The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver, #2) by E. Lockhart

Jun 18, 2012 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, ya, favorites, 2010, chick-lit, series-finished-good, b, 2012

As seen on The Readventurer

"The Boy Book" is the second book about Ruby Oliver. While I thought the first book was great by itself and didn't actually require a sequel, I enjoyed this installment just as much as the first one. In this book Ruby continues learning about relationships with boys and her friends and figuring out how to balance both, although very often she remains her own worst enemy. Once again, plenty of lessons about love, friendships, female empowerment, written in a very clever...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Nataliya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of smart and funny YA without insta-love

Recommended to Nataliya by: Catie

Shelves: awesome-kickass-heroines, 2012-reads, for-my-future-hypothetical-daughter, catie-knows-best

In a slight daze of fascinatingly-horrified recollection of what it was like to be a sixteen-year-old girl and in a sudden unexpected surge of previously dormant maternal instinct I just want to reach into this book and reassuringly pat Ruby Oliver on her shoulder. Nice job growing up, Roo. I'm actually really proud of you.

It's pretty rare for me to like the sequel more than its predecessor. But how can I not in this case? I am so proud of Ruby's honest attempts to straighten out that whole mess...more In a slight daze of fascinatingly-horrified recollection of what it was like to be a sixteen-year-old girl and in a sudden unexpected surge of previously dormant maternal instinct I just want to reach into this book and reassuringly pat Ruby Oliver on her shoulder. Nice job growing up, Roo. I'm actually really proud of you.

It's pretty rare for me to like the sequel more than its predecessor. But how can I not in this case? I am so proud of Ruby's honest attempts to straighten out that whole mess of adolescence that we have all ~~lived~~ suffered through and, most importantly, to actually figure herself out and DEAL with her problems in a more or less mature way. She did come a looooong way from the seemingly shallow, passive, and really obsessed with boys and arbitrary private school social conventions girl to a still very flawed and insecure young woman who is nevertheless finding her own voice and is growing up to appreciate all the other important stuff in life. And boy, is it complicated for Ruby or what?

"Think about what you want from a situation," Doctor Z is always saying, "and then try to get it." She says that to get me to stop being so passive. Because I talk too much and think too much and don't take action to get what I want. Because I blurt stuff out that might be how I feel, but that isn't remotely conducive to decent human relations."

Despite the title The Boy Book, this story is not as much about boys. The titular book (with all the hilarious excerpts from it involving 'practical' advice on phone conversations with boys, making out, dating rules and other vitally important information) is really a reminder left for Ruby from simpler days before the mess with her now ex-boyfriend Jackson, before her best friend became her mortal enemy, before she achieved a dreaded 'leper' status at her high school. It is her link to happier times with her former friends Kim, Nora and Crickets, all of whom she misses terribly now, and simple solutions for every possible boy-related situations that seem to not work as well in real life anymore.

"I can't tell if we're friends or not," I said finally. "You and me." "I can't tell, either," she almost whispered."

No, this is a story about finding yourself and learning to stand up for yourself a bit, about making right choices even when you don't want to, about learning to appreciate true friendship and kindness, about consequences that come with all your choices, and about the need to bounce back and recover no matter how badly you think you've been brought down.

Ruby's voice is decidedly more mature, more grown-up - but still every bit as recognizably funny, quirky, and snarky as the one that won us over in the previous book. E.Lockhart is excellent at making Ruby sound like a real teenage girl, likeable and adorable and often clueless and slightly annoying at the same time. Reading her smartass comments (*) makes me giggle and nod in recognition of the emotions that I had when I was that age. And her footnotes and lists - I absolutely adore them!

* "Jackson was there in my mind, all the time. Like a tumor."

I love that this book continues to tackle the question of friendship between girls. We are often led to believe that, unlike for boys, there is little chance for true friendship between girls because they are jealous and competitive and often backstabbing and will inevitably squabble over a boy and view each others as little else but potential rivals. So many YA books have evil female characters that seem to have been introduced for little else but showcasing how the protagonist is (a) better that the clearly true female stereotype, and (b) to be a bitch to the awesome protagonist. Well, this is not the message of The Boy Book. Yes, there is Kim and the destruction of her friendship with Ruby. But there are also Meghan and Nora who are there for Ruby when her world seems to collapse. (And none of them is the 'designated ugly friend', the type that many non-evil friends in YA fiction seem to belong to, reinforcing the stereotype that girls can only be friends with other girls if they are non-threatening from a boyfriend-stealing approach. Ughhh.) In fact, the thing that got Ruby in trouble to begin with is not as much 'boy issues' as the perceived breaking of trust between friends.

"I left it in her mail cubby, though I had to squash it in order to get it in. It was easier than giving it to her in person. And I felt relieved. Like that whole era of my life was over. Like The Boy Book and everything it stood for--me, Nora and Cricket and Kim--was done with. And the thoughts inside it too. Some of them were worth remembering. The front-close bra and not sunbathing topless and the clever comebacks to catcalls. But most of it was in the past. It was a document of how I used to think. When I was, sort of, someone else."

I love that this book does not portray any kind of idealized love that many YA books are prone to do nowadays. I'm glad that it shows friendship between girls that does not hinge on boys or is threatened by boys (in addition to the friendship that does). I love that girls in this book feel free and secure to explore their sexuality without strict moralistic lessons coming out of it. I love that slut-shaming itself gets shamed, since I think that it is a despicable concept that continues to be perpetuated in our culture as an ugly relic of 'simpler times' of not so long ago. I love that there are no Mary Sue characters that as of lately seem to fill the majority of YA books. I love the adorable email exchanges between Ruby and Noel that made me happily giggle. Basically, I adore this book!

