The Boyfriend List

What Goodreads Has To Say: Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days 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),

drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),

got caught by her mom (ag!),

had a panic attack (scary),

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)

and 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.

What I Have To Say: I liked this book - it brought me back to my pre-teen years when every boy I liked I thought I'd end up marrying or I was absolutely sure they liked me. And, like most pre-teens, I usually picked the guys that were the worst! (Something about "they'd never be that mean to me if we were together" or something...yes. Pre-teens really are that dumb.)


Roo reminds me of myself when I was that age. I made a lot of mistakes, and was able to reflect upon them as she does in the book. Dr. Z makes good recommendations that anyone would be able to use, teenager or not. Roo is character that most women/girls would be able to relate to. She's not high and mighty and has problems that others wouldn't be able to relate to. 


I love Roo as a heroine in this book. She has these quirky/naive/sensitive qualities about her that make me just adore her. She's one of those girls that I'd have loved to hang out with because I was just the same as her - we were both the 'lepers' in our school (as Roo plainly puts it). Not because there is anything wrong with us, but because that's how the school just divided itself out. It reminded me that being quirky and unique doesn't mean that there is something wrong with you.


Now, where was this book when I was 15??


Rating: 4 stars