One of those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

**This review was created for an assignment at Texas Woman's University**

Book Review: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sones, Sonya. 2004. ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN: 9781416907886

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Fifteen-year old Ruby Milliken is forced to move from Boston to Los Angeles to live with her father she has never met after losing her mother. She is forced to abandon her best friend Lizzie and boyfriend Ray to live with Whip (Ruby’s father) who is a “big time” Hollywood star in everyone’s eyes except Ruby.

Ruby unwillingly jumps into her new life in LA with her father. Cameron Diaz is her new neighbor. Her father insists on driving her to school each day where she attends “dream interpretation” classes with children of famous parents. While she is adjusting to live in LA things begin to change at home with her best friend and Ray and the events that transpire shake Ruby’s fifteen-year old world upside down.

Just when Ruby thinks she can’t take another word of bad news, Ruby’s father comes through for her in a big way. Ruby must decide if she can trust Whip, grappling with emotions such as fear, grief, and a strong desire to forgive. This coming of age story will warm the hearts of readers as they experience first hand the intensity and depth of Ruby’s character.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel told in first person and written in free verse is a story that young adult readers will relate to and adult readers will enjoy. Sones’s writing hooks the reader in right from the start with powerful writing that reveals Ruby as a person who has experienced a great deal of turmoil and suffering for someone her age. Honesty, sensitivity, and emotion spill off the pages as Ruby begins to tell her story,

“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 … I love to read, but I can’t stand books like that.”

Sones’s writing shows the complexity and emotional elements of Ruby’s character allowing readers to develop a keen understanding of the anger, grief, and uncertainty she experiences in during the progression of the novel. As the story builds, the reader shares in Ruby’s struggles and victories as her character grows and develops eventually finding love and friendship in her new life.

This book is anything but hideous, and will entertain and warm the hearts of readers who connect with Ruby’s grief, wit, humor, and heart felt emotion.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist – a starred review, “A satisfying, moving novel that will be a winner for both eager and reluctant readers.”

Kirkus Reviews – “Short stream-of-consciousness free-verse poems make up most of the narrative, by turns bathing readers in Ruby’s emotions and treating them to very sharp, very funny observations.”

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Students unfamiliar with novels written in verse can explore books written by Sones and other successful authors.

*Students can try their own hand at writing in verse using this novel and other examples of free verse as examples.

AWARDS:
2006 - International Reading Association (IRA) Young Adults Choice
2005 -American Library Association (ALA) Best Book for Young Adults
2005 - American Library Association (ALA) Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Other Titles by Author:
Sixteen
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy
What My Mother Doesn’t Know
What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know

Web Resources:
www.sonyasones.com