| Lock and Key | 
 enlarge | Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Category: Book
List Price: $18.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 1606
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 432
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.3 x 1.6
ISBN: 067001088X
EAN: 9780670010882
ASIN: 067001088X
Publication Date: April 22, 2008
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Product Description
Ruby, where is your mother? Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, shes been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return. Thats how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasnt seen in ten years, and Coras husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a futureits a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give? Best-selling author Sarah Dessen explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Lost and Found April 22, 2008
41 out of 45 found this review helpful
Ask twenty people to define "family," and you'll get twenty different definitions. Ruby's definition of family is about to change, and she's not quite sure what that means.
For years, Ruby and her mother moved from apartment to apartment. They lived in random places and cramped spaces above other people's garages. Finally, they find a little yellow house to rent. Ruby's mother, preferring to drown her sorrows in alcohol than deal with them head-on, made her daughter give her excuses to visitors, landlords, and bosses.
The older Ruby got, the more her mother depended on her - and on substances. Ruby became used to her mom disappearing for a few days now and then. When a week turned into two, then three, then a month, Ruby knew her mom wasn't coming back. She went to work and school and lived alone for months before her landlords realized what was going on.
With Ruby seven months away from her eighteenth birthday, child services stepped in. She is sent to live with her older sister, who hasn't seen her in ten years. Cora left for college and, according to their mother, never looked back. Now Cora has a successful career, a husband who is equally successful, and a gorgeous home, with a spunky little dog to boot. How can Ruby fit into this household, let alone into a new school that's posh and private? She's so sure that this could never be her home, her life, that she prepares to run away that very first night and go back to the little yellow house. Fate has other plans for her, and so does Nate, the boy next door.
Though Ruby consents to stay put for the time being, she keeps the key to the little yellow house on a chain around her neck. At first, the key is the only thing she permits to fall close to her heart, interpreting her sister's clipped responses as lack of interest. She is unsure how to take her perpetually upbeat brother-in-law, Jamie. How can this complete stranger welcome her with open arms?
Nate also reaches out to her. Whether she likes the attention or not, he means well. He's genuine, and she's not used to that. Carpooling with him to and from school gives her insight into this grinning, popular boy. There's more there than meets the eye. Though he's friendly, not flirtatious, she's hesitant to open up to him. She'd rather keep her heart under lock and key than risk getting hurt again.
Ruby is a strong girl, but she's not a saint. She has done plenty of things she's not proud of, and she has a stubborn streak a mile wide. She is determined to do things on her own and her refuses to let others assist her because she doesn't want to "owe" them anything.
Ruby's constantly tempted to leave, to make things easier for everyone, herself included. The easy way out is never as easy as it seems. It just leads her back to bad things, bad people. The road back to her sister's house is promising, but there are bumps along the way. Ruby's new school is far ahead of her previous school, and she struggles to keep up her grades. She has to write a report about "family" for class, and she doesn't know where to begin. Jamie tries to be helpful while Cora remains distant. Nate keeps reaching out, and Ruby repeatedly deflects his concern until she realizes that he may need some help too.
There are plenty of supporting characters in Ruby's new world. Roscoe, the dog, provides comic relief as well as unconditional love right from the start. Gervais, a kid who skipped multiple grades in school, rides in her carpool with Nate. There's Harriet, the high-strung jewelry designer with a mall kiosk who gets inspiration from an unexpected place, and Olivia, her talkative classmate who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Nate's father seems pleasant and polished, but a scratch on that surface lets his true colors shine through. Ruby's old friends factor in as well, clashing loudly with her new life.
With Lock and Key, Sarah Dessen has created something extremely poignant - which is not to say that she hasn't before. All of Dessen's novels are extremely readable and enjoyable, and each is distinctive. The narrative of Lock and Key, which is told in first person from Ruby's point of view, infuses past events with the present day. Things that occurred a year ago, three months ago, or even earlier the same day are revealed when they relate to happenings in the current time frame. This storytelling method fits the feel of the story, allowing it to move forward as Ruby lives day by day but still clings to her past.
Ruby doesn't think of herself as lost, but she is - and she deserves to be found. Pick up Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen and give it a home on your bookshelf.
"And the rest is history," I said.
"Nah." He shook his head. "The rest is now."
 I love Dessen's work- just not this one. April 23, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
To be totally honest- I wasn't very impressed by this book at all.
Which is sucky because I love S.D. and all her other books.
However, Lock and Key didn't do anything for me. It felt distant and disconnected.
The reasons:
Ruby was boring and bland. I personally (which is my right) found her to be one dimensional which was not my expectation at all considering S.D.'s past characters who I loved. She had little humor and just didn't have the Dessen magic I expected. Though I'm sure a lot of people can relate to Ruby. She wasn't that complex as some reviews are raving in my opinion. I thought she was stubborn and immature and the fall back of having a mom that was abusive and ducked out on her was a weak excuse for her behavior. If you want to read a book about an interesting victim of abuse, I wouldn't necessarily suggest this book because Ruby was too transparent.
The Lock&Key motif was too redundant. It's just not a strong enough theme in my opinion to have been played on so much.
The story moved too quickly and predictably. Not to say there is anything wrong with predictability, but in this case the actual story was not interesting enough for me to want to hang on and see the ending through. (I did though.) The friendships between Ruby and the other Jackson student didn't seem genuine or really as friendly as the story tried to say it was.
Jamie was annoyingly perfect to me. I mean there's nothing wrong with a family man, and I think some of the things he did for Ruby and Cora were really sweet and unique. It's just it felt corny, and forced. Perhaps it was because it was through Ruby's eyes but I felt Cora and Jamie's relationship could have been touched on more deeply and genuinely instead of the distant way Ruby showed it.
Nate was really interesting though, I really enjoyed him.
Cora was pretty cool too, though I didn't really like the end of the book.
Redeeming qualities:
Though I personally wanted more of this, I'm glad Dessen introduced other people who could be considered villains in this novel. It showed that even if you put space between you and your own demons doesn't mean that the bad in the world is gone.
Had some really sweet moments- I thought the pool hopping bit was hysterical. Gervais (sp) was really interesting too.
Anyways, I'm still a fan of Dessen but I personally feel this wasn't her best. Hopefully everyone will understand this is my opinion and not bash me for it.
Masterful writing wrapped up too quickly April 28, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
I have to agree with the other reviewer who says she can see how Sarah has grown as a writer. One of the things I absolutely love about Sarah is how she weaves elements of nature (koi, monitor lizards, herons, fragrant gardens on a summer's night, dogs) and everyday activities (running, Zen-mode calculus, the temperature of a swimming pool) into such seemingly effortless metaphors that have taken my breath away on more than one occasion. I should mention at this point that I'm 34, a faithful adult fan of Dessen's since the release of This Lullaby in 2002 (?). I loved The Truth About Forever, was iffy on Just Listen but read it more than once, nonetheless and was absolutely enchanted by Lock and Key. It is true that the symbolism of the lock and key was a mite overexposed (as one reviewer said) but that is totally forgivable. There was so much meat and possibility and nuanced writing here that my only *major* complaint is that the book felt hurried in its conclusion. Almost like Sarah had a lot more to say but the bell was about to ring.
The surprises in Nate's parallel story are fantastic as far as character development goes. He seems, of course, to be the total opposite of Ruby in the beginning but it's a real pleasure as a reader to watch their story arcs reveal a place of true resonance. Sarah dealt with some tough, heart-breaking issues: abuse, neglect, abandonment, drug culture, destructive and consistent deception and in all honesty, I really felt Ruby's pain. Having none of her experiences as a child and teen, I still felt her circumstances were written expertly. I found myself actually worrying about her and another character (don't want to give away too much- it is certainly a big part of what makes the book such a good read.) Anyway, I'm totally babbling here. With the exception of a hasty ending that felt a bit like a rip-off (and ultimately this is a compliment to Dessen since it just left you wanting more) this book is a gem (Ha, Ruby.)
I believe Dessen has a solid base of adult readers because she has never been a pink-bubble-gum writer with shallowly developed characters and equally empty-calorie plot lines. Highly recommend; love the image of the cat's eye pupil dilating and constricting as it takes in Nate and Ruby's two steps forward, two steps back dance at Sabrina's house; really liked Reggie as a character (what a sweetheart); looking forward to watching Sarah's ability to weave poetry into prose, substance into a growing populace of beloved characters and little and embedded points of identification as you tread to the deeper end of the pool. High five, Sarah.
