Author:Philip Pullman Binding: Mass Market Paperback Published: 1988-11-12 ISBN: 0394895894 Availability: Usually ships in 6 to 12 days
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
"Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com"
"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within 15 minutes, she was going to kill a man"
"A Different Face of Philip Pullman"
"Go Sally, Go!"
Ready to buy?
Price: $6.99
List Price: $6.99 You save: $0.00 (0%)
Editorial Review:
In search of clues to the mystery of her father's death, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart ventures into the shadowy underworld of Victorian London. Pursued by villains at every turn, the intrepid Sally finally uncovers two dark mysteries--and realizes that she herself is the key to both. "In Dickensian fashion, Pullman tells the story of 16-year-old Sally Lockhart, who becomes involved in a deadly web of events as she searches for a mysterious ruby. The novel is a page turner, peopled with despicable hags, forthright heroes, and children living on the underbelly of 19th-century London. The story's events are exciting, with involved plotting. Settings and characterizations are exquisitely drawn. The first entry in a planned trilogy."--(starred) Booklist. Reading level: 6.7.
"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang in The Ruby in the Smoke--a fast-paced, finely crafted thriller set in a rogue- and scalawag-ridden Victorian London. His 16-year-old heroine has no time for the usual trials of adolescence: her father has been murdered, and she needs to find out how and why. But everywhere she turns, she encounters new scoundrels and secrets. Why do the mere words "seven blessings" cause one man to keel over and die at their utterance? Who has possession of the rare, stolen ruby? And what does the opium trade have to do with it?
As our determined and intelligent sleuth sets her mind to unraveling these dark mysteries, she learns how embroiled she is in the whole affair. As riveting and witty as the sensational "penny dreadfuls" of Victorian England (but thousands of times better written), Pullman's trilogy (including The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well) will have readers on the edges of their seats. Ruby is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com Fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series will find Ruby in the Smoke very different, but in many ways just as pleasurable to read. It opens with sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart visiting her deceased father's shipping firm and accidentally causing one of his associates to die of a heart-attack when she ask him if he knows of the Seven Blessings. The phrase was on a piece of paper dictated by her father before his death and sent to her in secret. Fearing that her life is in danger, Sally seeks... more info
Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within 15 minutes, she was going to kill a man In The Ruby in the Smoke, Phillip Pullman combines three of my favorite things: young adult fiction, a good mystery and a Victorian era setting. Sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart has recently lost her father in a shipwreck. After receiving a mysterious note warning her to "beware of the Seven Blessings", she visits her late father's shipping firm in the hope that someone there can make sense of the note. When she asks one of her father's employees about the Seven Blessings, the man is so terrified that... more info
A Different Face of Philip Pullman A strange facade of Philip Pullman's writing is displayed within the pages of the novel, The Ruby in the Smoke. The style of writing is very different from most others, and this story is a very different branch form the Dark Materials. The Ruby in the smoke is a historical fiction, with no fantasy. Yet it was brilliant. Sally was a great, and well put together, character. She was very real, and easy to follow. The plot, two mysteries entwined with each other, was interesting, and fit the story very... more info
Go Sally, Go! A terrific example of a "Kid Power" book. A spunky 16 year old herione takes on a faceless enemy and a host of dangerous characters and, with the help of a troupe of intrepid friends, prevails. Well written, good use of English language. Informative regarding British economy and society in Victorian times. For that reason, rather dark. No objectionable language or references to sexual behavior, but does include murder and mayhem. Highly recommended as a book that young and old can read and talk about.
