Right away I got that Something About To Happen feeling. Right away I knew he was bad, and that it didn't matter.
It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she's with him.
In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby's mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group's own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip....
This book changed my life. This book changed my life. (Once more, with feeling: ) THIS BOOK CHANGED MY LIFE. I think it should be required reading for anyone with ovaries, regardless of age. I'm going to butcher the story by trying to one-liner it, but it's basically a good girl falls for a bad boy arc, with so many phenomenal character sketches and side plot lines. The main character's mom runs a book group for the elderly, and those characters do amazing things throughout it, including the scene that made me put the book down because I was crying too hard. She deals a lot, in a perfectly developed but still subtle way, with expectations put on girls vs expectations on boys, even as kids-that boys get to be adventurous and how it's supposed to be enough for the girls to settle for having the boy and not having the adventure. "Boys get mountains, girls just get boys." Every word of this novel is perfect. National book award finalist, as well.
writes,
I thought this book was amazing. Possibly the best I have read next to Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. I was captivated by Ruby's tale and found it nearly impossible to put the book down. Mostly I enjoyed how much I was able to relate to Ruby and all the little morals in the story were great.
I highly recomment this book to everybody. It's a great read and chances are you will enjoy it as much as I did :]
writes,
When Ruby's dad decides to come home for awhile, her mom cleans the entire house, shops for gourmet groceries, and starts wearing dresses all the time. She tries to become the magical, perfect woman who will make him stay. But she's done this dozens of times before, and Ruby knows that no matter what her mother does, her dad will disrupt their entire lives for a week or so and then leave her mother shattered again.
Ruby escapes with troublemaker Travis Becker, the gorgeous son of the town's richest family. He rides his motorcycle too fast and loves the thrill of taking things that are not his. Ruby quickly loses control in the relationship, as Travis's behavior quickly progresses from exciting to dangerous.
Ruby and her mother are both desperate to escape from the relationships that entrap them. True love does exist in the tiny town of Nine Mile Falls, however, and the two become involved in a plot to reunite two soulmates who have been separated for over 60 years.
Every character, even the bit players, are vividly described and made individual. The plot easily becomes a natural extension of the relationships among these characters. This book has the wisdom of a story told from a distance, as if an older and wiser Ruby is looking back at the defining summer of her life. Deb Caletti has created a little bit of magic with this book, perfect for anyone in love, looking for love, or repairing a broken heart.
