Lock and Key blog by: Leah Jones

Lock and Key by: Sarah Dessen

By: Leah Jones

Have you ever wanted to fast forward time and go from a kid to an adult as soon as possible? Well imagine being thrown into an adults lifestyle at the age of 17 years old. Ever since Ruby was young she had to take the mature role and act like a mother, while her mom would take the place as an immature child. Ruby's mom is shy especially when she's hungover. That was a big issue because as people we have to communicate with strangers everyday, "But interacting with the majority of the population (cashiers, school administrators, bosses, ex boyfriends) was not something she engaged in unless absolutely necessary, and then, with great reluctance." (6). So Ruby was used to talking to adults for her mom and even sometimes lying for her.

Ruby and her mom lived in a decent sized yellow house and paying the rent, water bill, and electricity bill was always a struggle. Ruby who works at an airport was always worried about something going wrong or someone figuring out her lies, while on the other hand her mom would be knocked out drunk with the tv on; "She's at the bank right now," 'I'd tell the landlord, even as she snored on the couch.' (7). How would you feel if you were seventeen years old and never got to enjoy it?

Suddenly this all changes when Ruby's mom leaves and doesn't come back for months with no communication or reasonings.  Where did she go? When will she be back? Does she even care if she left Ruby? these are all questions that pop in your head immediately, what kind of mother abandons her own daughter to live in their house alone for a few months with no warning. Surprisingly Ruby thought that it was fine! She believed that she could live in that yellow old house forever since she was almost eighteen years old and that no one would ever find out?. Until she got a rude awakening and something goes wrong in the house causing people to come and see the truth.  How much can this teen take before she calls this some type of child abuse?

To make things worse Ruby has to go and try to live with her sister Cora who is ten years older than Ruby with her wealthy entrepreneur husband. How awkward? Ruby and her sister haven't talked for years. How will Ruby survive? Where's her mother? Will Ruby ever get to live in a stable home?READ "Lock and Key" by Sarah Dessen and take this wild journey with Ruby. I recommend this book completely because we've all been through the stage of wanting to be older with more responsibilities until we realize what all the good parents have to do everyday to be able to call themselves a true parent. I love this book it draws you in and you never want to put it down because it might leave you on a cliff hanger!.