Tuesday, July 21, 2009

THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS by E. Lockhart


Ruby "Roo" Oliver is trying to be good. Since the beginning of the school year she has had a thing for Noel, but her promise not to go after any guy one of her friends is interested in is complicating matters. Nora told Roo she likes Noel and that makes him off-limits for Roo.

Although her focus is on Noel, the other guys in her life are sending strange message as well. Jackson is back to his old self flirting with Roo. Nora's college-age brother Gideon somehow seems interested in Roo, and Finn is volunteering to help with the bake sale she is running.

Since Roo's adventures in THE BOY BOOK, she has lost her job at the zoo and is now selling Birkenstocks at a local shoe store. She is still in therapy with Dr. Z, hoping to learn the cause of her panic attacks. As far as family issues, Roo makes a joke about Dr. Z recommending that she should have a dog, more specifically a Great Dane, and her parents take the news seriously when they bring home the giant but loveable Polka-dot. With all this going on, it's easy to understand Roo's worry that her life will never make sense.

Colorful characters and crazy capers combined with believable high school stress and pressure make E. Lockhart's BOYS series a popular read. Roo's adventures offer plenty of laughs as well as a sympathetic voice for the ups and downs of the teen experience.

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