Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Penguin (2009), Paperback, 448 pages
Description
When she is abandoned by her alcoholic mother, high school senior Ruby winds up living with Cora, the sister she has not seen for ten years, and learns about Cora's new life, what makes a family, how to allow people to help her when she needs it, and that she too has something to offer others.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsHillReads
Let's be clear...I love books written by Sarah Dessen. I am constantly pushing her books to my students looking for a good read. That said, I am not overly impressed by this book--it's OK; but not one of her best books. I just couldn't care about the characters.
LibraryThing member shootingstarr7
What is family? That is the question posed to seventeen year old Ruby Cooper on her first day at the exclusive Perkins Day School. Sent to live with her estranged older sister and her husband after it is discovered her mother disappeared two months earlier, Ruby’s life is turned upside down. Ruby
At the heart of nearly every Sarah Dessen novel is the story of a girl and a boy, and in Lock and Key, that boy is Nate Cross. Nate is the next-door neighbor of Cora and her husband Jamie, and the night that Ruby moves in, Nate hides the fact that Ruby was trying to run away from Jamie. As the novel develops, so does the relationship between Nate and Ruby, though Dessen shares the emotional connection rather than the physical. And while Nate rescues Ruby a few times at the beginning of the novel, his life falls apart while hers begins to come together. In the end, it is Ruby and Cora who must rescue Nate.
It is not plot, but characters, that drive Dessen’s novels. Her gift is in creating characters that the reader can identify with. This is certainly true of Ruby, who feels out of place in the perfect life her sister has created, and more at home in the large, anonymous crowds at her previous high school. Teens struggling to find their place in the world will relate to Ruby’s desire to control even one aspect of her life. On the whole, I found this to be a satisfying, engaging read, with the quality Dessen fans have come to expect.
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has lived an almost transient lifestyle with her mother, believing that her older sister, Cora, abandoned her without a second glance ten years earlier. Now that she has been reunited with Cora, Ruby is forced to face some truths about their past and their biological family. Along the way, she also learns that a person can have many families over time. At the heart of nearly every Sarah Dessen novel is the story of a girl and a boy, and in Lock and Key, that boy is Nate Cross. Nate is the next-door neighbor of Cora and her husband Jamie, and the night that Ruby moves in, Nate hides the fact that Ruby was trying to run away from Jamie. As the novel develops, so does the relationship between Nate and Ruby, though Dessen shares the emotional connection rather than the physical. And while Nate rescues Ruby a few times at the beginning of the novel, his life falls apart while hers begins to come together. In the end, it is Ruby and Cora who must rescue Nate.
It is not plot, but characters, that drive Dessen’s novels. Her gift is in creating characters that the reader can identify with. This is certainly true of Ruby, who feels out of place in the perfect life her sister has created, and more at home in the large, anonymous crowds at her previous high school. Teens struggling to find their place in the world will relate to Ruby’s desire to control even one aspect of her life. On the whole, I found this to be a satisfying, engaging read, with the quality Dessen fans have come to expect.
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LibraryThing member hoganedix
Pulls you in immediately. Ruby is such a complicated character and you can't help wondering how she will work with the hand she has been dealt. Emotional but not sappy. Best for grade 8 and up.
LibraryThing member Anabelguiffre
Sarah Dessen does it yet again. This woman does not stop. In Lock and Key, you are stripped of your home, and flounder right next to Ruby. Dessen is the odd author who not has a strong plot, but who also knows the ins and outs of building characters (something you can't learn) She has natural
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talent and I can't put her down. Show Less
LibraryThing member agoforth
When you think of the words, emotional roller coaster, you think it’s always meant in a bad way. But for me for this book Lock and Key, by Sarah Dessen, I mean it in a good way. When reading books, I don’t like for everything to stay the same. I like a little drama here and there and I like to
I liked the drama and the craziness of the book, but I didn’t like how I couldn’t really relate to her. I know it’s not the book or the author’s fault, I mean I picked the book, but there was no relation at all. Ruby all her life had lived with her mom and her sister. There was never a dad in the picture for her, her sister older sister left to go to college and Ruby was left with her mother who eventually left her without saying anything. Ruby had a rough childhood, and I would say mine was pretty good. Ruby also had a hard time trusting people because everyone in her life, her mom, sister and dad had at one point left her.
