than most time traveling books that I have read recently. Gwyneth, our main character, comes from family with a special gene that allows a person to travel. Of course, with great privilege comes great responsibility. A responsibility that Gwyneth just isn't ready to handle, which only adds to her likability. I bonded pretty quickly to Gwyneth. While her prestigio...more Ruby Red was fantastic. And going out on a limb here, probably one of my favorite reads of 2011 (thus far).

Ruby Red is quite different than most time traveling books that I have read recently. Gwyneth, our main character, comes from family with a special gene that allows a person to travel. Of course, with great privilege comes great responsibility. A responsibility that Gwyneth just isn't ready to handle, which only adds to her likability. I bonded pretty quickly to Gwyneth. While her prestigious family dotes on the equally perfect Charlotte, our main character is pretty much pushed under the rug. Gwyneth has her quirks and they make her stand out from most of the female leads that I have interacted with recently.

As for our main character's love interest Gideon... the verdict is still out on him. Part of me liked him or at least wanted to. The other wanted him as far away from Gwyneth as possible. As Gwyneth and Gideon are thrust together as partners. Gideon having years of experience with Charlotte does not know how to handle the Gwyneth situation. Does he go with the flow and accept her as the new partner? Or just ignore her and see what happens? I guess it all boils down to me liking them as partners, but everything was so rushed into. One second Gideon cannot stand the sight of Gwyneth... the next, he is very close to the 'I would lay down my life for yours' kind of talk. I would have been happier if there had been more chemistry from the pair before the romance just happening as it did. It completely caught me by surprise.

I won't lie. There are a lot of people in Ruby Red. Family members... extended family... and so on. Gier does a pretty nice job of adding little bit and pieces of information at the beginning of the chapters to help the reader along. This is a time travel novel after all, so I knew that could happen especially with little plot threads all over time. Funny enough, I actually got out a notepad to help me keep everything together, but at times I still got lost.

From what I can see, Ruby Red is just the beginning. The ending, while satisfying, made me want the second book as soon as I finished the last page. If you are in the mood for something different, I suggest giving Ruby Red a try. I am pretty sure you will fall in love with it, just as I did.(less)

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Jul 22, 2011 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-in-contest, my-books, fave-covers, dac-2011

I was pretty blown away by 'Ruby Red'. I had heard this series was amazing, and I knew it had to be popular for it to be translated to English, but I was still amazed by it. The thing is, I'm not exactly sure why. Part of it is the clever writing. I'm not sure how much of that is the author (a lot of it obviously) and how much is the translator. Especially with the dialogue relating to the chronograph and the Guardians, I know that would have been tougher to translate, and it seems that Anthea B...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Petra Sýkorová rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: czech, rc-review, young-adult, time-travel

Kerstin Gier si už v dětství nepřála víc, než se stát spisovatelkou. Byla přesvědčená, že neexistuje nic úžasnějšího, než si vymýšlet celý den příběhy a zapisovat si je. Po střední škole si prošla studii německé literatury, muzikologie, angličtiny, obchodu a psychologie komunikace, v níž nakonec také obdržela titul. Nejdříve pracovala jako sekretářka a recepční, při práci chodila na rodinné kurzy.

Se psaním románů pro ženy začala v době, kdy zůstala víceméně bez práce. Se svými knihami měla úspěc...more Kerstin Gier si už v dětství nepřála víc, než se stát spisovatelkou. Byla přesvědčená, že neexistuje nic úžasnějšího, než si vymýšlet celý den příběhy a zapisovat si je. Po střední škole si prošla studii německé literatury, muzikologie, angličtiny, obchodu a psychologie komunikace, v níž nakonec také obdržela titul. Nejdříve pracovala jako sekretářka a recepční, při práci chodila na rodinné kurzy.

Se psaním románů pro ženy začala v době, kdy zůstala víceméně bez práce. Se svými knihami měla úspěch. Její prvotina Männer und andere Katastrophen byla zfilmována. I její další romány se těší velké oblibě a získaly řadu cen. V současné době žije jako autorka na volné noze s manželem, synem, dvěma kočkami a třemi slepicemi na vesnici nedaleko Kolýna nad Rýnem.

