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Ruby
“[A] mesmerizing alchemy of fairy-tale fantasy and Hollywood glitz. . . about an L.A. nanny who uses magic to land the hunk of her dreams.” —People
From the beloved author of Necklace of Kisses comes a modern-day fairy tale of a willful and intuitive heroine and a world of shocking realism and transcendent magic
Francesca Lia Block, with co-writer Carmen Staton, introduces readers to Ruby, a Midwestern girl named for the jewel that is believed to ward off evil spirits. Ruby's special gift is a sixth sense that makes her at one with nature and gives her the ability to know her own destiny.
After growing up in an abusive family, Ruby escapes to Los Angeles and learns of her soulmate -- Orion -- a British actor. She travels to England, where she works at a potions and herbs shop, and through a series of coincidental circumstances, ends up nursing Orion back to health without confessing that she has been on a quest to find him all along. But just when she thinks her dream is becoming a reality, Ruby is stopped in her tracks by the violent demons of her past. Only by facing the darkness together can she and Orion finally fulfill their destiny.
In Ruby, readers will find a story about the power of our minds to overcome the past and ultimately change the course of our lives.
From the beloved author of Necklace of Kisses comes a modern-day fairy tale of a willful and intuitive heroine and a world of shocking realism and transcendent magic
Francesca Lia Block, with co-writer Carmen Staton, introduces readers to Ruby, a Midwestern girl named for the jewel that is believed to ward off evil spirits. Ruby's special gift is a sixth sense that makes her at one with nature and gives her the ability to know her own destiny.
After growing up in an abusive family, Ruby escapes to Los Angeles and learns of her soulmate -- Orion -- a British actor. She travels to England, where she works at a potions and herbs shop, and through a series of coincidental circumstances, ends up nursing Orion back to health without confessing that she has been on a quest to find him all along. But just when she thinks her dream is becoming a reality, Ruby is stopped in her tracks by the violent demons of her past. Only by facing the darkness together can she and Orion finally fulfill their destiny.
In Ruby, readers will find a story about the power of our minds to overcome the past and ultimately change the course of our lives.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2006
22 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
Francesca Lia Block
100 books3,370 followersFrancesca Lia Block is the author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association and from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly. She was named Writer-in-Residence at Pasadena City College in 2014. Her work has been translated into Italian, French, German Japanese, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Portuguese. Francesca has also published stories, poems, essays and interviews in The Los Angeles Times, The L.A. Review of Books, Spin, Nylon, Black Clock and Rattle among others. In addition to writing, she teaches creative writing at University of Redlands, UCLA Extension, Antioch University, and privately in Los Angeles where she was born, raised and currently still lives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
January 13, 2009
An intertwining tale of two magical and troubled lives, Ruby is a gripping mix of fantasy and reality.
Ruby has always been different. Not just because she hides things.
She sees things. She hears things. She knows things. Her father has always ignored it. But she knows it's real.
She moves across the country, to LA, to take a job as a nanny. She wants to be able to leave herself behind. An ex-boyfriend shows up at her employer's door. Some things are easier said than done.
She leave LA and travels to England. Here the magic is stronger than ever. In the midst of what feels like only lies, she finds a family, her dream, and even herself. What started as a good cover story turns into a reality, freeing her from life-long demons.
_____
Francesca Lia Block is my all-time favorite author. After discovering her when a friend recommended I read Violet & Claire, I went out and bought all the rest of her books. I'm always excited when I see she's written a new one. Ruby almost passed me by, but our Teen Librarian brought it to my attention.
I really enjoyed Ruby's story. It's slightly more reality than fantasy, as compared with Block's other works, but it still had that same mystical feel. Any book-lover should love Block. Her style is compelling and one-of-a-kind. Aside from her erotic works, which I haven't read, I highly recommend everything she's written.
Ruby has always been different. Not just because she hides things.
She sees things. She hears things. She knows things. Her father has always ignored it. But she knows it's real.
She moves across the country, to LA, to take a job as a nanny. She wants to be able to leave herself behind. An ex-boyfriend shows up at her employer's door. Some things are easier said than done.
She leave LA and travels to England. Here the magic is stronger than ever. In the midst of what feels like only lies, she finds a family, her dream, and even herself. What started as a good cover story turns into a reality, freeing her from life-long demons.