After she was left alone and the owners of the home she was staying in had found her alone and seen her in horrible condition: no running water or electricity she had to go live with her sister and brother in-law. Because she didn’t and couldn’t trust anyone she was planning on running away. But she didn’t plan on getting so close to her neighbor/ friend/sort of boyfriend Nate.
My favorite character in the book would have to be the brother in-law Jamie. He is a really laid back person who created the most popular online social networking website. He is very wealthy, hilarious and outgoing. He also loves family gatherings since he had such a large family when he was young and since Cora, his wife and Ruby’s sister, didn’t really have a family, he wants to show her what it’s like.
I am a big fan of Sarah Dessen and her books. I have read many of her books along with Lock and Key, such as, This Lullaby, Just Listen, and The Truth about Forever. I’m not sure why her writing appeals to me, but it really does. The way she writes keeps e very interested. But what I do know is that she likes to foreshadow, but not too much where you know practically everything that is going to happen. She just gave you hints about what was going to happen, which made me interested and it made me keep on reading.
To all of my friends who haven’t read it, I would absolutely recommend it to them. I’m pretty sure almost all of my friends have read the Sarah Dessen books because we all know about them and have read her previous books, but for the girls in high school who haven’t read it I would recommend this book and even her other books.
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like one character at one point and in the next chapter I dislike them. It keeps me on my toes!I liked the drama and the craziness of the book, but I didn’t like how I couldn’t really relate to her. I know it’s not the book or the author’s fault, I mean I picked the book, but there was no relation at all. Ruby all her life had lived with her mom and her sister. There was never a dad in the picture for her, her sister older sister left to go to college and Ruby was left with her mother who eventually left her without saying anything. Ruby had a rough childhood, and I would say mine was pretty good. Ruby also had a hard time trusting people because everyone in her life, her mom, sister and dad had at one point left her.
After she was left alone and the owners of the home she was staying in had found her alone and seen her in horrible condition: no running water or electricity she had to go live with her sister and brother in-law. Because she didn’t and couldn’t trust anyone she was planning on running away. But she didn’t plan on getting so close to her neighbor/ friend/sort of boyfriend Nate.
My favorite character in the book would have to be the brother in-law Jamie. He is a really laid back person who created the most popular online social networking website. He is very wealthy, hilarious and outgoing. He also loves family gatherings since he had such a large family when he was young and since Cora, his wife and Ruby’s sister, didn’t really have a family, he wants to show her what it’s like.
I am a big fan of Sarah Dessen and her books. I have read many of her books along with Lock and Key, such as, This Lullaby, Just Listen, and The Truth about Forever. I’m not sure why her writing appeals to me, but it really does. The way she writes keeps e very interested. But what I do know is that she likes to foreshadow, but not too much where you know practically everything that is going to happen. She just gave you hints about what was going to happen, which made me interested and it made me keep on reading.
To all of my friends who haven’t read it, I would absolutely recommend it to them. I’m pretty sure almost all of my friends have read the Sarah Dessen books because we all know about them and have read her previous books, but for the girls in high school who haven’t read it I would recommend this book and even her other books.
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LibraryThing member ekwhite
The Lock and Key, by Sarah Dessen was an amazing novel. Having read nearly the whole series of these types of Dessen’s novels, I think that The Lock and Key is the best one yet, and definitely considered my favorite one. The reason I enjoyed this book so much is because of the in-depth
I liked how the book was told from Ruby’s (the main character) point of view, instead of having a narrator tell the story. Having the main character tell what’s going on is more relatable to the reader, and is more interesting as well. Also, I think that I related to the character Ruby so well, is because she’s the same age. Sara Dessen did a really good job presenting the characters in a teenage way, and the plot wasn’t too extravagant but seemed like it could happen to anyone. It was full of character personal mysteries, but overall, The Lock and Key was a heart warming story, as the reader got to know the characters. I also liked Dessen’s choice of diverse characters. Each person had such a different type of personality, which I thought was really cool. Her descriptive language made things more exciting, and lured me. The tone of this novel was different from what I usually read and like, but this one was an exception. It wasn’t upbeat, cheery, and happy, but I wouldn’t say that it was serious either. I’d consider the tone to be kind of harsh and bleak. The story line was amazing, but I thought the thing that really made this book stand out, was the moral. Throughout the whole novel, Ruby is trying to figure personal things out, and finally learns and realizes that she must accept people into her life. Personally, I like books that have morals at the end, because after you’ve read it, the morals actually make you think and could teach a lesson to the reader.