I loved this book and could not put it down. 4.5 stars and I'm rounding up without much hesitation. It was such a fun read, and it made me feel so relieved that I will never ever be a teenager again!

"Hooter Rescue Squad, Official Memo

Dear SHAR,
It has come to our attention that despite your supposed abandonment of Mission Van Deusen, and also despite your neglect of your role as Mission Director, you have nevertheless acted heroically on behalf of the hooters. In recognition of your efforts, we hereby grant you the official Rescue Squad medal of honor, which comes in the form of a large slice of pizza with the topping of your choice, to be consumed after swim practice today--or on the day of your choosing. It's true, once you eat the pizza, you will have nothing to display on your mantelpiece, but hey--we are a low-rent organization. It's the best we can do. Vehicular transport will await you outside the pool at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific time), unless you inform us otherwise.
Sincerely, and with my utmost congratulations, SHAN."

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Apr 10, 2012 Catie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fluffy-books, read-in-2012, ya

This series continues to impress me so, so much. While reading this one I just kept thinking that I’ve seen this girl so many times before: the quirky, talkative, somewhat eccentric girl(1)*. The girl who soldiers on even when everyone’s against her. This girl is a major fixture in young adult novels. Ruby Oliver has all of these attributes, yes, but they’re just a fraction of her whole self. She’s neurotic and jealous, thoughtful and earnest, petty and generous. She feels lust and remorse and p...more

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May 23, 2012 Mandee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-via-book-swap, contemporary-fiction, i-have-a-copy, realistic-fiction, ya-lit, review-on-the-blog, female-pov, favourites, favourite-authors

The Boy Book by Emily Lockhart picks up where The Boyfriend List left off. Ruby has turned sixteen and she's acquired her driver's license. She's now in junior year at Tate Prep, the school she attends in Seattle, on scholarship. Roo has started writing in The Boy Book, a book she and former best friend, Kim, started a few years ago. Things at school are still strained but Ruby is trying to get on with her life as best she can.

Like the first book in the series, The Boy Book features funny footno...more The Boy Book by Emily Lockhart picks up where The Boyfriend List left off. Ruby has turned sixteen and she's acquired her driver's license. She's now in junior year at Tate Prep, the school she attends in Seattle, on scholarship. Roo has started writing in The Boy Book, a book she and former best friend, Kim, started a few years ago. Things at school are still strained but Ruby is trying to get on with her life as best she can.

Like the first book in the series, The Boy Book features funny footnotes and lists and each chapter starts with an excerpt from The Boy Book which really added to the story.

Once again Ruby makes for a fantastic protagonist. She's missing her former friends, having to deal with her mum, still seeing her psychologist, Dr Z, and making new friends. Roo is sick of baby sitting for a kid that constantly throws up so she applies for a job at her local zoo, Woodland Park Zoo. I loved Ruby's interview as once there she talks about how interesting she finds animals and about different situations she's read about which leads on to her talking about how problematic zoos are and I was laughing and nodding and thinking "Yes, Roo, you are spot on!" Ruby immediately thinks she's put her foot in it but she gets the job and it really adds to her sense of well-being and self-worth.

As in book one, The Boy Book is full of Ruby's thoughts and situations that made me connect with the story in a strong way. Even though Ruby is young she's really self-aware, intelligent and observant and I found myself agreeing with her and the entries in The Boy Book, they reminded me of being a teen and being in high school.

In this book we get to know Meghan a little more, as she's now Roo's closest friend and I really found she grew on me. In the first book she's just that girl who girls love to hate but there's definitely a lot more to her than meets the eye. We also get to spend more time with Noel and Hutch as well.

I really love that these books deal with the friendships we develop in school because as teens, they're probably the most important thing to us at the time and they play a big role in our lives. I was sad for Ruby at the end, because losing a former best friend is hard but it's a good lesson because no one stays the same forever, so ultimately I was happy for her at the same time.

Bonus points for more vegetarian references as well as macrobiotic references - it's the new phase Roo's mum is going through.

This was a brilliant sequel and cemented my love for Ruby even more. I recommend this series to all fans of contemporary YA and YA romance.

The series can be purchased online and I suggest you grab all four at once!(less)

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Jan 24, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: All you girls at heart, always trying to understand and better yourselves

Shelves: humorous, heroines-i-love-and-or-admire, writing-to-which-i-aspire, best-characters, realistic-fiction, 2011-reads, exceeded-my-expectations, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, realistic-teenage-voices

How would you feel if your mother said this about you? "[She] is neurotic and I don't want her having those panic things again, plus she's obviously got some sexual issues. I want her in therapy." Just another day in the life of Ruby Oliver, teenage drama queen (not of the annoying sort) and resident boy-crazy girl who even made herself a Boyfriend List (see The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver for more details) that landed her in a whole mess...more How would you feel if your mother said this about you? "[She] is neurotic and I don't want her having those panic things again, plus she's obviously got some sexual issues. I want her in therapy." Just another day in the life of Ruby Oliver, teenage drama queen (not of the annoying sort) and resident boy-crazy girl who even made herself a Boyfriend List (see The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver for more details) that landed her in a whole mess of trouble during her sophomore year of high school. Now a year older and hopefully a bit wiser, Ruby continues on her quest to understand herself, her feelings, and the people (especially the boys who boggle her mind at times) around her in The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them.