_____
Francesca Lia Block is my all-time favorite author. After discovering her when a friend recommended I read Violet & Claire, I went out and bought all the rest of her books. I'm always excited when I see she's written a new one. Ruby almost passed me by, but our Teen Librarian brought it to my attention.
I really enjoyed Ruby's story. It's slightly more reality than fantasy, as compared with Block's other works, but it still had that same mystical feel. Any book-lover should love Block. Her style is compelling and one-of-a-kind. Aside from her erotic works, which I haven't read, I highly recommend everything she's written.
September 14, 2018
I don't know how I found this one but it reminded me of reading an Alice Hoffman book. I will definitely read more by this author.
March 27, 2011
It's easy to see Carmen Staton's influence in this novel. Often with Francesca Lia Block's novels, I have a hard time following her narrative. She tends to shift in and out of different timelines, and her use of language can be a touch hard for me to follow. As much as I love FLB's novels, her stories, her characters and her wordplay, her use of timelines and formatting often cause me to pull away. Staton seems to have grounded FLB here, and so the flow of the story is very linear. It's easy to see when the timeline changes- italics, or even a 'When x was y'.
From what I can tell by other reviewers, this is one of FLB's less praised novels. It doesn't have her full stamp on it, it isn't as whimsical or flighty as her previous novels, and from what I can see, this is why a lot of reviewers appear not to like it. But for me, this is why I enjoyed it more. It's structured and set out in a linear manner, and it has a proper beginning, middle and end.
The one thing that bugged me the entire time was Ruby's vague stalker-ish motives for finding Orion. It just felt like an obsessed fan the entire time, hunting him down, finding where he lived, getting to know his folks. I can't help but wonder how Orion would have felt when Ruby finally confessed- if she ever confessed. Orion had established trust issues. Ruby's initial motives, even if she finally truly fell in love with him, would no doubt hurt Orion. Where would they go from there? I can't help but feel the establishing point of Ruby's mission to go and find Orion could have been different. How about a dream, or a vision that she so often had? Why did she have to see his picture in a movie? He could have still be a movie star, but that could have been a minor detail in the overarching storyline.
But I still liked this book, even if it is because of the less FLB feel of it.
From what I can tell by other reviewers, this is one of FLB's less praised novels. It doesn't have her full stamp on it, it isn't as whimsical or flighty as her previous novels, and from what I can see, this is why a lot of reviewers appear not to like it. But for me, this is why I enjoyed it more. It's structured and set out in a linear manner, and it has a proper beginning, middle and end.
The one thing that bugged me the entire time was Ruby's vague stalker-ish motives for finding Orion. It just felt like an obsessed fan the entire time, hunting him down, finding where he lived, getting to know his folks. I can't help but wonder how Orion would have felt when Ruby finally confessed- if she ever confessed. Orion had established trust issues. Ruby's initial motives, even if she finally truly fell in love with him, would no doubt hurt Orion. Where would they go from there? I can't help but feel the establishing point of Ruby's mission to go and find Orion could have been different. How about a dream, or a vision that she so often had? Why did she have to see his picture in a movie? He could have still be a movie star, but that could have been a minor detail in the overarching storyline.
But I still liked this book, even if it is because of the less FLB feel of it.
May 19, 2019
DNF @ 50%. I've had this for years. Never read it. I found it in my book closet (that I really need to read so I can get rid of some books) and picked it up. It just wasn't for me. It was one of them no plotter but we'll follow this whimsical girl who flits from place to place (without any explanation of how she gets where she's going.) This has like a SHITTON of flash backs too, which I hate. Like, this girl worked a year as a live-in nanny (so you know the pay would be crap) but she still manages to fly to England and set herself up and buy shit and ... shit. How's that possible? And apparently flew there because she liked a movie star and this dude came from that English village? Stalker much? Of course they end up together (I peeked at the end.)
Predictable, boring, no plot, but nice words. I have such a love-hate relationship with this author. I remember reading her stuff as a teen and loving them but I find, as an adult, I actually like a plot and a purpose.
Predictable, boring, no plot, but nice words. I have such a love-hate relationship with this author. I remember reading her stuff as a teen and loving them but I find, as an adult, I actually like a plot and a purpose.
