Rating: 
Summary: A good read
Review: This is a great mystery, with alot of other stuff mixed in! I picked this book up at the library with a stack of about 8 other books before my vacation. I didnt really think that i would like it, and i usually dont like old england, young girl as the heroine. But when this was the only book left unread in my stack and days of vacation were still to come i decided to read it anyway. Wow, it proves that you should never judge a book by its cover. I really enjoyed the complexities involved in this book , with two different plots going on at the same time. And also the relationship forming with fredrick the photagrapher. All in all a great read for anybody. Dont dismiss it as a book that isnt in your usual genre, go out and try it for yourself. you'll like it!
Rating: 
Summary: Had potential, but not that great
Review: Okay, I know I'm going to injure the sensibilities of hardcore Pullman fans with this review, but this is the first book of his that I've read, so perhaps that can explain my opinion. Honestly, I didn't find the book that great. The Victorian setting and detailed background (what with the opium trade and photography shop)are quite original for a children's novel, but other than that, the novel didn't strike me as particularly impressive. The characters aren't strongly delineated and the plot moves a bit too quickly (though that's normally a good point). I felt the author should have spent more time with characterization, so that the surprise ending (yup, there's a surprise) has more impact on the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: Just finished this book and can't wait to get my hands on Book #2 in the trilogy. I loved the strength of the female characters (there are three strong females in this story!) The plot was intriguing and well-paced. As a teacher, I might use this novel for developing a convincing setting. The setting was almost a character in and of itself! Loved Pullman's _His Dark Materials_ too! (His more recent trilogy.)
Rating:
Summary: very exciting
Review: This was a great book; exciting and well written and reminding me of my favorite book, SIGHTS by Susanna Vance.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This book was awesome.It was definatly the best in the trilogy.This book is worth reading.Jim is the best person in the whole book.He's the best in all the books actually.JIM TAYLOR is AWESOME!
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad At All
Review: This is a story about a young woman in London who is caught up in not one, but TWO mysteries. One involves her own past, a past that seemed complete and normal until one day she hears of the ruby. The other conflict involves the girl's father and the opium trade. Thus, a ruby (one mystery) in the smoke (the second. I often read books where there is maybe one conflict, or perhaps two, that last throughout the entire novel, and there are no smaller problems to keep the book going. This book wasn't like that. Though there were two main mysteries that were solved (seemingly, notice there are three books) at the end, there were plenty of other problems that captured my interest. I also really liked how the problems related to the setting (sorry, can't say more!) The characters in this book were good, but not excellent. They were rather one-dimensional. However, as the trilogy continues, some of the characters do grow, but in this book there was not a lot of character development. If you want a book with excellent characters by Philip Pullman, read the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. To sum all of this up, if you want a fun book, that is well written and has A LOT of intrigue, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: excellent author, excellent book
Review: I have read every book by Philip Pullman that I could get my hands on, and loved them all. His writing is suspenseful and interesting. The Sally Lockhart trilogy is one of my favorites. The Ruby in the Smoke is my favorite of the set. It's a nonstop page turner; exciting and adventurous, but sweet and inspiring at the same time. If you haven't read this book yet, please do. You'll get to meet a lot of great characters like Sally, Fredrick, and Jim. And when you are done with A Ruby in the Smoke, move on to a Shadow in the North, another really great book. So get this series! Have fun and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This book would be worth all five stars if it was for one thing-- I first read this book when I was about 10 because it had my name in the title (Ruby). It was way too confusing, so I stopped halfway and gave up reading. Then, when I was twelve I read it again and had to read some parts again. Then I read it again two years later and absolutely fell in love with it and couldn't put it down. So this gets four stars for confusing me when I first read it, but entraping in Sally Lockheart's world when I was older. This book is the best!!!
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: At first this book was hard to get started with, it was a little confusing, but I am a teenager, and this was one of the first mystery books I have read, so don't let that stop you! After I figured out what was going on, it was an awesome book! I loved it, and have continued to read the rest of the series, it is very suspenseful (sp?), so have the whole series at your side when you start to read, buecause you won't be able to put the series down!
Rating:
Summary: A teenage girl survives intrigue in Sherlock Holmes' London
Review: The 3 Sally Lockhart books, beginning with 'The Ruby in Smoke' are set in London in a time Sherlock Holmes reader's will recognize. All the evil and intrigue are present plus some twists that Conan Doyle never thought of. The difference is a heroine who is not at all typical of the times. In the first book she is a teenager who survives life threatening situations with luck and the help of the loyal friends she makes along the way. In the later books, she develops into a savvy young woman succeeding in a man's world. The villains she faces are darker and more evil than you'll see in young adult books of a few years ago. The books are all very absorbing and leave you hungry for the next one. Don't let the book cover fool you, this is an adult read.
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