With the school year coming to a close in a couple of days, I thought I would catch up on some reviews of books that I read earlier this year.


Description: Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.

Review: I thought Emerald Green was a solid ending to a great time traveling series. We get a lot of our answers regarding Gwen's birth and a shocking revelation that the other characters have been dancing around but haven't officially addressed it. Gwen is still a delight, full of sass, wit, and handles her problems with ingenuity. It was lovely watching her grow throughout the series. The romance is still prevalent as Gideon sorts out his own issues and feelings for Gwen. I liked Gideon though I wanted to smack him upside the head for being an idiot for most of this book. Overall, I definitely felt satisfied with this ending though I'm sad the story is over and I have to say goodbye to these characters.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence and minor language. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White, Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray,



Description: Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
  Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
  Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.

Review: I loved the premise of this book and intrigued me right away, however, much of the book felt unfinished. I had many questions that weren't addressed such as why does the Archive need the actual bodies and what happens when the Archive gets full? Though these unanswered questions didn't stop me from reading and enjoying the book, they did nag and bother me. While we are taken to the various layers of the Archive, but I didn't really have a firm grasp on the image in my head.
  Mackenzie is an interesting character, who is forced to lead a double life due to her role in serving the Archive. In order to make her approachable and human, we watch as she wrestles with how to grieve the death of her little brother, which was fine but I'm a bit surprised that she didn't mourn heavily for her grandfather as they had a very close relationship. Though I liked seeing the vulnerable side to Mackenzie, I thought it took too much page time and slowed down the book's pace for me. I wanted to get to the action, which finally happens when Mackenzie stumbles upon an old murder mystery and befriends a dead boy named Owen who shouldn't exist outside of the Archive. There is also plenty of humor provided by the a great secondary character named Wes that also works for the Archive and is Mackenzie's peer. I would have loved to get to know Wes better as his personality and stories intrigued me. Though the action moves the plot along, more questions keep popping up which makes me wonder if the author intended this to be a series. I know there is a companion book to The Archive which I'm interested in reading in hopes that some of my questions will be answered. Overall, I do recommend picking up The Archive if you are looking for an unique fantasy with a mystery that discusses the afterlife without any supernatural forces and beings.  

Rating: 3.5 stars

Words of Caution: There are some disturbing images and minor language. Recommended for Grades 7 and up.

If you like this book try: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab, In the Shadows by Kiersten White


Description: An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
 Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Review: Ashes is a book that I wanted to DNF after I made the 100 pages mark, but I continued because this was my student book club's pick for our dystopian read. While the book had an okay start with an adventure/survival story as an electromagnetic pulse that may have taken out the entire world and have solved Alex's brain tumor that was deemed incurable by her doctors. Alex soon meets new companions- an obstinate eight-year-old orphan named Ellie and a young soldier named Tom-as they try to make sense of things. While I was getting interested in watching how this group interacts with one another and find out what had caused the electromagnetic impulse, the book then takes a horror turn with the appearance of zombies that are soon called the Changed. I'm not a zombie fan so this part of the "action" and gore was not my cup of tea.This is why I wanted to DNF the book, fortunately this portion of the book didn't last long. Soon the book morphs yet again into a weird cult novel leaving the questions and plot threads in the first two sections of the book unanswered and/or completely ignored. Overall, this was my least favorite book club pick and I can definitely see why I was hesitant to pick it up. I honestly can't recommend this one nor am I interested in continuing this series. 

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some gruesome and gory scenes along with some strong language. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Maze Runner series by James Dashner, Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Mayberry, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

 I thoroughly enjoyed Kerstin Gier's romantic time traveling book, Red Ruby, and highly recommend it to readers looking for a fun, quick read that encompasses adventure, a sweet romance, humor, and historical trivia. Red Ruby is the first book in the trilogy. Sapphire Blue is the second book and steers clear from middle book syndrome. I found it to be equally enjoyable.

Description (from the Publisher): Gwen's life has been a roller coaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she's been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