September 24, 2019
So far this is my favorite FLB book. Her books are an acquired taste with her writing style more like poetry and not always linear. Carmen Staton helped immensely with this while not diluting any of the magic. Ruby and her sister Opal will rip you in half and fairie magic will paste you back together.
January 7, 2017
3.4 stars.
Fan girl gets every fan girl's dearest wish...i.e., the object of her desire, an A-list movie star, falls in love with her because she's "spesh-shul."
Snarky comment aside, I enjoyed this. But...the above sentence is basically the premise. Ruby, a young woman who has the gift of knowing, whose life has been filled with glimpses of magical other worlds, decides she is destined to be with a gorgeous young actor named Orion. She moves to England where she meets his parents, who are unbelievably lovely (his mom, a witch/spiritualist, his dad, a scholar), and who of course, adore her. Mom and Dad welcome her into their lives and eventually introduce her to their son who is recuperating from a serious horse riding accident. Ruby nurses him back to life and love happens.
Orion, btw, is a total dud. Perhaps because I was hoping he'd be a sophisticated but goofy sort of Tom Hiddleston type. Someone worth uprooting your whole life for. Instead, he's a bland pretty boy with no character development whatsoever.
All of this is interwoven with Ruby's backstory, which is one of woe and angst. Basically her father is a pedophile and mom a blithering idiot who ignore the situation. Even though dad was clearly an abusive asshole.
And well she shouldn't. Yeah, that's right. I never felt much love for Mom.
The weird thing is that the premise and plot of Ruby is stunningly awful, but like Block's The Elementals , the novel somehow distracted me--"Look, shiny thing"--with lovely prose and magical atmosphere. That's right, shake a few pretty phrases at me and season with magical realism, and sometimes I'm like a cat so hypnotized by catnip I don't realize I've been lured into my crate for trip to the vet--"NOT THE VET!" Hence the three stars.
Basically, the ideas behind this suck, but I was utterly absorbed with the story anyway.
Fan girl gets every fan girl's dearest wish...i.e., the object of her desire, an A-list movie star, falls in love with her because she's "spesh-shul."
Snarky comment aside, I enjoyed this. But...the above sentence is basically the premise. Ruby, a young woman who has the gift of knowing, whose life has been filled with glimpses of magical other worlds, decides she is destined to be with a gorgeous young actor named Orion. She moves to England where she meets his parents, who are unbelievably lovely (his mom, a witch/spiritualist, his dad, a scholar), and who of course, adore her. Mom and Dad welcome her into their lives and eventually introduce her to their son who is recuperating from a serious horse riding accident. Ruby nurses him back to life and love happens.
Orion, btw, is a total dud. Perhaps because I was hoping he'd be a sophisticated but goofy sort of Tom Hiddleston type. Someone worth uprooting your whole life for. Instead, he's a bland pretty boy with no character development whatsoever.
All of this is interwoven with Ruby's backstory, which is one of woe and angst. Basically her father is a pedophile and mom a blithering idiot who ignore the situation. Even though dad was clearly an abusive asshole.
My mother never asked questions. My mother, who had two girls more precious to her than any jewels, more precious to her, she said, than her own life, never forgave herself for not protecting them.
And well she shouldn't. Yeah, that's right. I never felt much love for Mom.
The weird thing is that the premise and plot of Ruby is stunningly awful, but like Block's The Elementals , the novel somehow distracted me--"Look, shiny thing"--with lovely prose and magical atmosphere. That's right, shake a few pretty phrases at me and season with magical realism, and sometimes I'm like a cat so hypnotized by catnip I don't realize I've been lured into my crate for trip to the vet--"NOT THE VET!" Hence the three stars.
Basically, the ideas behind this suck, but I was utterly absorbed with the story anyway.
January 19, 2013
I originally rated this a four, but having reread it a few times after my initial read, I knocked it down to a solid 2. For me, FLB is very hit-or-miss; like most people I loved the Weetzie Bat books, particularly the character of Witch Baby, and she has a couple of other books I really adore, too. But then she has books like Pink Smog and Ruby where I just have to wonder if this is even the same author.
