Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),
lost her best friend (Kim),
lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),
did something suspicious with a boy (#10),
did something advanced with a boy (#15),
had an argument with a boy (#14),
drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),
got caught by her mom (ag!),
had a panic attack (scary),
lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),
failed a math test (she’ll make it up),
hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),
became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!). But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists. (Summary from Amazon)
The one thing that sticks with you about this book was how out of the ordinary and creative it was. The idea that so many people can have an effect on your life, no matter how small is mind blowing. Maybe the kids from my preschool made me who I am today, who knows? Another thing I liked about this book was Ruby's character. She was a classic E. Lockhart creation; spunky, sarcastic, witty, and brave. Every trait a good female character should have. The author definitely didn't disappoint on that front. And the one other thing that made the book work were the hilarious footnotes that were on almost every page. I loved that the little details were added into the book that way. I enjoyed that aspect of the book a ton. There were a few little things that I wasn't fond of in the book though. One of the main issues I had was that the narrative went back and forth from past to present without warning and it would often backtrack to touch down on points already told about. I can't take a ton of moving around like that when I'm reading. Also, I didn't like how the chapters were each labeled with one of the boys on the list because towards the end, the guy's story had been told in a previous chapter and there was nothing new to add to it in the chapter that was actually entitled to him. The whole layout of the book was a little hectic and mismatched which I didn't like. I also didn't like how unloyal Ruby's friends were to her. They let a little misunderstanding come between them which didn't help the realistic-ness of the story. Those things put aside, though, The Boyfriend List is a highly enjoyable book filled with laughter, cute guys, and only a few pitfalls. I'd recommend reading it. I myself will be picking up a copy of The Boy Book soon. I can't wait to read more about Roo's hilarious mishaps.
