The Red Necklace

by Sally Gardner

The Red Necklace

book data

121 ratings, 4.10 average rating, 51 reviews (more data...)

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published

October 4th 2007 by Orion Childrens

binding

Hardcover, 384 pages

isbn

184255574X (isbn13: 9781842555743)

description

A thrillingly exciting, action-packed novel about a boy destined to be a hero of the French Revolution

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 283)

All ratings | 5 stars (31) | 4 stars (56) | 3 stars (32) | 2 stars (7) | 1 star (1) | avg 4.10

all | this edition

Molly

Molly rated it:

06/09/08

bookshelves: authors-i-adore, recommended-reads

Read in June, 2008

I loved Sally Gardner's I, CORIANDER, and was eager as could be to get my hands on the ARC for her next book. I was an even happier girl to find that her next book was one that combined two of my favorite topics: the French Revolution (yes, this is a direct result of the Les Miz obsession of my teenage theatre years) and GYPSIES! (Seriously. What is it about the word "gypsies" in any form that I find so irresistible?!)

And glad to say that THE RED NECKLACE was totally engaging, w...more

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Nancy

Nancy rated it:

07/10/08

Read in July, 2008

This was pretty terrific -- compelling characters, breakneck plot, high tension, gorgeously written (at last, a writer/editorial team that knows the correct conjugations for lie/lay/lain). My one quibble was that the magic seemed somewhat random, and Sido's refusal to leave her abusive father felt a little contrived, in service of the ending.

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Erin

Erin rated it:

(review of isbn 0803731000)

10/07/08

bookshelves: historical-setting, mystery, paranormal, ya-fiction

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: teens, adults

I would actually give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is the story of a teenage boy, Yann, raised in France just before the start of the French Revolution. He and his guardian are gypsies who use real magic to entertain people at a theatre in Paris. One night they and the "magician" they work for are hired by an extremely vain and foolish marquis (at the behest of a very evil Count) to perform at a private party for some nobility. During their act, the Count murders the magician. With t...more

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Miss Clark

Miss Clark rated it:

10/13/08

bookshelves: adventure, anglo-phile, children-s, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

Read in September, 2008

recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a fantastical bent

Our story is over, though in its end lies its beginning.

A gorgeous story, with lovely descriptions and superb narration throughout, and an interesting plot. It is light on characterization, which is painted in rather broad strokes, with the protagonists spending very little actual time together. More of the main relationship is propelled through mystical/ emotional means.

Sido, the shy, neglected and mentally/ verbally abused daughter of the weak and spineless Marquis de Villeduv...more Our story is over, though in its end lies its beginning.

A gorgeous story, with lovely descriptions and superb narration throughout, and an interesting plot. It is light on characterization, which is painted in rather broad strokes, with the protagonists spending very little actual time together. More of the main relationship is propelled through mystical/ emotional means.

Sido, the shy, neglected and mentally/ verbally abused daughter of the weak and spineless Marquis de Villeduval is a decent heroine. I wished that a little more attention had been paid to her and what she must have endured. I did get irritated at her refusal to leave her awful father behind, who had only ever hated and hurt her, but I could understand it nonetheless.

The Marquis himself is almost comic in the pathetigue of his self-absorbed stupidity, selfishness and unmitigated blindness to reality.

Count Kalliovski, our villain, exuded creepy, evilness right out of the pages of this book. Murderer of Topolain, Anis and countless others. Mysterious. Lustful. It is hinted at more than once that he has made some sort of pact with evil. ALl we really know is that he is Yann's father and that he had been "in love" with Anis, Yann's mother, and murdered her when she would not have him. At the end, it appears the Devil really is going to get him, that "cursed soul." Yann and Sido best beware!

Yann Margoza himself. 14 at story's beginning, 17 at the denoument and on his way back to France at the height of the French Revolution to try and save innocents from the slaughter. A full-blooded Gypsy/ Romany, he is quite gifted. Able to see the future and read minds, he can also work the threads of light, not to mention a talent for throwing his voice. There are hints that Yann is a great shaman-possibly the most powerful yet... Possibly, also, the "King of the Gypsy. That was less clear.

This is all set against the breathless backdrop of the French Revolution, one of the darkest periods in the history of Europe and certainly one of the most devastating for humanity. The bestial cruelty and sheer hateful butchery that was daily engaged in during those years of confusion and wholesale slaughter is still sickening to even contemplate. Sally Gardner seems to present the Revolution as good ideas gone terribly, horribly awry. I believe that the ideas of equality and freedom are paramount to all of mankind, at all times. No argument there. But after having looked into the Revolution's roots, I would have to say that Egalite and Liberte were not the driving forces that inspired those who engineered the Revolution - far from it as they sought to set themselves up as their own special class the first opportunity they had. They used those admirable and monumental goals to gain the support of the masses.... and then betrayed them when it no longer served their purposes to string them along. One review I saw suggested that Gardner portrayed Danton, Marat and Robespierre favorably, but I saw no sign of that. In fact, since they hang out with Kalliovski, I would say they are tinged by association with evil.