There were aspects of this novella I liked a lot - I liked the character of Ruby, actually. I thought her backstory was believable, the abuse wasn't over-the-top and she was a sympathetic character. I would have loved to see more time devoted to her witchery, Had the book simply been about Ruby coming into her magic powers and helping herself and her family heal from her father's physical and sexual abuse, I would have loved it. Unfortunately as with most FLB books, the plot mostly centered around the idea of Finding Your True Love, your one soulmate to whom no one else will ever compare, and even more unfortunately these were the parts where the book really started to suffer.
For one thing, Orlando Bloo- um, I mean Orion is dull. Incredibly dull. Like a big bowl of unsweetened bran flakes, Wonder Bread, and skim milk dull. I didn't understand why I was supposed to feel sorry for this schmuck, but I have a hard time relating to characters with pretty minor problems who are filthy rich. I have zero patience anymore for stories about how hard it is to be rich and famous. Oh boo hoo, Orion, go cry into your giant piles of money and tell your sob story to your devoted, loving mother.
With an uninteresting male love interest there was no way to salvage the romance. The book rushes to give Ruby a reason to eff off to England out of nowhere; her Knowing tells her that this guy she saw in a movie (the in-text description of which frankly sounds embarrassingly silly) is her Soulmate and she has to go Fix him, so off she goes. No subtlety at all. I found the passages from Orion's point of view (which I assume were written by Staton?) to be pretty obnoxious, but that's a matter of taste, I guess.
Outside of Ruby herself, the characters just aren't memorable. Or good. None of them have much in the way of personality, they're all just sort of generically Nice with the exception of her father, who is a bit of a one-dimensional villain. Ruby's mother, sister and best friend are non-entities, and her ex-boyfriend and employers hardly left an impression on me either. Throw in a couple of cavity-inducing, cherubic, cardboard cutout kids and I was about ready to jump out a window, but thankfully the kids exit the plot within a few chapters. I wish Orion's mom had had more screentime than Orion, actually.
I don't know; maybe I'm just not the right age range for these books anymore, or maybe it's because I'm gay and don't find the male love interests in any of FLB's books swoon-worthy or even all that interesting, which it strikes me is pretty crippling considering the plots of her books revolve entirely around (usually heterosexual) romance. Either way, this book disappointed me in a major way.
I'm not trying to be harsh because I hate FLB and I don't even hate this book - I liked it a good deal after my initial read, I still see a lot of good in it and there are passages (like the vignettes about Ruby's childhood, and the subtle emotional abuse at the hands of her father) that I really like. I really enjoy some of FLB's other works. I just wish this book had been a lot better, and I really wish FLB would write a book about a girl with problems and magic powers who doesn't need a boy to complete her, who is her own person with her own life whether or not she has a boyfriend. Has she written one yet? Because I haven't found it, if so. (Witch Baby came close, but...)
I'd say this book is worth a read, but don't expect much out of it. It's very short and therefore a really quick read, but it's not a book I go to over and over.
There were aspects of this novella I liked a lot - I liked the character of Ruby, actually. I thought her backstory was believable, the abuse wasn't over-the-top and she was a sympathetic character. I would have loved to see more time devoted to her witchery, Had the book simply been about Ruby coming into her magic powers and helping herself and her family heal from her father's physical and sexual abuse, I would have loved it. Unfortunately as with most FLB books, the plot mostly centered around the idea of Finding Your True Love, your one soulmate to whom no one else will ever compare, and even more unfortunately these were the parts where the book really started to suffer.
For one thing, Orlando Bloo- um, I mean Orion is dull. Incredibly dull. Like a big bowl of unsweetened bran flakes, Wonder Bread, and skim milk dull. I didn't understand why I was supposed to feel sorry for this schmuck, but I have a hard time relating to characters with pretty minor problems who are filthy rich. I have zero patience anymore for stories about how hard it is to be rich and famous. Oh boo hoo, Orion, go cry into your giant piles of money and tell your sob story to your devoted, loving mother.
With an uninteresting male love interest there was no way to salvage the romance. The book rushes to give Ruby a reason to eff off to England out of nowhere; her Knowing tells her that this guy she saw in a movie (the in-text description of which frankly sounds embarrassingly silly) is her Soulmate and she has to go Fix him, so off she goes. No subtlety at all. I found the passages from Orion's point of view (which I assume were written by Staton?) to be pretty obnoxious, but that's a matter of taste, I guess.
