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243rd out of 1,073 books
—
6,107 voters
Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver #4)
by
E. Lockhart
Ruby Oliver, the neurotic, hyperverbal heroine of the The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The Treasure Map of Boys, is back!
Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.
Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is ea...more
Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.
Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is ea...more
Hardcover, 225 pages
Published
December 28th 2010
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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As seen on The Readventurer
This is another series conclusion that doesn't disappoint.
Granted, the book started rather rocky for me. You see, Ruby now (finally) has a boyfriend after getting no proper action due to her uber-slut reputation. But the moment she gets him, our girl is back to her Jackson-time antics, meaning her guy is the most important part of her life, the epicenter of her existence. When things get difficult with him, she is back to her insecure self - being fake about her feelin...more
This is another series conclusion that doesn't disappoint.
Granted, the book started rather rocky for me. You see, Ruby now (finally) has a boyfriend after getting no proper action due to her uber-slut reputation. But the moment she gets him, our girl is back to her Jackson-time antics, meaning her guy is the most important part of her life, the epicenter of her existence. When things get difficult with him, she is back to her insecure self - being fake about her feelin...more
Four days, four Ruby books.
Not much sleep, loads of laughs... and now I have a new favorite female lead who is far from perfect but definitely unforgetable. YA contemps/ chick lit need not be angst-filled, drama-ridden to be good. And while Ruby's stories are angst-filled and drama-ridden, hers are hilarious and painful and truthful and accurate.
Reading Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver is like the before and after of a roll...more
Not much sleep, loads of laughs... and now I have a new favorite female lead who is far from perfect but definitely unforgetable. YA contemps/ chick lit need not be angst-filled, drama-ridden to be good. And while Ruby's stories are angst-filled and drama-ridden, hers are hilarious and painful and truthful and accurate.
Reading Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated, I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver is like the before and after of a roll...more
5 likes · like · see review
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
2 likes · like · see review
*Just FYI: This review contains zero spoilers for any of the books in the series*
Remember that time I read a complete series in a week? Yeah, that totally just happened right now! I started The Boyfriend List, the first Ruby Oliver book on December 9th and finished this one today, the 15th. Reading a complete series in a week can take some dedication, as well as some wiggle room in the review schedule. I would not have been able to complete this feat had the Ruby Oliver books not been so consis...more
Remember that time I read a complete series in a week? Yeah, that totally just happened right now! I started The Boyfriend List, the first Ruby Oliver book on December 9th and finished this one today, the 15th. Reading a complete series in a week can take some dedication, as well as some wiggle room in the review schedule. I would not have been able to complete this feat had the Ruby Oliver books not been so consis...more
Feb 06, 2011
Jillian -always aspiring-
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Teen girls! Grown women! Anyone who will listen to me harp and gush! READ IT!
Caution: Do not even bother picking up this book if you have not read the first three books in the series -- and I highly recommend them to you. The books in order are as follows: The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver, The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them, and The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver. If you ever get the chance, read them. You will be doing yoursel...more
Oh, Ruby Oliver. The Meghans of the (real and fictional) world just want you to be happy. I don't really know what else to tell you. I'm sad and I'm glad, and you are funny and kind, and your parents are crazy, and you are not, and the best thing about you is that every time I'm done with one of your books I know where you are at that exact point but I don't feel as though E. Lockhart has pinned you down in a place for the sake of a happy ending. Like, you could go anywhere from here. I don't kn...more
I think I'm upgrading this whole series to a 5.
I laughed. I cried (no really! Megan and the cake! and AHHH!!!! That's cryptic on purpose). I felt like Ruby was talking directly to me. These books are just a complete joy to read. Reading a book should feel like THIS. That magical wonderful can't-put-down, stay-up-past-bedtime, frenzy of words.
(I might try to write a real review. But you shouldn't wait. Just read this series already)
I laughed. I cried (no really! Megan and the cake! and AHHH!!!! That's cryptic on purpose). I felt like Ruby was talking directly to me. These books are just a complete joy to read. Reading a book should feel like THIS. That magical wonderful can't-put-down, stay-up-past-bedtime, frenzy of words.
(I might try to write a real review. But you shouldn't wait. Just read this series already)
6 likes · like · see review
The Ruby Oliver quarter should be required reading for teenage girls. Not for school--though, don't get me wrong, it's well-written and has a unique voice that's entirely Ruby's. (I laughed out loud several times over the course of this one, as I did while reading all three prequels.) No: this series is important because Lockhart really doesn't pull any punches when it comes to teen life.
