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Ruby Rose #1
Killing Ruby Rose
From Book 1:
In sunny Southern California, seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died, she’s also got a few killer secrets.
To cope, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal). But after six months of therapy and pathetic parenting by her mom, the District Attorney, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself.
When Ruby ends up killing a murderer to save his intended victim, she discovers that she’s gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There’s a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who’s using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up swapping Valentino red for prison orange.
With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl’s forced to kill, won’t the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2014
131 people are currently reading
2851 people want to read
About the author
Jessie Humphries
6 books166 followersHey, I'm Jessie. Full-time Mother, Part-time Attorney, Half-witted Writer, Full-blown Lunatic. Represented by the fabulous Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary. My debut, KILLING RUBY ROSE, will be published by Amazon Children's Publishing Summer 2013.
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May 10, 2014
Even when I was little, I knew I wasn’t like everyone else. Sure, I had the clothes and the shoes and the general skills to win superficial popularity points. In the last couple years, I’d managed to get involved in stuff like debate and student government, but I’d never managed to be, well, normal.I've read a lot of terrible YA detective novels and this book would fit in perfectly among those unholy terrors. When I saw a YA criminal-investigation book by an actual attorney, I had high hopes, hopes that were, needless to say, dashed to the ground.
I do not doubt the author's credentials in the least. I do not doubt her intelligence, I'm sure she's 1000x smarter than I am (they don't give law degrees to idiots), but this book was absolutely terrible.
The YA detective novel is a difficult thing to write, the author has to:
- Make the situations believable
- Give the main character credibility in her actions
- Portray her methods realistically, this is, after all, an under-aged character we're talking about)
- Not make the actual police and prosecuting attorneys look like incompetent, bumbling fools.
This book failed on all fronts.
The Summary:
Totally normal girls don’t wear four-inch Prada heels to the library, or stalk criminals, or wear four-inch Prada heels while stalking criminals.17-year old Ruby Rose is something else. She's got a 4.0 GPA, she's a gray-eyed blonde, she can fit a cellphone, makeup, several small kittens, in between her breasts (known as "The Cleave")...
I felt for the picture of the girl hidden in The Cleave. Next to my other important stuff—cell phone, lip gloss—she was there....and she's famous!
My virginity wasn’t exactly a secret. One of those trashy magazines had even broadcast it in an article called “Ruby Rose: The Virgin Vigilante.”Ruby's SWAT sergeant father was killed in action, and ever since his death, Ruby has been determined to mete out justice on his behalf. In her Prada peep-toe shoes.
Ruby Rose isn't your average 17-year old, no sir. She's got a closet (named Gladys) full of designer shoes that she can consult for help.
I needed a few moments with my oldest and dearest friend: Gladys—aka my shoe closet.She's got a Black SUV called Big Black...
Happy to see me, too, Gladys and all her Pips stood at attention for my entry—except for my tan Dolce & Gabbana Catwoman boots, which had to be neatly hung to avoid damage or creases. I had to take care of my Sleeping Beauties.
“Gladys, I need help.” My words echoed into the space.
Big Black, my overly tinted SUV and current best friend.Not to mention, at the tiny age of 17, Ruby Rose somehow fucking got a license to carry a concealed weapon. Of course, that license to carry is meaningless without a gun, right? Oh, she's got one, too, named Smith.
I looked down at the shimmering weapon—aka Smith, my .38 Special Revolver with built-in laser sight that I’d gotten for my Sweet Sixteenth.Is there anything Ruby Rose doesn't name?
Ruby Rose can kick! She can fight! She can shoot! She's trained---at the ripe old age of 17---in the SWAT obstacle courses. She can hack into the Orange County Police Department's criminal system!! And all she wants to do is bring justice to the criminals who have escaped the system! But not kill them, no.
It's not ok to kill: Ruby Rose doesn't believe in killing.
“Liam, it’s never OK to kill,” I said flatly. I had good reason to do it, sure, but that didn’t make it “OK.”Right. So it's just a little confusing when she kills not once...
I pulled the trigger.Not twice.
The deafening gunshot rang out.
The world changed into a black-and-white movie with a river of red flowing all around me.
A ruby-red river of my own making.
I aimed for the largest target area and pulled the trigger. His chest ripped open and his body lost momentum. He would never fight again.Not three times.
I renewed my grip on the knife and slashed once as hard as I could, until I felt the blade slide through tissue and hit bone. He went limp.Oh, god, I lost track of the number of people that Ruby-I-Don't-Believe-In-Killing-People killed.
“Things have long been out of control, Liam. I have killed, or been responsible for...” I stopped to count with my fingers. “Seven deaths now. Seven!”Killers don't faint! Definitely not. Ruby Rose is SO competent, right? She's killed so many people (while not believing in killing), she's trained her entire life to be a bad-ass motherfucker by her police dad. So naturally, in these situations, Ruby Rose would never do anything so silly as to...faint...right?
A falling sensation rushed over me, and a sickening crack echoed through my skull.Shit. Ok. That was just once. That was just a fluke reaction in a school cafeteria, a visceral reaction to something. Surely she would never lose control of the situation and faint again...
And I was losing consciousness.Fuck! Ok, that was a bad example. She got caught unaware and poison-darted on the beach because she was canoodling with lover boy. She will NEVER, EVER faint again. Seriously. Never.
My world quickly spun out from under me. Swirling. Darkness. Pain. The last thing I saw was Liam, still on the ground, soundlessly calling out my name.OK, THAT WAS SERIOUSLY NOT HER FAULT. I mean, what kind of teen vigilante would expect a criminal to come up behind her and get caught unaware anyway. Who does that?! That's the last time. EVER.
A jarring pain stabbed through my chest, and a coughing fit brought me back to reality.That was...I don't know. I mean, whatever. Let's move on now >_<
The last thing I felt was being carried away in the arms of a strong man.
Fine. The fainting thing was a bad example. Despite all her fainting, Ruby Rose of the 4.0 GPA is supremely intelligent. Not idiotic in the least. A teen vigilante so well-educated, so well-prepared as Ruby would never do anything dumb.
He’d done it again. He wanted to toy with me. And I’d been stupid, impatient, and impetuous enough to walk right into his trap.Crap. Ok, that was just one example. Surely, having killed so many criminals, having tracked so many of them down, Ruby would never...
Ha, I was insane. I was about to sneak out of my nice safe home and go looking for a rapist to convince him to help me. Real smart, Ruby. Best idea ever.Fuck.
I give up.
The Setting: This book takes place in Huntington Beach, California, in Huntington Beach High School. It could have fooled me. I grew up 5 minutes away from Huntington Beach, California. I still live around there now. I didn't get any sense of place, any sense of location at all in the setting. There were places that were just names. The Huntington Beach Pier, Pacific Coast Highway. I love those places. I drive down there. I take long leisurely summer drives down PCH for sushi with my little sister. I went to high school in Huntington Beach. It's a beautiful town. I'm not quite sure what school Huntington Beach High School has become when in the book, teenagers have "group sex parties" and teachers ditch class to go surfing on high surf days. It's fucking Huntington Beach. People go to the beach year-round. HBHS students are stoners, at worst >_> (can you tell my high school was rivals with them?)
This book might as well have taken place in any generic beach town anywhere in the world. I didn't feel any authentic sense of the city.
Ruby Rose: Bafflingly inconsistent. She doesn't believe in killing, but somehow she still does it. She's intelligent, yet she constantly walks into fucking stupid situations, and allows herself to be baited into killing people (which is against her beliefs! Gasp!). She's SOOOOOOOOO fucking perfect, yet she constantly puts herself down. Really, it sucks that her father died, but do you really expect us to relate to a 5-million-dollar-trust-fund blond-haired silver-eyed, buxom 4.0 GPA high school student who's got a closet full of designer shoes, who drives a GMC Denali.
Who's got the attention of the hottest boy in school, a cheery best friend, the ability to shoot and kick-ass in karate, and a District Attorney mother (whom she hates for some fucking reason)?
Excuse me while I play the world's smallest fucking violin for Ruby. Trouble doesn't come looking for her, she seeks it out, and she cries fucking crocodile tears when things don't go her way.
Oh, and her mother. Her poor District Attorney mother. Her cougar mother who checks out her boyfriend. Her Botoxed, Restylaned mother. How dare she seek out a career as a politician. How dare she not ignore her own ambition. Fuck that bitch, right, Ruby Rose?
The Writing: Oh my god, so much name-dropping. From TMZ (SO MANY MENTIONS OF TMZ)
“How about that I killed somebody,” I said. “I’m a Vigilante Teen Assassin. At least that’s what TMZ called me."To UGGs (I can hardly keep track of the shoe brands in this book).
To the extremely silly technological references that just sounds completely fucking absurd, even to an actual geek like me. People who like computers don't actually think in computer-speak!
- “So what about Taylor?” I asked, wondering why my brain had brought her up at a time like this. It was like my logical brain had a firewall and was trying to override the invading emotions.
- I wasn’t drinking her Very Cherry Kool-Aid. And I definitely wasn’t getting the message she was trying to send. Like the physical contact had created a spam filter and her message was just going to the junk file.