Outside of Ruby herself, the characters just aren't memorable. Or good. None of them have much in the way of personality, they're all just sort of generically Nice with the exception of her father, who is a bit of a one-dimensional villain. Ruby's mother, sister and best friend are non-entities, and her ex-boyfriend and employers hardly left an impression on me either. Throw in a couple of cavity-inducing, cherubic, cardboard cutout kids and I was about ready to jump out a window, but thankfully the kids exit the plot within a few chapters. I wish Orion's mom had had more screentime than Orion, actually.
I don't know; maybe I'm just not the right age range for these books anymore, or maybe it's because I'm gay and don't find the male love interests in any of FLB's books swoon-worthy or even all that interesting, which it strikes me is pretty crippling considering the plots of her books revolve entirely around (usually heterosexual) romance. Either way, this book disappointed me in a major way.
I'm not trying to be harsh because I hate FLB and I don't even hate this book - I liked it a good deal after my initial read, I still see a lot of good in it and there are passages (like the vignettes about Ruby's childhood, and the subtle emotional abuse at the hands of her father) that I really like. I really enjoy some of FLB's other works. I just wish this book had been a lot better, and I really wish FLB would write a book about a girl with problems and magic powers who doesn't need a boy to complete her, who is her own person with her own life whether or not she has a boyfriend. Has she written one yet? Because I haven't found it, if so. (Witch Baby came close, but...)
I'd say this book is worth a read, but don't expect much out of it. It's very short and therefore a really quick read, but it's not a book I go to over and over.
November 15, 2008
francesca lia block has really turned out to be a disappointment, huh? man. i was so into the "weetzie bat" books as a young teenager. i read all of them over & over again & recommended them to all my friends. but i have hated everything else she has ever written, & i am nervous to ever try re-reading the "weetzie bat" books lest they don't stand up to the test of time. after all, i am a bit more sophisticated in my literary tastes now than i was when i was 13, & i would adore everything i read just because it was opening my mind. basically, francesca just keeps writing the same shit over & over: girl is all whimsical & ethereal. girl believes love will complete her. girl really believes in soul mates & one true love (which i most emphatically do not). girl stumbles across dream man thanks to some bizarre supernatural machinations. girl & boy fall in love. girl & boy struggle with barriers to their love. girl & boy triumph in the end. if i recall properly (which maybe i am not, because all of francesca's books are so similar to each other), the protag of this one, ruby, somehow ends up working for a weird witchy lady at an english cottage, & discovers that the witch lady's son is a big-time movie star whom ruby believes to be her soul mate. & then the movie star comes home & they fall in love. & it's kind of witchy & also has some glamorous hollywood stuff. *yawn* why did i even read this? i hated it. i don't even like francesca's style anymore, which some people describe as a "feast for the senses," but seems more like, "franceca's on meth" to me.
December 3, 2007
Francesca Lia Block has such a unique way of telling a story that is short, and to the point, while not leaving anything important out. I love her writing style, which makes me feel like I'm reading a long, beautifully descriptive poem.
Ruby is a very simple book with a very simple plot. Many books tend to drag out a simple plot line into endless pages of nonsense, while Blocks books are always simple in size, yet full in description and charm. What I love about this book, is that it brings back my "young adult" years without being too "girl meets boy."
Many of Block's books have a fantasy theme that lays under the plot, but I must say she does a fantastic job of making fantasy seem like reality, much like Alice Hoffman does in her novels.
I would give this book to any young adult, as well as anyone that doesn't want to give up reading simple, charming, and beautifully written books about young girls that don't fit in, and want to win over the boy of their dreams.
Ruby is a very simple book with a very simple plot. Many books tend to drag out a simple plot line into endless pages of nonsense, while Blocks books are always simple in size, yet full in description and charm. What I love about this book, is that it brings back my "young adult" years without being too "girl meets boy."
Many of Block's books have a fantasy theme that lays under the plot, but I must say she does a fantastic job of making fantasy seem like reality, much like Alice Hoffman does in her novels.
I would give this book to any young adult, as well as anyone that doesn't want to give up reading simple, charming, and beautifully written books about young girls that don't fit in, and want to win over the boy of their dreams.
