Genre 3: Verse Novels

Bibliography

Sones, Sonya. 2004. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. ISBN 0-689-85820-5

Plot Summary

One of Those Hideous books Where the Mother Dies, a book by author Sonya Sones, we learn about the ups and downs in the life of Ruby. In this Young Adult work of fiction, Ruby's beloved mother dies and she has no other choice but to move with her estranged father Whip Logan. Whip is an actor who is use to the high profile life that come with super stardom. However, Ruby hates that she will have to make a new life in Los Angeles and wishes that she could be back home with her Aunt Duffy, best pal Lizzie, and her gorgeous boyfriend Ray. While aboard the plane that will take her to her new life, Ruby tries to convince us that she's not depressed. But who wouldn't be depressed, not to mention upset, after having to leave the only life we've ever known to be with a father who left our mother before she even gave birth? After a long, eventful flight, Ruby finally meets her dad for the first time. He's happy to meet Ruby, but she is not in the forgetting or forgiving mood. Actually it's a long, bumpy road ahead for Ruby and Whip. This daughter, a product of a humble upbringing, isn't impressed with her new mansion of a house, and she is even less excited about her fancy new school. The only thing that's keeping Ruby from cracking up is her emails and sometimes infrequent phone calls to and from her family and friends back home. Furthermore, these things along with the emails she sends to her deceased mother, helps Ruby to adapt to her new life in L.A. She also finds a friend named Collette at her new school and an acquaintance named Max, who is Whip's assistant. Of all of her father's famous business associates and friends, Max is the only person that Ruby befriends because he is the only one who truly makes her feel welcome in her new surroundings. What's also frustrating to Ruby is her elective class "Dream Interpretations." In this class, students sit in a circle while holding hands and share the dreams they have experienced while in slumber. Ruby isn't too thrilled about the class expectations, but is relieved when she's not forced to share with the class. While trying to cope with a new school and trying to get use to her dad's sudden interest in her, Ruby is not feeling the love from back home. She has a reason to be feeling this void because she hasn't heard from Lizzie and Ray because they are now an item. Ruby is shocked, hurt, and feels once again that she has not lost only her mother, but two of the closest people to her. Nevertheless, this disappointment was a major breakthrough for Ruby. After she stopped feeling sorry for herself, she begin to listen to her father and she started to pay closer attention to her dreams. One particular dream that Ruby was able to remember was of her dead mother insistently telling her to get out of the house. Ruby heeded this advice and it saved her from being injured by a tree crashing through her bedroom window, which was caused by an earthquake. Ruby not only realizes that remembering dreams are sometimes important, not to mention lifesaving, but she also found out that her dad did want to play an active role in her life. Unfortunately, Ruby's mother didn't want Whip to be in his daughter's life and he didn't force the issue. Now to Ruby, everything makes sense. She was now able to move on with her new life with her father and with Max, who she finds out is her father's partner. Ruby accepts life as it is and is now ready to move forward in Los Angeles. She not only forgives her father, but she also finds it in her heart to forgive her friend Lizzie.

Critical Analysis

Sonya Sones definitely knows how to keep the attention of the Young Adult reader in this book. At times, the reader may find themselves laughing hysterically, becoming wide-eyed, or even cying. The author's ability ot play on the reader's emotions prove why this book is a true work of unforgettable verse. Sones' tone throughout the book is sympathetic to Ruby's plight and the light heartedness of the story kept the reader enthralled and wanting to keep turning the pages. From being taken down by the sad lines of Ruby saying "I didn't have mom's hand to hold, my heart flung itself up into my throat," to the funny nicknames of Ruby Dooby, Raymeo, and Lizanthamum that were used in communications, the reader is quickly brought right back up! Ruby describes her new bedroom by saying, "He stops in front of an oak door and whips it open to reveal--my bedroom." The "intended pun" of "whips" in the lines above keep this story interesting. Usually in the genre Poetry, the reader expects a continuous use of rhyme. This didn't occur in this story and surprisingly rhyme wasn't missed because the author was able to keep the reader's attention without it. The language used by Ruby and her friends almost reached the top at times, but when one thinks about it, like most teenagers, they probably say even worse. "What the ______?!" Many readers can probably fill in the blank with their own colorful term that they've used once or twice in their lifetime. This book will no doubt be enjoyed by Young Adult audiences and the only thing that could possibly be wrong with it is that it ended far too soon. Moreover, the book is almost 300 pages and can be easily read within a couple of hours!

Review Excerpts

Starred review in Kirkis Reviews: "Ruby's eventual adjustment and her rapprochement with her father...will come as no surprise to readers, but, hey--this is hollywooed after all, and sometimes a happy ending is exactly waht we need."

Starred Review in School Library Journal: "Ruby's story is gripping, enjoyable, and memorable."

Connections

*Teenagers most often have concerns about what they are experiences in life. This is a good book to suggest to them because it shows them that they are not alone in the world, but are like many other teenagers.

*Gather other books of verse associated with Sonya Sones: Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday. ISBN 1-4000-5270-X and Love and Sex: Ten Stories of Truth. ISBN 0-689-83203-6

*Gather other books of poetry about the life of adolescents: Grandits, John. Blue Lipstick: Concrete Poems. ISBN 9780618851324

Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. ISBN 9780374317768

*Another book that deals with the many emotions of a teenage: November, Deeana and Rosenberg, Liz. I Just Hope It's Lethal: Poems of Sadness, Madness, and Joy. ISBN 978061856452