To the long, pointless, rambling extended metaphors.
I stared at his lips. Were they telling the truth? Or were they like chocolate—promising happiness, providing a few moments of heaven, then ultimately betraying me, going behind my back and putting junk in the trunk?The Romance: Liam. Handsome Liam. Liam who might be a killer.
It didn’t seem like a fair choice. Chocolate had total power over me—there was no denying my addiction to the dark, creamy crack. Those few moments of bliss were always enough for me to disregard the consequences. So, even if Liam was only chocolate, I wanted to taste a piece.
It didn’t seem like a fair choice. Chocolate had total power over me—there was no denying my addiction to the dark, creamy crack. Those few moments of bliss were always enough for me to disregard the consequences. So, even if Liam was only chocolate, I wanted to taste a piece.The Romance: Liam. Handsome Liam. Liam who might be a killer.
“I nearly killed my father,” he said point-blank, staring at his hands as if they might still have blood on them.Oh, but it's fine that he beat the crap out of his dad! It's just self-defense!
“Protecting yourself would be calling the police, not taking a baseball bat and putting your own father in a coma for seven days.”*slow clap* Good fucking job, Ruby Rose.
“You don’t know all the facts,” I said, a little thrown by the baseball-bat thing. Liam hadn’t mentioned that detail, and I flinched at the image of him beating his father.
Recommended for people who love stabbing themselves in the eye.
April 22, 2014
2.5 stars
When I saw this book on the Kindle First page, I was excited because it sounded vaguely Veronica Mars-esque. Let's face it - my favorite characters tend to be blonde California teens who either investigate the shit out of things (VMars) or who are just badass (Buffy). So based on the description, the book had promise but now I'm pretty torn. On one hand, I enjoyed the MC and the story. On the other, there were too many things that were unbelievable. You have to have a certain "suspension of disbelief" when you read fiction, but not this much.
What I Liked:
-I liked the MC, Ruby. She was smart, sassy and brave even if she kept getting herself in the stupidest situations ever. Sure, I will go to an old boatyard at night BY MYSELF on Halloween and jump in the water to help a drowning pedophile. I will get right on that.
-The plot itself was interesting, even if aspects of it were completely unbelievable. Ruby is trying to figure out who murdered her dad while also trying to figure out who set her up to murder a criminal.
What I Hated:
-The supposed "best friend", Ariana. OMG I hated this bitch. She tells Ruby she needs to "get over" the murder of her father that happened 6 months ago, she's basically boy-crazy at the expense of everything else, she worries about gaining weight from the one TicTac she ate all day and when she and Ruby are kidnapped, she stops talking to her. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
-A 17-year-old has a concealed weapons permit and carries a gun in her car? PLEASE.
-When 2 girls are taken to lure Ruby, the police don't get involved. Um, OK?
-The insanity of the whole plot. While interesting, it was too far-fetched.
So yeah, I'm a little bit above meh for this one. It was OK, but it doesn't even deserve to be in the same sentence as VMars.
When I saw this book on the Kindle First page, I was excited because it sounded vaguely Veronica Mars-esque. Let's face it - my favorite characters tend to be blonde California teens who either investigate the shit out of things (VMars) or who are just badass (Buffy). So based on the description, the book had promise but now I'm pretty torn. On one hand, I enjoyed the MC and the story. On the other, there were too many things that were unbelievable. You have to have a certain "suspension of disbelief" when you read fiction, but not this much.
What I Liked:
-I liked the MC, Ruby. She was smart, sassy and brave even if she kept getting herself in the stupidest situations ever. Sure, I will go to an old boatyard at night BY MYSELF on Halloween and jump in the water to help a drowning pedophile. I will get right on that.
-The plot itself was interesting, even if aspects of it were completely unbelievable. Ruby is trying to figure out who murdered her dad while also trying to figure out who set her up to murder a criminal.
What I Hated:
-The supposed "best friend", Ariana. OMG I hated this bitch. She tells Ruby she needs to "get over" the murder of her father that happened 6 months ago, she's basically boy-crazy at the expense of everything else, she worries about gaining weight from the one TicTac she ate all day and when she and Ruby are kidnapped, she stops talking to her. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
-A 17-year-old has a concealed weapons permit and carries a gun in her car? PLEASE.
-When 2 girls are taken to lure Ruby, the police don't get involved. Um, OK?
-The insanity of the whole plot. While interesting, it was too far-fetched.
So yeah, I'm a little bit above meh for this one. It was OK, but it doesn't even deserve to be in the same sentence as VMars.
December 16, 2014
If I'd stopped after three chapters Killing Ruby Rose might have been one of the better guilty pleasure books I'd read in a long time. For those first few chapters Jessie Humphries channels Veronica Mars at its best -- with a smart, drive heroine who isn't intimidated and refuses to back down from a challenge.
In this case, the challenge is solving the murder of her father by investigating five potential subjects, all of whom could have a connection to the case. But it's here that the issues that ultimately dropped this novel down a lot in my estimation began to rear their ugly head.
I'm all about willing suspension of disbelief (my favorite TV show of all time features a character who can change bodies and travels through space and time in a blue box that is bigger on the inside) but sometimes it has to be earned. And it's unfortunately not earned in Killing Ruby Rose. Even though her father was a police officer and her mother is DA, I find it hard to believe that Ruby would be able to have the amount of access to the files she does or that she could cover her tracks on having them as effectively as she does. And while I'm not female and have never worn high heels, a bit of Googling makes it hard to believe that any sane person would chose to do a bit of undercover investigation in the shoes that Ruby describes in the book. (Honestly, I can't see Veronica Mars in high heels like this).
All of those could be niggling things if the characters were consistent. We've got Ruby's mom, the driven DA who had an affair with her father's partner and nemesis. Ruby's mom is all over the map in terms of characterization, morphing from one cliche to the next as the plot or scene requires. That's to say nothing of her best friend and potential love interest who may or may not be connected to the whole conspiracy to set Ruby up as the fall girl when the culprits from her list of five all begin dying (several of them at Ruby's hand, but more on that in a minute).
And then there's Ruby herself, who has the bad habit of naming everything (her car, her shoe closet, her gun) and describes herself as tough as nails. And if it was only Ruby seeing herself this way and contradicting herself, I could go along with that. But just about everyone in the novels sees her as one tough cookie -- except there is no evidence of that. This tough as nails teenager who has a gun permit and carries her (again, named) gun around with her, is quick to make life and death decisions one moment and then be fainting because of a secret message for her hidden in a school art project.
It's enough that I found myself wanting to toss the book aside in frustration until I remembered I was reading it on my Kindle and I didn't want to break it.
The novel pulls out a couple of twists and turns (OK, a lot of them) in an attempt to keep the reader guessing. But instead of keeping this reader guessing, it made my growing frustration with the novel increase.
And it's a shame because, again, those first three chapters had a ton of promise to them. The ending was just interesting enough that I may jump into the sequel and see if things improve. But I may not be in a huge hurry to pick it up.
In this case, the challenge is solving the murder of her father by investigating five potential subjects, all of whom could have a connection to the case. But it's here that the issues that ultimately dropped this novel down a lot in my estimation began to rear their ugly head.
I'm all about willing suspension of disbelief (my favorite TV show of all time features a character who can change bodies and travels through space and time in a blue box that is bigger on the inside) but sometimes it has to be earned. And it's unfortunately not earned in Killing Ruby Rose. Even though her father was a police officer and her mother is DA, I find it hard to believe that Ruby would be able to have the amount of access to the files she does or that she could cover her tracks on having them as effectively as she does. And while I'm not female and have never worn high heels, a bit of Googling makes it hard to believe that any sane person would chose to do a bit of undercover investigation in the shoes that Ruby describes in the book. (Honestly, I can't see Veronica Mars in high heels like this).
All of those could be niggling things if the characters were consistent. We've got Ruby's mom, the driven DA who had an affair with her father's partner and nemesis. Ruby's mom is all over the map in terms of characterization, morphing from one cliche to the next as the plot or scene requires. That's to say nothing of her best friend and potential love interest who may or may not be connected to the whole conspiracy to set Ruby up as the fall girl when the culprits from her list of five all begin dying (several of them at Ruby's hand, but more on that in a minute).
And then there's Ruby herself, who has the bad habit of naming everything (her car, her shoe closet, her gun) and describes herself as tough as nails. And if it was only Ruby seeing herself this way and contradicting herself, I could go along with that. But just about everyone in the novels sees her as one tough cookie -- except there is no evidence of that. This tough as nails teenager who has a gun permit and carries her (again, named) gun around with her, is quick to make life and death decisions one moment and then be fainting because of a secret message for her hidden in a school art project.
It's enough that I found myself wanting to toss the book aside in frustration until I remembered I was reading it on my Kindle and I didn't want to break it.
The novel pulls out a couple of twists and turns (OK, a lot of them) in an attempt to keep the reader guessing. But instead of keeping this reader guessing, it made my growing frustration with the novel increase.
And it's a shame because, again, those first three chapters had a ton of promise to them. The ending was just interesting enough that I may jump into the sequel and see if things improve. But I may not be in a huge hurry to pick it up.