I didn't know if the sequel would be able to live up to the awesomeness that was The Boyfriend List -- but The Boy Book pleasantly surprised me with its mixture of entertaining antics/predicaments and learning experiences. Ruby may not realize it, but her Boy Book IS definitely a helpful little key into the workings of male minds. Beyond the in-depth boy advice, however, there are also some imparted wisdoms about society and modern culture as a whole too. For instance: Why do we want what we can't have? Are we conditioned to feel that way by toxic advertising messages, social pressures and bad stuff that happens to us? And is there anything we can do to change the situation? And that is only one of the many things Ruby leaves you to ponder with this installment.

I'm constantly amazed by Ruby herself. She's insecure, sarcastic, honest, and just really endearing. A part of me wants to mother her, scold her, or just smile at her antics. She's a great heroine because she IS flawed. There were times she disappointed me in this book -- but then there were other times she redeemed herself in my eyes. (I'm also glad that Roo's words and actions actually bear consequences, which is very realistic and welcome to me.) Never before has a heroine made me so proud as Roo did towards the end of this book. I was so ready to scold her in my head. . .but then she surprised me by keeping true to her promise. She really is growing up, little by little; I look forward to seeing what kind of person she will be by the end of the series.

This time, I don't need to give you five reasons why you should read this book. You will either be smart and read the first book and this sequel -- or you will be the dolt who misses out. It's your loss if you bypass it. . .and I really hope you will give it a try or at least a place on your to-read (someday) shelf.

As for me -- I will be waiting impatiently to read The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver, which obviously promises even more boy drama by that title alone. Oh, Roo, when will you learn once and for all that most boys are more trouble than they're worth?(less)

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May 24, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Ruby Oliver continues the project of re-creating herself. I don't really have much to add to what I said about the first book. It's not that the books are the same, though—this story continues the previous one. Ruby remains engaging and she feels a lot less tailor-made as insecurity-girl, so that's an improvement.

I do have some annoyance with the code, though. A lot of relationship stories reinforce the stupidity that is functionally calling "dibs" on a person. This is not a good idea. As we saw...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Isamlq rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'd promised to hold off on reading this for one of my meh-reading days, but I just couldn't help myself and picked it up and...

... I loved it...

I'm done pretending to possess any self-control whatsoever when it comes to this series because I am most definitely starting the third one now. Why, you ask? Ruby Oliver is a little more aware of goings on in Tate. She's a little tougher, not so naive but still funny as heck. I think the first one was sufficient on it's own, but if this sequel proves...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, young-adult, tbr-challenge, romance, realistic-fiction, pretty-cover, contemporary, coming-of-age, humor, favorites, all-time-favorites, all-time-favorite-series

Initial reaction: This. Was. Awesome. I loved it, and I adore Ruby. I'm glad to see some of the resolutions to relationships in this book, as well as openings for potential new threads in the upcoming series. I decided not to factor the audiobook in my rating because I ended up ditching it and checking out an e-copy they had available at the library because I loved the story so much (I completely and utterly HATED the audiobook, and I don't say that lightly). More on this to come in my full revi...more Initial reaction: This. Was. Awesome. I loved it, and I adore Ruby. I'm glad to see some of the resolutions to relationships in this book, as well as openings for potential new threads in the upcoming series. I decided not to factor the audiobook in my rating because I ended up ditching it and checking out an e-copy they had available at the library because I loved the story so much (I completely and utterly HATED the audiobook, and I don't say that lightly). More on this to come in my full review.

Full review:

Oh Ruby Oliver, how I adore you - and it seems like there aren't enough strong young ladies like you taking the reins of YA literature and riding off into the sunset. You might not be in your happy place yet, but certainly it's a pleasure to watch you grow and work your way towards it.

I think this is one of the best series I've come across in a while, because not only is the heroine genuinely humorous and easy to follow, she faces quite a bit of challenges. Relationships with boys being a significant part of that.

When we last left off with Ruby in "The Boyfriend List," she'd managed to find a way to come to terms with some hard times in her social circles - losing friends, losing two close relationships on different levels, dealing with panic attacks, among other things. "The Boy Book" picks up the pace as Ruby still has to deal with the fallout of events. Her best friend is no longer her best friend, but yet Ruby faces building bonds with others again, and actually coming to terms with some fragmented relationships that didn't have the meaning that Ruby thought they had in retrospect. It's very much a story of where Ruby's trying to get back to sorts, yet she has a fresh voice and humor to things that make it well worth following her through those hills.

Ultimately, this book centers itself around the existence of "The Boy Book" - sort of a guide to how to approach relationships with guys based on experiences and rules. Ruby's matter of point delivery makes it both humorous and illustrates some of the conflict that can come with those relationships. It was touched upon in the last, but more of a focus in this one. I enjoyed it, and couldn't help but think I wish I had this book to read in my teen years. It's a story with a lot of heart and ultimately has Ruby growing in so many ways by the end of the work, with some threads left open to lead into the series more.

I thought Ruby's budding relationships with Noel and Angelo were cute here. And I did appreciate an eye to Ruby trying to not only mend her relationships with her former friends, though the results of that certainly varied on the scales, and left Ruby biting off a bit more than she could handle in some turns. Luckily Dr. Z isn't too far along to help Ruby through those turns, and Ruby's parents remain in the scene, sometimes supporting Ruby and other times maybe proving a little too much help. I laughed at some of their interactions and attempts though.

I did have one bone to pick with the story, but that was not a fault of the series at all, so it didn't factor into my rating, but I actually read two formats of this book in my reading experience. I started with the audiobook because for "The Boyfriend List", I really enjoyed Mandy Siegfried's narration of it. To me, her voice captured Ruby perfectly. I didn't realize that they changed narrators for the series starting with this book. Normally I would be fine with that as long as the narrator can carry the story.