But it's all so funny and refreshing that things like marital strife and Ruby's school torment don't interrup...more
But it's all so funny and refreshing that things like marital strife and Ruby's school torment don't interrup...more
I had a very lazy day today and read this entire series (well, I read half of book one yesterday). I didn't like the first book much - not because it was poorly written or I hated the characters, but because there was NO END. The second and third books had the same problem. This fourth book was my favorite and I think part of that is because it actually has an ending. The first three books go like this: Lots of really bad stuff happens to Ruby. Ruby makes some dumb decisions. Ruby has a panic at...more
FYI, yang saya baca adalah versi terjemahan yang diterbitkan oleh Elex Media Komputindo.
Buku terakhir dari serial Ruby Oliver. Di buku ini, Ruby sudah menginjak tahun terakhir di Semesta Tate, alias SMAnya. And that's why she was busy with all of those things about preparing her study at the university. But still, life was not as simple as 1 2 3 for Ruby Oliver. Nenek Ruby meninggal, yang membuat ayah Ruby depresi. Instead of trying make things better, ibu Ruby dengan segala eksentrisitasnya ber...more
Buku terakhir dari serial Ruby Oliver. Di buku ini, Ruby sudah menginjak tahun terakhir di Semesta Tate, alias SMAnya. And that's why she was busy with all of those things about preparing her study at the university. But still, life was not as simple as 1 2 3 for Ruby Oliver. Nenek Ruby meninggal, yang membuat ayah Ruby depresi. Instead of trying make things better, ibu Ruby dengan segala eksentrisitasnya ber...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I never would have picked up this series if not for some glowing reviews from trusted Goodreads friends; the titles don't appeal to me at all, and the summaries for each book tend to play up their quirky side in a way that could easily lead a potential reader to believe these books are shallow.
They really aren't. While they are fun, and they are funny, E. Lockhart's real strength in this series is her ability to write characters--a main character in particular--in an emotionally authentic way....more
They really aren't. While they are fun, and they are funny, E. Lockhart's real strength in this series is her ability to write characters--a main character in particular--in an emotionally authentic way....more
2 likes · like · see review
I'm going to be perfectly honest and just say it: I'm feeling very Reginald. I don't want to say good-bye to Ruby but at the same time, I almost don't want to see a fifth Ruby Oliver book. I'd like to think that Ruby has learned as much as she can possibly learn, has experienced all types of crazy scenarios and that in the future, although she is bound to still find herself in a mountain of debacles, she'll be able to persevere onward, facing them head-on, and tackle them with her vast knowledge...more
3 likes · like · see review
This book felt a little superfluous in terms of romance, which is odd because technically it wraps up various things that started earlier in the series. Ruby comes out of it stronger, smarter, more self-assured with regards to boys and much less dependent on her relationship with Noel. We're talking about someone who compares her boyfriend to a flashlight in the darkness of her life in the third book, and her therapist says, paraphrasing, "That's an interesting metaphor. What happens if the flas...more
1 like · like · see review
I was extremely surprised that I loved the Ruby Oliver series so much, mainly because it's plot is kind of shallow. Now hold on, don't go judging me, I adore E. Lockhart and I adore this series. Let me explain.
When you think of a book that's largely about a girl lusting/loving/hating/being confused about boys, I do not think of something that is worth my time. But Ruby Oliver has substance. She wears vintage clothes, is sarcastic and uses strange words (spankin'!), and maybe she isn't the pretti...more
When you think of a book that's largely about a girl lusting/loving/hating/being confused about boys, I do not think of something that is worth my time. But Ruby Oliver has substance. She wears vintage clothes, is sarcastic and uses strange words (spankin'!), and maybe she isn't the pretti...more
1 like · like · see review
The book Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart was a fabulous book! I had a great time reading it and the book was full of surprises. The main character of this book is Ruby Oliver, a High School girl full of curiosity and worry. Her best friend is Kim, who helps her along her stressful drama, and her boyfriend's name is Noel. Noel starts off as the perfect "real live" boyfriend then goes bad after a trip to Paris. While in Paris, Ruby and Noel start to fade and when Noel returns they have a disas...more
I'm going to do this Ruby Oliver style. In a list.
