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The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1) | 
| Author: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy Used: $0.01
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Avg. Customer Rating:  155 reviews
Sales Rank: 10633
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 230
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.1
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0394895894
EAN: 9780394895895
ASIN: 0394895894
Publication Date: November 12, 1988
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More.
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Amazon.com
"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
Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 150 more reviews...
A Different Face of Philip Pullman June 13, 2008
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 well. Philip Pullman could have presented the solving of the mysteries with a bit more "Kapow," but other than that this was a great read.
 Go Sally, Go! April 30, 2008
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.
 Not bad but not totally satisfying. March 27, 2008
At 230 pages The Ruby in the Smoke is a quick read. The story flows evenly, the characters are too quickly developed though. Something's missing. The ending ties everything together, however, not in a manner that satisfies - too quickly done. A good read for teens with everything including an interesting plot - what's missing is depth.
Great reading February 9, 2008
Love the way Sally is protrayed and then the way she gets into trouble and then out.
 Great, if you like a threadbare, confused, hodgepodge plot January 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
... and cliche, cardboard characters, all trotted out with predictable language. Talk about disappointment. Pullman could have done so much better. Instead he gives us an irritatingly careless bit of Victorian Penny-Dreadful parody, and far from being "good writing," it's a parody (or "travesty" might be a better word) of good writing.
The worst thing about it is the sloppy plot, which is something Pullman must have dashed off in the space of 2 rainy weekends on a pay-per-word basis because he needed to make a payment on his car.
I'm sure you've hsard of Chekhov's Gun Rule (also known as "The Law Of Conservation Of Detail"): if a gun is shown mounted on the wall in Act I, someone had better be shot by Act III. In other words, don't be putting conspicuous or striking details into the first part of the book if you never intend to follow up adequately in the last part.
Pullman violates this rule to some extent in The Golden Compass, but most of us are willing to forgive him because the story does move along, even with some stalling and snorting. But in "Ruby in the Smoke," Pullman fairly litters the ground with all kinds of narrative hooks & eyes that he never links together and never follows up on.
In the end, he seems to get bored and give up on it all and resorts to having the stereotypical Cruel Old Woman just blurt out the answers to all the unanswered questions--- the cheapest, laziest plot device ever invented.
Save your time and money. Read Terebithia or Tuck Everlasting.
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