Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

From Barnes & Noble

After her mom vanished in a stench of drugs and alcohol, Ruby continued to live in the family house alone. Finally found out, the introspective teenager is sent to the luxurious home of her older sister, Cora, whom she hadn't seen in ten years. Everything there seems unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and supremely weird: her fancy new room; her lavish new wardrobe; the exclusive private school where she never quite fits in. Most mysterious of all is Nate, the friendly boy next door who seems to have a deep secret of his own. Another subtle character-driven teen novel by Sarah Dessen, the author of Just Listen and That Summer.

From the Publisher

Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now she's living in a fancy new house with her sister Cora—a sister she hasn't seen in ten years—and her husband Jamie—creator of one of the most popular online networking sites. She's attending private school, wearing new clothes, and for the first time, feels the promise of a future that include college and her family. So why is she so wary? And what is Nate— the adorable and good-hearted boy next door— hiding behind his genial nature? As Ruby starts to see, there's a big difference between being given help, and being able to accept it. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you've got to reach out to someone else.

Publishers Weekly

Dessen (Just Listen) inverts a familiar fairy tale: what if Cinderella got the prince, the castle and all its accoutrements, but wasn’t remotely interested? After her mother abandons her, Ruby Cooper is flying below the radar of officialdom and trying to make it to her 18th birthday, when she’s busted by the landlord and turned over to social services. Ruby gets taken in by her estranged sister, Cora, who left for college a decade earlier and never looked back, and Cora’s husband, Jamie, the wealthy founder of a ubiquitous social networking site. Resentful, suspicious and vulnerable, she resists mightily, refusing the risky business of depending on anybody but herself, and wearing the key to her old house around her neck. All the Dessen trademarks are here—the swoon-worthy boy next door who is not what he appears to be; and the supporting characters who force Ruby to rethink her cynical worldview, among them the frazzled owner of a jewelry kiosk at the mall. The author again defines characters primarily through dialogue, and although Ruby and her love interest, Nate, sound wiser than their years, they talk the way teens might want to—from the heart. A must for Dessen fans, it will win her new readers, too. Ages 12-up.

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Children's Literature

Abandoned by her mother, Ruby has been living alone in a filthy house without running water or heat for two months. Her only goal is keeping her mother's disappearance a secret until she turns eighteen, legally free to be on her own. But with only a few months left, her secret is discovered and she is placed in the care of her sister Cora, who left ten long years ago. Living with Cora and her successful husband, Ruby now has access to things she previously thought impossible—new clothes, private schooling, a beautiful home, and even the possibility of college. Despite now having a family, a home, and all these opportunities, Ruby cannot let her guard down, fearing that at any moment everything could change and Ruby will be alone once again. After her next door neighbor Nate repeatedly helps her out of trouble, Ruby reluctantly becomes friends with him. As their relationship develops, Ruby discovers that Nate has more in common with her than she initially thought—secrets he cannot face. In order to help both Nate and herself, Ruby must make peace with her past and learn to trust others. Dessen's novel is quick and fun literary candy. While the plot is at times unrealistic, readers will connect to Ruby and root for her success. Reviewer: Melissa Joy Adams

VOYA

Dessen's latest novel is a testament to her development as a writer. Ruby is unlike any of her previous narrators. A loner by choice, Ruby follows in her mother's footsteps with drinking and drugs. Given a chance to start over, she redefines the meaning of family and in doing so, herself. The characters are real and relatable. This new book is Dessen's best since This Lullaby and it will captivate all readers. Reviewer: Abbe Goldberg, Teen Reviewer

KLIATT

AGERANGE: Ages 15 to adult.

Lock and Key is a quiet, moving dramatic family story such as we expect from Sarah Dessen, one of the fine authors of YA fiction. It is long, and could easily be considered a novel for adults as well as YAs. Ruby is almost 18 years old, and her mother has abandoned her. She tried to take care of herself and pay the bills, but the landlords figured it out and reported her to social services. Ruby’s life changes dramatically when her older sister Cora and Cora’s husband Jamie take her in. Instead of attending a huge, mediocre public school, she now is in a nurturing private school; she has a ready-made family who can take good care of her; it is possible for her to attend college. So, why is she so hesitant to trust Cora and Jamie, to relax and allow new friends into her life? As the months go by, slowly Ruby learns some truths about her own parents and about Cora, and she begins to allow people to love her and take care of her. She gets involved with the next-door neighbor, Nate, who seems to also be living the good life, but Ruby finds out how vulnerable Nate is to his abusive father. There is some smoking of weed, drinking of alcohol, and casual sex, but it is mostly suggested, not described in detail, and certainly not portrayed as positive in Ruby’s life. Thoughtful readers who like slowly unfolding family sagas will want to read this latest work by Dessen. Reviewer: Claire Rosser
March 2008 (Vol. 42, No.2)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up- Ruby, 17, is taken in by her older sister and brother-in-law when her mother abandons her. Ruby and her sister haven't spoken since Cora left for college a decade earlier. She moves from a semi-heated, semi-lighted farmhouse to a McMansion in a gated community. The theme of abandonment permeates the narrative-Ruby's mother's disappearance, Cora's perceived abandonment, and all of the small abandonments around every corner throughout Ruby's life. The plot hinges luxuriously on character arc. Ruby's drama of pathological self-reliance to eventual trust plays out through thoughtful, though occasionally heavy-handed, inner monologue and metaphor. As always, Dessen's characters live and breathe. Ruby's sweet hipster brother-in-law and Nate, the freakishly affable hottie next door, are especially vivid, and Cora's change from bitter control freak to sympathetic co-protagonist is subtle and seamless. Though Ruby and Nate don't have quite the cinematic chemistry of many of Dessen's couples, their cautious friendship into romance seems that much more realistic. The author's feel for setting is as uncanny as ever, and Ruby's descriptions of the homogenous nouveau riche Anytown are sharp, clever, and honest. The dialogue, especially between Ruby and Cora, is crisp, layered, and natural. The slow unfolding adds to an anticipatory mood. What's more, secrets and situations revealed in the second half of the novel are resolved more believably by already deeply developed characters. Recommend this one to patient, sophisticated readers.-Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

Overlong but easygoing piece about a girl shifting from defensive solitude to connection. Social Services doesn't allow Ruby to stay alone in the yellow house for very long after her mother disappears, instead placing her with older sister Cora and Cora's unflappably sweet husband. Having failed in an attempt to run away the first night, Ruby decides to wait out the year until she turns 18 and can be alone forever. The narrative arc is predictable: Ruby's new school is full of rich kids but she makes friends anyway; Cora's initial coldness is actually steady loyalty (and Cora never really deserted the family long ago-mom lied); the abused boy next door is outgoing and helpful, but he needs to learn the same lesson about trust that Ruby does. The key Ruby pragmatically wears as a necklace becomes a widespread jewelry fad, just one of many unsubtle symbols and forced messages. Sentences overflow with extra clauses and unnecessary details, contributing to the book's length. Dessen's tone, however, is invitingly non-threatening and will reward patient readers. (Fiction. YA)

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