In 2016, the final movie from the Timeless series about the adventures of a young time traveler, Gwendoline Shepherd, was released. While viewers enjoy the new spectacle, and readers compare the movie version with the original book, teenagers all over the world are happy to read the new trilogy from the same novelist Kersten Gere. “Zilber. Diaries of Dreams ”- this is the name of the new series of books from the creator of“ Timeless ”. Is the new Gere trilogy really as exciting as the previous edition?
Kerstin Gere - a German writer who loves the UK
First of all, it is worth recalling the creator of the trilogy - Kerstin Gere. Despite the fact that many of her works are taking place in London, the writer herself, like the nanny Lottie from Zilber, is a wholly German. She was born in the city of Bergisch Gladbach in 1966. After school, Kerstin entered college, where she studied British and German literature, and later - the psychology of communication and business.
After graduating from college, Gere could not stay for a long time in any position. Trying to earn a living, she decided to try to write a female novel. Fortunately, Kerstin was well versed in literature. In 1996, her first essay Ein Single kommt selten allein was published under the pseudonym Julie Brand. The debut work was well received by readers, so in subsequent years the writer wrote 6 more novels. They entered the series "Matilda, Carolina and Francesca." At the same time, Kirstin Gere wrote books on other topics. In addition to her own name and pseudonym Julie Brand, the novelist often used another one - Sophie Berard.
Having become a recognized novelist in Germany for a female audience, Gere tried to change her profile and write a fantastic work for teenagers. So, in 2009, the first novel about the time traveler Gwendolyn Shepherd appeared. After his tremendous success, which brought Gere worldwide fame, the novelist wrote two more works from this series. Timeles has become a favorite book for many teenagers all over the world, including the CIS. And in the period from 2013 to 2016. all 3 parts were filmed. While the audience was worried about the sweet couple of Gwendolyn and Gideon, she worked on the new science fiction book for teenagers Kerstin Gere. “Zilber. The first dream diary ”- this novel had this title, which instantly won the love of young readers. Incredibly, with this work, its creator was able to repeat the success of "Timeless".
The trilogy “Zilber. Dream Diaries
In 2013, the book Kerstin Gere - Zilber. The first diary of dreams. " Fans of her work hoped to read this work. And they were not disappointed. They were waiting for a new heroine - Olivia Zilber. For three years, one book of this series was published annually. Thanks to the worldwide fame of Kerstin, her new brainchild almost immediately began to be translated into other languages. So, the Russian-language edition of the book was only a few months behind the original, which could not but please the fans.
The main characters of the trilogy
In all three books in the series, the story is written on behalf of Olivia (Liv) Zilber.
At the beginning of the story, she is 15 years old. This is a beautiful blonde teenage girl who, due to poor eyesight, has to wear glasses or lenses all the time, which does not prevent her from perfectly mastering kung fu. She loves detective stories, in particular, stories about Sherlock Holmes. However, her character changes when she falls in love. The beloved of the main character becomes high school student Henry Garper.
He almost immediately pervades sympathy for Liv. Due to problems in his family, Henry is often very secretive, which causes some turmoil in their relationship with Olivia. Because of the episode with
Swiss cheese, at the first meeting of young people, Henry calls Liv “cheese girl”. There is another character in the book. This is Grayson Spencer - a high school student, Olivia's half-brother.
Smart, noble and beautiful. He is a good athlete and an excellent student. This guy constantly comes to the rescue of a newly made sister. By the way, she has another native blood. This is Mia Zilber - Olivia's younger sister. At the beginning of the trilogy, she is 13 years old. She is also cute and very smart. Truly attention is paid to this character in the third book. Among the other main characters stands out Arthur Hamilton - one of the four high school students. He is handsome, smart and insidious.
The guy feels like a leader in the company, not suspecting that his girlfriend, Anabel Scott, is skillfully manipulating him. Later the situation changes. Jasper Grant - the fourth handsome of the company. Despite his stunning appearance, he is not far off. Mention should also be made of Lady Mystery, the leading school gossip blog. Until the end of the story, the writer does not reveal her personality. Her caustic articles often cause trouble for the characters. Another character is Olivia Ann's mother, a literature teacher. Because of work, she travels a lot with her daughters. Selflessly loves them, but does not deal with them at all. All care for Liv and Mie lies on the shoulders of the German nanny Lotti.
Kerstin Gere: “Zilber. The first dream diary "- contents
Olivia and her little sister Mia come to London and end up in one of the most prestigious schools - the Jabs Academy. Here Liv meets the four guys who are the "kings" of the school. One of them, Grayson, turns out to be the son of a boyfriend of the girl’s mother (they soon live together). One day, a guy gives her his sweater, which Liv liked so much that she went to bed in it. From this time, she begins to see amazing dreams, in which all four handsome men from school participate.
It soon turns out that last Halloween these guys, together with their girlfriend Anabel, performed a magic ritual designed to free an ancient demon. After that, they get the opportunity to travel in other people's dreams. However, now the guys are required to fulfill the conditions of the demon. Otherwise, their dear people will die. The main condition - one of them must be a virgin. The guys suggest Liv, who is still innocent, will join them. Out of interest, she agrees. Although Grayson and Henry are trying to dissuade her. Traveling in dreams, the heroine communicates a lot in Henry. Between them there is sympathy. And the guy invites her to the Autumn Ball at school. However, during the party, Anabel and Arthur try to commit the ritual murder of Liv to free the demon. But Henry and Grayson save her. All friends turn away from Arthur, and Anabel ends up in a psychiatric hospital.