I discovered that there is a second book in what is being labled the "French Revolution" series,though there is no indication if that is the end or if more are planned. It is due out next spring: The Silver Blade. Really looking forward to that volume. The Count is indeed back and kidnaps Sido, again, so Yann has to go get her.... I wonder what role the charm that Yann gave Sido will play?

Oh, and the US cover? Did not like it. If the girl on the cover is supposed to be Sido, she should have dark hair. If not, who is she supposed to be?...less

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Becky

Becky rated it:

(review of isbn 0739356488)

06/14/08

Read in June, 2008

Gardner, Sally. 2008. The Red Necklace.

This one was good, almost but not quite deliciously good. I think if I hadn't been reading for the 48 Hour Challenge, I could have savored this one a bit more. But even with my focus being a teeny bit distracted by the clock, I must say this one is good. It's historical fiction. It's set in France during the French Revolution. It features some magic-working gypsies. It's got some light romance. But mainly it is all about secrets, mysteries, and murders....more Gardner, Sally. 2008. The Red Necklace.

This one was good, almost but not quite deliciously good. I think if I hadn't been reading for the 48 Hour Challenge, I could have savored this one a bit more. But even with my focus being a teeny bit distracted by the clock, I must say this one is good. It's historical fiction. It's set in France during the French Revolution. It features some magic-working gypsies. It's got some light romance. But mainly it is all about secrets, mysteries, and murders. Definitely got a dark vibe to it. There are some fantasy elements as well.

It's well written. It's very readable. The prologue:

This is Paris; here the winds of change are blowing, whispering their discontent into the very hearts of her citizens. A Paris waiting for the first slow turn of a wheel that will bring with it a revolution the like of which Europe has never known. In the coming year the people will be called upon to play their part in the tearing down of the Bastille, in the destruction of the old regime, in the stopping of the clocks. This is where the devil goes walking, looking with interest in at the window of Dr. Guillotine, who works night and day to perfect his humane killing machine, sharpening his angled blade on the innocent necks of sheep. Little does the earnest doctor know that his new design will be center stage, a bloody altarpiece in the drama that is about to unfold. But wait, not so fast, King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, are still outside Paris, at Versailles. This is the winter of 1789, one of the worst in living memory. Jack Frost has dug his fingers deep into the heart of this frozen city, so that it looks almost unrecognizable under its thick blanket of snow. All still appears as it should be. All has yet to break...

Isn't the UK book cover lovely? I think it's truer to the book than the American cover. (Though it is pleasing to the eyes as well.) My only problem is that about 70% of the book (at the very least) is narrated by Yann, a young boy who comes to age during the course of the novel.

Definitely recommended....less

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Tasha

Tasha rated it:

06/04/08

bookshelves: teen

Read in June, 2008

This book had me immediately upon reading the first page. The writing was flowery but intense, filled with images but equally gripping and fast paced. It was the tone of the French Revolution itself.

Set during the French Revolution, this is a tale of Gypsies and aristocracy, vengeace and wealth. Yann Margoza works in a magic show with Topolain, the magician and Tetu, a dwarf who can move objects with his mind. Yann himself can throw his voice and read minds. All of their skills are used...more

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Ryan

Ryan rated it:

12/01/08

Read in December, 2008

Her first book I, Coriander is excellent - this was...well excellent, definitely. But different. I don't think you can write a book of fiction with the French Revolution as the backdrop and not be affected. Bit of the Scarlet Pimpernel at the end, but still good (and I liked the Scarlet Pimpernel). Worried about a sequel - always worry about sequels. They can be more uncertain than revolution.

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Christina

Christina rated it:

(review of isbn 0739356488)

07/10/08

bookshelves: historical, romance

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: fans of Les Miz, fans of Libba Bray's books

A riveting story set during the French Revolution. Yann, an orphan gypsy boy who performs in a magician's act, meets Sido, the lonely daughter of a wealthy but clueless marquis (noble), and both their lives will never be the same. They get caught up in murders, in the frenzy of rioting against the king and his rich subjects, and there's some magic thrown in too--the gypsies can move objects with their mind! I really liked this, partly because I like books set in this time period--if you've seen ...more

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Rosianna

Rosianna rated it:

03/24/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: 12/13/14 year olds

I love the French Revolution. It's such an exciting time and makes the most fascinating history, the starving who decide to take a stand against those who blindly spend and dine and drink champagne and redecorate and build and - of course - eat cake. Woven into the exciting story of Yann, Têtu and Topolain is the question of how effective the Revolution was in bringing freedom - did it not essentially consist of glorifying different people, following different laws, but laws of the same, a h...more

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Kate

Kate rated it:

(review of isbn 0803731000)

10/10/08

bookshelves: 2008, how-romantic-, love-the-setting

Read in October, 2008

recommends it for: readers who likes historical fiction, France, or exotic settings

Everyone knows I romanticize the past. Books like The Red Necklace are why. I love the descriptions in this book--especially of Paris in the winter.

