Family really is a pain…especially when your father is an addict.

 

I have found another great book loaded with angst. The best thing was how accurate the author was with her addiction portrayals. I loved the fact that she incorporated AA and Teen AA. That was the best part of the book.

For the characters, I loved Ruby, name and all! She is focused on work, school, Dragon (he is a dog and her best friend), and her car a Gremlin. That is until she gets a camp job and meets Lexi. They go to school together and she works at the canoe activity too. She doesn’t need the money, she says it will help her get into a good college and it looks good on an application. This why the author was SO good. All these little details made it a great read. Enter Brent the one who was into Frankie and very personable. Wait what rumor? Oh he and Frankie broke up?

Can it get any better? He asks her to go out and Lexi is shocked at first but jumps into action. She prepares all of Ruby’s stuff and pumps her up for the big date. Lexi is into Brent’s friend Owen. Lexi openly expresses her “occurrences”with Owen and that makes Ruby blush.

Ruby is sort of one person on an island. Her Dad’s Brother, Uncle Jason aka Jas and her cousin Cody live next door. They are all so stuck in the past. They act like they are twenty somethings all drinking and hanging out without a care in the world.

What I truly loved was the authors portrayal of Ruby. She is strong , determined, smart, and responsible. She also feels somewhat sorry for her dad. I wont say she excuses his behavior, but she understands it and just chooses to remain in her house without communication. It is a tale with so many twisting turns you will love it.

Overall it is a wonderful must read for the lovers of this genre. Now I love angst and the meter was pretty high here so please jump on the emotional train into Ruby Tuesday land!

YA-M: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language

Renee loves to wear hoodies, is fluent in Yoda speak, and likes to make videos with Lego figures. She is a long time insomniac, but doesn’t have the energy to start an underground Fight Club so she settles for writing stories about the characters who plague her mind. She grew up in the Midwest and currently resides in the Boston area, but sounds nothing like Ben Affleck or Matt Damon.