1. I don't like Noel. But I learned to deal and accepted the fact that he was going to be in this a lot.
2. Ruby's life continues to astound me. Her parents are crazy.
3. As always, it was the little things I liked the best. Like gay penguin stories and video interviews.
4. But-but...Gideon? Slobbery kisses? Tanned arms? Surfer-boy Gideon? I love him.
5. Hutch is sweet. And absent. I missed him.
6. Noel is still not a very good character.
7. Whoa, did...more
1. I don't like Noel. But I learned to deal and accepted the fact that he was going to be in this a lot.
2. Ruby's life continues to astound me. Her parents are crazy.
3. As always, it was the little things I liked the best. Like gay penguin stories and video interviews.
4. But-but...Gideon? Slobbery kisses? Tanned arms? Surfer-boy Gideon? I love him.
5. Hutch is sweet. And absent. I missed him.
6. Noel is still not a very good character.
7. Whoa, did...more
1 like · like · see review
When I heard this was to be the last Ruby Oliver book, I was sad. Very sad. Ruby feels like an old friend, and I hate that she's moving away, so to speak. But now that I've read the book, I'm okay that it ended. I think perhaps our friendship had gotten to the point that we would have drifted apart even if she hadn't been leaving. Metaphorically speaking.
Anyway, I found the book to be less engrossing than previous Ruby Oliver books. I don't know if that's because I've changed or because Ruby jus...more
Anyway, I found the book to be less engrossing than previous Ruby Oliver books. I don't know if that's because I've changed or because Ruby jus...more
I decided to read this book because it was on the ALA top books for teens of 2011. I didn't realize going into it that it was the 4th in a series. Thankfully, that didn't really affect the book. It was obvious there were things that happened in the other books that helped form this book, but it didn't make this book hard to follow. Everything that needed to be explained was, and it wasn't in a way that would have been annoying had I read the other books.
The book was a fun read. I really liked t...more
The book was a fun read. I really liked t...more
Feb 08, 2011
Sue Morris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
young adults
Shelves:
my-library,
young-adult
Now a high school senior, Ruby Oliver has decided to make a documentary on love and popularity for her college admission packets. Ruby interviews her friends; the ones she hasn't yet lost. Noel, Ruby's boyfriend, has become a "pod-robot lobotomy patient." Her mother has gone away on a solo vacation, her grandmother has died and her father is stuck in the grieving process. Ruby's one constant is her sense of humor, which she needs when Noel goes to New York to visit his brother and is no longer a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Real Live Boyfriends was a great finale to Ruby Oliver's journey from a neurotic high school sophomore to a more balance high school senior, on the verge of the rest of her life. I wanted to kick Ruby throughout much of this book, because she seemed like she had learned nothing from her therapy or her previous experiences. She was very mean to her mom! However, in her defense, I wanted to kick her mother, too. I just felt sorry for her father. Ruby's life isn't perfect, but you can rest assured...more
The review won't be just about this book, it will be about the entire series.
I still like Ruby, with all her obsessing about boys. I like how she started to understand who her friends really are. She really matured during the course of the series. Of course there were some moments when she annoyed me, but overall she was OK.
I'm primarily a romance reader and there were times when it bugged me that she couldn't settle on a guy and kept changing her opinions. But the confusion she felt was real s...more
I still like Ruby, with all her obsessing about boys. I like how she started to understand who her friends really are. She really matured during the course of the series. Of course there were some moments when she annoyed me, but overall she was OK.
I'm primarily a romance reader and there were times when it bugged me that she couldn't settle on a guy and kept changing her opinions. But the confusion she felt was real s...more
2 likes · like · see review
Wow. So I finished the Ruby Oliver Series. And it was phenomenal. I LOVED this heroine. She felt really honest to me, and real. The author obviously remembers what it was like to be a teenager. All the emotions Ruby felt are perfect. The debacles she got herself into are brilliant and hilarious. (I have started to use the word "debacle" on a daily basis. Thank you, E. Lockhart!)
And now onto the complaints, because I always have complaints and as wonderful as this series and this book was, I stil...more
And now onto the complaints, because I always have complaints and as wonderful as this series and this book was, I stil...more
I am in a roller-coaster of feelings right now. And I can't really help it- not even if I actually wanted to.