I have to be blunt about it, though - the audiobook for this was TERRIBLE. I don't understand why the narrator was changed to someone who couldn't capture Ruby's voice and humor, being so out of place that it often missed on opportunities and did more to throw me out of the book than anything else. The delivery felt so dry, unemotional, and quite awkward. I was very disappointed in it and had to stop a good way in because I couldn't stand it. I didn't want to put the book down, though, so I checked out an e-copy at my library and finished out the work from there. It's not that I think Kirsten Potter is a lacking narrator - she was just a wrong fit for this series in my opinion. I have heard her narrate other works, and granted she was fine on those, but it seriously made me wonder how the narration could've been so awkward for such a fun series.

Nonetheless, having read "The Boy Book" - I'm eagerly reading on. I can't wait to see more of Ruby and how her relationships unfold from here on out. This is shaping up to be one of my favorite chick-lit/humor/romantic reads in YA.

Overall score: 4.5/5(less)

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Nov 05, 2012 Doyin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Emily Lockhart’s purpose in writing her book, the boy book, is to send a message across to teenagers who find themselves in real life situations and have no clue how to deal with it. The boy book, helps teens (especially girls), to relate to the situations ruby had to deal with and learn from the tactics she used and skills she used to cope with her problems. Teenagers would be able to easily relate to Ruby Oliver’s life, because she experiences what most teenagers experience in their daily life...more Emily Lockhart’s purpose in writing her book, the boy book, is to send a message across to teenagers who find themselves in real life situations and have no clue how to deal with it. The boy book, helps teens (especially girls), to relate to the situations ruby had to deal with and learn from the tactics she used and skills she used to cope with her problems. Teenagers would be able to easily relate to Ruby Oliver’s life, because she experiences what most teenagers experience in their daily life’s. This book is truly amazing. The way the sentenced were structures enables me to feel like I was in the book watching everything exactly as it happened. The boy book, gets you thinking about you your true and real friends really are.
The boy book, was written is an extremely good way. The vocabulary was balanced, easy to understand, but yet I still learnt a lot of new words as I read through chapter by chapter. This book would definitely have a great impact on its audience; it would teach them that there Is always hope no matter the situation. The book also teaches you about the qualities you should and shouldn’t have if you want to be a good friend to someone close. For example when Ruby refused to kiss Noel because Nora told her she liked him, she rejected the kiss saying “I get panic attacks and I have to see a shrink because I freak out about stuff, and I’ve been trying to figure out why I do things, and why I feel like I feel and how I ended up not having any friends for such a long time and I just made up with Nora, and she finally wants to be friends with me after everything that happened, and well – we have a code. Like we can’t take up with a guy if someone else likes him first.” (The boy book 182). In the boy book, Emily Lockhart shows that you must be loyal to you friends all the time.
This book was extremely captivating; it was hard to get my eyes off once I started reading the book. This book made me smile silently to myself as I read through; it also made me feel a sense of pity for Ruby Oliver’s character. This teenager, Ruby, who never knew exactly what she was feeling, is just a clear example of what really goes on in the real lives of teenagers today. One thing I can say for sure about the boy book is that there is NO part of this book that is boring. This wasn’t surprising because the first book, the boyfriend list, was great and the second book definitely met my expectations.
The greatest strength about the boy book is that it is very easy for teenagers to relate to, I mean a good amount of everything that happened throughout this book was relatable. This makes the book very realistic and factual. Also, the boy book gives ideas of what you can do when placed in a given situation and how you can handle circumstances. This is exemplified when Ruby is kept in an unforeseen circumstance with Angelo and she finds herself extremely vulnerable, and she doesn’t make the wisest choice. This is what happens according to Ruby, “I reached over and touched Angelo’s chin. He turned to look at me, and I kissed him. His skin was warmer than I expected, and he put his hand on my neck and kissed me back” (The boy book 54). The boy book kind of indirectly explain that in life you’re going to make good and bad choices, and all those choices are going to either bring you down or pull you up and make you who you turn out to be in the future.
I would most definitely recommend this book to a friend, and also the first book of the series, the boyfriend list. It has helped me realize that I’m the only teenager going through certain things in life. Ruby also has problems at home because of the lack of communication between and her parents. It also helped me realize, that sometimes you just have to be candid with the people you call “friends”, because the tiniest lie could destroy everything. This is shown when Ruby is having a conversation with Meghan and about her boyfriend who s off in college and she says “It sounds like he wants to squeeze it into some girl. I would be shattered if someone said that to me. Even if there’s no one in particular he’s interested in” (The boy book 62). Sometimes you just have to be straightforward about things. It has made me more aware about those around me and I’m it would do the same to other readers.
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Dec 28, 2010 Ashleigh Paige rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-great-shelf-of-awesome, how-to-write-a-sequel

Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Now a junior at prestigious Tate Prep, Ruby is slightly less of a leper than she was the previous year. She has a good friend in Noel and Nora is her friend again too (but not Cricket or Kim). Her new school year starts off with a bang as Nora's hooters get a close-up, Noel and Ruby form the Hooter Rescue Squad to help her, Ruby gets an internship at the zoo, Jackson starts giving her notes while he steps out with a girl other than Kim (who is in Japan), a...more Also appears on The Screaming Nitpicker.

Now a junior at prestigious Tate Prep, Ruby is slightly less of a leper than she was the previous year. She has a good friend in Noel and Nora is her friend again too (but not Cricket or Kim). Her new school year starts off with a bang as Nora's hooters get a close-up, Noel and Ruby form the Hooter Rescue Squad to help her, Ruby gets an internship at the zoo, Jackson starts giving her notes while he steps out with a girl other than Kim (who is in Japan), and November Week approaches, bringing with it expensive trips. In between all this, Ruby is still spilling her guts to Doctor Z and the readers. Back with as frank a voice as ever and a new set of problems to deal with, Ruby continues her tale of misery in The Boy Book.

