Book Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Title:The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #1) 
Author:  E. Lockhart
Format:  Paperback
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Library Copy
Published:  September 26th 2006 by Random House Children’s Books
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2

From Goodreads.com

E. Lockhart’s spot-on dialogue and descriptions of painfully but hilariously relatable situations make this young adult novel an addictive read.

Fifteen-year-old Ruby has had a rough ten days. During that time she:

* lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list)
* lost her best friend (Kim)
* lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
* did something suspicious with a boy (#10)
* did something advanced with a boy (#15)
* had an argument with a boy (#14)
* had a panic attack
* lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie)
* failed a math test (she’ll make it up)
* hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends)
* became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
* had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the
boys’!?!)

But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

Since The Boyfriend List (Ruby Oliver #1) is all about lists? I thought I’d do my review in list form!

Things I have in common with Ruby:
1. My high school was full of rich kids. I was not rich.
2. I lived in a houseboat. (Ok, no I didn’t. We don’t have enough water in Nebraska. But it’d be cool, right?)
3. I talk too much. Too fast. And I just spill it all out.
4. Boys. (Seriously – her boy trouble? Yep. Describes me at that age too…)

Things I ADORED about this book
1. Footnotes!*
2. Lots of realistic teen angst
3. Parents that are involved (almost to an annoying level!)
4. Ruby’s parents, and they make me think of my husbands parents .
5. The way Ruby keeps attachment to EVERY boy EVER slightly involved with her. (I can just imagine her facebook stalking sessions!)
6. The whole thing is realistic – no fairy tales here!
7. Again, faces realistic things about teenage life. Angst, Peer Pressure, overbearing parents.

*Unless I’m reading a text book (which why would I do that??) I adore Footnotes!