I am so glad I found this series! Ruby has made pass from laughing hysterically to almost crying with her or being absurdly mad at a certain fictional character. Made me understand a little bit more about the whole Mocha Latte stage of my life (with help of Doctor Z), and how to have Reginalds under control.
Characters I loved throughout the series: Nora, Noel, Finn the Muffin, Hutch, Doc...more
I am so glad I found this series! Ruby has made pass from laughing hysterically to almost crying with her or being absurdly mad at a certain fictional character. Made me understand a little bit more about the whole Mocha Latte stage of my life (with help of Doctor Z), and how to have Reginalds under control.
Characters I loved throughout the series: Nora, Noel, Finn the Muffin, Hutch, Doc...more
For some reason I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest after finishing this series because:
Ruby was a handful.
Noel was too brooding.
Ruby's mom was being unreasonable.
So was her dad.
Everything was so depressing and heavy but I still devoured the book in a few hours. The ending was decent. It wrapped up her life and growing process well. I'm glad this is the last book because I'm literally done with dealing with Ruby's insane life. I really like E. Lockhart's humor and writing style so...more
Ruby was a handful.
Noel was too brooding.
Ruby's mom was being unreasonable.
So was her dad.
Everything was so depressing and heavy but I still devoured the book in a few hours. The ending was decent. It wrapped up her life and growing process well. I'm glad this is the last book because I'm literally done with dealing with Ruby's insane life. I really like E. Lockhart's humor and writing style so...more
REAL LIFE BOYFRIENDS, by E. Lockhart, is the fourth book in the Ruby Oliver series. I hate to admit when I signed up for this tour I had no idea that it was the fourth book in a series. I usually don't like to read books out of series but I was very interested in this book from the synopsis so I decided to jump out of my comfort zone. Although I am sure there was more background that I was missing out on, I admit that I absolutely loved this book.
Ruby's voice is absolutely charming and lovable....more
Ruby's voice is absolutely charming and lovable....more
I have just finished this book, the fourth in the Ruby Oliver series, and I am sad. Really sad. Sad with a capital S. It's the last book in the series, and I won't get to read about Ruby anymore. I feel like someone has died. I think I might have got too emotionally involved in these books.
Real Live Boyfriends is just as brilliant as the other novels in the series, but it's also different. It's a pretty sad book. Sure, the others in the series weren't exactly bright and breezy, but this is sad i...more
Real Live Boyfriends is just as brilliant as the other novels in the series, but it's also different. It's a pretty sad book. Sure, the others in the series weren't exactly bright and breezy, but this is sad i...more
My personal review on this book, is that i really liked it. This book is about "real live boyfriends", and the main character, Ruby, is telling, and describing to you that you can't have a boyfriend forever. Ruby and her (used to be) friend Nora, got in a huge fight because Nora "took" Ruby's boyfriend Noel, and Ruby got really mad, and then they weren't friends anymore. That shows you, (she said) that guys are a waste of time, and that they're not going to last forever, so don't get to love the...more
This conclusion to the Ruby Oliver Quartet couldn't have been better. E. Lockhart did a fantastic job of wrapping up Ruby's debacles and once again delivered a story that kept me laughing. It also had me crying. And cheering for Ruby. And crushing on Noel.
Real Live Boyfriends begins with an entry of Ruby's about the definition of a real live boyrfiend (as opposed to a not so great boyfriend). Her definition of a real live boyfriend is a boyfriend who always calls you back, who sits with you at...more
Real Live Boyfriends begins with an entry of Ruby's about the definition of a real live boyrfiend (as opposed to a not so great boyfriend). Her definition of a real live boyfriend is a boyfriend who always calls you back, who sits with you at...more
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E. Lockhart is the author of a number of teen novels. She has had nine official boyfriends, if you count the boy who asked her to go with him at a 7th grade dance and then basically never talked to her again. She has never been on a sports team of any kind and got excused from gym class by going to ballet lessons. She has a tattoo, cuts her own hair, and has worn the same perfume since high school...more
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“I can't forget things, or ignore them-bad things that happen," I said. "I'm a lay-it-all-out person, a dwell-on-it person, an obsess-about-it person. If I hold things in and try to forget or pretend, I become a madman and have panic attacks. I have to talk.”
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“Maybe a friend is someone who wants your updates. Even if they're boring. Or sad. Or annoyingly cutesy. A friend says "Sign me up for your boring crap, yes indeed"--because he likes you anyways. He'll tolerate your junk”
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