May 13, 2014
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Funny story, my dad wanted to named me Ruby or Pearl. My mom objected and after reading Ruby Rose I can see why. Full disclaimers though, my last name isn’t Rose so being named Ruby wouldn’t make me have a stripper’s name like the unfortunate protagonist of this book has.
However, her name isn’t the only issue that Ruby Rose had.
The fact that she likes to name every inanimate object in sight shows sever psychological problems. The fact that she has a Batman complex but kills like The Punisher (but a lot lamer) also indicates psychological problems. The fact she goes on monologues that’s syntax eerily reminds me of a particular scene of the RDJ Holmes movie gets inner book Hulk on.
But nothing, nothing, gets my inward Book Hulk on than having a character try to play lawyer and failing quite epically.
It doesn’t help matters that the author is an actual lawyer.
Yes, I get that the book takes place in California and the law (and admissions process) is different there, but some of the stupidity such as say retroactive prosecution just boggles my mind.
Seriously, any competent lawyer is NOT going to talk about retroactive prosecution on CNN of all things.
What do I know though…
Oh, wait I am a lawyer. But not a book lawyer. And book law is completely different from real law.
Apparently.
Because instead of LexisNexis,Westlaw, or a law library Google is your number one choice when it comes to black letter law.
Of course, Ruby Rose isn’t a lawyer. She’s a high school kid who has legal arguments in her head about her mother-who’s apparently a bitchy D.A. even though it’s a bit to the contrary.
I feel for Ruby’s mom. I mean, she has a lot of shit to deal with. With a homicidal daughter who has no impulse control and personifies even her worst pair of shoes.
Ruby is just an unlikable character.
I had to DNF the book because I couldn’t handle her voice anymore. That and this book was just really pointless.
Fifty percent in and I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
The plot was beyond ridiculous almost as bad as the main character.
I honestly felt insulted
Funny story, my dad wanted to named me Ruby or Pearl. My mom objected and after reading Ruby Rose I can see why. Full disclaimers though, my last name isn’t Rose so being named Ruby wouldn’t make me have a stripper’s name like the unfortunate protagonist of this book has.
However, her name isn’t the only issue that Ruby Rose had.
The fact that she likes to name every inanimate object in sight shows sever psychological problems. The fact that she has a Batman complex but kills like The Punisher (but a lot lamer) also indicates psychological problems. The fact she goes on monologues that’s syntax eerily reminds me of a particular scene of the RDJ Holmes movie gets inner book Hulk on.
But nothing, nothing, gets my inward Book Hulk on than having a character try to play lawyer and failing quite epically.
It doesn’t help matters that the author is an actual lawyer.
Yes, I get that the book takes place in California and the law (and admissions process) is different there, but some of the stupidity such as say retroactive prosecution just boggles my mind.
Seriously, any competent lawyer is NOT going to talk about retroactive prosecution on CNN of all things.
What do I know though…
Oh, wait I am a lawyer. But not a book lawyer. And book law is completely different from real law.
Apparently.
Because instead of LexisNexis,Westlaw, or a law library Google is your number one choice when it comes to black letter law.
Of course, Ruby Rose isn’t a lawyer. She’s a high school kid who has legal arguments in her head about her mother-who’s apparently a bitchy D.A. even though it’s a bit to the contrary.
I feel for Ruby’s mom. I mean, she has a lot of shit to deal with. With a homicidal daughter who has no impulse control and personifies even her worst pair of shoes.
Ruby is just an unlikable character.
I had to DNF the book because I couldn’t handle her voice anymore. That and this book was just really pointless.
Fifty percent in and I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
The plot was beyond ridiculous almost as bad as the main character.
I honestly felt insulted
April 7, 2014
WHAT I LIKED:
*The super compelling first three chapters, which I couldn't put down and fell in love with right away (had to drop everything I was doing and read).
*The fast-paced suspense and mystery that kept me reading throughout (even when motivations/events started to get a tad convoluted in the middle)
*The surprising twist at the climax
*The romance/sexual tension with Liam through the beginning
*The writing
WHAT I LOVED:
*Ruby's spunky voice, which is especially strong in the first half of the novel and a little less so in the second half. The way she phrased her observations at times made me laugh out loud (loved her tendency to have endearing relationships with inanimate objects). Her voice has the perfect blend of impulsive teenager with a shoe-fetish and daughter of a SWAT dad and D.A. mom-such a unique perception of the world that made it a fun read.
*The premise of this story is brilliant-a teenage girl seeking justice (it's in her blood) for rapists, pedophiles and serial killers who have slipped through the cracks in the system, but then some mystery person sets Ruby up and uses her own thirst for justice against her.
WHAT I WANTED MORE OF:
*I wanted MORE character development and less fast-paced plot. I admit, this could very well be my own personal preference. I have an aversion to the fast-food books the publishers are looking for in the industry today that focus mainly on a compelling, page-turning plot and skimp out on well-developed characters and relationships. While it makes for an exciting read, I finish the book unsatisfied because I didn't connect to or relate with the characters in the story. Ruby's character was the most well-developed. Alana also had a strong voice and development (but her role in the story was minimal). Yet Liam, the love interest who I wanted to feel a strong connection to, felt a bit flat, and his relationship with Ruby lacked depth. The adults in Ruby's life (her mom, the therapist, the detective, etc.) annoyed the hell out of me. Their unwillingness to tell Ruby ANYTHING that could be helpful in protecting her (which they all claimed they wanted to do) when they seemed to hold all the secrets she was missing felt irritating and contrived (like things that were being kept a mystery didn't have any reason to BE a mystery in the first place).
*I wanted HIGHER stakes (all the way through the book). This story was interesting...the stakes in the beginning of the book were super high! Ruby was being stalked by a mysterious person, innocent lives were on the line and Ruby was being put in some dangerous situations. This made for a very compelling read. But then something shifted about 1/3 of the way into the story, the stalker (whoever he was) started SAVING Ruby and taking her out of the situations he put her into. The motivations of the mysterious antagonist were no longer clear and Ruby's life was no longer on the line, which slowed my desire to read it quite a bit. It made the middle of the novel (all the way to the climax) hard for me to get through. I know longer felt the compelling drive to read and find out who the stalker was because every situation he put her in after that made me more confused as to what his intentions were (which was a motivation to finish in and of itself--but just not as compelling as when Ruby's life was in danger and now it no longer was).
*Clarity and resolution in the end of the novel. I know this book is the first in a series, but I still felt unsatisfied at not having this plot resolved more fully. The antagonist got away, which could be okay...I assume he will come back again later, but would it have been so bad to put him away in jail til the next book? Even though Ruby got many of the answers she'd been seeking through the whole book, the implications of the answers were not very clear and the explanation was confusing.
This is my honest opinion based on my reader-reaction. To balance all of these elements in a book as a writer is a challenging thing. I think Jessie Humphries' debut novel is still an impressive feat, and the ratings on amazon show that she is on her way to being a successful author. Chances are, I will pick up her next novel and read it because I enjoy her character voice.
*The super compelling first three chapters, which I couldn't put down and fell in love with right away (had to drop everything I was doing and read).
*The fast-paced suspense and mystery that kept me reading throughout (even when motivations/events started to get a tad convoluted in the middle)
*The surprising twist at the climax
*The romance/sexual tension with Liam through the beginning
*The writing
WHAT I LOVED:
*Ruby's spunky voice, which is especially strong in the first half of the novel and a little less so in the second half. The way she phrased her observations at times made me laugh out loud (loved her tendency to have endearing relationships with inanimate objects). Her voice has the perfect blend of impulsive teenager with a shoe-fetish and daughter of a SWAT dad and D.A. mom-such a unique perception of the world that made it a fun read.
*The premise of this story is brilliant-a teenage girl seeking justice (it's in her blood) for rapists, pedophiles and serial killers who have slipped through the cracks in the system, but then some mystery person sets Ruby up and uses her own thirst for justice against her.
WHAT I WANTED MORE OF:
*I wanted MORE character development and less fast-paced plot. I admit, this could very well be my own personal preference. I have an aversion to the fast-food books the publishers are looking for in the industry today that focus mainly on a compelling, page-turning plot and skimp out on well-developed characters and relationships. While it makes for an exciting read, I finish the book unsatisfied because I didn't connect to or relate with the characters in the story. Ruby's character was the most well-developed. Alana also had a strong voice and development (but her role in the story was minimal). Yet Liam, the love interest who I wanted to feel a strong connection to, felt a bit flat, and his relationship with Ruby lacked depth. The adults in Ruby's life (her mom, the therapist, the detective, etc.) annoyed the hell out of me. Their unwillingness to tell Ruby ANYTHING that could be helpful in protecting her (which they all claimed they wanted to do) when they seemed to hold all the secrets she was missing felt irritating and contrived (like things that were being kept a mystery didn't have any reason to BE a mystery in the first place).
*I wanted HIGHER stakes (all the way through the book). This story was interesting...the stakes in the beginning of the book were super high! Ruby was being stalked by a mysterious person, innocent lives were on the line and Ruby was being put in some dangerous situations. This made for a very compelling read. But then something shifted about 1/3 of the way into the story, the stalker (whoever he was) started SAVING Ruby and taking her out of the situations he put her into. The motivations of the mysterious antagonist were no longer clear and Ruby's life was no longer on the line, which slowed my desire to read it quite a bit. It made the middle of the novel (all the way to the climax) hard for me to get through. I know longer felt the compelling drive to read and find out who the stalker was because every situation he put her in after that made me more confused as to what his intentions were (which was a motivation to finish in and of itself--but just not as compelling as when Ruby's life was in danger and now it no longer was).
*Clarity and resolution in the end of the novel. I know this book is the first in a series, but I still felt unsatisfied at not having this plot resolved more fully. The antagonist got away, which could be okay...I assume he will come back again later, but would it have been so bad to put him away in jail til the next book? Even though Ruby got many of the answers she'd been seeking through the whole book, the implications of the answers were not very clear and the explanation was confusing.
This is my honest opinion based on my reader-reaction. To balance all of these elements in a book as a writer is a challenging thing. I think Jessie Humphries' debut novel is still an impressive feat, and the ratings on amazon show that she is on her way to being a successful author. Chances are, I will pick up her next novel and read it because I enjoy her character voice.
April 5, 2014
Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose decides to avenge her father's murder by going after the rapists, murderers, and other scum who he wasn't able to put away, even if that means killing the dirtbags in self defense. Among the cast of supporting characters in this YA novel: the love interest, the best friend, the too-busy mom, and the trusty therapist.
Debut writer Jessie Humphries might have never met an adjective or adverb she hasn't abused in KILLING RUBY ROSE. She seems to be trying way too hard to create clever dialogue, and some of it is quite unique and enjoyable, but the word overkill comes to mind, no pun intended. Aside from the heavy handed writing and overuse of metaphors, there are sentences, even paragraphs that are pleasing to read. As a narrator, Ruby is much too insightful for her age, though she lacks maturity and common sense as she makes one extraordinarily bad decision after another. She doesn't seem to grow as a character throughout the book and while she does appear remorseful for taking lives, she continues to put herself in dangerous situations and to keep viral information from authorities.
I think some teens will enjoy this novel as Ruby is a unique, albeit implausible character.
Debut writer Jessie Humphries might have never met an adjective or adverb she hasn't abused in KILLING RUBY ROSE. She seems to be trying way too hard to create clever dialogue, and some of it is quite unique and enjoyable, but the word overkill comes to mind, no pun intended. Aside from the heavy handed writing and overuse of metaphors, there are sentences, even paragraphs that are pleasing to read. As a narrator, Ruby is much too insightful for her age, though she lacks maturity and common sense as she makes one extraordinarily bad decision after another. She doesn't seem to grow as a character throughout the book and while she does appear remorseful for taking lives, she continues to put herself in dangerous situations and to keep viral information from authorities.
I think some teens will enjoy this novel as Ruby is a unique, albeit implausible character.
October 17, 2014
Killing Ruby Rose could have been explained as a YA mystery thriller. But we all know that YA means teenagers which equals high school, kissing boys, and curfew. So imagine the clash of all of these things plus bad guys that are cold hearted killers. This made me very very skeptical.
Story begins when Ruby Rose is doing some spying on a bad guy. After her dad was killed on a mission, she's sure that someone had something to do with it and she decides to go after some of the bad guys that her dad was trying to put away. So she starts watching over them. Her own Filthy Five. Murderers, rapists, and kidnappers who somehow got away from justice and still on the streets.
When she gets set up by a mystery guy, her whole life changes. She can't just be in the shadows anymore because every news channel thinks she's a murderer. Now the Filthy Five is starting to fall off the Earth one by one and someone is making her pull that trigger time after time.
Did I like it? Yes I would say I really did. Even though she was immature and always tried to look for the most stupidest decision that she could have possibly made, the story was still appealing. Author really made the action stand out. If it's not for it, I wouldn't have been very happy with the book because of the main character.
Story begins when Ruby Rose is doing some spying on a bad guy. After her dad was killed on a mission, she's sure that someone had something to do with it and she decides to go after some of the bad guys that her dad was trying to put away. So she starts watching over them. Her own Filthy Five. Murderers, rapists, and kidnappers who somehow got away from justice and still on the streets.
When she gets set up by a mystery guy, her whole life changes. She can't just be in the shadows anymore because every news channel thinks she's a murderer. Now the Filthy Five is starting to fall off the Earth one by one and someone is making her pull that trigger time after time.
Did I like it? Yes I would say I really did. Even though she was immature and always tried to look for the most stupidest decision that she could have possibly made, the story was still appealing. Author really made the action stand out. If it's not for it, I wouldn't have been very happy with the book because of the main character.
April 9, 2014
There aren’t a lot of YA mystery novels out there and those that I find never seem to cut it for older readers. This one hooked me with a comparison to Veronica Mars in an Amazon review—not a bad thing, IMO. (VM died long before its time.) KRR did seem a bit Veronica Marsy in the opening pages. Like VM, there are moments of humor, typical teen attitudes, and the usual trappings you expect in a YA novel. But the story deepened and developed complex layers that you rarely find in adult thrillers and mysteries. Despite the well done humor and snark, a very dark and serious crime story develops and it’s a rare author who can pull off funny/snarky and deadly/dark in the same book. Half way through I was checking Amazon to find out when the sequel would be available. (August, 2014 BTW). The writing is superb--great descriptions, compelling emotions, and observations of human nature in here. This is an amazing first novel and a gripping read for ANY mystery fan.
April 2, 2014
Killing Ruby Rose is one hot, edgy, and dangerous read. Watch out, world, Ruby is out for revenge. And so far, she knows just how to get it. She knows her facts, she knows her guns, and she knows her enemies too. But what happens when the enemy is one step ahead of her? I highly recommend this book. It has all the makings of the dream teen read: a total hottie, crazy action, and killer fashion. What more could a girl want?
April 7, 2014
WOW! Absolute perfection! Talk about a fun, fast-paced read that keeps you on your toes and wondering what's going to happen with each turn of the page. Ruby Rose is a fantastic, fascinating character that you can't help but love - and her crush isn't too bad either. I love the twists and turns this book takes you on, with an ending you'll never guess. I'm MOST DEFINITELY looking forward to more Ruby Rose, and anything else Jessie Humphries has to offer!
DEFINITE MUST READ!
DEFINITE MUST READ!
May 6, 2014
UGH....
This is how I wanted to feel reading this book:
This is how I felt reading this book:
I did enjoy some of this book, which makes it hard to rate, so I'm going with a straight 3. I knew this was YA. I enjoy YA. I loved the idea of the plot, Ruby was interesting most of the time when she wasn't busy making ridiculous decisions. The plot twists were really well thought out. If you enjoy an action packed story about a 17 year old hardcore heroine and can get over the crazy unrealistic storyline, then this book will be a quick and fun read. However, I had some problems as well:
So I struggle with how to rate this book, it held my attention for the first 50% for sure but then the other the top descriptive,and odd wording was just too much at points, there were so many commas in sentences, and over explanations as to why Ruby felt how she did... I wrote down some samples while reading...
"So why couldn’t I decide if I was relieved or disappointed? Excited or terrified? Appreciative or angry? Despite my growing catalogue of concerns, Liam was relentless about the dance. Even after I explained my aversion to underage binge drinking, awkward group dates, and cheesy picture stances, he still insisted that we go. All day at school, he went out of his way to make me smile, laugh, and forget. My answer went from a firm no, to a definite maybe, and then after his speech about being normal and going on our first real date, my answer turned into a hesitant yes."
Some shorter ones without the entire paragraph include:
"Her eyes were vibrant but soft at the same time."
"You had me crazy, and constantly worried."
"He was totally hot, yet sensitive."
"Tasting him, breathing him, feeling him, wanting him."
"As we danced, whispered, and touched."
"Valedictorian contender or death penalty candidate? Founder of the Constitution Society or vigilante lawbreaker? Protector and defender or vengeful killer?"
"It was a thank you, an apology, and a desperate hope for the best."
All of these were within a few pages of each other and the entire narrative is like this throughout the entire story. The descriptions, adjectives, adverbs, explanations, etc. were just so much, too explanatory, It was over the top for me. I love a good description and some great narrative but these constant, drawn out sentences were ridiculous and too much.
This is how I wanted to feel reading this book:
This is how I felt reading this book:
I did enjoy some of this book, which makes it hard to rate, so I'm going with a straight 3. I knew this was YA. I enjoy YA. I loved the idea of the plot, Ruby was interesting most of the time when she wasn't busy making ridiculous decisions. The plot twists were really well thought out. If you enjoy an action packed story about a 17 year old hardcore heroine and can get over the crazy unrealistic storyline, then this book will be a quick and fun read. However, I had some problems as well:
So I struggle with how to rate this book, it held my attention for the first 50% for sure but then the other the top descriptive,and odd wording was just too much at points, there were so many commas in sentences, and over explanations as to why Ruby felt how she did... I wrote down some samples while reading...
"So why couldn’t I decide if I was relieved or disappointed? Excited or terrified? Appreciative or angry? Despite my growing catalogue of concerns, Liam was relentless about the dance. Even after I explained my aversion to underage binge drinking, awkward group dates, and cheesy picture stances, he still insisted that we go. All day at school, he went out of his way to make me smile, laugh, and forget. My answer went from a firm no, to a definite maybe, and then after his speech about being normal and going on our first real date, my answer turned into a hesitant yes."
Some shorter ones without the entire paragraph include:
"Her eyes were vibrant but soft at the same time."
"You had me crazy, and constantly worried."
"He was totally hot, yet sensitive."
"Tasting him, breathing him, feeling him, wanting him."
"As we danced, whispered, and touched."
"Valedictorian contender or death penalty candidate? Founder of the Constitution Society or vigilante lawbreaker? Protector and defender or vengeful killer?"
"It was a thank you, an apology, and a desperate hope for the best."
All of these were within a few pages of each other and the entire narrative is like this throughout the entire story. The descriptions, adjectives, adverbs, explanations, etc. were just so much, too explanatory, It was over the top for me. I love a good description and some great narrative but these constant, drawn out sentences were ridiculous and too much.
May 20, 2015
I think my issue with this book was the main character, Ruby (which I'll get to in a bit). The premise was interesting enough, and despite the fact that at some points I could predict what was going to happen, I wasn't always right, and in some instances, was completely caught off guard. I liked the dynamics between Ruby and many of the supporting characters, Alanah, Liam, her mother, Dr. T., etc. Many were believable and somewhat understandable, unlike some of the plot lines - some were just so far fetched.
Even still, the story would have been at the very least entertaining if we weren't presented with that which is Ruby Rose. She was tough and smart, yes, we'll give her that. She was dealing with some recent traumatic events that would cause someone to be little unhinged, and maybe even go off the deep end, fine. But what she did, was just ridiculous. On top of her whoa is me! attitude, she has this strange obsession with shoes and chocolate. So much so, the author feels it is necessary to describe each and every pair of shoes to the reader, and make references to shoes, and comparisons and analogies with shoes. I just don't care enough about shoes to get it.
I don't know what else to add, I feel Ruby had a ton of potential, and in turn, so did the book. It just didn't do it for me, but hey, it might be someone else's cup of tea (or Jimmy Choo slingbacks - whatever that is).
September 13, 2016
I tried, but I just couldn't do it.
I am very much NOT the audience for this wanna-be Veronica Mars meets Cher Horowitz.
Too many shoes. Too many cutesy nicknames for things. (Her car is "Big Black," GPS is "Mary Poppins," shoe closet is "Gladys" and shoes are "The Pips". Oh, and she keeps her cell phone in "The Cleve", AKA cleavage, AKA gross--and what, is this girl DDD or does she have the most uncool, non smart phone ever? Is she still using a Nokia peanut phone?)
I just…didn't like Ruby Rose, didn't like her voice, and didn't think she was as cool as I was expected to.
Edited to add: Stopping a bit more than half way, when she's acting extra extra stupid and I just can't bring myself to care.
I am very much NOT the audience for this wanna-be Veronica Mars meets Cher Horowitz.
Too many shoes. Too many cutesy nicknames for things. (Her car is "Big Black," GPS is "Mary Poppins," shoe closet is "Gladys" and shoes are "The Pips". Oh, and she keeps her cell phone in "The Cleve", AKA cleavage, AKA gross--and what, is this girl DDD or does she have the most uncool, non smart phone ever? Is she still using a Nokia peanut phone?)
I just…didn't like Ruby Rose, didn't like her voice, and didn't think she was as cool as I was expected to.
Edited to add: Stopping a bit more than half way, when she's acting extra extra stupid and I just can't bring myself to care.
April 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this exciting, cleverly written thriller! Ruby Rose is a tiny bit dark and twisty with fabulous shoes, plenty of spunk, and killer instincts . . . except when it comes to being a normal teen. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. It had great plot twists and a unique voice. I can’t wait to read the next one! (Give me more!)
October 24, 2014
Solid 3.
January 7, 2025
This book was so badly written. It is in desperate need of a continuity advisor, a fact checker, and an editor that understands what is possible in the real world. It read like a first draft.
May 14, 2014
What's sad about this book is it had the ability to be good. I think the author focused on too many things and not the story itself. The focus seemed to be placed on Ruby and Liam's relationship and her horrible shoe fetish.
Then there were these sentences that destroyed the book for me:
"A twisting silence slithered..."
"The flapping flames framed the exit."
This book felt as though it was more for 10 year olds. I wanted a good detective story. The author got too cutesy with the entire book causing it to become annoying.
The book: Supposedly Ruby is following 5 criminals that her mother failed to prosecute or her father failed to catch. While she is stalking these criminals she finds a boyfriend and a target on her back.
That's about it.
What failed for me was the humor. I think this book was trying too hard. The humor felt flat and left me groaning.
Whenever you complete a book you always have some sense of what the characters look like. For the life of me I cannot picture one character from this novel. Well except for the one that was described as George Clooney. Other than that nothing, zippo. But let me describe Ruby's shoes and I could in a heartbeat because the focus was placed on those more so than the characters.
Certain aspects of the plot fell flat because it felt unbelievable. Like a teenager stealing a motorcycle multiple times and getting away with it, having access to a crap load of weapons, killing people and getting away with it. Your therapist telling your boyfriend about your past is a breach of confidentiality and unacceptable. How often would that happen?
Oh I just thought your boyfriend needed to know about your past so I told him. Hope that's okay!
I need the story to have a ring of truth or believability to it. Whenever Ruby gets in these dangerous situations the focus shifts to her shoes.
Again the author loses it for me.
If you're in a situation where your life or the life of those you love is in danger are you going to focus on the footwear you have on?
As a reader those last 50 to 100 pages are the ones you look forward to. You find yourself so absorbed in the story that you don't want it to come to an end. With this book that isn't the case. It felt as though it was dragging on and on. I think the last 100 pages took me 4 days just to trudge through.
I wanted something deeper that the fluff that was offered. Ruby was basically put in the same situations over and over throughout the whole book. She doesn't really face any new situations. She keeps going into trap after trap, wouldn't you (being soo smart) see a pattern? I don't know maybe you would... go about things differently? But that's just me.
Finally the most annoying thing for me in this book is the mother. She came across as completely deplorable at the end of the book. She claims to love Ruby, but the things she did for her when she was a child were disgusting (I won't give anything away). When I got to the end I was upset more than anything.
Then there were these sentences that destroyed the book for me:
"A twisting silence slithered..."
"The flapping flames framed the exit."
This book felt as though it was more for 10 year olds. I wanted a good detective story. The author got too cutesy with the entire book causing it to become annoying.
The book: Supposedly Ruby is following 5 criminals that her mother failed to prosecute or her father failed to catch. While she is stalking these criminals she finds a boyfriend and a target on her back.
That's about it.
What failed for me was the humor. I think this book was trying too hard. The humor felt flat and left me groaning.
Whenever you complete a book you always have some sense of what the characters look like. For the life of me I cannot picture one character from this novel. Well except for the one that was described as George Clooney. Other than that nothing, zippo. But let me describe Ruby's shoes and I could in a heartbeat because the focus was placed on those more so than the characters.
Certain aspects of the plot fell flat because it felt unbelievable. Like a teenager stealing a motorcycle multiple times and getting away with it, having access to a crap load of weapons, killing people and getting away with it. Your therapist telling your boyfriend about your past is a breach of confidentiality and unacceptable. How often would that happen?
Oh I just thought your boyfriend needed to know about your past so I told him. Hope that's okay!
I need the story to have a ring of truth or believability to it. Whenever Ruby gets in these dangerous situations the focus shifts to her shoes.
Again the author loses it for me.
If you're in a situation where your life or the life of those you love is in danger are you going to focus on the footwear you have on?
As a reader those last 50 to 100 pages are the ones you look forward to. You find yourself so absorbed in the story that you don't want it to come to an end. With this book that isn't the case. It felt as though it was dragging on and on. I think the last 100 pages took me 4 days just to trudge through.
I wanted something deeper that the fluff that was offered. Ruby was basically put in the same situations over and over throughout the whole book. She doesn't really face any new situations. She keeps going into trap after trap, wouldn't you (being soo smart) see a pattern? I don't know maybe you would... go about things differently? But that's just me.
Finally the most annoying thing for me in this book is the mother. She came across as completely deplorable at the end of the book. She claims to love Ruby, but the things she did for her when she was a child were disgusting (I won't give anything away). When I got to the end I was upset more than anything.
May 6, 2014
*Genre* Young Adult, Mystery
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
I like reading books by new authors that I might not have heard otherwise were it not for 카지노싸이트, or the Amazon First Program, or even Twitter for that matter. Killing Ruby Rose is a story that is far different from my normal reading material, and yet, it actually kept me guessing and entertained pretty much right to the very end.
Killing Ruby Rose is told in the first POV by Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose who hasn't been the same since her father, SWAT Sergeant Jack Rose, was supposedly killed in the line of duty. For the past 6 months, Ruby has been obsessed with tracking down, and stalking the Five worst offenders that she has named the Filthy Five, in order to provide proof of their wrong doings to the police.
After Ruby is lured in to a supposed meeting with her boy crush Liam Slater by text message, Ruby ends up shooting and killing one of the Five while saving a girl in the process. While earning her the nickname name of the Vigilante Teen Assassin by the lame street media, and stalkerazzis who have no lives, Ruby's life slowly spirals out of control.
With High School valedictorian on the line, and a possible first romance with Liam Slater on the horizon, Ruby takes chances with her own future by becoming entangled in a mystery that clearly points to someone manipulating Ruby into doing exactly what they want her to do; eliminating the five, while devastating the Rose family's name in the process.
As a character, Ruby is best known for being a reclusive fashionista who wears Prada's, and driving an SUV called Big Black. Ruby's retinue also includes her trusty .38 Smith & Wesson handgun, a police scanner, and night vision binoculars. She really doesn't have any true friends except Hawaiian Alana Kailua who has tried hard to break through Ruby's doldrums and desire of being alone and have her live a little while she's still young.
I will say that Ruby's mother, District Attorney Jane Rose, is definitely a nominee for the worst mother of the year award, perhaps the decade for her ignorance, her unwillingness to tell Ruby the truth about anything, including her affair, and even grimier acts that I will not spoil because it goes to the cause and effect for why the villain uses Ruby for their own revenge, and the necessity for a surprise character to show up and try to save her from being tossed in jail for the rest of her life.
There are some interesting directions that Humphries can take her sequel to this story. There are obvious questions about Ruby's past, her parentage, her connection to her therapist, and whether or not Ruby can honestly, and truly trust or forgive her mother for lying, and using her to the point of keeping Ruby in the dark and away from dangers that jump up and change Ruby's life. I will be interested to see what happens next.
*Released May 1, 2014* Received via Amazon First Program*
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
I like reading books by new authors that I might not have heard otherwise were it not for 카지노싸이트, or the Amazon First Program, or even Twitter for that matter. Killing Ruby Rose is a story that is far different from my normal reading material, and yet, it actually kept me guessing and entertained pretty much right to the very end.
Killing Ruby Rose is told in the first POV by Seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose who hasn't been the same since her father, SWAT Sergeant Jack Rose, was supposedly killed in the line of duty. For the past 6 months, Ruby has been obsessed with tracking down, and stalking the Five worst offenders that she has named the Filthy Five, in order to provide proof of their wrong doings to the police.
After Ruby is lured in to a supposed meeting with her boy crush Liam Slater by text message, Ruby ends up shooting and killing one of the Five while saving a girl in the process. While earning her the nickname name of the Vigilante Teen Assassin by the lame street media, and stalkerazzis who have no lives, Ruby's life slowly spirals out of control.
With High School valedictorian on the line, and a possible first romance with Liam Slater on the horizon, Ruby takes chances with her own future by becoming entangled in a mystery that clearly points to someone manipulating Ruby into doing exactly what they want her to do; eliminating the five, while devastating the Rose family's name in the process.
As a character, Ruby is best known for being a reclusive fashionista who wears Prada's, and driving an SUV called Big Black. Ruby's retinue also includes her trusty .38 Smith & Wesson handgun, a police scanner, and night vision binoculars. She really doesn't have any true friends except Hawaiian Alana Kailua who has tried hard to break through Ruby's doldrums and desire of being alone and have her live a little while she's still young.
I will say that Ruby's mother, District Attorney Jane Rose, is definitely a nominee for the worst mother of the year award, perhaps the decade for her ignorance, her unwillingness to tell Ruby the truth about anything, including her affair, and even grimier acts that I will not spoil because it goes to the cause and effect for why the villain uses Ruby for their own revenge, and the necessity for a surprise character to show up and try to save her from being tossed in jail for the rest of her life.
There are some interesting directions that Humphries can take her sequel to this story. There are obvious questions about Ruby's past, her parentage, her connection to her therapist, and whether or not Ruby can honestly, and truly trust or forgive her mother for lying, and using her to the point of keeping Ruby in the dark and away from dangers that jump up and change Ruby's life. I will be interested to see what happens next.
*Released May 1, 2014* Received via Amazon First Program*
April 13, 2014
I realize that I am hardly this book's target audience and even though I'm floating around 25% finished with this book I feel more than well informed enough to review it....
the summary may play Ruby up all well and good as this strong sexy vigilante with some slight problems but shes really just a whiny brat.
I find it impossible to believe that anyone who is a complete social outcast would give a crap about $500 shoes. Much less care enough to have filled a sizable portion of a bedroom with them. that aside, she drives a Denali, which is a brand term equal to "tricked out.". this whiny neurotic teenager has a room full of designer shoes, designer glasses, a handgun that had to cost upwards of $1000 and a SUV that depending on the unspecified model, easily cost $50,000 and it's HERS!
granted, she might be driving her deceased father's but what kid gets to drive around endlessly and without question that kind of monstrosity?
I also find it impossible to believe that being into martial arts and guns makes her " intimidating and unapproachable.". where I grew up that would make her a freaking catch.
she CHOSE to attach herself to her dad and shut out her mother because she didn't want to do beauty pageants. no mention of trying to connect over anything else but designer shoes.
This whiny brat needs weekly double doses of therapy about as much as I need a hole drilled into my head.
Character flaws aside, the story is sub par. Girl gets text from unknown number purporting to be boy she likes inviting her to meet him at some abandoned warehouse in the bad side of town. Girl is stupid enough to go. Girl shoots pedophile and saves a little girl who looks "just like her" who despite the way I read it firmly assumed she was suppose to have died from being stabbed in the throat. criminal "mastermind" begins to taunt girl by picking victims who look "just like her."
if you ignore all of that AND the fact that the mother/DA clearly knows NOTHING about the law, ethics, criminal procedure and how to work the criminal justice system to help her daughter receive an even halfway fair investigation this book would still be bad.
I will likely finish reading it for two reasons... 1) I need something to read at work, and 2) if I pick anything actually GOOD it will interfere with my end of semester assignments and finals.
the summary may play Ruby up all well and good as this strong sexy vigilante with some slight problems but shes really just a whiny brat.
I find it impossible to believe that anyone who is a complete social outcast would give a crap about $500 shoes. Much less care enough to have filled a sizable portion of a bedroom with them. that aside, she drives a Denali, which is a brand term equal to "tricked out.". this whiny neurotic teenager has a room full of designer shoes, designer glasses, a handgun that had to cost upwards of $1000 and a SUV that depending on the unspecified model, easily cost $50,000 and it's HERS!
granted, she might be driving her deceased father's but what kid gets to drive around endlessly and without question that kind of monstrosity?
I also find it impossible to believe that being into martial arts and guns makes her " intimidating and unapproachable.". where I grew up that would make her a freaking catch.
she CHOSE to attach herself to her dad and shut out her mother because she didn't want to do beauty pageants. no mention of trying to connect over anything else but designer shoes.
This whiny brat needs weekly double doses of therapy about as much as I need a hole drilled into my head.
Character flaws aside, the story is sub par. Girl gets text from unknown number purporting to be boy she likes inviting her to meet him at some abandoned warehouse in the bad side of town. Girl is stupid enough to go. Girl shoots pedophile and saves a little girl who looks "just like her" who despite the way I read it firmly assumed she was suppose to have died from being stabbed in the throat. criminal "mastermind" begins to taunt girl by picking victims who look "just like her."
if you ignore all of that AND the fact that the mother/DA clearly knows NOTHING about the law, ethics, criminal procedure and how to work the criminal justice system to help her daughter receive an even halfway fair investigation this book would still be bad.
I will likely finish reading it for two reasons... 1) I need something to read at work, and 2) if I pick anything actually GOOD it will interfere with my end of semester assignments and finals.
August 13, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll start with what I didn't like. I didn't like the adults. They were all secretive and had their own agendas and nobody communicated with each other. I know that makes it more mysterious but Ruby is dealing with a lot and her family situation is strange. I didn't like that she and her mother had practically no relationship. Her mother was keeping some big secrets and I was hoping at some point, she would stop and talk to Ruby. I also didn't like that she's a teenage girl stalking predators alone and being forced to kill them (or be killed herself). It adds to the action but also feels wrong.
What I did like was the fast pace throughout most of the book. That definitely kept me turning the pages. There are some twists which kept it interesting. I also like Ruby. She is 17 years old and going through a rough time. To cope with her father's death, she's taken to stalking criminals her father had wanted to catch (she calls them the Filthy Five). She's interesting, intelligent, and obsessed with shoes. She starts a relationship with Liam and he's likable, too. He's someone she's noticed but he's been elusive so she has a hard time believing he likes her at first. Their relationship slowed the action down somewhat.
I enjoyed Jessie Humphries' writing and want to see where Ruby Rose goes from here, and where Ms. Humphries goes as an author. There are some big revelations made at the end and the action was intense. I thought this book started off strong, tapered off some in the middle and ended strong so I decided to rate it 4 stars. Due to some of the content, I wouldn't recommend it to younger YA readers. Based on where the story left off, I am interested to see the direction the story will take in book 2!