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description— it was easy to see the big picture and know what was really going on. I was so into the book at times that it felt like I was there, and knew exactly what was happening. The plot was never boring, and caught my attention, making me want to keep reading more. I could tell from the start that I’d like this one, because from the very first introduction paragraph, I was hooked. Every chance I had, I wanted to continue reading where I left off—I loved it! I liked how the book was told from Ruby’s (the main character) point of view, instead of having a narrator tell the story. Having the main character tell what’s going on is more relatable to the reader, and is more interesting as well. Also, I think that I related to the character Ruby so well, is because she’s the same age. Sara Dessen did a really good job presenting the characters in a teenage way, and the plot wasn’t too extravagant but seemed like it could happen to anyone. It was full of character personal mysteries, but overall, The Lock and Key was a heart warming story, as the reader got to know the characters. I also liked Dessen’s choice of diverse characters. Each person had such a different type of personality, which I thought was really cool. Her descriptive language made things more exciting, and lured me. The tone of this novel was different from what I usually read and like, but this one was an exception. It wasn’t upbeat, cheery, and happy, but I wouldn’t say that it was serious either. I’d consider the tone to be kind of harsh and bleak. The story line was amazing, but I thought the thing that really made this book stand out, was the moral. Throughout the whole novel, Ruby is trying to figure personal things out, and finally learns and realizes that she must accept people into her life. Personally, I like books that have morals at the end, because after you’ve read it, the morals actually make you think and could teach a lesson to the reader.
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LibraryThing member booksandwine
Ruby has been living on her own for a few months, after being abandoned by her mother. One day, social services show up and Ruby is whisked to her sister's place. Her sister is loaded, and Ruby winds up going to a new private school. Ruby's neighbor, Nate is super hot, but he has something he's
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hiding as well. Sarah Dessen definately delievers, as she normally does in her books. The story was interesting, a bit predictable, but Dessen is really a comfort read as in, I know going into the book I'm going to find it enjoyable and am going to like the characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member stargazer290
At first it was hard to get into but the more the read the more addicting it became.
Ruby, the main character, is found living on her own after her mom abandoned . suddenly, she is wisked away to live with her older sister,cora and her husband, jamie. Suddenly, she is liviing in a big house, going
Nate, her next door neighbor, who is overly friendly, befriends her and she's wonders why. Hiding a secret just like her? He trys and trys to get her to open up, but cant for the longest time.
In the end will she do the hardest thing for her, finally open her heart and accept love and help given to heragain finally or will her past stop her from opening to the ones around her that only want to give you love and support.
Ruby, the main character, is found living on her own after her mom abandoned . suddenly, she is wisked away to live with her older sister,cora and her husband, jamie. Suddenly, she is liviing in a big house, going
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to a private rich school and has more money then she can handle. Nate, her next door neighbor, who is overly friendly, befriends her and she's wonders why. Hiding a secret just like her? He trys and trys to get her to open up, but cant for the longest time.
In the end will she do the hardest thing for her, finally open her heart and accept love and help given to heragain finally or will her past stop her from opening to the ones around her that only want to give you love and support.
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LibraryThing member FvHSLibraryLady
A compelling read. A popular teen book, hard to keep on the shelf.
LibraryThing member kayceel
This was *quietly* good - no fireworks, and certainly not boring, but not "totally amazing", as have been a ouple of books I've read from 2008.
Ruby, the main character, is hard-edged and wary, with good reason, and she repeatedly pushes away those around her who are trying to help her. This made
However, as unappealing as I found Ruby for most of the book, I wanted so much for her to change, if not necessarily for herself, but for those around her. Dessen writes well - clear and descriptive without bogging the reader down with too many details. Most of the characters are pretty well rounded, with the exception of the two "bad guys" and Ruby's brother-in-law - he was saintly beyond all belief...
Ruby, the main character, is hard-edged and wary, with good reason, and she repeatedly pushes away those around her who are trying to help her. This made
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sense for the character, but I admit, it go on my nerves. A LOT. She's not all that sympathetic a character, especially when compared to the secondary characters. Her sister, brother-in-law, new neighbor/possible love interest, and even the annoying young genius she carpools with have an almost saintly air when placed alongside Ruby. The only two secondary characters that were unlikeable were the two baldly villanous characters, who I won't name. However, as unappealing as I found Ruby for most of the book, I wanted so much for her to change, if not necessarily for herself, but for those around her. Dessen writes well - clear and descriptive without bogging the reader down with too many details. Most of the characters are pretty well rounded, with the exception of the two "bad guys" and Ruby's brother-in-law - he was saintly beyond all belief...