Její knižní série pro dospívající, Drahokamy, se po světě dostalo velice pozitivního ohlasu. Našla si velké množství fanoušků za hranicemi Německa. Mimo jiné byla také vydána ve Velké Británii a Spojených státech. Série si získala takovou popularitu, že se na příští rok plánuje premiéra filmové adaptace.

Gwendolyn je šesnáctiletá holka, co má dosti neobyčejnou rodinu a poměrně nestereotypní život. Spolu se svými sourozenci a matkou bydlí v domě, který by jiní nejspíš nazývali palácem a každý den spolu se svou babičkou, tetou i pratetou čeká na chvíli, kdy se u její stejně staré sestřenice Charlotte objeví jistý dědičný gen. Tento unikátní gen totiž dovoluje jeho nositeli skákat časem. A to doslova.

Gwen možná není tak úplně spokojená s tím, že je neustále ve stínu své opěvované sestřenice, ale úplně jí stačí přátelství s Leslie a to, že dokáže vidět a mluvit s duchy. O to divočejší se její život stane ve chvíli, kdy se znenadání ocitne v minulosti. A ne jenom jednou. Rovnou třikrát. Vypadá to, že Gwen je tou, kdo musí naplnit jisté proroctví a ujmout se důležitého rodinného úkolu...

Český překlad mě potěšil. Respektive se mi díky němu kniha četla velice dobře, příjemně a hlavně mi hlas hrdniky sympaticky zněl v hlavě. Samozřejmě nechybělo typické výrazivo dnešní mládeže, ale nebylo podáno nijak násilně či nepatřičně, jak tomu bývá v jiných překladech. Těžko říct, jestli je samotný originál knihy vyprávěn takhle přátelsky, nebo zakouzlila překladatelka. Německy neumím, takže ráda zůstanu v blažené nevědomosti.

Musím říct, že mě kniha příjemně překvapila. Četla se mi lehce a přišla mi prostě milá. Hlavní hrdinka ke své schopnosti doslova přišla jako slepý k houslím. Po většinu času nemá ani potuchy, co se okolo ní děje a jak by se měla v jistých nezáviděníhodných situacích chovat. Oblíbila jsem si ji, i další postavy. Včetně věčně lamentující tety Glendy nebo nasupeného doktora Whitea. A to je už co říct.

Do noty mi kápla i Gwenina nejlepší kamarádka Leslie. Sama bych takovou chtěla mít. Gideon není typický sen dívčích snů a těžko říct, jak se jejich vztah bude vyvíjet v budoucnu. Ale těším se, až to zjistím. Celé pojetí cestování časem a naplnění poslání je bohužel nakousnut jen tak na půl. Alespoň je na co se těšit do příštích dílů.

Knihy s cestováním v čase mám ráda. Chtěla bych si někdy skočit do minulosti a vidět, jak žili mí předci. Jen tak si zajít na odpolední čaj a poklábosit o tom, do kterých cenných papírů by měli vrazit peníze, aby se v budoucnu měla má rodina jako ve vatě. Samozřejmě toužím na vlastní oči vidět, jaké to bylo, jezdívat v drožkách. Ale je mi jasné, že by to mé pozadí nemuselo ustát.

Velice milá kniha, která se čte snad úplně sama. Má tu správnou dávku nebezpečí, napětí, pomatených dospívajících myšlenek a pocitů a hromadu nezodpovězených otázek. I když je pravda, že některé věci byly trošičku unáhlené, na některé se přišlo jako by zázrakem a další byly docela průhledné. Nic to nemění na tom, že jde o výborné počtení, u kterého se budete bavit. Knize dávám 4 hvězdičky a moc se těším na pokračování.

