All About Middle Grade Review: The Ruby Pendant (Blog Tour)

The Ruby Pendant (Cleopatra's Legacy, 2) by Dorine White, February 7, 2014. Source: author.

Welcome to New Orleans- home of Mardi Gras, jazz music and voodoo. Eighth grader Melanie Belaforte is home for Spring break and itching for excitement. Late one night she discovers a hidden chamber and a secret journal in her deceased Aunt Florence’s bedroom.
The diary contains the writings of a mad woman, along with vague clues to the whereabouts of a ruby necklace that once belonged to Cleopatra. The ruby bestows upon the wearer the power to hear other people’s thoughts- even the thoughts of the dead!
And so the hunt begins. Melanie, her best friend Sybil, and a haunting specter unravel clues that take them from crumbling graveyards, to the busy streets of the French Quarter, and then into murky swamps, all to find the prize. But they need to watch out, because a murderous cult is matching them step for step, and they won’t give up, ever.

First Sentence:

Melanie twirled the turquoise bracelet around her wrist, watching the blue beads swing around like ponies om a carousel.  

Having not read The Emerald Ring prior to The Ruby Pendant, I was a little nervous going in for fear that I would constantly feel like I was missing a piece of the story. Thankfully, I never once felt like I was missing something (although, I am now dying to read book one and book three).

There are quite a few things I enjoyed about The Ruby Pendant, with Dorine White's writing being one of the chief things. I loved the way she captured the feel of New Orleans and its uniqueness; and let's not forget the mystery surrounding Melanie's crazy Aunt Flo and the Ruby necklace that went missing before her death. These three things, paired with Ms. White's writing, made for quite the read as you watched the story unravel.
   While there were a few plot points I figured out quickly, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story because I got caught up in the book. To be honest, the last few chapters are what really sealed the deal on this book for me. I loved seeing Melanie step up and own the power granted to her by the ruby and seeing her use it to help out her friend.

One of the things I enjoyed most about The Ruby Pendant would have to be how Dorine White ties the two books together without making the reader feel like they've missed something (like I did by only reading book two). Although, the linking of the two books has me curious as to what happened in The Emerald Ring and how the ball got rolling on the quest to find all of the missing gems of Cleopatra; as well, as how it it'll play out in the long run.

The only downside to this book would have to be that it starts out kind of slow; and there were times when I did not care for Melanie and the relationship between her and her mom. While I may have been a little unhappy with the way they were around each other, the of the book made up for my earlier angst over it.
   As for the slow start, it just took some time for me things to get moving, but once they did, I enjoyed the fast paced action and thrills that Melanie faced.

Final Verdict: The Ruby Pendant- Has mystery, adventure, and even danger waiting to capture readers attention as they follow Melanie's adventure.

The Ruby Pendant earns four griffins out of 5

About the Author:

My name is Dorine White. I am a children's author and a book reviewer. I grew up back East in Maryland and attended BYU in Utah. I have a BA in Humanities with an interest in Art History and French. Currently I live in the beautiful, yet rainy Northwest with my husband and 6 children.

 My first book in The Cleopatra's Legacy series, The Emerald Ring, was published on May 14, 2013. It is a middle grade fantasy novel that involves Ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, and a magic emerald ring. The Ruby Pendant (Cleopatra's Legacy 2) is due out March 2014 and takes place in the vibrant New Orleans.

You can haunt Dorine White at-
Author Website | Blog | Twitter | Author FB Page |

 This book was received in exchange for an honest review.