Yeah, I know. I can't believe I only just picked this one up, either.
In my defense, I didn't know it was a Ruby Oliver book. I thought it was a quirky, tongue-in-cheek self-help-type book about, you know, boys. For some reason, I had no idea that it was a novel. And my library doesn't own it (AHEM.), so I never got around to picking it up to double-check.
Now that Frankie Landau is almost upon us, I decided that I needed to get caught up on my e. lockhart, so I sucked it up and ILLed both The Boy Book and Fly on the Wall* and in so doing, discovered my egregious error**.
ANYWAY.
the boy book picks up at the beginning of Ruby's junior year. Except for her friends Noel and Meghan, she's a total leper at school due to the events chronicled in the boyfriend list. She's still seeing her therapist, Dr. Z. On the bright side of things, she doesn't have to deal with her ex-best-friend Kim, because Kim's halfway around the world, living the exchange student life.
First off, it isn't necessary to read the boyfriend list to enjoy the hell out of this one. Secondly, these books are a must read for fans of Rennison, Cabot, McCafferty and other chick-litty types. There's more emotional depth and character development in these than in the Rennison or Cabot books***, but they still feel light and fluffy. Ruby's a girl who most girls (and probably a lot of guys) will identify with in one way or another****. Love her.
So, e. lockhart: Will there be another Ruby book?
Please don't say no.
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*Yeah, my library doesn't have Fly on the Wall, either. What is UP with that? Well, okay, they have the audio. But I still haven't branched out into audio books, so that doesn't do me any good.
**I've had some sugar this morning. Sorry. And spending time with Ruby would making anyone ramp up their footnotage, so... so there.
***On Ruby's part, anyway -- she grows more of the course of this book than Mia Thermopolis has in, like, ten. And Georgia is Georgia is Georgia. I wouldn't want her to change.
****And she has great taste in movies.
I love E. Lockhart
Her books are too funny to be true.
After I read The Boyfriend List I began recommending E. Lockhart to anyone relatively near me with working ears.
Posted by: Rebekah | 04 March 2008 at 06:50 PM
I ran around all day today showing it to my patrons. As most of them are a good ten years older than my parents, they all thought I was being ridiculous... which I guess I was. But, whatever. It's part of my charm.
Posted by: Leila | 04 March 2008 at 07:09 PM
I love Ruby! But I'm slow to this one too. It's in the pile, and your review just made it float up to the top!
Posted by: Melissa Walker | 05 March 2008 at 01:14 AM
I heard E. Lockhart speak in January and she *mentioned* she was working on another Ruby Oliver book. Woo-hoo!
Posted by: Ali | 05 March 2008 at 12:49 PM
HOORAY!!
Thanks, Ali!
More exclamation points are in order!
!!!
Posted by: Leila | 05 March 2008 at 06:02 PM
this book was so good all though i haven't read fly on the wall the boy book was amazing i love ruby and her adventures to the one place for the field trip.
Posted by: AM | 23 June 2008 at 11:55 AM
So far as I read the blogs for this book, so many of them really love this book. Really interesting. I'll read this book together with my kids. Keep it up!
From the Philippines,
Imee
ChooseYourOwnAdventureBooks.org for Kids, Adults and Teachers
Posted by: Imee Baronda | 11 August 2010 at 12:17 PM