For some reason it sucks me in. Not with good writing, or character development, or an enticing plot. I guess I'm just along for the ride because I'm a sucker for anything related to history (even if the inaccuracies are numerous).
So here we go, my thought on the continuing story of Gwen Shepherd, over emotional and ennuyeux time traveler.
Let me start off by saying, Gwen has gotten even more annoying in this book than the last. In the first book, she was a normal school girl. She had a best friend. Her favorite pastime was watching movies with her best friend and gossiping. Gwen did not care about school, education, and lest of all history. The strangest thing in her life was the ability to see ghosts, and the fact that her cousin Charlotte would someday time travel.
Now, little time has passed since she discovered that she was the time traveler. Okay, not enough time to be well versed in history so as not to make a mockery of herself when going back in time. But if she would just apply herself, she could quickly be on her way to learning important information to keep the timeline intact. But does she?
No. Not even slightly.
You know what Gwen does do? Get nervous around Gideon, wanting to kiss him because she loves him. He's rude to her one minute and kissing her the next. It's so confusing to her, that all she can do it blubber on about how she hates him and cry when she's not around him, only to instantly have her heart race and want to be kissing him the second he walks into the room.
Meanwhile, her allies (and others) are being practical and cool. We have:
- Charlotte. She can be a little rude, but that's nothing a good redemption arc couldn't fix. She cares about keeping time intact (even if that's play off as her wanting to humiliate Gwen), and has a passion for history (or at least she applied herself to learning it and seems to enjoy it) and the job she that was taken from her. Why isn't she the main character?! ARG.
- Lesley. Best friend of Gwen, researching everything. She spends countless hours learning everything she can to help Gwen,. Basically the history research buddy I long to have in real life.
- Xemerius. Gargoyle demon. Awesome help to Gwen, able to spy for her and help her out. Totally in agreement with me that Gwen should forget Gideon and move on because he's annoying (and quite frankly she only "loves" him because she thinks he's hot).
- Lucas. Gwen's grandfather whom she meets in the past. He's totally adorable, and helpful to Gwen. Though honestly that conversation they had was entire unnecessary (if you've read the book, you know what I'm talkin' about).
- Giordano. I know he's written as annoying, but I like him simply because he cares about keeping history intact. Otherwise he was kinda mean and a horrible teacher.
Basically, this book was a mess. Never, and I mean never would I allow my children (future children) to read it without talking about the whole thing first. There are so many things that are not okay.
First off, Gwen gets drunk. Extremely drunk. Maybe the author thought that was okay, because it was during a visit to the eighteenth century when that okay for teenagers to drink (but on a side note, people did also drink water and ale and such was made differently and far less alcoholic than today, contrary to popular believe. So children drinking ale was not actually as bad as it seems). But no. I can see how the whole scene was amusing, but mostly it was a horrible thing for children to read. It is never okay to drink because 1. you are uncomfortable 2. it's what everyone else is going 3. the guy you like is flirting with another girl. Basically there's no good reason, and Gwen is basically on the way to becoming a drunk in her later life. Not to mention the only repercussions the author mentioned was "humiliating herself by singing" and "a horrible headache she dulled down with a bunch of aspirin."
Secondly, what this author calls "love" is not love at all. Do not be fooled. Gideon thinks he's "in love" with Gwen because all he wants to do when he's around her is kiss her. Gwen think's she's "in love" with Gideon because everytime she's around him, her heart races and because she think's he's hot. They've known each other for less than a week, and they've kissed and fought and it's just not okay.
Thirdly, even back in time, it's is ABSOLUTELY NEVER okay for a man to grope you. Even if it's under the pretense of plucking a hair off of you, you slap his disgusting face. Not only did Gier put this in a children's book, but she did not go on to say that this was not acceptable behavior. It was played off as "annoying" and that was it.
Don't even get me started on the adults in this book. Gwen's mother is mysterious and not telling Gwen things purely for the sake of mystery, all the adults are either entirely rude or too kind (but still keeping Gwen in the dark only for the sake of the readers suspense). None of them feel real, and they're severely lacking from the story to keep these immature teenagers in check.
As for the plot, it's entertaining enough. It's really not all that special, though I am curious as to what closing the Circle of Blood will do. Though it's obvious that Lucy and Paul are not the villains of the story. I wish Gier would have made that less obvious, so I'm not screaming at the characters for not trusting them and thinking ill of them for almost no reason.
Overall, I enjoyed the book in some areas. Even if I was mostly screaming at the characters in annoyance. And hey, the cover is pretty (I'm speaking more to the background), even if it is a bit cliche.
Rated PG-13 for mild language and sexual themes
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