 |
| This book has about four different covers, so if your cover doesn't look like, this don't panic! |
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. Simon &
Schuster Books: New York, 2004. ISBN: 978-0-689-85820-8
2. PLOT SUMMARY
[Excerpt from the book]
I
Love to Read
But my life better not
turn out
to be like one of
those hideous books
where the mother dies
and so the girl has to
go live with her absentee
father
and he turns out to be
an alcoholic heroin
addict
who brutally beats her
and sexually molests
her
thereby causing her to become a bulimic ax murderer.
I love to read,
but I can’t stand books like that.
and I flat out refuse
to have one of those
lives
that I wouldn’t even
want
to read about
Written in blank verse, this “hideous” young
adult novel follows Ruby, a fifteen-year-old girl whose mother has just died.
It begins with her getting on a plane to meet her father, whom she has never
met and feels a great deal of resentment towards for being so distant her
entire life with no explanation. The real kicker? Her father is also an extraordinarily
famous movie star, and she’s moving to Hollywood, away from friends and family.
As she spends more time with him, she begins to wonder if he’s as bad as she’s
made him out to be in her head. While struggling to come to terms with her and
her father’s relationship, she also deals with a long-distance relationship
with her first boyfriend, betrayal from friends, and trying to fit in to a new,
very different school. Mild spoiler: she does not become a bulimic ax murderer
the way she worries about in her thoughts.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although this book might seem daunting to a
reader who is not into poetry, the blank verse makes the story very accessible.
Ruby’s personality comes through clearly throughout the book; quirky, and
fairly angry about where life has put her. With many other protagonists this
story might have fallen flat and boring, but Ruby’s matter-of-fact explanations
and details about her past are done in such a sardonic tone the reader can’t
help but laugh and feel sympathy for her plights.
Even though the book seems very “princess”
themed (girl from poor family goes to live with another family member with
incredible wealth and hijinks ensue), the emotions that Ruby deals with are
relatable and easy to empathize with. Her sorrow over her mother’s death, her
anger and frustration and her absentee father, her struggles with a new school,
and her feelings about her boyfriend, virginity, and dating are all accessible to
a young adult reader, and any reader who has gone through similar things will
surely connect to Ruby.
This is an excellent introduction to poetry
after Shel Silverstein; there is no rhyming but the blank verse has a rhythm
that moves the reader along the pages effortlessly.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
FROM BOOKLIST –
Sones’ novel is an unusual combination of over-the-top Hollywood fairy
tale and sharp, honest story about overcoming grief … It’s Ruby’s first-person
voice—acrimonious, raw, and very funny—that pulls everything together, whether
she is writing e-mails to her deceased mother or attending Dream Analysis class
at a private L.A. high schoo l… A satisfying, moving novel that will be a
winner for both eager and reluctant readers
FROM SCHOOL LIBRARY
JOURNAL – Ruby’s affable personality is
evident in her humorous quips and clever wordplays. Her depth of character is
revealed through her honest admissions, poignant revelations, and sensitive
insights. This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in
poetry. It’s solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the
importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the
door to one’s own happiness
FROM PUBLISHERS’
WEEKLY – This winning portrayal of a teenage-girl’s loves and losses, written
in Sones’s (What My Mother
Doesn’t Know) signature free-verse style, opens as 15-year-old Ruby
is en route from Boston to L.A. (“Hell A” as she calls it).
FROM VOYA – Without
being preachy, Sones addressed stereotyping, variations of friendship, betrayal
by loved ones, and parent-child relationships. Readers will cry as easily as
they laugh at Ruby’s frank observations of life
5. CONNECTIONS
Other books by Soya Sones
·
What
My Mother Doesn’t Know SBN 1442493852
·
To
Be Perfectly Honest: A Novel Based on an Untrue Story
ISBN 0689876041
·
Stop
Pretending: What Hpapened When My Big Sister Went Crazy ISBN
0064462188
·
What
My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know ISBN 1442493844
Other young adult poetry books
·
Out
of the Dust by Karen Hesse, ISBN 0590371258
·
Crank by
Ellen Hopkins, ISBN 1442471816
·
Lies,
Knives, and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koerge, ISBN
0763644064
·
Burned by
Ellen Hopkins, ISBN 1442494611
0 comments:
Post a Comment