---------Reakce po dočtení knihy---------
Příjemná knížka. V jistých věcech docela předvídatelná, ale přesto miloučká.(less)

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May 08, 2011 Debora rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: preferiti, fisicamente_posseduto, read_2011, ebook

"Red" è il primo libro della fortunatissima ed acclamatissima trilogia dell'autrice tedesca Kerstin Gier, trilogia che le ha permesso di valicare i confini tedeschi e di trovare successo e fan in ogni paese in cui è stata pubblicata. Ad un solo anno di distanza dall'uscita tedesca, per fortuna, i suoi libri arrivano in Italia grazie alla Corbaccio che ci propone le avventure temporali di Gwendolyn Sheper in una veste assolutamente elegante e intrigante; sembra proprio che le case editrici italia...more "Red" è il primo libro della fortunatissima ed acclamatissima trilogia dell'autrice tedesca Kerstin Gier, trilogia che le ha permesso di valicare i confini tedeschi e di trovare successo e fan in ogni paese in cui è stata pubblicata. Ad un solo anno di distanza dall'uscita tedesca, per fortuna, i suoi libri arrivano in Italia grazie alla Corbaccio che ci propone le avventure temporali di Gwendolyn Sheper in una veste assolutamente elegante e intrigante; sembra proprio che le case editrici italiane inizino a comprendere cosa significa fare delle "belle copertine". Siamo molto soddisfatti!

Il titolo scelto in Italia, "Red", affiancato al titolo della serie "Trilogia delle Gemme" lascia un po' perplessi, dato avrebbe colto molto più nel segno la semplice traduzione del titolo orginale "Rubino", ma nulla di grave visto che anche quello scelto è comunque attienente al romanzo.

A parte questo particolare praticamente irrilevante, possiamo dire di capire perfettamente per quale motivo questa saga ha avuto un tale successo, basta pensare che i diritti sono già stati acquistati in almeno 15 paesi a distanza di un solo anno! Questo lavoro è indubbiamente rivolto ad un pubblico giovane ma nulla impedisce a un adulto di leggerlo e trovarlo molto coinvolgente e appassionante. Ci troviamo, infatti, di fronte ad un urban fantasy sapientemente amalgamato con un tocco di romance, storico e di fantascienza, un romanzo carico di suspance con una trama ben strutturata, dopotutto l'autrice si diverte a giocare con i salti nel tempo e il cosiddetto continuum temporale!

Il testo si apre con la vita perfettamente normale e serena di Gwendolyn Sheperd, una delle discendenti di un'antica famiglia possessori del gene temporale, gene che permette loro di viaggiare nel tempo. La sua vita è tranquilla e tutto quello di cui si deve preoccupare è la scuola, una casa troppo grande ma troppo affollata e una cugina con la puzza sotto il naso che tende a trattarla come se fosse un sempliciotta. Certo, sempre se non viene considerata la sua capacità di vedere i fantasmi, in tal caso la sua vita sarebbe davvero perfetta!

Ma tutti in famiglia sono in fibrillazione, ben presto sua cugina avrà il suo primo "salto" e questo in un certo senso spinge Gwendolyn a dispiacersi per quella ragazza che, benchè un po' acida e snob, probabilmente non avrà mai una vita propria e si troverà costantemente in pericolo durante i salti temporali... Gwendolyn non si sente certamente in vena di provare rancore verso Charlotte e si ritiene molto fortunata di esser scampata a quell'assurda vita.

Peccato che, ironia della sorte, mentre si accinge ad accompagnare a casa Charlotte, sentitasi male a scuola, la strada davanti agli occhi di Gwendolyn comincia a sfocarsi: una vertigine, un lieve svenimento. Il tempo di un attimo ed è tutto passato, peccato solamente che quella sia la seconda volta nel giro di 24 ore; e quando qualcuno cresce in una famiglia come quella di Gwendolyn, impara in fretta a non credere nelle coincidenze, anche se vorrebbe.

La vita della ragazza da quel momento non sarà più la stessa, verrà catapultata in un mondo di cui non ha mai fatto parte e dovrà perfino vedersela con l'animosità della famiglia, che vedono in lei una futura traditrice nonchè una "palla al piede" vista la sua ignoranza. Fra un salto e l'altro indietro nel tempo, l'ostilità di Gideon, gli attacchi alla sua vita e il continuo boicottaggio della precedente "Viaggiatrice", nonchè sua parente e traditrice della "Missione", Gwendolyn dovrà imparare in fretta e sulla sua pelle che giocare con il tempo non è mai indolore e, soprattutto, che la sua vita non sarà più come prima.