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LibraryThing member csztabnik
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen can be seen as a quintessential coming of age book dealing with abandonment and independence. Ruby Cooper has always been the adult of her small family of just her and her mother and when her mother abandons her for good Ruby decides she can make it on her own. Fending
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for herself in a squalid house out in the countryside her landlord reports her for not keeping up with the bills. Ruby ends up living with her estranged sister in a wealthy, secure neighborhood where she starts to attend a preppy private school. Ruby doesn’t have to struggle with fitting in with her friendly peers but overcoming her internal struggles with dependence. Through meeting some new people, she learns that she isn't the only one dealing with family issues and even learns to care for other people. This only comes about by her learning and caring about Nate, her foil character who has an abusive dad. She realizes that she wants to know about Nate’s life and therefore she realizes that it is alright to tell people about her feelings too. The common themes of the novel are trust, change, and independence. Ruby only learns that is okay to depend on others only after hurting and betraying everyone around in an attempt to escape in which a boy from school ends up saving her from a dangerous situation. Throughout the novel Ruby also learns to overcome her old pastimes of drugs and drinking to form a family with her sister. Best of all she learns to really live life actively. My favorite part of the book is when Ruby revisits her old house and realizes how grateful she should be that she has come so far. This is the turning point of the novel because she loses all connection to her mother. Sarah Dessen doesn't fail in her newest novel filled with the usual melancholy and nostalgic tones that will have you loving the dynamic heroine by the end of the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member 4sarad
I thought this book was pretty good. It made me a little uncomfortable how much she talked about pot in the beginning of the book. The sister and her husband were really good characters and the descriptions were good enough that I could really picture the house and neighborhood. My only complaint
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was that it was pretty easy to see where the book was going and not much came as any sort of surprise. Otherwise it was a pretty solid YA book. Show Less
LibraryThing member heike6
The first half was really slow, but then once I got into it, I couldn't stop! Good writing as always.
LibraryThing member ksison
423/423
A girl's mother abandons her and is forced to live with her sister that she has been out of touch with for more than ten years. While she is living with her she learns to trust people because of her neighbor and friend, Nate. The main character's name is Ruby, because of how she is raised,
Anyone who likes stories kind of like a Cinderella story, as in a girl is struggling and someone helps them get through whatever it is they are going through.
A girl's mother abandons her and is forced to live with her sister that she has been out of touch with for more than ten years. While she is living with her she learns to trust people because of her neighbor and friend, Nate. The main character's name is Ruby, because of how she is raised,
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she begins not to trust people and believes she can only depend on her self. After spending time with her sister and friend she begins to open up and be like how she was before her sister left. She learns that in life , you need to have friends and family because they help you.Anyone who likes stories kind of like a Cinderella story, as in a girl is struggling and someone helps them get through whatever it is they are going through.
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LibraryThing member Liviania
Ruby and her mother lived together, moving periodically when they could no longer pay the bills. Long ago Ruby's older sister tired of the life and left for college. Now Ruby's mom has left as well and she's barely managing on her own (not that she will admit it). However, she cannot keep it secret
Ruby slowly adjusts to her new life. She makes friends with Olivia, another girl at her new school from the wrong side of the tracks. She works for the neurotic Harriet, whose business is just beginning to take off. And really, she's just friends with her next door neighbor Nate. Really. As Ruby accepts that her life has changed for the better, she also realizes the Nate could use a few changes in his. But like her he does not want help.
Dessen's books are not packed with action or vampires. There's humor, but they aren't funny books. She writes quiet stories of normal teens struggling with their lives. Well, maybe `slightly glamorous' would be a more accurate description than `normal.' Despite this, her best books are never dull. They are interesting, lived in, and pass for quicker than their 400+ page count would indicate. Dessen delivers solid novels that appeal strongly to teens and somewhat to their parents. (My mom hasn't read LOCK AND KEY yet, so I do not know her verdict on this one.)
I think my favorite part of LOCK AND KEY is Olivia. She's prickly, but she has a good heart, as evidenced by her relationships with Ruby and Gervais. She delivers some of the best lines in the book and every scene containing her is especially lively. I liked her even more after Gervais's surprising announcement to Ruby. (It surprised me more than the revelation about Nate. I saw that coming from a mile away.) I also like Cora and Jaime's relationship - not perfect, but their fights weren't overly done. It seemed like a happy, lasting marriage, but a real one rather than Disney-style.