The Red Necklace has characters I care about, and a wonderful, wonderful sense of place. My only quibble is that I "figured out" the family connections quite early. Maybe I was supposed to?

The 18th Century fascinates me, and I loved this look into the world of powdered wigs, buckled shoes, and pewter mugs.

This book reminde...more

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Deborah

Deborah rated it:

11/20/08

bookshelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

Read in November, 2008

The last three books I've read (or at least started reading) are set during the French Revolution, which I know next to nothing about.

The Red Necklace is the better of the titles.

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Sidhe

Sidhe rated it:

06/30/08

Read in June, 2008

Another good book from Gardner!

This book came in to the library, and the cover looked interesting, but the historical era was not one I especially prefer to read. I decided to give it a try when I saw it was written by the same author as _I, Coriander_, an excellent book. This one was also highly enjoyable, if a bit slow at points.

The author worked the idea of magic into the idea of the real time period almost too seamlessly. Magic seemed almost...unmagical. And the ending begs for a...more

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Stacy268

Stacy268 rated it:

(review of isbn 0803731000)

03/18/08

Read in March, 2008

recommends it for: fans of Libba Bray, fans of the Luxe

I love Sally Gardner. I adored I, Coriander, and had high expectations for this title as well. I enjoyed it, but was tossed out by a turn of phrase that didn't seem very of the French Revolution. That aside, the details of the marquis' over-the-top lifestyle were jaw dropping, and the hints of romance between Yannick and Sido. A gypsy storyline, which is always good for me as well. I do not assume to know much of the French Revolution so I do need to assume that historical details ar...more

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Laina

Laina marked it as to-read

11/25/08

bookshelves: to-read

Laini Taylor suggested it, and I thought it looked interesting.

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Jennifer

Jennifer rated it:

08/14/08

bookshelves: teen-historical-fiction

Read in August, 2008

Slow to start but worth sticking with. Set during the French Revolution. Adventure, Gypsy magic, automatons, guillotines, orphans, murder, and intrigue. What more could you ask for? A little more on the romance side then the real historical side but still and all it is historical fiction and is good at setting the scene for the French revolution. Oh those naughty nobles.

It has a MUCH better review in person. May have been set up for a sequel, but I am not positive.

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BCL

BCL rated it:

06/19/08

bookshelves: world-historical-fiction

Red Necklace is set at the beginning of the French Revoluntion. It is the story of a magician's assistant and a young girl who saves his life. The girl is the daughter of an aristocrat. She has never felt much love from her father though. Now as trouble is on the rise in the nation of France, the story twists together a little bit of magic, history, murder and romance to make a good read. Will the assistant have a chance to repay her favor? Good for 9th grade plus. VC

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Katie

Katie rated it:

07/18/08

bookshelves: 2008, age-ya, historical-fiction

Read in July, 2008

I was surprised to like this as much as I did. The French Revolution interests me and I liked the movie "Marie Antoinette," but I've never read this author and there was a chance that this would be boring. However, the story was intriguing with a bit of magic and opulence and I felt that the uprising of the peasants and the ignorance of the nobility was well-illustrated.

I got this as an ARC from my library director, who got it from the PLA conference.

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Rachel

Rachel rated it:

10/29/08

bookshelves: clau, read-2008, ya-fantasy

Read in October, 2008

Very funny in places with good characters. Historical elements are well integrated, until the end when it just falls apart. To many deus ex machina (improbable contrivance in a story characterized by a sudden unexpected solution to a seemingly intractable problem) solutions to the problem that could have been better solved other ways. The ultimate ending is not satisfying and the characters change way to quickly. (Audio edition)

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Laura

Laura rated it:

07/09/08

bookshelves: borrowed-from-public-library

A very delightful way to spend the day. Yann is a young boy who can throw his voice and read people's minds, and works at doing a bit of magic with a dwarf and a magician, until the latter two meet up with someone from their past. The book also features a beautiful young girl who has a limp and a father who hates her. It all takes place during the beginning of the Revolution, and was hard to put down.

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Aimee

Aimee rated it:

04/01/08

Read in March, 2008

This is a YA book that takes place during the French Revolution. The main character is a gypsy boy who can read minds. There isn't many shades of gray here. The villain is a maniacal monster of a man. Of course there is also a fair maiden to be rescued. Still, it was a fun read with lots of good adventure. I liked the historical setting with just the gypsy powers to make it a little interesting.

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