Un bel libro, scritto con quel tocco di ironia che rende la lettura ancora più accattivante e intrigante. Assolutamente consigliato per chi cerca una lettura interessante, stimolante e carica di avventura.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Nymeria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: time-travel, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 27, 2011 Tyene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, time-travel

Sono contenta di leggere che non sono stata l'ultima a guardare perplessa la copertina di questo libro e chiedermi "sarà un nuovo young adult con vampiri? speriamo di no" e infatti, grazie al cielo, non lo è.
La protagonista non è di quelle che si odiano dopo le prime dieci righe, riesce anche a risultare simpatica nella sua goffaggine e banalità, e la storia è interessante ed abbastanza coinvolgente. Sarà che trovo che le storie con salti nel passato abbiamo, di solito, buone potenzialità ed ho...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ruby Red is an international bestseller, I've had many of my German friends/readers telling me that this book was coming to the US and that I HAD to read it! Thanks to all of you that emailed me about this book! You were right! It's fantastic!

I haven't read a book that's been translated before... that I can think of anyway, but I didn't notice anything in particular that would have made me think that. It was written really well and translated very well! This novel is part of a trilogy and I must...more Ruby Red is an international bestseller, I've had many of my German friends/readers telling me that this book was coming to the US and that I HAD to read it! Thanks to all of you that emailed me about this book! You were right! It's fantastic!

I haven't read a book that's been translated before... that I can think of anyway, but I didn't notice anything in particular that would have made me think that. It was written really well and translated very well! This novel is part of a trilogy and I must say that I am dying for the next books!

Two words, TIME TRAVEL!

The mystery surrounding the time travel and the people that posses this ability to time travel was very addicting! And the history that was weaved into it... brilliant! Most of that mystery isn't answered in the first book, but it does set up nicely for the next title.

Gwen is a very likable character, she's self conscious, yet she's not afraid to stand up for herself when the occasion calls for it. She's smart, though she doesn't think it, and she's an incredible friend! I loved her best friend Leslie too! They had such a great relationship! I love seeing that in YA, because it doesn't happen all that often. Her cousin Charlotte was also very well written, but I didn't really care for her all that much, or her mother!

There is a bit of a romantic element, although I wouldn't go as far as saying there is a love story. There is hints of that to possibly come in future installments although there is something that happens at the end, but I thought that was a little premature myself... I'm interested to see how that plays out in the next book.

One of my favorite aspects of the novel is when Gwen goes back in time.... it's like you are there with her. The descriptions of the setting and the clothing, the mannerisms of the people! I loved that and I it's something that will appeal to readers of historical fiction!

Overall this was just a fun book. It was nice to read something a little bit different. You don't get very many YA novels with time travel. (Well I haven't read many myself, perhaps there are lots out there I don't know about!)

A fantastic start to what seems to be an exciting new series!(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved it! The settings were gorgeous, characters had personality, humerous moments and cute little romance. The only thing that annoyed me a little was that the plot took a while to get going and then the book finished!!! This was very much what I call a "Set up book", which is usually the first book in the series that does alot of character introducing and relationship building but only teases us with a mystery that is to be solved in the next few books of the series. I dont have a problem with...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/08/...

Ruby Red,set in present day London,follows 16 year old Gwyneth Shepherd as she discovers that she has a gene that enables her to time travel into the past,sometimes multiple times per day. Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared for this eventuality her entire life,but it turns out Gwyneth has the gene instead. This,of course,creates more animosity between the already at-odds cousins,and even more problems for Gwyneth since...more

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May 12, 2013 Betza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

tenia mis espectativas respecto a este libro, tenia tiempo escuchando de el, y medecidi ver primerola peli antes de leer el libro, ciertamente me toco verla en su idioma original (Aleman, mi abuela es alemana y nos enseño a defendernos en el idioma) y ciertamente senti algunas lagunas y me decidi a leer el libro, sinceramente no esta nada mal, esta bien estructurado y me parecio una lectura llevadera.

en cuando gwen... pues me parece una protagonista bastante ubicada aunque hay sus momentos donde...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Step rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Too short! But wonderful! I had to stop myself from racing ahead, and still finished it in a day. But the world-building here is top-notch, and Gwyneth is a wonderfully original and real character. Can't wait to see what Lucy and Paul are up to, and what role Gideon plays into all this.