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forever and her landlords discover the truth. Cora, her older sister, and Jaime, Cora's husband, take her in. Turns out they're well off since Jaime founded [...]. Ruby slowly adjusts to her new life. She makes friends with Olivia, another girl at her new school from the wrong side of the tracks. She works for the neurotic Harriet, whose business is just beginning to take off. And really, she's just friends with her next door neighbor Nate. Really. As Ruby accepts that her life has changed for the better, she also realizes the Nate could use a few changes in his. But like her he does not want help.
Dessen's books are not packed with action or vampires. There's humor, but they aren't funny books. She writes quiet stories of normal teens struggling with their lives. Well, maybe `slightly glamorous' would be a more accurate description than `normal.' Despite this, her best books are never dull. They are interesting, lived in, and pass for quicker than their 400+ page count would indicate. Dessen delivers solid novels that appeal strongly to teens and somewhat to their parents. (My mom hasn't read LOCK AND KEY yet, so I do not know her verdict on this one.)
I think my favorite part of LOCK AND KEY is Olivia. She's prickly, but she has a good heart, as evidenced by her relationships with Ruby and Gervais. She delivers some of the best lines in the book and every scene containing her is especially lively. I liked her even more after Gervais's surprising announcement to Ruby. (It surprised me more than the revelation about Nate. I saw that coming from a mile away.) I also like Cora and Jaime's relationship - not perfect, but their fights weren't overly done. It seemed like a happy, lasting marriage, but a real one rather than Disney-style.
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LibraryThing member simplykatie
another excellent book by sarah dessen. a bit of a different take, but still the same writing and realism i've come to expect from her novels. i love jamie and i think he's my favorite side character this time around. (i keep falling for side characters...yeah.) i can't wait to recommend it to my
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teens. Show Less
LibraryThing member 11HilKr
After Ruby's mother abandons her, she tries to lay low until she turns eighteen. Just a few more months and she'd be free of her alcoholic mother. But when she's caught living alone in a house with no running water or electricity, she's sent to live with Cora, her older sister who abandoned her
It took me forever to read this book. Okay, just three days, but sadly it wasn't due to a bad story or terrible writing. (I was just really busy.)
I really enjoyed reading Lock and Key. It wasn't my favorite of the author's books, but it was a great story and it was another of her I'm in a bad situation (mentally? physically?) and I need to fix this along with the help of my awesome supporting characters. My favorite of the supporting characters this time was definitely Cora. I don't want to ruin anything but whoa, I wasn't expecting that.
I think that Sarah Dessen is like the queen of YA realistic fiction writing. She makes me wish I had a life. (Nothing ever happens to me, I'm boring!) I don't think that there's anyone out there who doesn't like her books. Is it even possible?
I would definitely recommend this book. Her next book, Along For the Ride will be available some time later this year and it's about an insomniac. I know, we're all super excited for that one too. And with it's adorable cover, who wouldn't be?!
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years ago for college, and her husband, the wealthy owner of the most popular social networking site. Unwilling to trust anyone, Ruby's just there until she turns eighteen.It took me forever to read this book. Okay, just three days, but sadly it wasn't due to a bad story or terrible writing. (I was just really busy.)
I really enjoyed reading Lock and Key. It wasn't my favorite of the author's books, but it was a great story and it was another of her I'm in a bad situation (mentally? physically?) and I need to fix this along with the help of my awesome supporting characters. My favorite of the supporting characters this time was definitely Cora. I don't want to ruin anything but whoa, I wasn't expecting that.
I think that Sarah Dessen is like the queen of YA realistic fiction writing. She makes me wish I had a life. (Nothing ever happens to me, I'm boring!) I don't think that there's anyone out there who doesn't like her books. Is it even possible?
I would definitely recommend this book. Her next book, Along For the Ride will be available some time later this year and it's about an insomniac. I know, we're all super excited for that one too. And with it's adorable cover, who wouldn't be?!
