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Ruby: A Novel Kindle Edition
“[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.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperCollins e-books
- Publication dateOctober 13, 2009
- File size357 KB
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
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Review
From the Back Cover
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, this time 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.
As with Necklace of Kisses, Block, here with Staton, breaks the mold. 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.
About the Author
Francesca Lia Block, winner of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award, is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling books, including Weetzie Bat; the book collections Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books and Roses and Bones: Myths, Tales, and Secrets; the illustrated novella House of Dolls; the vampire romance novel Pretty Dead; and the gothic werewolf novel The Frenzy. Her work is published around the world.
Product details
- ASIN : B000TDGGTM
- Publisher : HarperCollins e-books (October 13, 2009)
- Publication date : October 13, 2009
- Language : English
- File size : 357 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 226 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,904,714 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #7,295 in Contemporary Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #12,777 in Science Fiction Romance (Kindle Store)
- #16,504 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Francesca Lia Block, recipient of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award. has been publishing novels, short stories, essays, memoirs and poetry since 1989. Her work has been translated into many languages. Ms. Block lives in Los Angeles where she teaches writing workshops that are also available online.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoy the book's readability and vivid writing style. They find it engaging and immerse themselves in the story. The author's imagination and colorful language are also praised.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it engaging and say it doesn't disappoint. The author draws them into the story, making them feel like a fly on the wall.
"...Ruby was a wonderful read that affected me on a deep level, more so even than Block's other books. I would highly recommend it." Read more
"This is my favorite book I always read it in one sitting. I've probably read it like 50 times ." Read more
"...She has such a colorful language, and imagination. She truely brings you into the book as it youre really just a fly on the wall, but seeing it all..." Read more
"...This book didn't disappoint!! I couldn't put it down!" Read more
Customers enjoy the author's writing style and imaginative stories.
"...This is not the case with Block. I love everything she's written, and Ruby is no exception...." Read more
"...She has such a colorful language, and imagination...." Read more
"...I love her style of writing and how she creates these fantastical stories filled with magic. This book didn't disappoint!! I couldn't put it down!" Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2008After a slew of unfortunate events wherein I read several disappointing books, I was inexplicably delighted to return to Francesca Lia Block's wonderful world, where pain and suffering can still be overcome by magic and love.
More often than not, I'll read one book by an author and love it, only to be disappointed with the author's other work. This is not the case with Block. I love everything she's written, and Ruby is no exception.
Some of the less positive reviewers felt that Ruby was different from Block's other work, and I agree with that to an extent. It seems more "grown up" than some of her earlier books, but that's ok, because I'm more grown up too. I first read "I was a Teenage Fairy" about ten years ago, so I enjoy the progression Block is making with her work. That said, I can understand how someone just discovering her Young Adult work wouldn't feel as strongly about Ruby. We should note (I didn't notice anyone else's reviews saying this) that this book was a co-project between Block and Carmen Staton, so that could account for some of the differences.
Anyway. I read this book in one day and already I'd like to read it again. Block has a way of describing seemingly normal things, like food, shops and forests, in a way that makes me feel completely intoxicated. I don't know how she does it; it's something I with I could do.
I love that Ruby decides at three years old that she isn't going to let her abusive father win. There are a lot of novels that deal with abuse, that have heroines who don't fight back (obviously, this is realistic-many victims have no idea how to fight back or feel they can't) but I think this type of heroine is incredibly important. People suffering similar situations might benefit from seeing a survivor of abuse stand up to her abuser, and find a way to transcend her past.
Ruby was a wonderful read that affected me on a deep level, more so even than Block's other books. I would highly recommend it.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2022This is my favorite book I always read it in one sitting. I've probably read it like 50 times .
- Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2010This is a pretty nifty, slightly insane book. It is, essentially, this: Ruby comes from an abusive background, sees Troy on DVD, develops an obsession with Orlando Bloom (Orion), travels to England to surreptitiously gain the trust of his family, and somehow cause him to fall in love with her as she battles the demons of her past. All with Francesca Lia Block's edgy fairy tale qualities spun throughout.
Only it's not ever that easy. Although, I really do think Orion is Orlando Bloom. Ruby, who is desparate to escape a horrible family life, goes to England and seeks out Orion not because she's obsessed with him in a creepy fangirl way, but because she just happens to know a few things and why not her. I don't know whether to be amused by the simplicity of this idea, or take it up as my new life motto. Why not me? Indeed. Why not. Due to fiction's cute little conveniences, Ruby gets a job at the magic shop that Orion's mother owns, and Ruby starts coming over to Orion's parents' house for dinner, only Orion is never there. Cruel fates. But fiction has to go be convenient again and reveal that Orion has been there all the time, he's just in seclusion because he fell off of his horse and apparently broke his back in ways backs have never been broken. He's more or less paralyzed, but because the writing style isn't exactly explicit you're left to assume that.
Ruby has some ideas on how to fix this, so she magics him into wellness (and full body function) using paste and water. Magic paste and water! Orion takes a liking to Ruby, as we all knew he would. Ruby agonizes over the fact that she's basically built all of this on a lie, so she writes a book about her life (this stunned me a little, because she kept saying she'd use this book as a cover for why she's really there, and I had no idea she was actually writing it in the end) and what led her to England and sends it to Orion just as she leaves to go back to the States because her father died.
I can't even get into her father. That was a messed up situation that you know is horribly messed up all the way to the point where you're wincing and thinking "that's messed up" and Ruby is justified when she admits being scared out of her mind at the possibility that this guy would come back to haunt her (because in this world, ghosts are possible).
The strength of the story isn't Orion, or Ruby's trip to England to find Orion, but the backstory with her family. It's...just really messed up. You want her to find the ability to move on and become a new person and shed all of that awefulness. It's also beautifully told in a minimal sort of way. A little too short, and you sort of don't care about Orion given that he's hardly there and not nearly as important as the rest of the story. I liked it, despite some shortcomings.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2020At first this was a bit confusing (of course I did start it one night at 3AM when I awakened and couldn’t get back to sleep). Then very nearly read it straight through... wonder full.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2006I love Francesca Lia Block. To date I own almost everything shes written.
She has such a colorful language, and imagination. She truely brings you into the book as it youre really just a fly on the wall, but seeing it all happen for yourself instead of reading a story.
This book, unlike so many of her others dosent take place in Los Angeles, but she apparently still has the power to make any city magic.