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May 17, 2013 Ninoska rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenil

Me he leído este libro por recomendación de mi amiga Carmen que devora libros, al principio pensé que no era para tanto como me había dicho, ya que, me había recalcado mucho lo entretenido que era. Quizás me pasó esto porque no acababa de entender qué pasaría con los viajes en el tiempo, porque todo eran secretos y preguntas sin resolver, hasta que llegué al 70% del libro donde para mi empieza la acción, ya que, hasta antes se presentaba a la protagonista su familia y los secretos sin desvelar....more

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Jan 01, 2013 Anna Smyth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sounds-good, own-physical-copies, all-time-faves, amazing-reads, favourite-secondary-characters, friendships-i-adore, favourite-couples, heroines-i-adore, heroes-i-adore, let-me-love-you, favorites, read-january

Guess who loved it?

4 likes · like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 GiraffeAndy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, published-in-czech-2012, own, favorites

Recenze na blogu - ODKAZ .

2 likes · like · see review

May 18, 2013 Fiona rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, wrote-a-review, books-i-own

I absolutely loved this book! It took me through such a range of Taylor Swift like emotions it wasn't even funny. At one moment, I felt so incredibly bad for Gwyneth, (well really that lasted the entire book) then I was laughing because, well, first, she's pretty funny and second when she makes little comments to people who are constantly rude to her, their reactions are pretty priceless, then suddenly, your in that emotion where you just want to slap everyone who talks to Gwen like she's a smal...more I absolutely loved this book! It took me through such a range of Taylor Swift like emotions it wasn't even funny. At one moment, I felt so incredibly bad for Gwyneth, (well really that lasted the entire book) then I was laughing because, well, first, she's pretty funny and second when she makes little comments to people who are constantly rude to her, their reactions are pretty priceless, then suddenly, your in that emotion where you just want to slap everyone who talks to Gwen like she's a small child and everything bad thats ever happened is somehow her fault. Because THAT makes sense.

So the plot. There is a secret organization that surrounds time travelers to unlock some great secret. There are a lot of secrets in this book that Gwen usually is not privy to. See why she's so confused? Anyway, in the circle of 12 time travelers, there is one left needed to unlock the secret. The Ruby. The Ruby just happens to be Charlotte, Gwen's cousin. Or so everyone thinks. It turns out, some things have been kept from Gwen. Imagine that! All of a sudden, Gwen is thrown into the great business of time travel. Fun. Oh! but that isn't even the worst of it! Gwen has a partner. The Great and Oh So Nice, Gideon. Watch out Gwen! He's quite a lion, who likes to toy with young ladies emotions when it proves an advantage to him.

Like I said, I loved this book. I thought there was good pacing, but you still have to be patient. This is of course, is only the first book in a trilogy. The next book, Sapphire Blue is also very good and I'm eagerly awaiting Emerald Green, that releases this Fall. Each book has its fair share of comedy, drama, and mystery, and I can't wait to see how Ms. Gier wraps it all up with a pretty red bow in the final book. I would recommend this to middle schoolers and up, there is very mild violence and some kissing, nothing horrendous. On a side note this book has been turned into a movie! It releases on March 14th. Too bad thats the release date for Germany. Either way its sure to awesome. I rate this book 5 stars!(less)

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Apr 22, 2013 Libertad Araceli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this book. Again I got lost in the hype around a high rated book and let that con me into purchasing it. Let me start off by saying this is in no way a BAD book. It was beautifully written, had somewhat relatable characters and the leading lady Gwyneth wasn't a complete idiot like most young women written in these books. But there was just something about the plot that was a bit slow and boring to me.

The characters spent a lot of time talking about "some...more
I have to say I was a bit disappointed in this book. Again I got lost in the hype around a high rated book and let that con me into purchasing it. Let me start off by saying this is in no way a BAD book. It was beautifully written, had somewhat relatable characters and the leading lady Gwyneth wasn't a complete idiot like most young women written in these books. But there was just something about the plot that was a bit slow and boring to me.