July 30, 2015
As with all FLB books, this was beautifully written. I loved the magic and whimsy of the tale, and the haunting sadness of Ruby's past. That being said, I couldn't help but roll my eyes through the entire book thinking that Ruby basically became a stalker to a famous actor, whom she felt was destined to be her soulmate. That main story line in itself was just so unbelievable that it took away from how much I could have enjoyed this. I also felt the book was way too short and didn't allow for enough character development. Ruby finally found the man of her dreams, but we had hardly any time to actually get to know them as a couple before the story was over! That being said, Ruby was a strong character with a disturbing past. I did love that she was able to come to terms with it all in the end and find herself. I also really loved the spiritual connection she had with animals and nature throughout the story.
May 5, 2015
The perfect treat! Cotton candy for my soul.
I lovelove you, Francesca Lia Block. This was just what I needed. I'm glad I waited years being weary of this little book, because I really needed something this beautiful and sweet in my life this week. I was so afraid that Block's voice would be somewhat dimmed by the addition of Staton... but it wasn't, at all. If anything, it was just a bit more linear and there were a few less of those mile-long run-ons (that I absolutely adore), but the poetic, pagan, dripping-with-sensuality descriptions, etc. were all very present.
I lovelove you, Francesca Lia Block. This was just what I needed. I'm glad I waited years being weary of this little book, because I really needed something this beautiful and sweet in my life this week. I was so afraid that Block's voice would be somewhat dimmed by the addition of Staton... but it wasn't, at all. If anything, it was just a bit more linear and there were a few less of those mile-long run-ons (that I absolutely adore), but the poetic, pagan, dripping-with-sensuality descriptions, etc. were all very present.
May 15, 2011
Emotional and lyrical, I can read Block in one sitting... and prefer to! This one is very adult, but really, all her books are. The concepts are very adult, yet told from a more magical and fantastical point of view. The way a child may concoct a fairy tale to explain something he/she is unable to comprehend. This book read like poetry and the ending gave me a vast sense of calm and satisfaction.
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February 15, 2009used bookstore purchase i shamelessly kept in the loo til i finished it as my bawwwwth book. it looked appropriate tucked amongst my makeup & glitters...
by far the most wiccan-influenced FLB book yet. it's hard to put my finger directly on what the co-author brought to this...maybe the direct spell-knowledge and some of the plot strays from her traditional narrative...but overall, pure FLB...
by far the most wiccan-influenced FLB book yet. it's hard to put my finger directly on what the co-author brought to this...maybe the direct spell-knowledge and some of the plot strays from her traditional narrative...but overall, pure FLB...
February 18, 2018
Growing up in an abusive family, Ruby decides that she will leave for LA as soon as she is legal. She finds a job as a nanny with a doctor who suspected the abuse, and we learn about Ruby's past and the magical touch she has. Ruby knows about her destiny and she sees who she is supposed to fall in love with. This just happens to be a superstar actor who has disappeared from the scene. Ruby sets off to England to find him.
We slowly learn about what Ruby had to endure during her childhood and it's pretty heartbreaking. I enjoyed the part up to Ruby setting off to England the most because of this. We were learning about her, she had a touch of magical that still felt like it could be real. Once she goes to England though, it becomes a full fairy tale and much less believable. Of course he love is a top tier actor. Of course he's sick and she's the only one that can cure him.
This was a super easy read and I breeze through it. I was engaged for the most part, if a little frustrated at how cliche the romance was and how the book ended a bit abruptly.
We slowly learn about what Ruby had to endure during her childhood and it's pretty heartbreaking. I enjoyed the part up to Ruby setting off to England the most because of this. We were learning about her, she had a touch of magical that still felt like it could be real. Once she goes to England though, it becomes a full fairy tale and much less believable. Of course he love is a top tier actor. Of course he's sick and she's the only one that can cure him.
This was a super easy read and I breeze through it. I was engaged for the most part, if a little frustrated at how cliche the romance was and how the book ended a bit abruptly.
March 17, 2019
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Reading Ruby was like having the demons of my past cutting my chest open, exposing my viscera to the world of germs and viruses and then an angel coming to take out my scarred heart and planting it in a garden full of roses.
