Melissa Joy Adams (Children's Literature)
Abandoned by her mother, Ruby has been living alone in a filthy house without running water or heat for two months. Her only goal is keeping her mother’s disappearance a secret until she turns eighteen, legally free to be on her own. But with only a few months left, her secret is discovered and she is placed in the care of her sister Cora, who left ten long years ago. Living with Cora and her successful husband, Ruby now has access to things she previously thought impossible--new clothes, private schooling, a beautiful home, and even the possibility of college. Despite now having a family, a home, and all these opportunities, Ruby cannot let her guard down, fearing that at any moment everything could change and Ruby will be alone once again. After her next door neighbor Nate repeatedly helps her out of trouble, Ruby reluctantly becomes friends with him. As their relationship develops, Ruby discovers that Nate has more in common with her than she initially thought--secrets he cannot face. In order to help both Nate and herself, Ruby must make peace with her past and learn to trust others. Dessen’s novel is quick and fun literary candy. While the plot is at times unrealistic, readers will connect to Ruby and root for her success. 2008, Viking/Penguin, $18.99. Ages 12 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 7))
Overlong but easygoing piece about a girl shifting from defensive solitude to connection. Social Services doesn't allow Ruby to stay alone in the yellow house for very long after her mother disappears, instead placing her with older sister Cora and Cora's unflappably sweet husband. Having failed in an attempt to run away the first night, Ruby decides to wait out the year until she turns 18 and can be alone forever. The narrative arc is predictable: Ruby's new school is full of rich kids but she makes friends anyway; Cora's initial coldness is actually steady loyalty (and Cora never really deserted the family long ago—mom lied); the abused boy next door is outgoing and helpful, but he needs to learn the same lesson about trust that Ruby does. The key Ruby pragmatically wears as a necklace becomes a widespread jewelry fad, just one of many unsubtle symbols and forced messages. Sentences overflow with extra clauses and unnecessary details, contributing to the book's length. Dessen's tone, however, is invitingly non-threatening and will reward patient readers. 2008, Viking, 384p, $18.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2008 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, March 2008 (Vol. 42, No.2))
Lock and Key is a quiet, moving dramatic family story such as we expect from Sarah Dessen, one of the fine authors of YA fiction. It is long, and could easily be considered a novel for adults as well as YAs. Ruby is almost 18 years old, and her mother has abandoned her. She tried to take care of herself and pay the bills, but the landlords figured it out and reported her to social services. Ruby’s life changes dramatically when her older sister Cora and Cora’s husband Jamie take her in. Instead of attending a huge, mediocre public school, she now is in a nurturing private school; she has a ready-made family who can take good care of her; it is possible for her to attend college. So, why is she so hesitant to trust Cora and Jamie, to relax and allow new friends into her life? As the months go by, slowly Ruby learns some truths about her own parents and about Cora, and she begins to allow people to love her and take care of her. She gets involved with the next-door neighbor, Nate, who seems to also be living the good life, but Ruby finds out how vulnerable Nate is to his abusive father. There is some smoking of weed, drinking of alcohol, and casual sex, but it is mostly suggested, not described in detail, and certainly not portrayed as positive in Ruby’s life. Thoughtful readers who like slowly unfolding family sagas will want to read this latest work by Dessen. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2008, Penguin, Viking, 430p., $18.99. Ages 15 to adult.

Sandi Jones (Library Media Connection, November/December 2008)
In Dessen’s newest novel, 17-year-old Ruby is removed from the only life she’s ever known after her mother disappears. She is placed in the care of her older sister, Cora, and Cora’s husband Jamie. Ruby’s mother stayed drunk most of the time, leaving Ruby to work to pay the rent. Cora and Jamie begin the slow process of making a true home for Ruby, but Cora has issues of her own to overcome. Dessen’s story, though poignant, isn’t overly tragic. It sparkles with humor and the hope that things will be better. Readers will share in Ruby’s dreams and disappointments while she begins a new romance. Teens should find that the family dynamics explored here are something we all can relate to. The author raises some interesting thoughts on forgiveness for classroom discussion. Recommended. 2008, Viking Children’s Books (Penguin Young Readers Group), 432pp., $18.99 hc. Ages 14 to 18.

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 9))
Ruby knows her life is less than ideal, but she can cope with her mother’s irresponsibility and occasional bouts of drinking and disappearing, at least until Ruby can set out on her own when she’s eighteen. Unfortunately, her mom takes off about six months before that magic date, and Ruby finds herself first in the hands of social services and then living with the older sister who she thinks abandoned the family without looking back years ago. It’s a cushy landing, as her sister is now a lawyer and her brother-in-law is the founder of UMe.com, an enormously popular web community (think MySpace), and they are more than happy to have her living with them. This overlong story thus traces Ruby’s emotional awakening from a self-contained loner to someone who is willing to both give and receive help from the others in her life, who are remarkably insistent on giving it to her despite her lack of gratitude or reciprocation. Dessen undeniably excels in creating densely textured worlds peopled by complex and multilayered characters, but the dialogue here is stilted and unnatural, and the first-person narration falls into a repetitive pattern of reporting a mildly interesting incident and then following up with an “and this is what I learned from that” concluding paragraph before moving on to the next mildly interesting incident and emotional progress report. Although Ruby herself is a bit bland to attract much of a fan base, her life lessons are certainly ones worth learning, and readers will invest in her desire to help her abused boyfriend break free of his situation as others have helped her Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2008, Viking, [432p].; Reviewed from galleys, $18.99. Grades 7-10.

Ed Goldberg (VOYA, February 2008 (Vol. 30, No. 6))
Seventeen-year-old Ruby's English assignment is to define "family." For Ruby, it is a difficult task. Her father left when she was five, and her sister, Cora, left for college three years later, never to be heard from again. Now her abusive, alcoholic mother disappears. When Ruby's landlord finds her living in squalor, she is forced to move into Cora and her husband Jamie's huge house, attend posh Perkins Day School, and give up her old friends. Once close, Ruby and Cora are now strangers. Jamie's large family and holiday traditions-including a Thanksgiving "thankful list"-are foreign to Ruby. While attempting to run away during her first night, she meets her backyard neighbor, Nate, who is the consummate all-American boy-cute, smart, athletic, and with a positive outlook on life. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. Used to maintaining her distance, Ruby must learn what real friendship means. Dessen has a knack for creating characters that readers care about whether main or ancillary, and it holds true for her latest work. As Ruby learns the truth about her manipulative mother, Cora's disappearance, and Nate's less-than-idyllic life, readers empathize. Secondary characters add a nice flavor as events unfold quickly over nine months. Readers can visualize the settings. Ruby's epiphanies about friends and family are natural as she learns that memories fade. The story wraps up a bit too neatly, but then, that is what a Dessen novel is all about: good story, real characters, happy ending. In yet another must-read from a fun writer, teens will have fun identifying the character from a previous book mentioned here. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2008, Viking, 432p., $18.99. Ages 12 to 18.

Abbe Goldberg, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, February 2008 (Vol. 30, No. 6))
Dessen's latest novel is a testament to her development as a writer. Ruby is unlike any of her previous narrators. A loner by choice, Ruby follows in her mother's footsteps with drinking and drugs. Given a chance to start over, she redefines the meaning of family and in doing so, herself. The characters are real and relatable. This new book is Dessen's best since This Lullaby and it will captivate all readers. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2008, Viking, 432p., $18.99. Ages 12 to 18.