Lock and Key: Review

Title: Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Release Date: April 22nd, 2008
Published by: Viking Juvenile
Genre: Romance
Pages: 422 pages
Goodreads Rating: 4.04 stars


Review: Ruby's family was far from perfect. Her older sister dropped contact with them after college, her dad is absent, and her mom lives for drugs and alcohol. This all made Ruby used to dealing with things by herself, so when her mom disappears, she carries on living in her house like nothing's changed. But people find out, and she's sent to live with her sister, Cora, who she hasn't seen in ten years. It feels strange to live in Cora's huge, luxurious home, but stranger yet is Nate, the boy next door, who seems to have his own big secret.

This is the second book I've read by Sarah Dessen, and I really liked it! Ruby was such a strong character who didn't let herself fall victim to her circumstances, like when she managed to live on her own even while her mom was missing for months. One thing I will say, though, was that I didn't really connect with Ruby that well. I felt like I never got to know her. However, this book got so many raving reviews, it might just have been me!

Cora and Jamie (her sister's husband) were awesome characters. I could feel the awkwardness between Cora and Ruby like it was happening to me, and I was thrilled when they finally had their heart-to-heart. It was so heart-warming to see as they grew to know and love each other. Jamie was great too - I would love to know him in real life! He's the modest, intelligent founder of that world's version of Facebook (called UMe, though I don't understand the name). Given his young age, I would say he's definitely inspired by Mark Zuckerberg.

I didn't like Nate too much. There was nothing wrong with him per se, but he was just a normal guy who didn't - in my opinion - get explored to the depth I thought he could. Like with Ruby, I was hoping to get to know him better. Since I never felt like I really got to know either side of the couple, the romance didn't affect me too much. However, it has to be said Nate's little brother was adorable!

All in all, I liked reading this but just wasn't too impressed. Ruby and Nate didn't do it for me, but I loved all the other characters, from the major ones (Cora, Jamie) to the minor (Nate's little brother, the woman Ruby works for). Fans of Sarah Dessen will probably love this one, although it's likely they've already read it ;) I give it 3 stars out of 5.

The Truth About Forever: Review

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about, the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

Details: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, 374 pages, 4.29 stars on Goodreads (compare to 4.20 stars for the first Harry Potter book)

My Thoughts: I read this a long time ago and absolutely hated it. But everyone kept telling me how fantastic this book was, so I decided to try it again. I must admit that while I didn't love it nor did I find it extremely memorable, I was pleasantly surprised at it. The Truth About Forever was well-written, with a nice if somewhat cliché plot and much less cliché love interest, Wes. 

There were many things I enjoyed in this book. For instance, the description of Macy's job at the library, what with her coworkers and all, was quite amusing and I hope I never get a job like that! Macy's life is so dull, with her workaholic mom and overachieving boyfriend, that it's easy to understand why the hectic work at Wish Catering would appeal to her. The characters are all interesting and real, with each one fully developed, even the minor characters. 


Some serious issues are dealt with in this book, like Macy's father's death, her struggles with her mom, that kind of thing. However, this is primarily a romance, and I found it to be more of a lighter, feel-good read. The romance itself is sweet, fun, and cute, and develops at a nice pace. I do wish there was a little more kissing - what with all the development, we deserve a little steamy passion, don't we?


All in all, this is a good book to relax with. There wasn't anything I specifically disliked about it, but it wasn't compelling or intriguing or unique enough for me to run around recommending.


Plot - 3/5
Characters - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Impact - 2/5
Inability to put it down - 2/5

Overall - 60% = B-