Review: Gwyneth is trying to reconcile her role as the Ruby, the final member in the Circle of Twelve, a secret time-travel society, with being a normal London teen. No one takes her seriously and they all think she completely incapable of undertaking a huge project and not to mention dark prophecy that may get her or her loved ones killed. What's the project and prophecy? Well, the Circle of Twelve won't discuss anything thing with her and hush matters between themselves in a locked room. Complicating matters even more are her feelings for handsome Gideon de Villiers, a fellow time traveler who gives Gwyneth mixed signals-wavering between kissing her and ignoring her.
 The secrecy surrounding the Circle, whose distrust of Gwyneth is both unfair and frustrating. What I love about Gwyneth though is that she is adaptable, engaging, funny, and sweet. She doesn't waste her time moaning about how no one trusts her, but she uses her intuition and ingenuity to circumvent the authorities who refuse to be honest with her yet send her on dangerous mission in the past. She makes secret trips through time to conspire with her much younger (and living) grandfather or asks a delightful gargoyle ghost, who she can only see and talk to spy for her.  I love Xemerius! He is so adorable and funny with his spot-on critiques on people. He definitely was a welcoming addition to this book. Unlike many books where going against the authorities is a stupid and bad idea, I can't blame Gwyneth for taking this route since the authorities are supposed to be looking out for her, but their intentions are murky at best. As Gideon points out to Gwyneth, their lives are dictated by their supernatural genes; they will never be free from the confines of their birth, forced to stay local, so as not to be in constant danger.
   Speaking of Gideon, I was so conflicted about him. I found his inability to tell Gwyneth how he feels about her to be sweet. Even though he appears as if he knows all the answers, he really doesn't and he can't seem to think straight with Gwyneth around. There are definitely some sweet moments between them, but their romance does have a few stumbling blocks in this book.
  Hilarious and delightful, Sapphire Blue explores new mysteries and raises new questions, which we don't have any answers yet but I'm very hopeful that we will get them in third and final book. Ruby Red isn't necessarily a series that I would read immediately, but it is a series to look out for and enjoy on vacation or if you are in reading slump.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: Some minor language and a scene of underage drinking. Recommended for strong Grades 6 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier (October 2013), Paranormalcy trilogy by Kiersten White, Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, The Time Traveling Fashionesta by Bianca Turetskey

 Ruby Red is a delightful romantic comedy with a good dose of a complex, unresolved time-travel mystery that can be enjoyed by a wide range of audience. Readers new to this series won't have to wait long for the sequel as it is expected to be released later this month.

Description (from the publisher):  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.

Review: Gwen is a contemporary English teen who lives in London with her mother's eccentric family. She has the girl next door flair to her along with a wonderful sense of humor. Gwen has always heard of the time traveling gene that her family possesses, but she really can't understand why her cousin Charlotte thinks having the gene is such a big deal. You see, Charlotte is the expected carrier of the family time-travel gene that has been passed along the female line in the girls' family since the 16th century and has trained her entire life for this one opportunity, but it never happens. Unexpectedly, Gwen experiences the symptoms of the time traveling gene in the middle of her class.
  Everyone including Gwen is surprised and utterly shocked when Gwen is not only the gene carrier but a very special time traveler. Gwen quickly realizes that her mother has fabricated her birth date in order to protect her from the Guardians, the old, powerful and dangerous secret society obsessively watching over the time travelers and protecting the chronograph, a device for negotiating time travel. To the Guardians, Gwen is not your ordinary time traveler but the Ruby, the crucial last link in their Circle of Twelve. To complicate matters more, Gideon, Gwen's handsome, insufferable and arrogant fellow time traveler in the male line, is the Diamond. Together Gwen and Gideon are expected to complete the Circle and solve an undefined mystery involving Count Saint-Germain, a malevolent time traveler from the 18th century, that is if they can work together without killing each other first.
  As she narrates her adventures, Gwen convincingly conveys her bewilderment, fear and excitement of a being an ordinary teen who is comfortable with her mundane routine and then suddenly finds herself transported and disorientated into an unknown past. Though she has absolutely no idea of what to do, she manages to think quickly and surprises everyone including Gideon who has her pegged as an inferior time traveler and doesn't waste an opportunity to let her know that.
  What I loved about Ruby Red is the attention to the historical setting from the fashion to the mannerisms, especially since the book is originally published in German and then translated into English. While reading the book, I had no idea it was a translated copy of the book. It seems as if the author did a great job with historical accuracy.
  Of course I have to mention the relationship between Gwen and Gideon. They both share the tensions found in a love/hate relationships that are common in most romance stories, but the romance doesn't instantly happen for these characters. Gwen and Gideon have to overcome their prejudices of one another to not only solve the mystery they are both assigned to, but also to show the various layers of their personalities. Their relationship grows slowly but realistically and while we don't have a full blown romance we can see it budding.
 With engaging characters, a chaste but sweet romance, and unique plot line involving time traveling, Ruby Red is a sure fire hit and would be a great selection for a vacation read. I really look forward to going on more journeys with Gwen and Gideon  and to seeing how this mystery unravels.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. This is a relatively clean book with a chaste budding romance. I would feel comfortable in giving this book to a very strong Grade 5th reader.

If you like this book try: Saphire Blue by Kerstin Gier, The Time Traveling Fashionesta by Bianca Turetskey, Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda