The Treasure Map of Boys--E. Lockhart

Title: The Treasure Map of Boys
Author: E. Lockhart
Delacorte Press, 2009
244 p.

This is the 3rd Ruby Oliver book. Ruby's adventure with boys started in The Boyfriend List and continued in The Boy Book. Here's a funny--I had always loved The Boyfriend List after I did the YA Author You Need to Read article about E. Lockhart I couldn't believe I hadn't read the sequels. So I requested them from the library. The Boy Book came and I read it and loved it and the whole time I thought wow, it's like I know what's going to happen, but not in a bad predictable writing way, but just in a, I know you so well Ruby way. I came on here to write my review and searched for E. Lockhart so I could link to the review of The Boyfriend List. And what came up? A review for The Boy Book. Yeah. I READ THE BOOK ALREADY. I have no explanation, other than I have 3 children and I am turning into my mother.

And now, for the review.

Lockhart calls this book a companion novel and not a sequel. She's right in that a reader could pick this up and not be completely lost without reading the first two. But it's so much more enjoyable when you do read the first two and you can think things like I know you so well Ruby. In The Treasure Map of Boys Ruby is navigating her way through the state of Noboyfriend while maintaining flirtations with various boys, including ex-boyfriend current cad Jackson and loyal but mixed-message sending Noel. She does all of this the only way she can--with humor. Ruby is nowhere near perfect and she knows it and that's what makes us like her even more. We want her to end up with the right guy, not just any guy, and we want her to have friends who are true friends. It's a credit to Lockhart's writing that she has created such a charming character.

Fans of the first two will eat this one up, if they haven't already, and I dare say that those who are just coming to the series will seek out the previous books as well.
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