#Thursday Review - Dream on by Kerstin Gier (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: The Silver Trilogy # 2
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and CO (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy


Things seem to be going well for Liv Silver: she’s adjusting to her new home in London; she has a burgeoning romance with Henry Harper, one of the cutest boys in school; and the girl who’s been turning her dreams into nightmares, Anabel, is now locked up. But serenity doesn’t last for long.

It seems that Liv’s troubles are far from over—in fact, suddenly they’re piling up. School gossip blogger Secrecy knows all of Liv’s most intimate secrets, Henry might be hiding something from her, and at night Liv senses a dark presence following her through the corridors of the dream world. Does someone have a score to settle with Liv?

Dream On is the second installment in Kerstin Gier's The Silver Trilogy. The story picks up two months after the ending of Dream a Little Dream. 16-year old Liv Silver exploits continue as she weaves her way through a dangerous dreamland just teaming with foreboding shadows that seem to be stalking her. While in real life, Liv, her sister Mia, and Au pair Lottie are learning how to live with her mother's new beau and his family which includes twins Florence and Grayson. 

While Liv has been spending a whole lot of time with Henry in their dreams. In fact, she's got even better at shape-shifting into other things not just owl's. What makes this story different from the first one, is that Liv's sister Mia is haunted to the point where she starts to sleepwalk. On top of Mia's distressing situation, and the fact that someone new is stalking the halls of dreams, someone is leaking personal information about Liv and Mia to Secrecy who runs the Tittle-Tattle Blog. 

At this point, I have given it my best guess and have narrowed down Secrecy's identity to two people. But, I won't make my guesses public. I'll wait until I read the third book to see if I was right or out in left field. Dream On has so many different issues going on at the same time, that you really need to put them in perspective and not ignore them. Liv and Mia's exploits against "The Boker", for instance, begged for more time. Personally, after the way she treats Liv's family, including own mother, I would have taken it even further. 

Henry's secrecy when it comes to his family issues gets even crazier. How can one have a relationship with someone who keeps dark secrets and refuses to speak about them? And, why is Henry being so secretive to the point where he has a highly unusual encounter with someone who isn't Liv. The last issue is the most important. Who is really behind Mia's distressing situation and why her of all people? Is is someone who Liv pissed off? If so, that really only leaves a few people right? 

Let's put the possible romance between Liv and Grayson to bed, shall we? Especially now that the parent units are supposed to be getting married. Why would anyone in their right minds root for these two to have a romantic nature? Not only is it not right for siblings to think of the other like that, but ick! I do like the fact that Grayson, Mia, and Liv have become friends. Friends! When the sisters do something funny, he doesn't seem to mind all that much.

I dare say that the last part of this story was the best. It also leaves an ending that pretty much guarantees that you will read the final novel in this series to see how Gier wraps things up. 

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#Wednesday Review - Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier (Young Adult, Fantasy)

Series: The Silver Trilogy # 1
Format: Hardcover, 322 pages
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR)
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute

Dream a Little Dream is the first installment in Kerstin Gier's Silber series. Gier is also the author of the Precious Stone Trilogy which I have read and reviewed in 2015. 16-year old Olivia "Liv" Silver, her sister Mia, and their Au pair Lottie, are moving to yet another city, another home, and another place that they will have to start all over again. This marks the sixth time in 8 years that the girls have been uplifted from their homes, and forced to start over again because of their mother's job. 

The girls have traveled to 6 different countries, over 4 different continents, and now, because their own mother has found a honeypot in Earnest Spencer, they find themselves in London, and at a new school called Frognal Academy for Boys and Girls. Frognal is an uptight school where the girls find themselves with "big sisters" who are to show them around. It also has a a strange yet telling blog that reveals secrets of everyone in the school, including Liv.

Liv, as I will call her from now on, loves to dream. A fact becomes all too real when she finds herself watching four unknown boys who she learns are from her school. Liv is able to do some amazing things in her dreams, including becoming an owl in order to spy on the four boys she's seen at school. The four boys, Grayson Spencer, Jasper Grant, Henry Harper, and Arthur Hamilton have apparently done something rather stupid and have need of a fifth person to prevent bad things from happening.

