Lock and Key by Sarah DessenAR Reading Level: 5.3
On the library stacks: YA Fiction
Recommended for: Grade 9+
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was needing a Sarah Dessen fix and I've had this book waiting on my shelf for awhile. I'm slowly making my way through the works of Sarah Dessen, but I think I still have two left after this one.
Lock and Key is the story of a troubled teen named Ruby Cooper. Ruby's mom walked out on her, leaving her alone to fend for herself. Eventually, Social Services were alerted and Ruby was reunited with her sister, whom she hadn't seen in years. Ruby's life goes from one of living in squalor to living in a lush gated community and attending an exclusive private school, courtesy of her sister and her sister's husband, whom she had never met before.
The second half of this book was infinitely better than the first. Ruby begins to realize that a relationship with anyone requires give and take. It also means supporting one another instead of running away before others have the chance to hurt us. Of course, there is a sweet little Dessen-esque romance involving Nate, the boy next door. I liked that Nate wasn't overly perfect, but Ruby was a tough character for me to get into. At first she's hard as nails and pretty wretched, but she almost becomes too unbelievably good towards the end.
My favorite character was Jaime, the brother-in-law. I did love that there were supportive adults in Ruby's life to help her through her issues and that turning to appropriate authorities was viewed in a positive light. There is some sex, swearing, alcohol and drug use and abuse issues in this book.
While this isn't my favorite Dessen novel by far, it worked enough to give me a little pre-summer entertaining read.
Also reviewed by:
- Giving Reading a Chance
- So Many Books, So Little Time
- It's All About Books
- Book Addiction
- Shona's Bookshelf
- Book Nut
- Ms. Yingling Reads
- Tiny Little Reading Room
- Becky's Book Reviews
- Open Mind, Insert Book
Book 49 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge, Book 24 of 50 for the RYOB Challenge, Book 24 of 50 for the YA Reading Challenge
Source: Purchased
2 comments:
Ooh, me, me, me! :) http://openmindinsertbook.blogspot.com/2009/04/lock-and-key-sarah-dessen.html
I liked the brother-in-law too, he was fun, and a good contrast to Ruby's sister. And I'm jealous of how organized you are with your reading, noting all the challenges this book counts for! If I tried that, I think my head would explode. That's one of the many reasons I don't do challenges. Good for you!!!:)
That book sounds really good to me - if it wasn't Dessen's best, I can just imagine how good her other books are!
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