Enchanting Review: The Treasure Map of Boys

THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon—and me, Ruby Oliver
E. LOCKHART
Contemporary YA
Delacorte Press
ISBN# 978-0-385-73426-4
256 Pages
$15.99
Hardcover—Available July 28, 2009

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Ms. Lockhart doesn’t disappoint with THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS,
the third book in the Ruby Oliver series. Ruby’s dealing with more of the same: issues with her parents; potential problems with her two friends and the biggest problem of all—boy trouble, something that escalates as she finds herself in charge of a bake sale and finds herself suddenly thrown together with her recently dumped ex, Jackson and not to mention things with her and Noel are going a lot differently then she would want them to.

The best thing about the Ruby Oliver series is Ruby herself. No other young adult character makes me laugh as hard or as often as Ruby. I love her interactions with her friends and the situations she finds herself in. When the last thing Ruby needs is another boy in her life to complicate things, in walks another, in the form of her good friend’s older brother. But hands down, my favorite scene of all is the science class experiment that goes so horribly, horribly wrong that leaves poor Ruby in a see-through shirt in front of a class full of jerky boys. Thankfully Noel saves the day, but the scene is something only Ruby could pull off.

I can only hope there are more books ahead with this great cast of characters. Fans of the series will no doubt love THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS.

E. Lockhart is the author of two other books about Ruby Oliver: The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book. Like Rook, she dislikes marshmallows and loves vintage clothing. Unlike Roo, she loves Birkenstock's and is old enough to remember when retro metal was not retro. Visit her at www.e-lockhart.com, where you can read all about Ruby and the sophomore year bake sale. Or check out her blog at www.theboyfriendlist.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Dramarama

DRAMARAMA
E. LOCKHART
YA Contemporary
Hyperion
ISBN# 978-078983815-8
320 pages
$7.99
Paperback Available now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Sarah and Demi are the two misfits of high school. They’re lives change when they go to Wildewood, an elite boarding school for the performing arts. While there, Sarah is Sadye and Demi comes out of the closet, comfortable for the first time about his sexuality. But while Demi soars at the school, Sadye finds that maybe she’s not good enough to succeed. All the while her relationship with Demi is tested. Will their friendship withstand one of them making the big time?

I loved this story! Sarah’s conflicts were so real. Her experiences were similar to going to American Idol try outs for the theater. The harshness of that life is very true. Not all will be stars. Sarah’s struggles to be happy for Demi, while he succeeds, rang true. I also liked how Lockhart shows Demi finding his true home, a place where he’s accepted for who he is.

Once again Lockhart delivers a hilarious and totally unforgettable look into the friendship of two who learn to become the best in whatever they do. A must read!

E. Lockhart is the author of The Boyfriend List, Fly on the Wall, The Boy Book, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Check out more on Lockhart at www.e-lockhart.com

Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 09

Enchanting Review: The Boy Book

THE BOY BOOK

E. LOCKHART

Contemporary YA

Delacorte Press

ISBN 978-0-385-73209-3

193 Pages

$8.99

Trade--Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Life hasn't gotten any easier for Ruby Oliver. In fact, its getting even more confusing. Sure, she really has no friends after what happened between them at the end of the school year; she and Jackson are definitely over (aren't they?) and the only person she kept in contact with over the summer is Noel, but who knows if their friendship is real or he's just being nice to her for the sake of being nice. The only thing Ruby knows is life is getting complicated and all she's got left of her friendships is THE BOY BOOK, the book she and her friends have written in for years. Its just too bad it doesn't tell her how to get them all back.

THE BOY BOOK is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. I really enjoyed Ruby. She's a really fun character and I loved the scenes with her and her therapist Dr Z. So much of this book had me laughing out loud and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. From her footnotes which were hilarious at times, to her trying to figure out how to deal with the fact her ex is sending her notes again, all the while his girlfriend and her former BFF is in Japan…well things couldn't get worse could they? But unfortunately for Ruby they do. Between juggling guys, trying to renew friendships with at least one of her former friends and dealing with her wacky parents and her appointments with Dr. Z, Ruby struggles with a lot and the result is quite amusing and a total keeper of a book.

I can't wait to read more about Ruby and co. She's definitely become one of my favorite YA characters. Hope the next two books come out soon!

E. Lockhart is the author of two books about Ruby Oliver — The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book — plus two more coming soon. Other books: Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and How to Be Bad. You can visit her online at her brand new website: http://e-lockhart.com

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

October 2008