The problem with sequels is that sometimes, the characters start acting strangely for no reason and being untrue to the personalities they were given in the first book. The Boy Book has no such problem. Ruby is still a frank teenage girl who speaks well, screws up, and struggles with her feelings; other characters are still who they were when we were introduced to them. Some of them, such as Noel, get fantastic development over the course of the novel. Thee footnotes are still there and each chapter but the final one opens with a segment from the in-story Boy Book. Some scenes are still hilarious, others will tug at the heart strings a little, and still others will being a big smile to the reader's face.

This book focuses less on romance (though that focus isn't exactly getting neglected; it gets plenty of page time) and more on friendship than its predecessor The Boyfriend List. Ruby's main struggle is with right and wrong in friendship: whether or not it is right to tell someone that their boyfriend is cheating on them when it isn't your business in the first place and the rightness of going for a guy you have a mutual attraction to when your friend has already expressed that she likes him, among other things. After a massive screw-up like the Spring Fling Debacle in the previous novel, Ruby is trying to do the right thing and make the right choices so that she won't hurt her friends and ex-friends. She does manage it for most of the book, but as she says near the very end of the novel, "I made the right decision. But that doesn't mean I don't have any regrets."

At various points in this book, I wanted to yell at Ruby and Meghan and various other characters to stop lingering on feelings and just cut them out completely until I realized that they just couldn't do that. Ruby might not be Jackson's girlfriend anymore or Kim's best friend, but her connections to them meant so much to her that she can't get rid of them just like that. Same with the rest of the cast. Some people are fortunate enough to have the ability to turn off their feelings for someone when they want to, but Ruby is not one of those people. She has trouble getting over her connections to people she once cared about; she's realistic, experiences some character growth, and is just like any teenage girl I could find in my classes.

Unlike the previous novel, I think this one had a set antagonist: Jackson. He made Ruby feel awful when they were dating, he still does for most of this novel, he cheats on his girlfriend Kim (which causes Ruby pain in a way that would take too long to explain here), and he even lies about her relationship status to people. His confusing gestures to Ruby kept her from getting over him for most of the novel. By this point, I am firmly anti-Jackson because he is not a good person and should not be allowed anywhere near Ruby. That's just my opinion, of course. Everyone's got their own.

Readers who liked The Boyfriend List will enjoy The Boy Book just as much and maybe even a little more, depending on whether or not they appreciate the switch of the main focus to friendship. The next book in the series, The Treasure Map of Boys, will surely be just as good as the two books that came before it.(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, ya, faves, 2011

Re-read...Ruby is back for another torturous year at Tate. Armed with tidbits from Doctor Z and the go to boy guide, The Boy Book, Ruby is attempting to wade through the remaining muck left behind from her disastrous sophomore year in which she lost not only her boyfriend, but all of her friends and was left branded with the blue spots of social lepersy.

The Boy Book is a perfect continuation of Ruby’s story and naturally, there are boy issues. First there's Noel, who she can't quite decide if sh...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Steph Su rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites-2

Ruby Oliver is back and more beloved than ever! At the start of junior year, Roo’s ex-best friend Kim is in Japan, and she’s still not speaking with her ex-boyfriend Jackson, whom Kim “stole” because she believed they were meant for each other. The only two people she’s sort of friends with are Noel, a guy who can be in any social group or none at all anytime he wants, and Nora, the only one out of her original group of four friends who will still speak with her. Roo continues her therapy sessio...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Erinn Batykefer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, young-adult, fiction, chick-lit

To me, E. Lockhart’s books are the best of Teen Chick Lit– they are realistic without taking themselves too seriously, they are funny without sacrificing wit and without blithely avoiding the difficult problems that come with learning who you are, who you love, and what’s important to you, as some chick lit does. Over the course of these four novels, Ruby suffers a major falling out with friends, goes to therapy because she starts having panic attacks, gets a job at the zoo, sees lots of films,...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This series just continues to amaze me. Ruby Oliver is back at Tate for another year: a year where she is wiser from her continual appointments with Doctor Z, more independent (although she would tell you this is a result of her being a "leper" the previous year), and armed with The Boy Book. In The Boy Book, Ruby has to deal with the consequences of her sophomore year debacle. Yes, this means dealing with her no-good ex-boyfriend whose radar frequency she's still on. Yes, this also means dealin...more This series just continues to amaze me. Ruby Oliver is back at Tate for another year: a year where she is wiser from her continual appointments with Doctor Z, more independent (although she would tell you this is a result of her being a "leper" the previous year), and armed with The Boy Book. In The Boy Book, Ruby has to deal with the consequences of her sophomore year debacle. Yes, this means dealing with her no-good ex-boyfriend whose radar frequency she's still on. Yes, this also means dealing with Nora, who may or may not be her friend; Cricket, who most certainly does not seem to be her friend; and Kim, who is definitely not her friend but thankfully in Tokyo. The only two true friends Ruby seems to have as of now are Meghan and Noel (and she isn't quite sure if he's a Friend-Boy or a potential crush or what), but Ruby's life has hit rock bottom and it can only get better from here...right?

The Boy Book, despite its name, is not really about boys all that much. Scratch that. It's totally about boys: their inability to speak on the phone, the confusing mixed signals they give out, and whether or not they're just your friend or a crush. I guess what I was trying to say is that The Boy Book is also about other things. It's about friendship, loyalty, growing-up, and more importantly, it's about Ruby and her journey to self-discovery.

