Ahh… back to the time when a girls brain is addled by boys, and tormented by mean girls…
Genre: Y/A, Contemporary
No. of pages: 208
From Goodreads:
Here is how things stand at the beginning of newly-licensed driver Ruby Oliver’s junior year at Tate Prep:
Kim: Not speaking. But far away in Tokyo.
Cricket: Not speaking.
Nora: Speaking–sort of. Chatted a couple times this summer when they bumped into each other outside of school–once shopping in the U District, and once in the Elliot Bay Bookstore. But she hadn’t called Ruby, or anything.
Noel: Didn’t care what anyone thinks.
Meghan: Didn’t have any other friends.
Dr. Z: Speaking.
And Jackson. The big one. Not speaking.
But with a new job, an unlikely but satisfying friend combo, additional entries to “The Boy Book” and many difficult decisions help Ruby to see that there is, indeed, life outside the Tate Universe.
‘The Boy Book’ was more entertaining than the debut (‘The Boyfriend List’). The main reason for this was down to less annoying juvenile tangents in the narrative, as if both the protagonist Ruby and the author suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder. Look! Squirrel! ‘The Boy Book’ has a charming quality. Though I still skimmed, it was much less than in the first book of the series, and there were even a few laugh out loud moments.
You clearly get a sense of Ruby evolving. Through her shrink and introspection – though she still does not understand why she has the impulses she does. I did get annoyed with Ruby and her boy-brain. I mean, sort yourself out and make a decision girl. I’d be greatful to have one interesting man wanting to initiate a relationship. Clearly I have sour grapes… now that I’m a dried up raisin with no attention flinging my way from the opposite sex. Maybe I should hire a sky writer? But I digress…
There’s still the turmoil and drama of high school, the passive, and not-so-passive bullying. The girl code. It was amusing but not all that interesting for me. I was excited about the slight change in tone, like Ruby getting more mature; hopefully leading to an even better read in the sequel ‘The Treasure Map of Boys.’ I have no patience when it comes to bullying in real life, so when it drags on in a novel without any definite measures taken to alleviate the situation, I feel like I’m sitting there, boiling in frustration. But: bravo to E. Lockhart for tackling this issue. Especially while the protagonist is dealing with mental health issues.
The girl dynamics are very true to life. And I think this is the shining light of ‘The Boy Book.’ Some friendships come and go, some need work and can be repaired. And some are strong no matter what goes down… and you just have to roll with the punches. Very representative of my youth. I still miss some of the girlfriends growing up in my home town, but inevitably people change and move away (and drop off the face of the map so there’s no hope of stalking them online.)
Dr Z seemed to play a more prominent role and show a bit of personality. Which I found as a great reprieve. For the authority figure, and the one who is helping Ruby come to terms with her mental illness, is both a valuable resource, and a human being.
‘The Boy Book’ has some fun parts and is a fast read. Cute quirky humour. I enjoyed the family dynamic more as we see Ruby’s parents seeming to get along better.
An okay, fun and super-fast read for the younger end of the YA demographic. Slightly elevated my opinion of this series. Interested to see what the next book brings.
Overall feeling: Flashback to my own school experience *I’m scared*
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Casey Carlisle 