Book Review: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication date: October 2012
Pages: 368
Source: ARC from ALA
For: Review
Series: Ruby Red, Book 2

*Spoilers are inevitable for the first book, Ruby Red*
Gwen's life has been turbulent, to say the least, since she's discovered she's the one with the time traveling gene. With all that prep time she missed out on, she's a bit backward when they visit the eighteenth century. But their travels to get the blood of all the time travelers is not going as well as it should and things in her own day are starting to heat up. Especially when the frustrating Gideon is involved.

Things I Liked:
Time travel.  Really, I always seem to remember when I'm reading books about time travel, that they are a weakness for me.  I just love a good, complicated time-bending story.  Obviously, the parts about time travel were my favorite.  I loved when the plot got complicated because of when things happened and who had gone back to do them, etc.  The romance was not a win for me, but I was able to overlook it most of the time and just enjoy the strange time travel delights and Gwen's fiesty reactions to many things.  I like the way she doesn't fit into a mold and most of the time, doesn't care about it.  I like how she's mad when they exclude her and then finds ways to figure things out on her own. 

Things I Didn't Like:
Seriously, I hate the romance.  I think the way Gideon treats her (hot and cold, etc) was just plain annoying.  But the way Gwen reacted was even more so.  She just couldn't help herself from loving him, he was so handsome and charming, except when he was cold and rude.  And she wouldn't let him kiss her again if he was going to act like that.  Until he tries to kiss her again.  She just should have smacked him upside the head and told him to hit the highway.  I think sometimes I like to impose my adult romantic sensibilities on teen romance.  My other beef with the story was the lack of story about Lucy and Paul.  Considering Lucy is the sapphire, I figured that she would play a big part in the story.  She only shows up maybe once or twice.  I was a bit disappointed by that, actually, because I'm very interested in what they are up to.  More than in Gideon and Gwen.  But, I still have high hopes for the last book.

Read-alikes:
Reminds me of Hourglass by Myra McIntire

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
some, not too much

mrg-factor: XX
mostly talk, though with fairly loose views of teen sex

v-factor: ->
a fight or two, but nothing described

Overall rating: ***

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication date: May 2011
ISBN: 9780805092523
Source: Review copy provided by publicist

Gwyneth has always been the forgotten girl in her household.  Her cousin Charlotte has been prepared since birth to be a time traveler.  But when she is the one to travel back, everything is turned upside down.  She will discover secrets about her birth that her mother has been hiding.  She will also have to travel with Gideon, another time traveler, to a London of the 18th century and deal with past travelers whose motivations remain hidden.  Can she unravel all the secrets of the past and the present before it is too late?

Things I Liked:
I really do love a good time travel story.  Sometimes I go a while without reading one, then when I do I remember how awesome they are!  This is a really good one too, complete with time paradoxes and secret societies.  I loved the mysterious atmosphere and the period clothing descriptions and just how much fun it was to fall into the story with Gwyneth.  Action, mystery, secrets, betrayals, all wrapped in a time travel cloak.  An awesome beginning to a series that I'm planning to devour.  

Things I Didn't Like:
There were remarkably few wording issues that arose from the translation.  Pretty well done, I'd say, but not entirely absent.  I was a little struck at how juvenile Gwyneth seemed at the beginning. I had a hard time seeing her as sixteen.  But as the book progressed, so did she and I was able to accept that.  I'm definitely hooked on this one.

Read-alikes:
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller a little bit

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !  
a few mild words every so often

mrg-factor: X
some implied stuff, nothing on page

v-factor: ->
a little bit of action, but not gory at all

Overall rating: ****

Can you wrap your head around time travel stories?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage