One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

This book is about me.

It tells the deeply hideous story

of what happens when my mother dies

and I'm dragged three thousand miles away

from my gorgeous boyfriend, Ray,

to live in L.A. with my father,

who I've never even met

because he's such a scumbag that he

divorced my mom before I was born.

The only way I've ever even seen him

is in the movies,

since he's this megafamous actor

who's been way too busy

trying to win Oscars

to even visit me once in fifteen years.

Everyone loves my father.

Everyone but me.

Amazon.com Review
The sassy title tells readers right away that this book is NOT like one of those hideous books where the mother dies, even if fifteen-year-old Ruby's mom has recently succumbed to cancer. Sonya Sones has made a reputation for engrossing and emotionally valid verse novels with her two previous books, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy and What My Mother Doesn't Know, and here she has the good sense to avoid the platitudes of the tearjerker, focusing not on the melodrama of death but on the grieving process of a feisty teen--sometimes even with humor.

Ruby has turned her grief into anger at her father: because he divorced her mother before she was born, because she has had to leave her best friend Lizzie and her boyfriend Ray to come to Los Angeles to live with him, and because he is Whip Logan, a very famous and rich movie star. She turns a cold shoulder to all his gentle and persistent attempts to relate to her, sneers at the glamour of his Beverly Hills mansion and famous friends, and spends most of her time writing desperate emails to Lizzie and Ray, and her dead mother, from her Dream Bedroom. The friendship of Max, Whip's live-in assistant/personal trainer, is some comfort, and Ruby has a harder and harder time keeping her sneer as Whip ups the ante, from rides in his classic vintage cars, to shopping trips for anything she wants, to weekends in Las Vegas and Catalina and a party where Eminem is the guest of honor. But an earthquake leads to a surprising revelation that changes everything for Ruby, in an enormously satisfying ending. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

---

All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

All I can say is WOW!, 2008-09-16
I first read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade (one of the two) I then read it another dozen times! It's so good, full of excitment. I finished the book in two days! I really would suggest this book to ANYONE!
It's a great book


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Chelsea's review, 2008-04-08
In the book in the book I'm reading called another one of those hideous books where the mother dies. It about a girl who's about 14 years old and her name is ruby. She lives with her mother and has a very big hate for her dad. She has (what she calls) a gorgeous boyfriend and her best friend that she hangs out with all the time. She has an enemy who's name is Amber who is doing everything in her power to steel ruby's boyfriend. Then ruby finds out that her mom is sick and has two weeks to live. When her mom dies she has to move to California to live with her dad.
I like the book because it tells people about how some teenage lives are about the challenges of a teenage life. I think what the story is mainly trying to tell the readers is to trust the people you love but still remember sometimes the people you love make mistakes to and sometimes it will hurt you.



0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Series of award winning What My Mother Doesn't Know, 2008-03-14
Have you ever thought your long lost father is a popular movie star? Either did Ruby. Ruby is a 15 year old girl who tells her life from 1st person in a poem format. If you love chick-flix, you will love this novel; One Of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies written by award winning author Sonya Sones.

"I am not depressed, considering that this gigantic silver bullet with wings is blasting me away from my whole entire life." Ruby states this on page 1, while being very sarcastic as she is thoughout the whole book. Ruby has to leave her Aunt, best friend, boyfriend and her past to reunit with her father.

One Of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies is an amazing book that keeps your mind thinking. Ruby has many struggles as many teenagers do, but her main struggle is with er father. Ruby is moving to Los Angeles, California to live with her movie star dad that divorced her mother when she was a baby. Rubys mother died after her father left and was put in the hands of her aunt. Ruby has not seen her father for 15 years except on the movie screen. I think it would be very crazy to reunit with your movie star dad that you have not seen for 15 years. I also think it would be overwhelming with all the cameras around you all the time and not having any private time. It would also be very difficult to leave your past behind and start a new life with pretty much a stranger. Will Ruby pull it through, or go back home? Go through the adventure with Ruby, and see where it takes you.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

One of those wonderful books you re-read many times, 2007-10-09
There have been very few books that I read more than once. Yesterday, I read One of those Hideous Books, etc. Today, I read it again. I don't expect that to be the last time.

What can I add to the positive reviews? Nothing, really. If you have an open heart, you will probably love this book.


0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Well-Versed Formula, 2007-08-08
Formula: Write your novel in verse on pages with lots of open, white space, so that your book reads quickly. Have an engaging, first-person point of view (15-year-old Ruby, let's call her). Give it a catchy title (makes up for its length). Spice it with themes of death (Mom) and divorce (Dad, whom Ruby must now live with). Clash east coast (Ruby, from Boston) with left coast (Dad, named "Whip" Logan, from LA). Add beautiful people (kids of Lakewood High School) and famous movie stars (all of Whip's neighbors and friends). For dessert, throw in a little "gotcha" surprise at the end.

What Sonya Sones has cooked up here (and, no doubt, in her other books) is a sure-fire winner for middle and high school-aged girls. If the girl is a reluctant reader, all the better, but avid readers will embrace it, too, as a sinfully delicious guilty pleasure. Ruby's voice is THAT winning. Ruby does her best to hold on to her Massachusetts best friend, Liz, as well as her old boyfriend, Ray, but you know how that goes. She also goes through the usual turmoil, anger, stubbornness, that awaits any kid foisted on the parent who left her long ago. Poor Whip will have to pay for his past transgressions, no matter HOW much money he has (oh, he's a famous movie star, too).

Slow to make friends with the weird stereotypes floating around La-La Land High, Ruby at least can identify with Whip's "personal trainer," Max, who befriends her and becomes a lifesaver as she goes through some choppy seas between getting to know Dad and trying to fit in at the new high school.

As for the style, well, most of the "verse" is just paragraphs redesigned into lines and stanzas but, credit where it's due, Sones DOES come up with some poetic language and surely knows her stuff when it comes to how a teenage girl thinks. Funny, quick, and even a little sad at times (like when Ruby e-mails her poor, dead mother for advice and succor), ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES scores a 4 with me but no doubt a 5 from its target audience (so the heck with me!) because this author knows of whom (and for whom) she writes. All young girls should check out a Sonya Sones book -- they might just end up checking out every Sonya Sones book they can find.

Price is accurate as of the date/time indicated. Prices and product availability are subject to change. Any price displayed on the Amazon website at the time of purchase will govern the sale of this product.