My Review of Lock and Key

This was my first book that I've read by Sarah Dessen. I've heard quite a few good things about her so I was fairly willing to give her books a try even though I don't typically read teen fiction.

Lock and Key is about a seventeen year old girl named Ruby. Ruby's had a tough childhood: from her father and sister abandoning her at a young age (so she thinks) to her mother abandoning her at seventeen she's never really been settled in one place. For the first part of the novel Ruby's in a sort of self proclaimed denial. The reader begins the book and quickly learns that when Ruby's mom abandoned her she attempted to live by herself for a few months; but was eventually turned in to child services by her landlord.

Cora, Ruby's estranged sister, takes custody of Ruby along with her husband, Jamie. WIth her new life Ruby faces all sorts of challenges. New school, "friends", job, habits, etc. But still Ruby is clinging to her past life and memories.

I particularly loved the characters of Cora and Jamie. They were very believable and I thought that Dessen did an excellent job of endearing them to the reader. I had a few problems with Nate (the male star of the novel) and Ruby, but nothing that couldn't be overlooked. The plot could definitely be a bit confusing flopping between a fast and slow pace but in the end it all worked out.

So what then makes me want to give this book only three stars? I would have to say I honestly don't know, just that things were missing. Maybe it was character depth for Ruby or Nate, or just the whole plot confusion thing that got to me, or the swearing (which by the way is fairly predominant).... I don't know. I'd recommend reading Lock and Key but not unless you have nothing more exciting to read. It's lacking, but still good. It really deserves three and a half stars but Goodreads doesn't let me do that! Oh well. :)

~Firefly~