Content: Swearing, violence
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
What I did like was the fast pace throughout most of the book. That definitely kept me turning the pages. There are some twists which kept it interesting. I also like Ruby. She is 17 years old and going through a rough time. To cope with her father's death, she's taken to stalking criminals her father had wanted to catch (she calls them the Filthy Five). She's interesting, intelligent, and obsessed with shoes. She starts a relationship with Liam and he's likable, too. He's someone she's noticed but he's been elusive so she has a hard time believing he likes her at first. Their relationship slowed the action down somewhat.
I enjoyed Jessie Humphries' writing and want to see where Ruby Rose goes from here, and where Ms. Humphries goes as an author. There are some big revelations made at the end and the action was intense. I thought this book started off strong, tapered off some in the middle and ended strong so I decided to rate it 4 stars. Due to some of the content, I wouldn't recommend it to younger YA readers. Based on where the story left off, I am interested to see the direction the story will take in book 2!
Content: Swearing, violence
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
March 13, 2015
Usually when I'm considering a book, if I see that a ton of the highest rated reviews for it are 1 or 2 stars, I'll pass unless it looks too interesting to pass up. I have so much reading to get done that I just don't have time for books that aren't going to be any good. But for whatever reason, despite the massive numbers of poor reviews, I decided to try this one anyway.
So all of you 1 and 2 star reviewers, I have a lot of questions. First of all, how dare you?
This book is so good! I say that completely unironically and without sarcasm, this book is awesome. The only thing keeping it from being a five star is that I think, even from the summary, we can all agree this situation is unrealistic and would never happen. But if you can suspend your disbelief-- You won't regret it.
Ruby is...herself. The author doesn't try to make her a Katniss Everdeen. She doesn't try to paint her as that perfect, gorgeous girl who just doesn't realize how perfect and gorgeous they are (sidenote, WOW do I hate that trend), she's just herself. Brave, determined, mildly obnoxious, but overall a good character. She provides so much to the plot just because of who she is. Her relationship with her best friend and her mom are pieces of the story that I enjoyed just as much as the mystery itself.
And then we have the love interest. Oh the YA love interest. What a poorly executed character these usually are... But not here! No, no. Not here. Be straight with me, Jessie Humphries, do you or do you not have a closeted love for Liam Hemsworth? I think you might. I'm almost sure of it, in fact. Evidence to support this claim: Liam, dirty blonde hair, bright blue eyes, surfer, ACTS LIKE LIAM HEMSWORTH. But hey, it's totally cool. No judgments. All good. (He's mine, back off.)
Honestly, I enjoyed every minute of this book. It's insanely entertaining, fast paced, great twists, hidden Hemsworths. I couldn't ask for anything more.
So all of you 1 and 2 star reviewers, I have a lot of questions. First of all, how dare you?
This book is so good! I say that completely unironically and without sarcasm, this book is awesome. The only thing keeping it from being a five star is that I think, even from the summary, we can all agree this situation is unrealistic and would never happen. But if you can suspend your disbelief-- You won't regret it.
Ruby is...herself. The author doesn't try to make her a Katniss Everdeen. She doesn't try to paint her as that perfect, gorgeous girl who just doesn't realize how perfect and gorgeous they are (sidenote, WOW do I hate that trend), she's just herself. Brave, determined, mildly obnoxious, but overall a good character. She provides so much to the plot just because of who she is. Her relationship with her best friend and her mom are pieces of the story that I enjoyed just as much as the mystery itself.
And then we have the love interest. Oh the YA love interest. What a poorly executed character these usually are... But not here! No, no. Not here. Be straight with me, Jessie Humphries, do you or do you not have a closeted love for Liam Hemsworth? I think you might. I'm almost sure of it, in fact. Evidence to support this claim: Liam, dirty blonde hair, bright blue eyes, surfer, ACTS LIKE LIAM HEMSWORTH. But hey, it's totally cool. No judgments. All good. (He's mine, back off.)
Honestly, I enjoyed every minute of this book. It's insanely entertaining, fast paced, great twists, hidden Hemsworths. I couldn't ask for anything more.
December 3, 2014
Wow! I so need to start reading and reviewing books again. I'm wayyyy behind!
Killing Ruby Rose is a wild ride from the beginning to the end. It is mostly for fans of Ally Carter's books and other espionage books. Chick-lit and Mystery fans will most certainly like it too.
And this review is going to be quick. But I'll try to not put too much random things in here. Because you all know how random I sometimes get. And I don't like removing those random things. Like this paragraph, which is completely random.
Wow.
Anyway, I read this book because I won a giveaway for the second book, Resisting Ruby Rose. I'm going to say that this one is great. I really enjoyed it. The romance between Ruby Rose and Liam is wonderful (though somewhat strange; a bit lacking). It reminds me of that way two people get together because of a crush.
Anyway, Ruby Rose is an awesome girl. She is basically a teenage version of Nancy Drew. With very interesting parents and a very smart, intelligent brain. (Well, Nancy Drew is pretty smart, too. Especially with her brain). Ruby Rose is deadly as she is pretty. She is a great narrator, and it doesn't hurt that she is very understandable and relatable. Even though she can pull off killer moves and get into fights against men.
Plus, she kills murderers.
The plot goes by really quickly. It is perhaps a 300 paged book, and the plot is fast. It is really interesting from beginning to end, and I think most readers would enjoy this.
(Although romance is lacking).
Overall, Ruby Rose is a great book to read. Especially when you are bored, because Ruby Rose's little Nancy Drew mystery is awesome. Plus, there is some interesting things in here that I find quite entertaining. Some parts of the the book.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
Killing Ruby Rose is a wild ride from the beginning to the end. It is mostly for fans of Ally Carter's books and other espionage books. Chick-lit and Mystery fans will most certainly like it too.
And this review is going to be quick. But I'll try to not put too much random things in here. Because you all know how random I sometimes get. And I don't like removing those random things. Like this paragraph, which is completely random.
Wow.
Anyway, I read this book because I won a giveaway for the second book, Resisting Ruby Rose. I'm going to say that this one is great. I really enjoyed it. The romance between Ruby Rose and Liam is wonderful (though somewhat strange; a bit lacking). It reminds me of that way two people get together because of a crush.
Anyway, Ruby Rose is an awesome girl. She is basically a teenage version of Nancy Drew. With very interesting parents and a very smart, intelligent brain. (Well, Nancy Drew is pretty smart, too. Especially with her brain). Ruby Rose is deadly as she is pretty. She is a great narrator, and it doesn't hurt that she is very understandable and relatable. Even though she can pull off killer moves and get into fights against men.
Plus, she kills murderers.
The plot goes by really quickly. It is perhaps a 300 paged book, and the plot is fast. It is really interesting from beginning to end, and I think most readers would enjoy this.
(Although romance is lacking).
Overall, Ruby Rose is a great book to read. Especially when you are bored, because Ruby Rose's little Nancy Drew mystery is awesome. Plus, there is some interesting things in here that I find quite entertaining. Some parts of the the book.
Rating: Four out of Five
-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com
April 18, 2014
I thought this was an OK read. It's a story about a girl, Ruby Rose, who is somehow lured into a murder mystery that seems to focus around her, for no apparent reason. The mystery unravels throughout the book, but is only made clear in the "big reveal" in the end of the book, and even then it wasn't THAT clear. I found the storyline engaging enough to keep reading, but there were just so many things that bothered me about the story and the characters. First, Ruby: I get that she's only in high school so a certain level of immaturity is expected, but I was VERY annoyed by her naming all things inanimate - her closet is Gladys, her car is Big Black, her cleavage is...THE CLEAVE..........(ugh), every shoe has a name, etc. It just got really tiresome after awhile to try to keep up with all of the names she gave things. "I pulled my cell phone from The Cleave," give me a break! Ok moving on to all of the adults in Ruby's life. The crux of this book revolves around some big mystery surrounding Ruby, and NO ADULTS - not her mom, not her therapist, not her dad's former partner - seem to be able to communicate some very important information to Ruby. They always schedule time to sit down and talk about this "very important information" but can NEVER make it happen. I get wanting to draw it out for dramatic effect, but seriously? When people continue to get killed and Ruby gets caught up in it all, I'm pretty sure that ANY time is a good time to bring her in on all the details. Otherwise she's just a rogue vigilante with missing facts, and that's never good. Anyway, it was a cute love story with Ruby and Liam, but there were a ton of loose ends that I felt were sloppy to leave untouched at the end. Unless the author is setting the stage for a sequel? But I won't be reading that.
April 20, 2014
I read this because it was free on Amazon this month through Kindle First. I'm glad I didn't pay money for it. That being said, I read the whole thing, so it must have had some merit.
As the list is shorter and I like to start with the positives, let me say what I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed the fact that there was a strong, young female protagonist. I found her witty at times and her narration was compelling. That's what kept me reading the story. On to the not-so-positives...
