Author: Deb Caletti
Publisher: Point
Release Date: 15 July 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0439962971
Synopsis
Ruby McQueen, despite her showgirl name, is the quiet one at high school. So why does she find the dangerous Travis Becker so attactive? He's arrogant, he lies and he steals, and when he asks Ruby to help him steal from her mom's best friend she realizes things have got way out of control. The fallout's pretty nasty, and Ruby's mom thinks it'll help her to hang out with her book group for a while. Ruby's more than surprised to find it a hot-bed of humour, fun and passionate age-old love affairs - culminating in a daring rescue and high-speed road trip to California...
My Review
I have had this one in my locker at work for about two years. I have the next week off work so I bought a pile of books home to get through them all. This sounded like a nice easy summer read, similar to books I've enjoyed like Louise Rennison etc, so thought I would enjoy it.
Ruby McQueen is labelled as the 'quiet girl' - mostly invisible, never one to stand out in the crowd. But now it's summer, a chance to escape the labels and become who she wants to be so when she meets bad boy Travis she discovers a whole new side to herself. But things start to go too far when Travis gets her to help him break in and steal. Ruby's mum decides she needs to be pulled away from Travis and distracted so she brings her along to her book group- "The Casserole Queens" a group of fairly old women who come along to discuss literature, life, love and really just have fun. Ruby is surprised to find herself feeling at home with the group, and soon they embark on a road trip to California to fight for true love for one member of the group.
This book is an easy read, the writing flows well and is what I would call 'light and fluffy' but I didn't particularly enjoy it.
The story felt like it was two separate books sandwiched together- one of Ruby and Travis and the change in Ruby's life, the two of them being reckless and maybe falling in love. Then another about reuniting two old people and discovering what true love is all about. The two didn't really have any connection other than Ruby realising that Travis isn't right for her - now she has seen what real love is all about she doesn't need him anymore. Apart from that there was no real link.
I liked Travis as a character at first, he was the hot dark dangerous guy, but then I just found him so arrogant and stuck up and controlling that I just wanted to slap him. I also didn't completely believe that Ruby would go along with him for so long. I didn't believe she would do some of the things he made her do.
I did enjoy the road trip part, the old ladies were really funny and full of life. I could really picture them trying to break out one of their friends from a nursing home so she could re-capture her true love. This actually made me laugh and redeemed the book for me.
So overall the book felt a bit disconnected and not completely believable. The Travis - Ruby thing could have been expanded and gone all sorts of ways but felt like it just got cut off. But to be honest i would have been happy if it hadn't been there at all. the road-trip with old ladies would have been great by itself!
If you are looking for a light summer read with no real plot or thought then this would be perfect.
My Rating
I would give this book 4.5/10 - disappointing and disjointed but with some laugh out loud moments that make it worth a lazy day read!
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