Brad About Books: Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Read from April 29 to 30, 2013

EMERALD GREEN
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 464 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: Ruby Red, #3

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Read my reviews for previous novels in this series:

Ruby Red • Sapphire Blue

Talk about a fantastic ending! Emerald Green is an incredible, stunning conclusion to one of the most addictive YA series. Nailed it!

Don't you just love that feeling when you walk away from a series and know that each novel in said series was even better than its predecessor? That's how I feel about the Ruby Red trilogy. Every single book was better than the one before it. Emerald Green was truly fantastic! Kerstin Gier brought it every single question raised in the first two novels and tied up all the loose ends. And every question played an important role to the story! Emerald Green definitely showed that Gier was a master of wrapping everything up very nicely, and I applaud her for that. If you love this series, Emerald Green will not disappoint at all!

I have to talk about Gwen: she's the best. She was naïve about the whole time travel experience in the first novel, but in Emerald Green, everything is on her shoulders, but she's ready to tackle it head-on. She's grown so much as a character over this trilogy, and it's been a blast to go on these adventures with her and watch her mature and evolve. Due to circumstances with with Gideon and Gwen, Emerald Green made it very tough on their relationship. The boulders and mountains they must climb to achieve what they both want is extraordinary, and I appreciate how Gier wasn't afraid to break Gideon and Gwen down to ashes. They've faced so many hardships, but Emerald Green puts their bonds of love to the ultimate test. I loved that so much!

It's insane how much backhistory and research goes into these novels. We're presented with family trees and maps to complement the story, and I have to admit, Emerald Green provided my most favorite information about Gwen's past. I was shocked and stunned with how much work has gone into these novels, and I loved every single bit of it. I'm sad to see this series go, but I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Brilliant!

Overall, Emerald Green is a phenomenal finale to a marvelous, unique series that shines bright. Loved it so much!

M Y    R A T I N G

Fantastic Five {APRIL}

Welcome to my Fantastic Five for April, in which I tell you my top five books I read in April 2013!

Read from April 29 to 30, 2013

5. Emerald Green (Ruby Red, #3) - Kerstin Gier

I adore this trilogy so much - time travel! Yes please! And Emerald Green was a fantastic and brilliant conclusion. I am so sad to see this series go, but it couldn't have ended any better!

Read on April 21, 2013

4. Crewel (Crewel World, #1) - Gennifer Albin

Talk about an original and awesome novel! I can't believe it took me so long to read Crewel, but oh man, I'm so happy I did! This novel is stunning and unique - I can't even begin to fathom how incredible this book was. I am dying for Altered! What an amazing, amazing book.

Read on April 28, 2013

3. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There (Fairyland, #2) - Catherynne M. Valente

This series has rapidly become my favorite middle grade series! They're just so quirky, magical and whimsical - and this sequel was no exception. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There was a phenomenal book - even better than the first! I absolutely adore September and the entire world of Fairyland (including Fairyland Below!). I can't wait to see what happens in the third book!

Read from April 22 to 23, 2013

2. Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

You know how some books get loads of attention and hype? And then they don't live up to your expectations. I can officially say that Eleanor & Park deserves every single bit of hype surrounding it AND more! This has easily became the best contemporary novel I've ever read, and I can see me re-reading this book very soon. Words cannot even begin to tell you how amazing this book was! Please, please read it if you haven't read it already. It's truly fantastic.

AND MY #1 BOOK OF APRIL IS...

Read from April 2 to 3, 2013

1. Light (Gone, #6) - Michael Grant

If you know me, then you know that the Gone series is my absolute favorite series of all-time. I love the world-building, the characters... honestly, I love everything about these books. And I'm so sad it's over. When I finished this book, I was seriously emotionally drained and sad. I can't believe it's all over! But I couldn't have asked for a better ending. That ending was so clever and smart, and I totally didn't see that coming. Love. Thank you so much, Michael Grant, for this journey. It was amazing, and I'll never forget it.

What were your favorite books of April 2013?