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"Lock and Key" was a very interesting book about a girl named Ruby and her struggles with poverty, family, friends, and herself. Ruby has an older sister Cora who moved away from her and her mom when she was young. Ruby's mother was abusive, and often times she left the house to go drink and party and didn't come back until a few days after she left. When Ruby's mom got mad, she would slap, punch, and hit Ruby; before Cora left, Cora was the one that got abused. One day when Ruby's mom didn't come back, Ruby was left to live on her own. She had to fend for herself: going to her mom's night job (delivering lost luggage from the airport), going to school during the day, and she also had to pay for the electric and water bills. After her dryer broke and the electricity went out, that's when the homeowners discovered that her mom left her. Ruby got sent to Social Services, and that's when she went to live with her sister in an upscale neighborhood. Here Ruby would find the true meaning of family and discover what happened with her life all these years. She also learns to trust people, to be herself, and to start new relationships with others once she had moved on.
This book "Lock and Key" first took place in a run-down house in the middle of nowhere. Then once Ruby's mom left her, she had to move in with her sister and husband in a very wealthy neighborhood. Ruby has troubles with drugs and alcohol; she also has problems with the boy next-door Nate. She doesn't think that they're friends even though he drives her to school everyday and helps her along when she makes stupid decisions. Nate has a problem with his dad and being abused, which Ruby formerly had a problem with her mom doing to her.
I give this book five stars! I loved everything about this book from the setting, the plot, the characters, and most of all, Sarah Dessen is an amazing author! I would recommend fans of Sarah Dessen or Jen Calonita to read this book because they have similar characters-teen girls. This book has romance and a lot of drama, so if you like either of those topics, I would recommend this to you.