Ruby Oliver is like my fictional best friend. She's funny, witty, sarcastic, moody, and constantly makes mistakes. Yet, she manages to pick herself up every time and charge forward - even when panic attacks, her crazy parents, and her nonexistent social life get in the way. The Boy Book is about what Ruby wants, what she has to do to get it and finding the right balance between being a good friend and a good person. Yet, by no means does Ruby completely change over-night. Yes, she has her small victories and triumphant moments, but personal growth can't be rushed and Ruby's character development is well-paced and realistic.

The Boy Book picks up right where The Boyfriend List left off and is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel. I found myself cheering for Ruby the whole way through (except maybe when she over-analyzed Jackson's notes...what a jerk) and learning with her and from her during her journey. I can't wait to see where Ruby's adventures (or should I say mishaps? debacles?) take her next!

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Nov 12, 2011 Lisa (lisaisbusynerding) added it

Shelves: read-it-want-it

in a sentence or so: Ruby is back for her Junior year at Tate Prep and is navigating the waters of high school while putting the slut rumors behind her, making new friends, and using what knowledge she has of boys to her advantage. excessive list-making and hilarity ensues.

this is book two of the Ruby Oliver quartet. if you have not read book one, there will be some spoilers abound. also, you should TOTALLY get on that because it’s hilarious and Ruby is a fun gal.

we pick up with Ruby as she ret...more

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May 05, 2011 V.E. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, I must admit that I was already sold after The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver but this book literally has me gushing. The series is only getting better. And even though it seems like it's just a book about high school girls liking boys, it ha really useful and deep messages like:
1) Life can get really complicated and you have to do the best you can
2) Doing the right thing isn't always easy, especially when you're not even sure what the...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realist-fic

I enjoyed this story even more than the first. I donlt know if this is because this one is sligtly less soul shatteringly empethetically depressing or because our heroien, Ruby, isn't so irriating when it comes to descion making. She also doesn't whine as much; althougt there is some whining involved but give her a break it's teen angst. Mostly I think I liked reading this book more because it follows more of a strict pattern and time line. With Roo #1 she seemed to jump around from past to "pre...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Cory rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teen Girls Who Want Something Better Than Meg Cabot

Recommended to Cory by: Nearly All My Goodreads Friends

This wasn't bad. Sure, it's full of cliches, and Ruby doesn't get with the guy I wanted her to get with, but honestly, I didn't expect this to be amazing. It's teen chick-lit, and it delivers as teen chick-lit.

I haven't read the first book in the series, and I don't want to read the first book. But if I ever come across the sequels, I might read them if I'm bored.

Ruby reminds me of Junie B. Jones. Weird, but true. And Noel reminds me of the Colonel from Looking for Alaska. You think such a com...more

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Oct 27, 2010 Clover (Fluttering Butterflies) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

How much do I adore Ruby Oliver?! After reading The Boyfriend List earlier in the year (and loving it!), and hearing about upcoming fourth book in the Ruby Oliver series, I was absolutely desperate to read The Boy Book sooner rather than later. And again, I loved it.

In this, Ruby is still a sort of pariah at Tate Academy. All of her old friends still aren't speaking to her after the events from The Boyfriend List. As she begins her junior year, she's still friends with Meghan, she's still seeing...more How much do I adore Ruby Oliver?! After reading The Boyfriend List earlier in the year (and loving it!), and hearing about upcoming fourth book in the Ruby Oliver series, I was absolutely desperate to read The Boy Book sooner rather than later. And again, I loved it.

In this, Ruby is still a sort of pariah at Tate Academy. All of her old friends still aren't speaking to her after the events from The Boyfriend List. As she begins her junior year, she's still friends with Meghan, she's still seeing Dr. Z (though she hadn't had any panic attacks in ages). Missing her friends, Roo pulls out the old Boy Book, the one that she used to write in with Kim and Cricket and Nora and she tries to move on with her life. She makes friends with Nora again and gets a job at the zoo. She's really enjoying getting to know Noel more and hanging out. There may even be some kissing going with Angelo of the big lips :) But most confusing of all, are the notes that start appearing from Jackson now that Kim is away in Japan. Now what does Jackson mean by doing that?

Ruby goes through some difficult stuff in The Boy Book. Patching up old friendships, deciding what she wants out of her relationships with Angelo and Noel and Jackson. Moving on from the decisions that she's made in the past and moving forward. Without therapy?

As always, Roo is such a fantastic character. She's so quirky and fun and I can't help but have a bit of a crush on her. The book is filled with excerpts from The Boy Book about her and her friends amusing experience with boys, and the smile-inducing footnotes regarding popular culture. Everything feels realistic and as Roo struggles with everything going on in her life, the readers struggles right along with her. Having an interest in psychology, I absolutely adored Roo's therapy sessions with Dr. Z and the way in which Roo is trying to become more self-aware and really think about the decisions and actions that she makes.

This is a very fun sequel in a series that's not to miss! (less)

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Oct 09, 2010 Jessica Lawlor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart continues the story of high schooler Ruby Oliver and the rest of her “friend-less” junior year. In the previous book, The Boyfriend List, Ruby is shunned by her three best friends after she violates one of the rules of the all-knowing “Boy Book.”

The second installment explains the rules of the Boy Book, written by Ruby and her three friends throughout the course of high school. After a summer of traveling with her mom, Ruby heads back to school and gets a job working...more

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Jun 13, 2010 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: senior-year

With a horrible reputation as the girl who will sleep with any guy, Ruby Oliver begins eleventh grade without a boyfriend, friends and respect. Though she was the innocent victim, she decided to cope with what she had instead of trying to get revenge. Eventually, she finds herself being the one to initiate a lot of things on her own and begins to find out what type of person she really is. As cliché as it may sound, this book shows you that good things do come to those who wait (and play by the...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult

Full review at http://yannabe.com/2009/12/29/boy-boo...

