Lock and Key

Lock and Key is a novel by Sarah Dessen, the New York Times bestselling author.

421 pages, Published in 2008 by Viking (a division of Penguin Young Readers Group), republished in 2009 by Speak (an imprint of Penguin Group)

Summary

Ruby can take care of herself.

She's used to counting on no one and answers to nobody. But all of that changes when her mother abandons her and Ruby is sent to live with her older sister, where Ruby's got her own room in a fabulous new house, goes to private school and - for the first time - feeling as if she has a future. Plus, there's the adorable and sweet boy next door. Everything should be perfect. So why is Ruby so wary and why is Nate keeping her at a distance? Ruby soon comes to realize that sometimes, in order to save others, you first have to save yourself.

First Sentence(s): "And finally," Jamie said as he pushed the door open, "we come to the main event. Your room."


Pros

• "The dialogue...is crisp, layered, and natural." -Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
• "Extremely readable and enjoyable." -Little Willow on amazon.com
• "Lock and Key is a wonderful heartfelt story." -Teens Read Too on amazon.com

Cons

• "The story moved too quickly and predictably." -Jenny on amazon.com
• "The plot is a bit weak and strange." -moviemadness on commonsensemedia.org
• "It felt like there was something missing." -3268061 on barnesandnoble.com

Personal Verdict
2.5 out of 5

Although Lock and Key is an interesting and complex story, it is somewhat slow, plodding, and lacking in imagination.

Related Books

1. Icing on the Lake by Catherine Clark

2. So Inn Love by Catherine Clark

3. Lucky by Rachel Vail

4. What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

5. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

6. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

About the Author

Sarah Dessen was born in Evanston, Illinois on June 6, 1970. She moved with her family to Virginia then North Carolina where she now resides with her husband, Jay, daughter Sasha Clementine, and dogs. After dropping out of Greensboro College she began taking classes at the University of North Carolina where she graduated with honors. She was a waitress for some time before leaving her job to accept a position as a teacher at UNC. She then left that job to become a full time author.

-Wikipedia