First Book Reviews
According to most fans of Kerstin Gere, “Zilber. The Diary of Dreams First ”is the most successful book of the entire trilogy. The idea of traveling through other people's dreams, although not new, is incredibly fascinating. The character of Olivia appealed to many. According to the majority, in Liv Gere it was possible to perfectly convey the psychology of a teenager who begins to play hormones. So, at first the heroine is skeptical of guys and the ball, ironic with her sister about this. But when she falls in love, she changes. True, not everyone is delighted with the "cheese girl", revered by her stupid, hysterical selfish woman, who is pretending to be a detective. Cover Design for Kerstin Gere's Zilber. The first dream diary ”(as well as the entire trilogy) really liked even those who found this work boring.
By the way, the age rating of the first book of the 12+ series. But many readers say that it is more suitable for decades. At the same time, despite the simplicity and naivety of the plot, Gere’s narrative style is really very exciting. The novelist is especially good at describing the life in the Liv family. Separately, it is worth noting the story line of the Lady of Secrets. To most, she seems similar to the events of the television series "Gossip Girl".
“Zilber. Second Diary of Dreams ": plot
You can go to the second part of the trilogy, having previously familiarized yourself with the plot and reviews of the book “Zilber. The first dream diary »Kerstin Gere. The plot description of the second novel is as follows. After the events at the ball, Arthur turned out to be a hospital - Liv broke his jaw. Lady Mystery informs all students about the affair of Olivia and Henry. At the same time, she also makes public that the young people did not yet have intimacy. Liv all this is unpleasant. She worries that Henry is hiding something from her. Gradually, she learns about problems in his family. But Olivia’s attempts to reveal the secrets of the guy lead to a break with Henry.
Meanwhile, Mia begins to walk in her sleep. At first, Liv and Grayson do not pay attention to this. But when she makes an attempt to kill Liv and nearly falls from the roof, her friends suspect that someone is controlling her with the help of dreams. At first, they suspect Anabel and her attending physician.
In reality, there is also a lot of news: Liv and Grayson's parents decided to get married, while the nanny Lottie and Uncle Charles began an affair. However, Grayson and Florence's grandmother, who is against the marriage of her son, are especially problematic. In the end, it turns out that Mia Arthur was manipulating to take revenge on Olivia. After failure, he decides to recruit supporters. Having learned about this, the heroes think: is it possible to accept the help of Anabel, who will soon return from the hospital?
Second Book Reviews
As in Timeless, the second part of Zilber is the weakest. In an effort to preserve the intrigue to the end, the novelist actually pours from empty to empty, according to many fans. The main character from a smart, caustic and resourceful fidget turns into a stupid and suspicious. Some justify this with a girl's love. The love triangle Henry - Olivia - Grayson, unfortunately, never formed. And although Liv's half-book casts a non-sister look at the guy, towards the end she begins to perceive him only as an older brother. As for the image of Henry, the readers seemed successful development of his character. He also turned out to be a caring brother and son. At the same time, he is inferior to Grayson, who is given more time in the book. It's no secret that fans are delighted with Mia, but in this part she is rather passive.
Adults who read this part of the Kerstin Gere trilogy, Zilber, often leave feedback on the forums. They note that despite a lot of shortcomings, the writer was perfectly able to convey Liv's love experiences. For example, in the episode with Henry's Christmas present. So, the girl made a box for him with her photo, and her lover limited herself to a souvenir in the form of a little animal. Because of this, the suspicious Liv greatly winds himself up.
Special thanks to the writer are expressed by fans of Benedict Cumberbatch. Since if the trilogy is filmed, according to the plot, in the second part it will definitely have to appear in the image of Sherlock Holmes. Despite the sluggish development of the plot in the second part, most fans of the trilogy are grateful to the writer for the recipe for the legendary Lottie vanilla cookies, located at the end of the book.
“Zilber. Third Dream Diary ": summary
In the house of Liv and Grayson, preparations are underway for the wedding of parents. And the relationship between Lottie and Uncle Charles is becoming more serious. Arthur gains even greater power. At the same time, Olivia, Grayson and Henry are trying to find a way to stop him. At the same time, Liv fears his first sex with Henry, because of which he lies to him that she already had an intimate relationship with another. So that Henry does not catch her, she gets into the sleep of a neighbor's guy and wants to seduce him.
Reviews
To avoid spoilers, those who read Kerstin Gere's “Zilber. The third diary of dreams, "try not to spread about its plot. However, many do not hide their disappointment. So, despite the happy ending, he is very tightened, and his denouement is crumpled. Many are happy that Mie is given more space in this part - she becomes almost the main acting character, revealing secrets. By the way, unlike the first, subsequent books have a rating of “16+”. And although the writer is very sensitive to the topic of sex, in the third part too much space is reserved for the heroine's experiences on this subject.
Some are embarrassed by metamorphoses with the age of Lotti's nanny. In the first diary she is over 30, but in the third - a little more than 20. This is one of the many plot inconsistencies of the last book. Special complaints are caused by the translation. For example, during one of the conversations between Henry and Olivia, it says “he touched my chest,” although the original says “he pulled me to my chest.” And such oversights are quite common.
Despite the naivety and fabulousness of the story, the readers liked the trilogy Kerstin Gere “Zilber”. An abstract to the books of the series promises an unforgettable adventure. And this is true. As for the flaws in the plot - rarely what kind of work does without them. In any case, this essay is easy and quick to read. It will be a wonderful pastime for adolescents aged 12-16 years.