One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

After reading this book, you will want to rush to the library to get your hands on every novel-in-verse you can find, even if you didn’t used to like poetry.

But of course, you will be let down, because no other novel-in-verse can really compare to this one.

Reading the title, I had expected something depressingly deep and serious. However, Sonya Sones’ third novel-in-verse is surprisingly snarky and fun, all the while managing to be poignantly real. 15-year-old Ruby’s mother has just died, and she’s going all the way across the country to L.A. to live with her Oscar-winning actor father, Whip Logan, who abandoned her and her mother before she was even born. Needless to say, Ruby is excited not a whit, especially as this move show more takes her away from her boyfriend Roy, her best friend Lizzie, and her mother’s grave.

At Whip’s extensive mansion, Ruby determinedly avoids Whip’s bonding advances, instead favoring his personal assistant, Max, who has a big heart. She also has trouble adjusting to her very “unique” school, especially her Dream Interpretation class, because her head is almost always wrapped up in missing Roy, Lizzie, and her mom. Perhaps, though, a shocking severance from her East Coast life will wake her to new possibilities in her new home.

Ruby is funny, emotional, and someone you definitely want to be friends with. I highly recommend this book. show less

4Q, 4P. I have to admit that I was very skeptical when I picked this book up. It looked fluffy, not very interesting, and I worried that it would be hard to connect with the main character through the poetic format. I was wrong. After just a few pages, readers will find themselves drawn into Ruby's world - whether they want to be or not.

After her mother dies, Ruby finds herself in an airplane flying to live with her father (a major celebrity) who she's never even met. Filled with cynical wit, humor, and lots of heart, readers follow Ruby as she writes a series of poems and emails to herself, her best friend, her boyfriend, and even to her dead mother. Ruby's voice is perfectly written - she is a believable 15 year old that is neither show more stereotypical or idealized. Her grief is real, and her interactions with her estranged father are complex and raw feeling - just as they should be. show less

When Ruby's mother dies, she has to move to Hollywood to live with the famous actor father she doesn't remember ever meeting. This novel is written in the form of Ruby's diary and emails to her friends, which has a distinct disadvantage in Ruby's self-pitying, woe-is-me drama teen queen voice. Her narrative is constructed on the page like a prose poem, which is also difficult to read.

This could be construed as authenticity; most teen girls probably do express themselves exactly like Ruby does. However, most teen girls are not published authors for that very reason. The most glaring drawbacks to this novel, however, lie in its wish-fulfillment construction (what teen girl wouldn't want to move to Hollywood to live in a mansion with a show more loving father and every material object she can desire?), and in the predictability of the plot.

The ALA awarded this a Top Ten Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. It may be just the ticket for a certain demographic of 14-year-olds, but parents might be uncomfortable with 15-year-old Ruby deciding she's ready to be "de-virginized". show less

Ruby's mother has recently lost her battle with cancer and Ruby is being sent across the country to live with her estranged father, a famous actor living in Beverly Hills. Ruby expresses her grief and anger through free verse poetry and emails to her best friend, boyfriend, and deceased mother. Ruby's humor and honesty engages us with her character and keep the tone from becoming too melodramatic. Some plot elements are predictable, but this is teen chick lit with some substance and is recommended for high school and public libraries.

Merideth says: Ruby grew up knowing her father was movie star Whip Logan . However, she's never met him, talked to him or had anything to do with him. And now, following the death of her mom, she has to go live with him in Los Angeles. Leaving behind Boston, her best friend, her boyfriend and her mom's grave is hard on Ruby, and she's determined not to like Whip and his efforts to buy her affection. Now enrolled in a school with electives like Dream Interpretation and the Films of Steven Spielberg, where everyone is beautiful and rich and she doesn't fit in. Despite herself, Ruby finds herself warming to Max, her dad's live-in assistant. As Ruby obsesses about her relationship with boyfriend Ray, the death of a schoolmate forces her to show more be honest with herself and with Whip. In doing so, she learns the truth about why her dad was never a part of her life, and about his relationship with her mother and with Max.

Sonya Sones nails the voice of a slightly self-centered 15 year old in this winning book. The free verse format acts almost as a stream of consciousness narrative, and powerfully conveys Ruby's frustration and confusion. Interestingly enough, when I used this book in a discussion group, they felt the dramatic height of the book was Ray and Lizzie's betrayal, not the revelation of Max and Whip's relationship, which is where I would put the climax. I chalk this up to being 32 instead of 15, and putting more emphasis on dads than boyfriends. Ruby is a winning character, funny and very authentic, and believably frustrating in the ways only 15 year old girls can be. A minor quibble is that the celebrity name dropping in this book might age it sooner than not, but overall this is a fast, funny read. show less

Ruby grew up knowing her father was movie star Whip Logan . However, she's never met him, talked to him or had anything to do with him. And now, following the death of her mom, she has to go live with him in Los Angeles. Leaving behind Boston, her best friend, her boyfriend and her mom's grave is hard on Ruby, and she's determined not to like Whip and his efforts to buy her affection. Now enrolled in a school with electives like Dream Interpretation and the Films of Steven Spielberg, where everyone is beautiful and rich and she doesn't fit in. Despite herself, Ruby finds herself warming to Max, her dad's live-in assistant. As Ruby obsesses about her relationship with boyfriend Ray, the death of a schoolmate forces her to be honest with show more herself and with Whip. In doing so, she learns the truth about why her dad was never a part of her life, and about his relationship with her mother and with Max.

Sonya Sones nails the voice of a slightly self-centered 15 year old in this winning book. The free verse format acts almost as a stream of consciousness narrative, and powerfully conveys Ruby's frustration and confusion. Interestingly enough, when I used this book in a discussion group, they felt the dramatic height of the book was Ray and Lizzie's betrayal, not the revelation of Max and Whip's relationship, which is where I would put the climax. I chalk this up to being 32 instead of 15, and putting more emphasis on dads than boyfriends. Ruby is a winning character, funny and very authentic, and believably frustrating in the ways only 15 year old girls can be. A minor quibble is that the celebrity name dropping in this book might age it sooner than not, but overall this is a fast, funny read. show less

A surprisingly fast and unexpectedly enjoyable read, if a bit unrealistic. The only real quibble I have is, why are 15 year olds so worried about losing their virginity? They aren't ready for that yet.

Ruby is an interesting narrator who's dealing with the death of her mother and the first time introduction to her movie-star father who really wants to do right by her. New school and far away from her best friend and her boyfriend prove to stresses Ruby handles quite well for her age. She even writes snarky emails to her mother!

The ending is a tad unrealistic and I don't think Ruby has quite dealt with her grief properly. An aware read can spot everything in the plot coming from a mile away, even the news about Ruby's father (who turns show more out to be a really cool guy). Still, it's a pretty good book, picked up on a whim. show less