I consider books lovers that come into your life at the right time. That might be cliche by now. I apologize if it is. But I can’t help but notice that during my darkest times, the right book will come along and soothe my festering wounds that just won’t heal. I’ve finally come to the sad acceptance that I will always have this darkness, this emptiness in my heart and bones from the trauma that haunts my subconscious and shadow self.
I love that Ruby is a bruja (Spanish for witch) just like me. I love that she loves animals. I love that she is sensitive. I love that she is a survivor. I love that she is a fighter.
Ruby is another amazing, ethereal, visceral book by Francesca Lia Block along with Carmen Staton. I found myself gorging on their words and feasting on their beautiful, iridescent prose that read like poetry. This is a must for Block fans and anyone who seeks redemption and healing from a violent, suppressed past.
5/5 crimson roses.
Reading Ruby was like having the demons of my past cutting my chest open, exposing my viscera to the world of germs and viruses and then an angel coming to take out my scarred heart and planting it in a garden full of roses.
I consider books lovers that come into your life at the right time. That might be cliche by now. I apologize if it is. But I can’t help but notice that during my darkest times, the right book will come along and soothe my festering wounds that just won’t heal. I’ve finally come to the sad acceptance that I will always have this darkness, this emptiness in my heart and bones from the trauma that haunts my subconscious and shadow self.
I love that Ruby is a bruja (Spanish for witch) just like me. I love that she loves animals. I love that she is sensitive. I love that she is a survivor. I love that she is a fighter.
Ruby is another amazing, ethereal, visceral book by Francesca Lia Block along with Carmen Staton. I found myself gorging on their words and feasting on their beautiful, iridescent prose that read like poetry. This is a must for Block fans and anyone who seeks redemption and healing from a violent, suppressed past.
5/5 crimson roses.
May 6, 2021
Ruby is the story of a midwestern girl that comes from an abusive family background. She has supernatural powers in the form of premonitions. She foresees who her soulmate is, and goes to London to find him, and ends up working in a apothecary shop. I love the magical elements of this book- like another reviewer notes, it reads a lot like Alice Hoffman.
I'm not a big YA fan, and this book mostly didn't feel like that....until the romance, in which I found it pretty cringey. I still enjoyed it, and my brain probably needed an overly cheesy optimistic love conquers all type story about magic because I feel myself rapidly devolving into a bitter old lady when it comes to love. It made me feel like a naive 19 year old again (not really, the romantic parts of the book are truly unbelievable and lackluster).
I'm not a big YA fan, and this book mostly didn't feel like that....until the romance, in which I found it pretty cringey. I still enjoyed it, and my brain probably needed an overly cheesy optimistic love conquers all type story about magic because I feel myself rapidly devolving into a bitter old lady when it comes to love. It made me feel like a naive 19 year old again (not really, the romantic parts of the book are truly unbelievable and lackluster).
September 22, 2024
This was... fine. Mostly. Poetic and beautiful, which is pretty much a given with Block, and I suppose that's why I was disproportionately immersed, given the actual subject matter of the story. I couldn't really find a way to understand how this wasn't romanticizing deceit because Ruby "just knows", so it's okay. How many times have we heard exactly that in real life? I'm sure there would've been a good way to handle the topic, but this wasn't quite it. It left me feeling iffy. Genuinely not sure what the author(s) were after in the depiction of the romantic relationship. On the other hand, a lot of the way trauma was handled here was subtle and meaningful, poetic without romanticizing in a harmful way. I enjoyed the pace of the book and the atmosphere, and this sort of magical, sort of not, in-between that I always enjoy with Block. But I can't say this was my favourite read from her.
November 5, 2017
(3.5 stars) I liked Ruby's character - her strength and ability to create. A new future despite her haunted past. The way the book is written, at some points in second person, is interesting. It's not always clear when something is a flashback or a current recounting, a dream or reality, which is sometimes and confusing but I'm guessing partially on purpose since the narrator herself isn't always sure what's real and what's imagined. I didn't connect so much to the kind of magic in this book but I appreciated the characters and their development.
January 2, 2019
This was the first novel I've read by FLB and I LOVED it! The novel is written beautifully, at times it is dark and at times it is light - perfectly balanced and magical. Within the realm of realism, fantasy and magic it appealed to all of my senses.