I do believe that Dream a Little Dream IS an interesting story. Liv and Mia are definitely the more interesting pair of sisters you'll meet and not at each others throats every 5 minutes. Liz loves logic and science, while Mia, who is the youngest, loves to play detective. You can't blame either sister for their sarcasm or behavior when you first meet them. After all, the sisters meet the man that their mother loves who just happens to have two kids of his own that don't like changes either. The the fact that all of their plans have gone up in smoke, just makes the entire situation laughable.

Reviewers have talked about the so called romance in this book, or the glaring fact that it takes a whole lot of time for it to get going. But, to say that Liv should end up with her soon to be step-brother just makes me want to hurl my dinner, and gag on a spoon. How very European of you folks! Now, Grayson and Liv should NOT be together except as friends. Now, Henry on the other hand is an interesting character and I am all for Henry and Liv finding a future together.

I do have a fondest for stories that take place in dreams. In fact, you should try watching the movie Dreamscape sometime if you really want to see dream sequences done right. Liv finds herself in a world where there are different doors, and different challenges, and a villain who isn't stupid by any means. My only regret is that I haven't discovered yet the person behind the Tittle Tattle blog and who Secrecy really is. Hopefully in the next installment.

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*Book Review* Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Series: The Ruby Red Trilogy
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt (US)
Published: May 10, 2011
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Time Travel

*Book Blurb*

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.

*My Thoughts*

"Ruby Red with G major, the magic of the raven, brings the circle of Twelve home into safe haven."

16-year old Gwyneth "Gwen" Shepherd lives a relatively boring life with her extended family including her aunt, cousin, and grandmother knowing that the time traveling gene has passed her by. Or did it? Even though her cousin Charlotte has been trained for the day when her initiation journey kicks in, and has worked with another fellow time traveler in Gideon, it is Gwen who suddenly finds herself thrust into the spotlight when she journeys back in time and discovers an entirely new world.

In spite of the fact that Gwen is as toothless as a new born baby when it comes to understanding history, fancy clothes, archaic manners, a mysterious secret society, Gideon, her time-traveling counterpart, or her own mother's secrets that she keeps bundled up tightly, Gwen learns that she is the Ruby, or the Twelfth member of the Circle. It is up to Gwen to help Gideon in his work to collect the blood from all Twelve time travelers for a group known as the Guardians.

Gwen is such a fun character to read about. She holds nothing back when it comes to standing up for herself. She can apparently see ghosts, and demon gargoyles. Although apparently not as smart as her cousin Charlotte, she doesn't allow herself to wallow in self-pity. I adore her best friend Lesley. Their relationship is fun, and adorable, and Lesley isn't jealous of her best friends success, but joins her in doing important research so that Gwen can get caught up quickly.

Then there is Gideon. Oh, Gideon how I loathe you with every breath I take. I know you are the supposed love interest, but you are obnoxious, arrogant, loud mouthed, and just plain rude! You cut people down with words, and expect them to just fall all over themselves to love you and adore you and put you up on a pedestal. Yeah, I totally don't see the attraction, but once again, I might be in the minority on this issue.

Really, really didn't like Count Saint-Germain, but that just means that the writer did her job in grabbing my attention, and holding it. He's a dangerous man, who is about as secretive as they come. He's nasty, and a manipulative bastard who holds sway over people like the Devil over his demons. So many secrets surrounding this man, that I am definitely eager to see where Gier takes his story from here.

Didn't quite care for the spoiled Charlotte who is as smart as she is beautiful. When, along with your mother who truly believes the world owes her a favor, you blame your own cousin for subterfuge and ruining your life, you show your true colors, and they really weren't all that pretty. I'm still trying to put my mind around Charlotte's relationship with Gideon, but I'm sure all will be explained shortly.

Ruby Red is an amazing start to the Precious Stone Trilogy, a trilogy that I have been wanting to read for years. The story is filled with mysteries, humor, and yes, romance. The relationships between several of the characters like Lucy, Paul, Grace & Gwen, has me searching for answers, but I am sure that the author will eventually tie up any loose ends by the end of this trilogy, if not sooner. I am patiently waiting for my hold request from the library to be fulfilled. Once it is, I shall move on to the next book called Sapphire Blue!