The characters spent a lot of time talking about "some"secret and i swear they spent the entire 318 pages referring to it as such. I feel as though I've learned very little as the mission at hand because not even the characters that were supposed to be guiding Gwyneth shared any details about her purpose or what she should even be doing with her time traveling gene. What's the point of being able to time travel and not being notified on what you're supposed to be doing with it. The book spent most of it's time doing little revealing and focused more of it's time talking about characters that didn't make an appearance until the end of the book.

I liked Gwyneth. She was honest,likeable and actually quite sharp. Her best friend Lesley was really cute and supportive, a bff every girl should have. Her cousin Charlotte and her crazy ass mom were obnoxious. I was glad when Gwyneth unintentionally kicked Charlotte off her high horse with being born with the time traveling gene. Some girls just have it all, but Gwyneth proved that you don't have to be this overachieving maniac to be part of something special.

And then there's Gideon, her love interest. I didn't hate him but I wasn't head over heels for him either. He did seem attractive but his personality was a bit bland and I just didn't "get" him. Perhaps he just wasn't in enough scenes, because I knew so little about him. I did like that they didn't have some insta-love thing going on. But I also wondered if they would even fall for each other because there wasn't a whole lot of normal teen interactions between the two of them. They hardly flirted, barely shared anything personal with each other and they just didn't have much chemistry. And the ending! I didn't understand why the ending ended the way it did.

There were some inconsistencies that I didn't quite understand and I was hoping the author would clear them up by the end of the book. Like how was Gwyn staring at Identical versions of herself and Gideon Hundreds of years back. I was hoping they'd explain it but NOPE, NADA!

Overall I'd give this book a 3 star rating. It had some pacing issues for me and I would have liked to see them time travel more and have better explanations on the task that was at hand. No one wanted to tell anyone what was going on.I don't even feel like I've read a complete story, more like a novella. I wish there would have been more details about her take on the mysteries of time traveling. I love time travel, in fact our first novel is about time travel but I was hoping it would have more action in it. I look forward to the sequel but I'm not exactly rushing out to get it. (less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Crystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 31, 2013 Nathaly Alvarez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hermosa-portada, increibles, leido-en-2013, no-se-que-esperar, reseñados

«Rojo rubí con la magia del cuervo dotado, sol mayor cierra el círculo que los doce han formado»

Gwendolyn Shepherd es una adolescente común que nació en una familia que tiene un gen que los hace viajar en el tiempo. Su prima Charlotte ha estado entrenando toda su vida a viajar en el tiempo, ya que es la destinada a ser el próxima en línea para hacerlo. O, por lo menos eso era lo que pensaban. Gwen es en realidad es el siguiente en la línea. Esto es particularmente peligroso para ella, porque s...more

«Rojo rubí con la magia del cuervo dotado, sol mayor cierra el círculo que los doce han formado»

Gwendolyn Shepherd es una adolescente común que nació en una familia que tiene un gen que los hace viajar en el tiempo. Su prima Charlotte ha estado entrenando toda su vida a viajar en el tiempo, ya que es la destinada a ser el próxima en línea para hacerlo. O, por lo menos eso era lo que pensaban. Gwen es en realidad es el siguiente en la línea. Esto es particularmente peligroso para ella, porque saltar en el tiempo es incontrolable, a menos que haya sido preparado. Se necesita una formación adecuada para este "talento" no deseado, por lo que Gwen le dice a su familia, ahí es cuando el drama de la historia se desarrolla.

No he leído muchas historias de viajes en el tiempo pero tengo que admitir que esta fue divertida. Se localiza en el Londres actual, y nuestra protagonista viaja en el tiempo a diferentes épocas en Londres.

La parte realmente interesante de viajar en el tiempo es que las personas que lo hacen viajan de vuelta al tiempo pero termina en el mismo lugar en el que estuvieron en la otra época ¿me explico? pero existe el pequeño problema de que las estructuras cambian con el tiempo, así que un dormitorio hoy podría ser un calabozo en el pasado.