I chose this book over the other three options because the editor made the comparison to Veronica Mars, and it was an apt one. Unfortunately, it read more like a poorly-crafted Veronica Mars rip-off than a story taking inspiration from the legacy of Veronica Mars. Moreover, unlike Veronica Mars, the plot just didn't feel plausible enough for me to suspend my disbelief. Ruby Rose is a teen vigilante who, apparently because her father is murdered, decides to choose five random child molesters and serial murderers who her father was unable to track and/or her mother, the D.A., was unable to convict, and.. stalk them? I'm not buying the motivation, nor was I buying the motivations of a single other character in the story, including the antagonist. The story opens with Ruby going after one aforementioned criminal in heels. The plot only gets more implausible from there. I just wasn't buying it, and I wasn't charmed by it. The characters were flat and unrelatable. The writing was weak. The pacing was also strange, with the author attempting to cram in far too many action scenes at the expense of character development.
Overall, it had some elements that may have made it a good story in an alternate reality but it was not well executed.
As the list is shorter and I like to start with the positives, let me say what I enjoyed about this book. I enjoyed the fact that there was a strong, young female protagonist. I found her witty at times and her narration was compelling. That's what kept me reading the story. On to the not-so-positives...
I chose this book over the other three options because the editor made the comparison to Veronica Mars, and it was an apt one. Unfortunately, it read more like a poorly-crafted Veronica Mars rip-off than a story taking inspiration from the legacy of Veronica Mars. Moreover, unlike Veronica Mars, the plot just didn't feel plausible enough for me to suspend my disbelief. Ruby Rose is a teen vigilante who, apparently because her father is murdered, decides to choose five random child molesters and serial murderers who her father was unable to track and/or her mother, the D.A., was unable to convict, and.. stalk them? I'm not buying the motivation, nor was I buying the motivations of a single other character in the story, including the antagonist. The story opens with Ruby going after one aforementioned criminal in heels. The plot only gets more implausible from there. I just wasn't buying it, and I wasn't charmed by it. The characters were flat and unrelatable. The writing was weak. The pacing was also strange, with the author attempting to cram in far too many action scenes at the expense of character development.
Overall, it had some elements that may have made it a good story in an alternate reality but it was not well executed.
April 11, 2014
Go pick up this book. Seriously go get it. Make sure you have nothing important coming up because you wouldn't want to do anything but read once you start.
Alright, that being said, a real review. The book started off feeling like a redo of Veronica Mars. Teen following in her father's career line and tracking criminals. Quickly Ruby became her own character and I didn't compare her to Veronica after that. Ruby reads like a mature high school girl which makes perfect sense when you get all her details about growing up. Her little quirks and social problems make her interesting to read about. The shoe stuff was pretty funny at times.
Humphries creates a non-stop world of danger and mysteries unfolding in ways that I didn't see coming. Despite being a young adult book, this read like a regular mystery. Honestly, the closest series I might compare it to is the Temperance Brennan books. The author's knowledge on things like the law helped make the story very believable. The way Humphries layered new levels of detail and mystery was amazing. Upon finishing the book I actually looked up the author expecting to see a long list of mystery books, thinking maybe she was am established writer that was taking her first stab at young adult. I was shocked to see it was her first book. Excellent debut and I cannot wait to see what comes next from her. This is an author I will follow.
Alright, that being said, a real review. The book started off feeling like a redo of Veronica Mars. Teen following in her father's career line and tracking criminals. Quickly Ruby became her own character and I didn't compare her to Veronica after that. Ruby reads like a mature high school girl which makes perfect sense when you get all her details about growing up. Her little quirks and social problems make her interesting to read about. The shoe stuff was pretty funny at times.
Humphries creates a non-stop world of danger and mysteries unfolding in ways that I didn't see coming. Despite being a young adult book, this read like a regular mystery. Honestly, the closest series I might compare it to is the Temperance Brennan books. The author's knowledge on things like the law helped make the story very believable. The way Humphries layered new levels of detail and mystery was amazing. Upon finishing the book I actually looked up the author expecting to see a long list of mystery books, thinking maybe she was am established writer that was taking her first stab at young adult. I was shocked to see it was her first book. Excellent debut and I cannot wait to see what comes next from her. This is an author I will follow.
September 2, 2015
No… just no. What a waste of my life. The main character, Ruby Rose, is a Mary Sue. She’s a fashion-conscious high schooler who is on track to be valedictorian. She has a crush on the most popular guy at her high school, and big shocker: he likes her, too. She’s also a badass because she trained with her late father, a policeman who led a SWAT team. She does have some emotional issues related to her father’s death and her mother’s absenteeism, but guess what? Those only make her more of a badass and even more attractive to guys. The paparazzi constantly follow her around because of she’s just that interesting. Seriously?!
To top it all off, the writing left much to be desired. Full of clichés and eye roll inducing passages. Like this one:
I was falling – out of control, into bed, and for Liam Slater. Falling hard. I slid under the covers and felt him slide in right behind me. Within moments, I was drifting. Not just into sleep, but closer to another human being than I’d ever been before. He pulled me tight to his chest, and I melted into him. Every part of him entwined with every part of me, like I didn’t know where he started and I ended.
Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time on KILLING RUBY ROSE.
To top it all off, the writing left much to be desired. Full of clichés and eye roll inducing passages. Like this one:
I was falling – out of control, into bed, and for Liam Slater. Falling hard. I slid under the covers and felt him slide in right behind me. Within moments, I was drifting. Not just into sleep, but closer to another human being than I’d ever been before. He pulled me tight to his chest, and I melted into him. Every part of him entwined with every part of me, like I didn’t know where he started and I ended.
Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time on KILLING RUBY ROSE.
November 7, 2014
I'd give it a 3.5. But it's a bit rusty and I can expect that from a first time author. The beginning was really interesting but tapered off after the first chapter. Then the middle picked up and I was hooked.
Ruby is a no-nonsense teenager. She packs heat and stalks criminals when she's not studying or shopping for shoes. But she's reeling from the death of her father. Her mother is district attorney and is never home. She's alone and in danger when someone is setting her up to take out criminals who've gotten away free and clear.
Humphries does a great job with the mystery. We're never quite sure who she can trust. But the cadence was choppy. I couldn't make sense of the feel of the book. Was it humorous? All mystery and thriller? I know both can be done but I didn't feel Humphries was a strong enough writer to pull it off. Plus, it felt like a young adult book but then it kind of didn't. I think she should've toned it down a bit and brought it to a young adult level or notched it up and made it an adult thriller/mystery.
But overall, it was an exciting mystery. And I do plan on reading more of the series. I think the choppiness will probably fix itself as Humphries continues to hone her skills.
Ruby is a smart and kick-ass female and I love it!
Ruby is a no-nonsense teenager. She packs heat and stalks criminals when she's not studying or shopping for shoes. But she's reeling from the death of her father. Her mother is district attorney and is never home. She's alone and in danger when someone is setting her up to take out criminals who've gotten away free and clear.
Humphries does a great job with the mystery. We're never quite sure who she can trust. But the cadence was choppy. I couldn't make sense of the feel of the book. Was it humorous? All mystery and thriller? I know both can be done but I didn't feel Humphries was a strong enough writer to pull it off. Plus, it felt like a young adult book but then it kind of didn't. I think she should've toned it down a bit and brought it to a young adult level or notched it up and made it an adult thriller/mystery.
But overall, it was an exciting mystery. And I do plan on reading more of the series. I think the choppiness will probably fix itself as Humphries continues to hone her skills.
Ruby is a smart and kick-ass female and I love it!
May 2, 2014
While this book had promise with an exciting plot and some unexpected twists, I really struggled to finish it because of some really poor choices made by the author. Like many reviews have stated, there are several places where things become unbelievable but you can just kind of shake your head and move on. With fiction books, there are always some liberties taken by the author. The worst part, in my opinion is how Humphries chose to portray the main character, Ruby. She's closed off from people after the death of her father but as soon as a cute boy, Liam, tells her that he's interested in her, she immediately opens up and wants to jump in bed with him. There are whole chapters devoted to how attractive Liam is and how turned on he makes Ruby. It's completely unnecessary and ruins what could have been a good book. If Humphries can find a balance with the romance aspect of her stories and not go overboard, basically devolving them to smut, she could be a promising writer.
April 26, 2014
I picked up this book free from Kindle First because I am a sucker for YA fiction (especially a story that sounds so Veronica Mars-esque) but I was not a big fan of this protagonist. Maybe it's because I don't share an obsession for designer shoes or giving silly nicknames to all of the items in my possession...I can only assume the author was trying to write a quirky, believable girl but some of her quirky quips brought me out of the narrative. The mystery that makes up the central story arch was compelling enough for me to ,finish the book (and I wanted to add it to my 2014 challenge list; I was one book behind!) but I probably won't recommend this book to any of my friends. I may have liked it more when I was in middle school and actually, my little sister (23), would probably really like it; so maybe I wasn't the target audience this time.
January 27, 2024
I would really like to give this book three stars, but it is such a ripoff of Veronica Mars that I can't bring myself to give it more than 2.5, rounded down for lack of creativity. The main character, Ruby Rose, is Veronica Mars' dark twin. Trade a loving, slightly gruff father for a distant, barely there mother, delete the scenes at school (although the main character is seventeen and in high school), and this is a Veronica Mars movie. The ending did have a bit of a twist. Several, in fact. Up until then, though, it was predictable and pedestrian, although the author does maintain some suspense.
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