Review: The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Clever and head-turningly attractive, fourteen-yearold Yann is an orphan who has been raised in Paris by T�tu, a dwarf with secrets he has yet to reveal to the gypsy boy. It's the winter of 1789, and the duo have been working for a vain magician named Topolain. On the night when Topolain's vanity brings his own death, Yann's life truly begins. That's the night he meets shy Sido, an heiress with an ice-cold father, a young girl who has only known loneliness until now. Though they have the shortest of conversations, an attachment is born that will influence both their paths.

And what paths those will be! Revolution is afoot in France, and Sido is being used as a pawn. Only Yann will dare to rescue her, and he'll be up against a fearful villain who goes by the name Count Kalliovski, but who has often been called the devil. It'll take all of Yann's newly discovered talent to unravel the mysteries of his past and Sido's and to fight the devilish count.
As in the award-winning I, Coriander, Sally Gardner has masterfully combined the historical and the fantastical in this sumptuous, riveting adventure.
From goodreads.com

Review:

The Red Necklace is definitely an interesting read. I felt like there was never a boring part. It drew me in and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next.

            I absolutely loved the relationship between Yann and Sido. Any scene in which they interacted with each other was always interesting. I also loved how everything was tied together. They met because Yann was performing at a party at Sido’s house and everything is tied to that night when they met. It’s the night when both of their lives get a little more dangerous. The characters’ actions were all very believable and I could understand perfectly well why they did what they did.

            I love that it took place, for most of the book, in France. I have always wanted to travel to Europe and France is towards the top of my countries to visit list, and of course, when in France I would want to visit Paris. However, the Paris from the French Revolution is scary. People feared for their lives and in this book that includes Yann and Sido. It definitely made the story more interesting for me.

            Overall, this book was a really enjoyable read for me. I’m so happy my friend recommended it to me. I give it 8/10.