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LibraryThing member melodyreads
Good teen story. Drugs, booze and casual sex are seen as poor choices by a girl who has had little opportunity. Her mother was not only neglectful, but went off and left her daughter alone. Taken in by her older, successful sister, she learns to make better choices, and positively impacts the lives
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of others. Show Less
LibraryThing member katherinepx2014
Ruby lives in the "yellow house." She believes that her mom is dead, eather that or has abandoned her. Her sister went off to college and is totally ignoring them. Only a few more months and she will be a legal adult. She only has to lay low for the next few months and she will be fine. But of
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course, people get suspicious. When she finally gets caught, she moves in with her long lost sister, who now lives in a rich house. Will she ever find her mom? Will ruby FIT IN? Show Less
LibraryThing member DF6B_HannahK
Ruby is forced to stay with her older sister Cora when their mom disappears and no one can find her. Ruby moves in with Cora and her mega rich brother-in-law Jamie. She must adapt to a world completely different from the one she was living in her makeshift home. After meeting Nate, an attractive
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swimmer and her neighbor, she must learn how to let others help her and how to help others in return. Ruby struggles to forget her past and past experiences. I enjoyed the book because I really liked the characters and I wanted to know how Ruby would adapt to her new enviroment. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
I usually adore everything written by Sarah Dessen, but for some reason this book did not resonate as fully within my heart as her books usually do. Ruby is almost eighteen when her mother takes off and leaves her alone in the yellow farmhouse. That might be the problem; somehow I kept visualizing
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Ruby as a very capable strong female, so her mom taking off didn't seem as devastating as it would have had Ruby been twelve or thirteen. The social worker tracks down her sister, Cora, who is married to an incredibly successful and rich man. They immediately take Ruby in, and give her everything she needs. Ruby thought her sister left her and her mom, and finds out a couple months after moving in with Cora, that this was NOT the case, and that Cora really wanted to take Ruby with her when she left. There is a subplot with the boy next door; Nate, who becomes romantically involved with Ruby. They break up when he refuses to tell anyone that, when stressed, his dad hits him. The ending is a believable one, and tied up the loose ends quite nicely without being too convenient. it was well written, but for me, it just wasn't one of her best so I was a bit disappointed. I would NOT start a student with this novel IF I hoped to make them Dessen fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephxsu
Living on her own for a few weeks after her mother abandons her, seventeen-year-old Ruby is turned in to social services by her nosy landlords. They place her in the care of her sister Cora, ten years her senior, and her husband Jamie, both intrepid young entrepreneurs living the American dream in
Ruby means to get through senior year the way she has always done—by staying invisible and not making any connections—but it’s hard to ignore the friendliness of her next-door neighbor and carpool driver, Nate, one of the most popular guys in school, who has family secrets of his own. Before she knows it, Nate and her are friends, and then maybe more, and more and more she begins to settle into this life as if she had been born into it. But her greatest challenge doesn’t come from her own adjustment: it’s applying what she has learned about the “okay-ness” of being helped by others to the most important people in her life.
Sarah Dessen’s novels never lack character development, and LOCK AND KEY is no exception. Once again Lakeview is a world where readers will want to live.
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a wonderhouse. To Ruby, of course, who’s always strived to be self-sufficient, this is no dream come true. She just wants to get through her last year in high school, and then get a job. Now she’s being put into Perkins Day, an elite private school in town, and her sister and brother-in-law are encouraging her to think about college the next year.Ruby means to get through senior year the way she has always done—by staying invisible and not making any connections—but it’s hard to ignore the friendliness of her next-door neighbor and carpool driver, Nate, one of the most popular guys in school, who has family secrets of his own. Before she knows it, Nate and her are friends, and then maybe more, and more and more she begins to settle into this life as if she had been born into it. But her greatest challenge doesn’t come from her own adjustment: it’s applying what she has learned about the “okay-ness” of being helped by others to the most important people in her life.
Sarah Dessen’s novels never lack character development, and LOCK AND KEY is no exception. Once again Lakeview is a world where readers will want to live.
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Ruby's mother walked out and elft her on her own. Only 17, she tried to keep up for a while, going to school, going to work, paying bills and keeping the utilities on. But eventually, someone reported her to social services, and she was sent to live with her sister who she hadn't seen or heard from
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in 10 years. Suddenly, Ruby is living in luxury, with people who really seem to care about her, if she can accept that. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rosebud18
I really enjoyed reading this book. Its not too in depth but emotional enough that i wanted to keep reading. The main character, Ruby is quite frustrating at times but grows on you. The story is realistic therefore you can easily loose yourself in this world and you cant put the book down. Would
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recommend for enjoyable light reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member iwriteinbooks
When the authorities find her, 17 year old Ruby is living in what can only be described as squalor. Her perpetually drunk and often abusive mother has long since run off, leaving her alone with rent to be paid but no running water. Ruby has made the most of the situation but is eventually yanked
She is suddenly thrown into a world where she has everything in stark contrast to where she had virtually nothing. Of course, emotionally, she is even more destitute in the land of endless shopping malls, SUVs and private school than she was living alone. She struggles to find her way in her new world, acquiring a friend and potential love interest in next door neighbor Nate. Of course, even within the walls of paradise there are shadows and demons. Ruby soon understands that even with everything at their fingertips, the people in her new life have their fair share of sadness, too.