Summary: Ruby Oliver just started her junior year, but she still doesn’t have much to speak of in the way of friends—and definitely no boyfriend. Not only that, but the one boy she wants to move into the BF column? Roo’s former girlfriend who’s slowly warming back up to a friendship with her happens to have a crush on that same boy.

Review: The rest of this series made for quick, fun reads. The two issues I had with The Boyfriend List—too man...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Kyle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, awesome-cover, awesome-writing-style, best-books-of-all-time, better-than-expected, favorite-characters, favorites, funny, jun-jul-aug-quarterly-challenge, love-story-decent, mind-blowing, need-the-sequel-to-live, phenominal, really-excited, will-definitely-re-read

Let me just say, I absolutely hate chic-lit. To me, it's too heavy on the romance, sometimes can be very petty, and does not interest me whatsoever. When The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks caught my interest and went on my TBR (however it is not anymore since I read it and gave it 4.5 stars) I saw the Ruby Oliver books next to it, and when I clicked on it just to see what it was about, I saw so many five star ratings from people I trust, I just had to read it.

I liked The Boyfriend ...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Boy Book was an excellent continuation of The Boyfriend List; Ruby Oliver was back, zebra print glasses and all. In this one, Ruby was slowly trying to repair her reputation – it’s never easy shedding the labels of “leper” and “slut”, no matter whether they really apply to you or not, which Ruby knew better than anyone else. She was beginning to make friends with Nora again, and with Meghan and Noel, things started to seem almost normal. Until Nora admitted she liked Noel, and Ruby’s life wa...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, meg-s, young-adult, existential-romance, borrowed

It is pretty much crazy how much these novels read like a handbook for being a person. In context you might think that they are really just an explanation of how one first-world girl is living, with lots of hot tubs and cell phones, though she is not herself the owner of hot tubs or cell phones. And they are that, surely. Mostly because all of the people around Ruby, affecting her, are that context.

But yes. So good that one writer decided to just make it her job to unpack that life and see what...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Original Posting—The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver #2); Micheal L. Printz Honor Winner
The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, plus Techniques for Taming Them is a Micheal L Printz Award Winner. I chose this book as my audio book and it was a cute look inside a teenage girl's life in dealing with friends, boyfriends, crushes, school, and body image. Ruby Oliver is the main character and uses the "boy book" a.k.a. a notebook she and...more Original Posting—The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver #2); Micheal L. Printz Honor Winner
The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, plus Techniques for Taming Them is a Micheal L Printz Award Winner. I chose this book as my audio book and it was a cute look inside a teenage girl's life in dealing with friends, boyfriends, crushes, school, and body image. Ruby Oliver is the main character and uses the "boy book" a.k.a. a notebook she and her three girlfriends have devised over the last couple years to describe her current year in high school. The girls created chapters on everything from "Where to Make Out," "How to Make Out," to "Levels of Guy Friends." Ruby and her friends are a tight group who share everything with each other until Ruby and Jackson break up and Jackson begins to date Ruby's friend and fellow member of the group, Kim. This leads to the breakup of the group and the formation of sides/teams (typical teenage drama) and Ruby finds herself alone and the outsider. Since she is the current holder of the "Boy Book" she uses its chapters to discuss her current year in high school and her new love interests, her parents, her problem with letting go of the relationship with Jackson (which leads to therapy), etc. A pivotal moment in the book comes when all high school students must attend November Week. November Week is an enrichment activity where students embark upon faculty led retreats, trips, workshops, etc., to engage in in-depth analysis of a particular topic. Ruby is excited to go until she finds out Kim, her now enemy, is also attending. When Ruby delivers unpleasant news to Kim regarding the spotting of Jackson with another girl, Kim is furious and their friendship is tested once again.
This book made me laugh out loud in the car as Ruby discussed boys and their emotions, take on love, etc. The book takes you back to high school and all the things that you thought were so "important" during that time in your life. The language at times, I felt was a little extreme, but as a young adult audiobook the words used are mild to what I hear walking down the hallway of my high school. :) This was my first audio book experience and I felt it was a little awkward at first to get used to filing away the different characters presented as a drove down the highway. At our TriCities meeting, I commented that listening to the audio book became much easier if I was on the interstate/long stretches of road v. in-town driving. However, as I got used to the audiobook being on over the course of three days, I was able to follow along with no problem. My mother-in-law who listens to numerous audio books on her road trips to Florida told me that the narrator can be a factor on her ability to make sense of the characters, etc. She said there are often some books she has to abandon due to the narration. The narrator of The Boy Book, Kirsten Potter, was able to completely pull off teenage angst and tone of voice in her narration of the book. As stated earlier, as I got used to this new format of listening, I was easily able to follow along.
The Micheal L. Printz Award and Honor(s) go to books that can have a wide audience (ages 12-18) in the young adult sector. Of course, the award/honor is given to books with high literary merit. I believe The Boy Book would be appealing to younger teens (12-13) as well as older teens (17-18).
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Jun 02, 2011 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, chick-lit, 2011

Another hilarious installment in the life of Ruby Oliver, this time documenting everything you could possibly need to know about boys. This includes: The Care and Ownership of Boobs, Levels of Boyfriends, Clever Comebacks to Catcalls and Why Girls are Better than Boys as well as a number of other need-to-know pieces of boy wisdom.