Esta manera de explicar los viajes en el tiempo es un poco interesante, asimismo hizo que la novela fuera más divertida y llena de misterio. Disfruté de la imaginación detrás del libro, así como el hecho de que ni siquiera sepamos quien es el malo en realidad. Es muy impredecible (view spoiler)

Los personajes: Gwen es uno de esos personajes femeninos que no me cae mal, no demasiado. Aunque ella es muy real y agradezco eso a la escritora. Gideon, bueno, es no me gusta demasiado. Pero tampoco lo odio, lo que pasa es que no encuentro ninguna razón por la que podría gustarme y tampoco ninguna por la que debería odiarlo. Y los personajes secundarios: Leslie, la tía Maddy, los hermanos de Gwen, James el fantasma ¡son adorables! Mientras que otros personajes como la mama de Gwen, Falk De Villiers, el doctor White, lady Arista y el conde ese no me dieron buena espina.

¡Estoy ansiosa por leer Zafiro!

(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Linda Bernini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: autore-straniero, fantastico, letture-2012, sentimentale, tutto-al-femminile, viaggi-nel-tempo, ebook-scambiabili

e dopo tante saghe iniziate ultimamente, questa mi è piaciuta veramente tanto!!!

Per una volta non ci sono di mezzo vampiri, immortali o roba simili!!!

La storia è raccontata dal punto di vista della protagonista che vive in una famiglia un pò particolare dove chi nasce il giorno 7 ottobre è ereditario di un gene molto particolare che fa viaggiare nel tempo!!
fino a 17 anni Gwen crede che il gene spetti a sua cugina ma di punto in bianco si ritrova a fare il suo primo salto nel tempo e capisce che...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Lily rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

Por fin, en mi larga lista de lecturas pendientes y/o deseadísimas le ha tocado el turno a Rubí. Había leído y oído todo tipo de críticas buenísimas y tras terminarlo puedo decir que me uno al club de fans incondicionales de la novela y del estilo de la autora.

La historia comienza poco a poco, sin prisa pero sin pausa. La primera mitad me resultó bastante introductoria pero no por ello aburrida o sobrante, en absoluto. Kerstin sabe cómo enganchar al lector...more http://eldesvandelosuenos.blogspot.co...

Por fin, en mi larga lista de lecturas pendientes y/o deseadísimas le ha tocado el turno a Rubí. Había leído y oído todo tipo de críticas buenísimas y tras terminarlo puedo decir que me uno al club de fans incondicionales de la novela y del estilo de la autora.

La historia comienza poco a poco, sin prisa pero sin pausa. La primera mitad me resultó bastante introductoria pero no por ello aburrida o sobrante, en absoluto. Kerstin sabe cómo enganchar al lector con lo que cuenta, con cómo presenta a los personajes y con los diálogos frescos y apropiados. La autora tiene un estilo increíblemente fluido: iba leyendo casi sin darme cuenta y poco a poco iba metiéndome más y más en la historia hasta no querer salir de ella.

Me encanta que el hilo conductor de la historia sea los viajes en el tiempo. Siempre me ha fascinado este tema y poder leer una novela tan buena sobre él, es estupendo. Vivir en diferentes épocas con sus costumbres y tradiciones siempre me ha fascinado y la forma en que la autora entremezcla diferentes periodos históricos con el amor es preciosa. Además, tiene una alta dosis de misterios, intrigas y posibles traiciones que hace la obra aún más interesante. Según iba avanzando en la trama, cada vez tenía más dudas sobre el pasado, el presente y el futuro de los personajes. Hay bastantes cuestiones que quedan en el aire en este primer libro y que me encantará ver resueltas en los dos libros siguientes. {Spoiler} Por ejemplo, qué hacían los dos protagonistas discutiendo y besándose en un punto indeterminado del pasado {Fin del spoiler}