At first it was hard to follow the characters and who was speaking, but was quickly figured out and enjoyable. I've awarded this novel 4/5 stars because I thought the end was lacking and abrupt, I would have loved to continue reading - but all good things must end! Will definitely pick up another FLB novel!
At first it was hard to follow the characters and who was speaking, but was quickly figured out and enjoyable. I've awarded this novel 4/5 stars because I thought the end was lacking and abrupt, I would have loved to continue reading - but all good things must end! Will definitely pick up another FLB novel!
April 15, 2019
***3.5 stars rounded up***
The only reason I picked this book up was because I needed a book written by multiple authors for a readathon I'm participating in. I finished it in a few hours because it sounded like my kind of thing (magic and spells and sixth senses). It was like an enchanting fairytale to me, even though the subject matter can be extremely triggering and sad.
The one thing that made the story slightly confusing at times was the constant, abrupt change between the narrator's age. The perspective was all over the place.
A quick, enjoyable (though can be depressing) read.
The only reason I picked this book up was because I needed a book written by multiple authors for a readathon I'm participating in. I finished it in a few hours because it sounded like my kind of thing (magic and spells and sixth senses). It was like an enchanting fairytale to me, even though the subject matter can be extremely triggering and sad.
The one thing that made the story slightly confusing at times was the constant, abrupt change between the narrator's age. The perspective was all over the place.
A quick, enjoyable (though can be depressing) read.
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September 4, 2019I liked the magical realism and fairy tale feel of it, but the story wasn't for me. Ruby felt like a stalker when she moved to England to be with a movie star she saw in a film. When they first meet, Orion is "depressed and fragile". At one point Ruby says about their relationship: "And I felt that at that maybe in that moment I was pure enough for your love." Is that love?
The whole time I felt like is was looking into a puddle, everything felt unfinished and shallow. All the flashbacks made me feel disconnected from the story.
The whole time I felt like is was looking into a puddle, everything felt unfinished and shallow. All the flashbacks made me feel disconnected from the story.
April 7, 2020
It’s hard for me to give Block such a low rating. I love her work, but the co-author’s influence is clear. It’s not bad, just not what I expect or want from a Block book. It has some beautiful phrases, and the first part of the book felt like we were building to something powerful, and then the ending felt rushed. Like they didn’t know how to end it.
Deals with powerful subjects like breaking the cycle of violence, speaking up about abuse even if you aren’t believed, and discovering who you truly are.
Deals with powerful subjects like breaking the cycle of violence, speaking up about abuse even if you aren’t believed, and discovering who you truly are.
January 28, 2024
i loved !! the almost an early 2000s whimsigoth/midwest witchy gothic i got from the book the author is so so so good at making the whole scene and setting feel that way but !! i cannot get over that fact that she stalked this famous movie star and he still loved her after he found out she did all that just to be with him !! also the protagonist was too perfect like how did everyone just like her?? idk i did enjoy the reveal towards the end though and it felt shocking but felt in line with the story. I would definitely check out some of the authors other works though !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2023
I've been a fan of Francesca Lia Block since middle school. Her prose is always magical to me. She is always able to push me to view everyday settings and situations with a magical lens. This was a quick read, and it felt like visiting an old friend and realizing that the magic of the friendship is still alive.
May 1, 2024
It's just an incredibly weird read. The writing was compelling enough to keep me turning pages, and it certainly had a plot. I was never sure how much magic was happening vs. the main character having a mental illness. And since she's writing a book *in* the story, sometimes I was questioning which layer of reality I was in.
February 1, 2019
Francesca Lia Block, why is everything you write so magical? Your books never cease to fill me with wonder and they always make me feel better when I'm getting too stuck in my head and need to escape into a good book.
May 30, 2022
This was such a beautifully written novel. While the subject matter is dark, Ruby is such a likeable character. I really enjoyed this story, and along with Francesca Lia Block's beautiful writing, this plot is a lot stronger than her previous books.
November 30, 2016
Another captivating yet easy read by FLB, one of my favourite authors. Bewitching and beautifully written. Has some dark elements but they are necessary to the story.
July 11, 2017
My daughter read her teen series so she really wanted me to read this one and I loved it. Francesca is such a gentle, kind, soul. My daughter has a chance to spend time with her and she is so sweet.
March 12, 2018
not into teen abuse books....
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