Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

In the past few months, Ruby's life has been turned upside down. First, her negligent, alcoholic mother abandons her, leaving Ruby to fend for herself in a run-down house. Next, Ruby is turned in to social services by the landlords, and now she is forced to live with her sister Cora and Cora's husband, who she hasn't seen in ten years. Ruby isn't used to the mansion-sized house, expensive private school and new clothes. The only thing worth staying is her friendship with her neighbor Nate, who's keeping some secrets of his own. Throughout this heart-warming story, Ruby learns the true meaning of family and how to unlock herself from the past.

Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors and this book didn't disappoint. I thought the plot was unusual and interesting, and all the characters were very sincere. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't relate to Ruby, but that didn't change my opinion of the book. There is a lot of insight on family and what the actual definition of family is, which made the book very heart-warming . It was fun to watch the characters evolve and change, especially Ruby. She learned a lot of important lessons that were hard, but since she was such a strong person, she got through it. Overall it was a cute book and a good read.

8 out of 10.