Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

This past week I have been reading Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen, a well-known teenage author. She writes books mostly about teenage girls, dealing with family, friend, or school issues. The main character in Lock and Key, Ruby, has been dealing with family issues ever since she was a little girl. Her parents are divorced, and her mother was an abusive drunk. Her sister Cora was ten years older than her, and always protected Ruby from the world. When Cora left to go to college, Ruby thought she would never have any contact with her again--Cora stopped calling and Ruby and her mother were constantly moving. At age 17, Ruby hasn't spoken to Cora in over ten years, and her mother has abandoned her. At first, she manages okay, and then eventually can't pay the bills and her necessary appliances (washing machine, dish washer, etc) begin to break down. Social services are called (by Ruby's landlords) and Ruby is sent to live with Cora and her husband, Jamie. Jamie and Cora are very hospitable towards Ruby, who doesn't like to be a "charity case" of other people. When Jamie and the people Ruby meets start to be nice to her and do her favors, she can't deal with it. She doesn't know how to accept help, call for help, or give help to other people. However, over time she begins to learn how to deal with the sociable people she meets, and becomes closer with her sister. She also learns how to be like her sister and provide protection for those who need it. Overall, this book is very interesting and I can't wait to see how it ends!