Otro punto muy positivo de Rubí son los personajes protagonistas: perfectamente definidos y totalmente adorables. Gwendolyn es una estudiante de instituto, bastante corriente a primera vista, pero guarda un secreto: puede ver fantasmas. Aunque esto es lo único que ella cree inusual en su vida, pronto adquirirá un valor inconmensurable en un Secreto que ha perdurado oculto durante varios siglos. Y lo afrontará con toda la soltura y buen humor que pueda reunir. Me encanta este personaje: es divertida (tiene contestaciones y ocurrencias hilarantes), es interesante, humilde, fuerte y decidida. Además, se ve en ella una evolución increíble a lo largo de toda la novela: empieza a crecer y a abrirse a un mundo que no creía estar reservado para ella. Me ha gustado también porque no es la típica tontita que protagoniza algunas novelas juveniles (hecho que es muy de agradecer). Por otro lado tenemos a Gideon: increíblemente guapo, increíblemente perfecto e increíblemente arrogante. Un amor, vamos. A diferencia de Gwendolyn, él lo sabe todo de los viajes en el tiempo y está perfectamente preparado para todo lo que tengan que vivir. O eso cree él. El chico es puro misterio y hermetismo. Ambos tienen mucho potencial y me muero de ganas por saber más de ellos.

Los demás personajes están bien pero no tienen un papel demasiado importante en este primer ejemplar. Me gustaría destacar, sin embargo, a la mejor amiga de Gwen, Leslie, que tiene un encanto natural y me cayó especialmente bien desde el principio. Por otro lado, otro personaje reseñable y que creo que va a dar mucho juego es el conde de Saint Germain. Me ha parecido muy interesante que la autora haya incluido a este personaje que fue real y cuya vida fue puro misterio y especulación.

Vuelvo a Gwendolyn y Gideon. Ambos protagonistas parten desde puntos muy diferentes pero las circunstancias los unirán poco a poco a través del tiempo. La relación entre ellos evoluciona de manera muy natural, muy fluida, casi sin darnos cuenta. Es genial ver ese choque de caracteres y cómo paulatinamente se van empezando a entender y a apreciar. De todas las incógnitas que me ha dejado la novela, sin duda, las que rodean a estos dos me están volviendo loca. Y por si esto fuera poco, la novela termina en un momento crucial para ambos. ¿Por qué, Kerstin? ¿Por qué nos dejas así?

Me muero por leer Zafiro porque a juzgar por el abrupto final de Rubí, esta novela promete ¡y mucho!

(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Rai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

There's some obvious flaws in this novel, but I loved it. I'm just disappointed it's being translated and the next one isn't available in English yet.

It's also disappointing that it left off without answering any major questions. I mean, I understand the circumstances of Gwyneth's birth, but there's a lot more I want to know. I can't wait until the next one is released.

I love time travel and I enjoy that it has an explanation to it. I like that they are limited to travelling backwards and also...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Leenchen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listen-to, fantasy

Klappentext:

Manchmal ist es ein echtes Kreuz, in einer Familie zu leben, die jede Menge Geheimnisse hat. Der Überzeugung ist zumindest die 16jährige Gwendolyn. Bis sie sich eines Tages aus heiterem Himmel im London um die letzte Jahrhundertwende wiederfindet. Und ihr klar wird, dass ausgerechnet sie das allergrößte Geheimnis ihrer Familie ist. Was ihr dagegen nicht klar ist: Das man sich zwischen den Zeiten möglichst nicht verlieben sollte. Denn das macht die Sache erst recht kompliziert!

Inhalt...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Anncleire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-can-t-stop-to-think-about, viaggi-nel-tempo

Avete letto questo straordinario libro? No???? Fatelo immediatamente. E' semplicemente fenomenale.

Gwen non è una ragazza normale ha un gene portatore. Può viaggiare nel tempo e può parlare con i fantasmi. E solo questo è straordinario. Ma è l'ultima di una serie di 12 viaggiatori nel tempo e il suo sangue servirà per scoprire un terribile segreto.

Se solo questo non vi ha incuriosito metteteci un figo da paura Gedeon che tira di scherma, parla un sacco di lingue e suona il violino. Una migliore...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Watching this movie online	7	22	17 hours, 38 min ago
Underrated Bookers: Continuing a Book Series	3	44	22 hours, 0 min ago
Who else would like to kick Gideon for being such a jerk but love him so much?	1	2	23 hours, 6 min ago
Is Gwen Lucy's daughter?????	17	103	06 mag. 19:16
Rubinrot - Der Film	3	34	13 apr. 08:43

title link	preview: Robijnrood
avg rating	preview: Robijnrood Goodreads rating: 4.14 (13552 ratings)
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Robijnrood (Ruby Red Trilogy #1)

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