I separate Dessen's books into two categories... April 23, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Sarah Dessen has 8 books published, and as a true Dessen fan, I've read them all. I sort of separate her books into two categories, though. In one category, there's Keeping the Moon, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, and Just Listen. In the other one I place That Summer, Someone Like You, Dreamland, and Lock and Key. What's the difference between these two groups? I'll try to explain...
The first category I mentioned are the feel-good books. The protagonists are messed up in a certain way, certainly, but there is a spark of happiness and fun and really satisfyingly content endings where relationships and situations are tied up in a happily-ever-after knot. These books are kind of a break from reality, in a way, because who ever meets guys as wonderfully unique and vivid as Norman, Dexter, Wes, and Owen? I mean, I wish!
The second category, are the books where Dessen really explores dark places. And even though things end on good notes, the problem resolved... there's not the magical right-ness and the sparkly feeling. It's weird because in these books, the girl is usually with the guy in a relationship, like, mid-way in the book, and there's not the wonderful sealed-with-the-first-kiss ending. Instead, things get sour... Macon, Rogerson.
So GET LOCK AND KEY! Even if it's the darker category, it's still written by SARAH DESSEN. And that means it's awesome, just because she wrote it. But let me tell you right now. It's not The Truth About Forever. It is NOT Just Listen. It's the book that we read because it's by Sarah Dessen and we're fans so we read anything she writes... but we know the real reason we're fans in the first place is because of the happier books.
So some little bits of info as a closer...
Ruby is independant, wary, and determined. She's at her core a sweet person who, over time, has built up many walls.
Surprisingly big cameo by Rogerson... he's still scarier than Hades.
Actually, a WHOLE lot of cameos -- WAY more than in any other of her books. We see Mallory, mention of Owen and Annabel, Remy's mom, Denise and Charlotte, Kristy and Burt... and maybe even more I can't remember!
Lock and Key April 24, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Dessen's latest novel retains much of what I've loved about her previous novels - a common setting, cameos by favorite characters, true-to-life dilemmas - but seems to have lost most of what made me fall in love with her work.
The novel opens as seventeen-year-old Ruby finds herself abandoned by her alcoholic mother in a little rented farmhouse. When she falls behind on the rent and utilities, her landlords out her, and she is sent to live with her long-absent sister, Cora, whose husband is the computer genius behind Lakeview's myspace-esque communication webpage. Ruby's new posh lifestyle requires much adjustment with the help of a colorful cast of characters - mysterious, handsome Nate; frantic, nervous Harriet; and bitter-yet-endearing Olivia. In the end, Ruby learns that while staying may be harder than running away, it reaps greater rewards.
Armed with this generic synopsis, I eagerly awaited this novel, but was sadly disappointed. What had first attracted me to Dessen's work was her divine ability to make her characters feel real. She has a skill lost to many contemporary YA writers in that her characters have never, in the past, felt irrelevant to or distant from the reader. While they all had their quirks, they were always wholly lovable and truly enjoyable.
This book's characters lack that realism. Ruby's turnabout seems abrupt and unrealistic. Harriet, who could have been a valuable asset to Ruby's development, is marginalized and only surfaces when needed to advance a stalling plot. Nate's predicament, while heart-rending, seems contrived and unnatural - designed specifically to help Ruby learn about life. In her previous novels, the lesson her heroines learn have always evolved naturally, and have never felt as forced as in this book.
Finally, Dessen is a master of the extended metaphor. Each of her books has a detail, a theme, or an object that carries through the story; an item to which the characters' lives is easily compared and which makes their problems seem accessible and understandable. In this novel, Dessen tries to achieve the same feat with Ruby's key. Unfortunately, the metaphor of the lock and key has been employed to the point of overuse, and its frequent appearance in this book makes it seem corny and unrealistic.
The silver lining to this book is Cora's struggle to become pregnant. Perhaps Dessen's own joy over being a new mom shines through in these scenes in a way that makes them believable, exciting, and emotional.
Overall, while I remain a tried and true fan of Dessen's YA work, I found myself closing this book disappointedly at its conclusion. While not every novel can have the sparkle, wit, and honesty of "The Truth About Forever" and "Just Listen," I expect more from one as accomplished as Dessen and hope that her future novels exceed this latest.
I would recommend this book to adolescent girls looking for a fun and meaningful read, but not before recommending all of her previous novels so that a reader can truly gauge the clarity and poignancy of Dessen's better works.
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