Ruby Rood (Ruby Red) by Linzi Glass

Publisher: Moon Uitgevers
Paperback, 225 pages
ISBN 9789048802609
Reprint februari 2010
The seventeen year old Ruby lives in the whealthier part of Johannesburg, South Africa. The time is the 70's and the apartheid is still ruling South Africa.
In Ruby's part of Johannesburg live mostly white people, and the fights, hate and agression that are going on in the townships of Soweto seem far away. Ruby's mother owns an art gallery where art works of black artists are shown, and her father is a liberal lawyer. Her mother is coaching Julian, a young artist from Soweto, and the police is keeping a close eye on the gallery, because it is forbidden to show artwork of black artists. Ruby meets Johann, a boy who is an Afrikaner, and who has a very active racist father . An impossible and secret love affair starts, and Ruby and her family are soon in danger because of their liberal thought. More riots and agression is happening in the city and it is hard to know for Ruby who can be trusted.Because of the political actions Ruby is forced to make some difficult choices, and to leave people behind who she loves.
Ruby Red is a very impressive novel about the horrible apartheid and a girl who is in between all this. Ruby is also in between segregation between the white people of South Africa, Johann is from the dutch descendants and Ruby from the English immigrants. It is really shocking to read how cruel it was during that time in Johannesburg and how black people where threaten as the lowest kind of people.
One of the best YA novels between cultures, highly recommended!