In case you weren't aware by now, girls are better than boys because we smell better, always carry tampons and are more likely to survive if we fall off an ocean liner....more
Another hilarious installment in the life of Ruby Oliver, this time documenting everything you could possibly need to know about boys. This includes: The Care and Ownership of Boobs, Levels of Boyfriends, Clever Comebacks to Catcalls and Why Girls are Better than Boys as well as a number of other need-to-know pieces of boy wisdom.

In case you weren't aware by now, girls are better than boys because we smell better, always carry tampons and are more likely to survive if we fall off an ocean liner. Basically, this book is non-stop fun with a few actually important life lessons and issues thrown in there as well. There's a great deal of tackling sexism in it's many forms - subtle and otherwise - and also expressing feminist values without overdoing it. Most of it I agree with and I love how the author uses humour to prove her point rather than the traditional block-my-ears-now rant about seeing girls as sexual objects. I have one issue that I can't resist to point out, it's nothing original and it's been talked about and dissected a million times over... catcalling. Or wolf-whistling. Or car horn-honking. I honestly don't think this is sexist, if I saw a hot guy walking down the road I might attempt (pitifully) to wolf-whistle (and then possibly duck behind something like a 12 year old). My point is - and feel free to disagree - people go perving on each other all the time regardless of gender. I've never saw this as an issue, just something I wanted to comment on even though I know very few people will actually care :)

On the subject of boys, as that's kinda what this book is about, I really like that E. Lockhart doesn't give us a romanticised set of unrealistic and angelic male characters. Like I found with Melina Marchetta, we get the honest version of teenage boys (and it ain't so pretty) rather than some sparkling, "love you forever and always" Edward Cullen. This is obviously what I've been missing while I was wasting my time trying to find something worthwhile in the fantasy and paranormal romance side of young adult literature. Long live realistic fiction, it seems like that's where it's at lately.

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Jan 17, 2011 Katya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone who hates Vee

Recommended to Katya by: Tatiana

Shelves: favorites, laugh-your-arse-off-good, silently-contemplating, teen-lit, warm-cuddlies, 2011, the-ya-project

Ruby Oliver continues her journey to self-discovery in this second installment in E. Lockhart 's second installment in the Ruby Oliver series. Once more, we are given a harsh, but honest, view on the lives and dreams of teenagers nowadays.

One of the things I love about books is when they manage to draw me in, make me emotionally vested, get me to root for one hero and hate the next as if I were an actual participant. I honestly wish a painful, horrible experience on Jackson for what he does to R...more

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Sep 06, 2009 Ali rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-reading-books-2009

The characters in this book are Ruby Oliver, Nora, Meghan, Kim, Jackson, and Noel. Ruby, Nora and Kim all used to be best friends, until Ruby started going out with Kim's ex boyfriend, Jackson. Now Kim is in Tokyo and Ruby made a new friend named Meghan. Now that Ruby and Jackson are broken up, her and Nora are starting to become friends again. But Ruby is also becoming friends with Noel. Noel is very mysterious and goes to Tate Prep.

This book takes place in a small suburban town. Also, Ruby get...more

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May 06, 2012 kit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted here: http://bibliotekit.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Oy with the boys. The Boy Book is the second in the Ruby Oliver series, and after reading The Boyfriend List a couple of weeks ago, I requested this from the library. If you read my review of The Boyfriend List, you’ll know that I started to warm to Ruby considerably as the book drew to a close, and this time around I had a lot of sympathy for her situation. It might be a new school year, and there might be some new friends on the h...more Originally posted here: http://bibliotekit.blogspot.co.uk/201...

Oy with the boys. The Boy Book is the second in the Ruby Oliver series, and after reading The Boyfriend List a couple of weeks ago, I requested this from the library. If you read my review of The Boyfriend List, you’ll know that I started to warm to Ruby considerably as the book drew to a close, and this time around I had a lot of sympathy for her situation. It might be a new school year, and there might be some new friends on the horizon, but Ruby is still dealing with a) her bad reputation, b) her ever-present ex, and c) her lack of BFFs.

And, of course, boys. Lots of them, although not quite so many as in book 1. I was gratified to find that Noel took a bigger part, as did Hutch. I could take or leave Angelo, and I could certainly leave Jackson, who has no redeeming qualities in my eyes, and every time he appeared (in person or in thought), I wanted to shake Ruby until she realised he was in the running for moron of the year.

On first putting the (very short) book down, I was a little disappointed in the lack of romance (a brief dalliance with Angelo aside, which I remember mostly for the sitting-on-the-labrador moment). But having thought about it, I actually appreciate the path that book 2 takes. The structure follows The Boy Book first mentioned in the first book, a kind of how-to guide too boys that Ruby and her friends write a year or two before. By the end, however, Ruby has begun writing The Girl Book, which is actually a more accurate description of this book as a whole. There are still boys on the horizon, and all the confusion they bring, but what I enjoyed most was Ruby’s tentative forging of new friendships, her patching up of old ones, and her letting go of others. This was the part that felt the most authentic, whereby growing up is less about having some boy boob-grope you and more about figuring out who you are and where you stand.

This book made me smile a lot; Ruby’s parents are a nice touch of comic relief, and I enjoyed Ruby and Noel’s protracted plans to save Nora’s embarrassment over the photographs. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the Ruby Oliver series, although my citywide library system doesn’t have the other two books in the series (!) so I might have to wait a while!

Overall rating: 7/10(less)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/516182.The_Boy_Book?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320516454l/516182.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/516182.The_Boy_Book?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them by E. Lockhart[/url]

The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver #2)

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