This was my first true Young Adult novel. I found it a little bit difficult to separate my prejudices of the genre in favor of simply enjoying the book, perhaps because I knew that I would be reviewing the book in a format where other YA literature lovers would read it. That said, I enjoyed the it, for the most part. I am not sure that it, alone, will make YA literature my go-to reading material but I read it in about a day so it obviously held some draw.
I think my biggest problem, although not an issue with the book itself, rather with my age, is that I found myself identifying with the adults who, with reason, were not as fleshed out as the younger characters. I was often more sympathetic to the parents, business owners, and teachers even though they were painted as the flighty or unreasonable authority. With due respect to Dessen, while there was more emphasis on the high schoolers, there was a considerable amount of emotion invested in each adult figure which is why the story held my attention. Discussion of substance abuse, fertility and financial ruin permeated the book both in snippets of adult conversation as well as in a more general, watered down view as it effected the younger players. There is a subplot to define family and while it fades in and out and is hard to follow at points, there are definite poignant moments and I managed to break out my highlighter once or twice.
Over all, the book was a good toe-dip into the world of YA. I would, most likely, recommend it to my younger, female cousins or to my adult friends who enjoy YA, although, probably not to those who, generally, are not a fan of young adult fiction as this doesn’t really transcend the genre in any sort of philosophical way (as might be said of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You or The Elegance of the Hedgehog).
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from darkness to live with her much older sister and brother-in-law, a lawyer and a wildly successful dot com owner, respectively.She is suddenly thrown into a world where she has everything in stark contrast to where she had virtually nothing. Of course, emotionally, she is even more destitute in the land of endless shopping malls, SUVs and private school than she was living alone. She struggles to find her way in her new world, acquiring a friend and potential love interest in next door neighbor Nate. Of course, even within the walls of paradise there are shadows and demons. Ruby soon understands that even with everything at their fingertips, the people in her new life have their fair share of sadness, too.
This was my first true Young Adult novel. I found it a little bit difficult to separate my prejudices of the genre in favor of simply enjoying the book, perhaps because I knew that I would be reviewing the book in a format where other YA literature lovers would read it. That said, I enjoyed the it, for the most part. I am not sure that it, alone, will make YA literature my go-to reading material but I read it in about a day so it obviously held some draw.
I think my biggest problem, although not an issue with the book itself, rather with my age, is that I found myself identifying with the adults who, with reason, were not as fleshed out as the younger characters. I was often more sympathetic to the parents, business owners, and teachers even though they were painted as the flighty or unreasonable authority. With due respect to Dessen, while there was more emphasis on the high schoolers, there was a considerable amount of emotion invested in each adult figure which is why the story held my attention. Discussion of substance abuse, fertility and financial ruin permeated the book both in snippets of adult conversation as well as in a more general, watered down view as it effected the younger players. There is a subplot to define family and while it fades in and out and is hard to follow at points, there are definite poignant moments and I managed to break out my highlighter once or twice.
Over all, the book was a good toe-dip into the world of YA. I would, most likely, recommend it to my younger, female cousins or to my adult friends who enjoy YA, although, probably not to those who, generally, are not a fan of young adult fiction as this doesn’t really transcend the genre in any sort of philosophical way (as might be said of Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You or The Elegance of the Hedgehog).
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Subjects
Awards
Gateway Readers Award (Nominee — 2011)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2010)
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2010)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2009)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2008-04-22
Physical description
448 p.; 5.08 x 1.02 inches
ISBN
0141324937 / 9780141324937
Local notes
Ruby hasn’t had much success with family. Her father left; her protective older sister, Cora, left; and her boozing mother finally leaves, too. Ruby is alone until Cora learns of her situation and swoops in. Suddenly, Ruby finds herself living with Cora and her wealthy brother-in-law, attending private school, and wondering just where she fits in.