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Lock and Key
written by Sarah Dessen
Studio : Viking Juvenile
by Viking Juvenile
Publisher : Viking Juvenile
Released : 2008-04-22
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780670010882
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 47 reviews)
List Price : $18.99
Our Price : $10.71
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Product Description |
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“Ruby, where is your mother?” Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give? Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again. |
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From S. Krishna's Books |
I've always thought that Sarah Dessen writes books that are somewhat miscategorized as Teen novels. While they are usually about teenagers, her books have a depth and wisdom to them that appeal to any age group, and Lock and Key is no exception.
The main theme that underlies this book is family - who are they and what do they mean? Dessen introduces this in a less than subtle way - it becomes Ruby's thesis project on her first day at her new school. Throughout the book, Ruby asks people for their definition of family. As she consolidates this information into a coherent answer, she begins to realize for herself what family means. Slowly, she begins to let others in and begins to trust that they will not let her down. She realizes that her old life with her mother was not all that it may have seemed - her mother had her own agenda that she did not share with Ruby. Ruby grows as a person because she has a family to love her - but more importantly, she has people around her that she learns to love.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was Ruby's character growth. In a book such as this, that development usually comes in a spurt at the very end; the character realizes the error of his or her ways and decides to change. And then the book is over. This is not the case with Lock and Key. Ruby's character changes become evident by the middle of the book. The rest of the book is watching her experience and deal with those changes. It is nice to see a character dealing with the consequences of learning to love and let others in, rather than hearing them say they are going to do it and then never being able to follow up.
The situation with Ruby's mother was difficult. Though we never really saw her as a character, except through Ruby's eyes, her reasoning and decisions didn't really make sense to me. I didn't feel like the excuses given for her behavior (for example, why she kept her agenda hidden from Ruby) really made much sense. They seemed a bit extreme for the situation, but then again, she was obviously an alcoholic and may have had some mental issues to go along with that. It was simply never made clear.
Admittedly, Ruby is a difficult character to sympathize with. Her character experienced horrors beyond most of what the rest of us have seen - therefore, her decisions aren't always easy to understand. She can be frustrating at times, but at the same time, Dessen makes it clear that she could not be any other way. All of the characters in this novel are well written and easy to picture. While I was reading, it was almost as if I had a movie running through my head simultaneously. I couldn't help but cast Ruby as Amy Smart, who played the character Ruby in the show Felicity. I think it was the name that got me, mostly.
Lock and Key is a great addition to the Dessen collection. While I have only read a few of her other books, this one makes me want to devour the rest of them! |
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it is... |
Well, I've read almost all of Sarah Dessen's books. All but Keeping the Moon, to be exact;
and Lock and Key, wasn't her best. In my opinion.
It was still worth the $17, but. I expected much more from it.
Over all, it was still a good read.
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Amazing |
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I've recently discovered Sarah Dessen and could not put any of her books down. I borrowed this book from the library, and was bummed when I had to wait a week to get it, but it was worth it!!! Definitely a good read!!!!! |
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Enchanting Review: Lock and Key |
LOCK AND KEY
SARAH DESSEN
Contemporary Young Adult
Rating: 4 Enchantments
Ruby is living a secretive lifestyle with her mother, an emotionally dependent alcoholic. Ruby also has plenty of secrets that she hides from others, even her closet friends. Ruby always does what she's told and never questions her mother, even though most of the time she should. Ruby also helps support her mother by working at a job where she delivers peoples lost luggage to them. Ruby, though fun loving, is also very stubborn and sticks to her ways.
Seven months before Ruby's eighteenth birthday, her mother disappears. This isn't the first time, so Ruby assumes that she'll be back. When a few days absence turns into a few weeks, Ruby does what she can to keep her living situation in the yellow farm house afloat. School by day and work by night, Ruby thinks she's going to be able to get away with it, until her nosy landlords comes into the house to fix the dryer. That's when everything falls apart. Ruby is taken into protective custody until her older married sister, Cora, can pick her up. Ruby is taken to live with Cora and her always upbeat husband, Jamie, and introduced to an upscale, affluent lifestyle. Ruby, still wearing the key to the yellow farmhouse around her neck, is skeptical about her new living situation and private school. When Ruby meets Nate, a popular neighbor boy, she tries to keep to herself and hide her past. But one upsetting afternoon changes everything.
LOCK AND KEY is a very real story to read. The story sucks you into Ruby's world of hiding with her mom from creditors and moving to new places all the time. You feel for Ruby when her mom disappears without a word. The story drags in some parts, but it picks right back up, and you want to keep reading to see if Ruby is ever going to feel like she's a part of her sister's family. Nate is also a very mysterious character with some secrets of his own that are surprising to hear. The story flows very smoothly and is very fast to read. I also liked how Ruby's down-to-earth nature. Even though her sister and brother-in-law are rich and willing to pay for everything, Ruby still insists making her own way.
Ms. Dessen is a well known author from her other books, HOW TO DEAL, THAT SUMMER, JUST LISTEN, KEEPING THE MOON, SOMEONE LIKE YOU, and THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER. On www.amazon.com, you can check out a video that goes with LOCK AND KEY. Ms. Dessen talks about the book and points out some places from the book and what gave her the idea for it. You can also visit her site, where she blogs at www.SarahDessen.com.
Holly
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
August 2008
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Heartwarming! |
Ruby is abandoned by her mother. She thinks she can sail on through living alone until her 18th birthday until she is discovered by her landlords and is sent to live with her sister who she hasn't seen in 10 years.
This is my first book by Sarah Dessen and I rather enjoyed it. I saw the movie that two of her books was based on, How to Deal, and didn't exactly like it so I never tried out her books until now. But I'm glad I did. Lock and Key had a really nice theme of family, more specifically sisters. It also speaks about losing the hard shell that a lot of us walk around wearing from day to day.
I felt there were enough secondary characters to keep the story interesting but not so many that I started forgetting who was who. I especially liked Ruby's friend Olivia and her cousin Laney. The book is rather long but I read it pretty fast because the story was so great. Nothing too shocking happens, it's a quiet sort of story but none the less very worth the read. It's sort of a snippet of life sort of story. |
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