Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Sandy

The Boyfriend List is a story about Ruby Oliver and her past relationships with thirteen guys as well as her not-so-perfect current life. The ten worst days of her life go by and end up landing Ruby in a shrinks office. She lost all of her friends, her boyfriend, got caught drinking a beer by her mom, became a social misfit, and is being talked about by most of the school be hind her back.

This book shows all of the different types of teenage guys and every different relationship possible. Ruby is a seemingly average girl which makes it easy to relate to her and some of her problems. As she makes lists of her past thirteen boyfriends with her new psychologist, Dr. Z., Ruby learns more about herself and reflects on some of her emotions that she left bottled up.

Of course, Ruby has some special quirks such as the fact that she lives on a houseboat or that her mom is a health freak that pushes health foods down her familys throats. Or that Rubys past terrible week and a half give her routine panic attacks. Not all of us can say that we have had panic attacks or that our house can float but these make Ruby an even more interesting character. She never lets the readers down by becoming boring.

Rubys life has all of the experiences that many teenage girls go through in life. Their first relationship, first kiss, first beak-up, losing friends, failing tests, sports, and the rise and fall on the social ladder. This book perfectly summarizes a girls life from middle school to high school and E. Lockhart makes it easier to deal with everyday problems that we all come across.