One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

1. Bibliography:

Sones, Sonya. 2004. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers. ISBN 1416907882

2. Plot Summary:

Fifteen Ruby is whisked off to LA to live with her absentee father after her mother dies. Leaving behind her best friend Lizzie, her Aunt Duffy and her first love, Ray, Ruby has to learn to live with her movie star father and the craziness of a new Hollywood high school. Told through series of poems, Ruby shares her thoughts, feelings and even dreams with the reader. Making friends with her father’s agent, Max, is the only thing positive in Ruby’s new life. But when tragedy strikes again, Ruby is forced to deal with her mixed emotions about all the people in her life, including her dead mother, and comes to the realization that everything isn’t as bad as it once seemed.

3. Critical Analysis:

Although there is no consistent rhythm to the novel, the text is written in a way that sounds like a teenage girl keeping a diary. Because of the tone of the story, rhyme is not important to the story. The use of vocabulary and subtle adult language reveal a girl dealing with mature situations who is on the verge of becoming a woman.

Considering the author of the novel is not a teenager, much thought and detail had to be placed on the vernacular and attitude that a fifteen year old who possess. It is this attention to detail that makes One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies such an engaging read. There are moments when Ruby is calm and serene, usually depicted by a poem about nature; however, she can also be full of conflict and anger when the poems elicit a more raw emotion and tend to involve more mature vocabulary.

This novel in verse is teeming with emotion. Each page may represent one different from the last. The audience is able to feel the mixed emotions regarding Whip, the genuine affection Ruby has for Max and the angst she feels over Ray and Lizzie’s betrayal.

The organization of this story is what makes is so appealing to the young adult audience. Teens who may be transitioning into longer novels with more adult content can use One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies as a stepping stone into that collection of fiction.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· From School Library Journal: “This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness.”

· From Booklist: “It's Ruby's first-person voice--acrimonious, raw, and very funny--that pulls everything together, whether she is writing e-mails to her deceased mother, attending Dream Analysis class at a private L.A. high school, or finally learning to accept her father and embrace a new life.”

5. Connections:

· Reading other novels by Sones, such as What My Mother Doesn’t Know and comparing story elements.

· Comparing other novels in verse, such as Crank by Ellen Hopkins or Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown

· Going to Sonya’s website (http://www.sonyasones.com/index.htm) and completing an author study or reading books on her “Great Books” lists

6. Personal Response:

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. It was fast paced and entertaining from cover to cover. The poems help move the story forward without drowning the reader in text. Ruby’s personality shone through every page and was very realistic of the fifteen year old girl I once was! The storyline was a little predictable towards the end, but overall had a great message. I was in the middle of the book and my sister, who is a freshman in high school, asked what I was reading. When I showed her and she read the book jacket, she was immediately hooked. She went and checked it out at her school library and is reading it too.