Customer Reviews

The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver Quartet)

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E. Lockhart's "The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them)" is fun, fun, fun.

Ruby Oliver starts her junior year in disgrace. Once one of a foursome of girls, kissing the boyfriend of the alpha member of the group cost her her friends. It doesn't matter that the boyfriend was formerly Ruby's own boyfriend--the girls had a code and wrote it down in their "Boy Book," a collection of lists and instructions on how to deal with the male species.

Ruby's also seeing a shrink, after experiencing a series of panic attacks following her very public fall from grace. Ruby's delightfully hippie parents suspect she may be a lesbian. And, Ruby is still pining after the boy (Jackson) who caused the angst in the first place.

Lockhart has really captured the voice of your intelligent, insecure sixteen year old. Ruby is fabulous narrator, fond of lists and a footnote or two. She talks too much, is a bit of a busybody, and doesn't, frankly, understand her own motivations. At least at the beginning of the book. By the end, however, and with the help of Dr. Z, new friends, old friends, and, yes, even her parents, Ruby has grown up enough to give the "Boy Book" away:

"Nancy Drews
That is, things I am good at*
1. The backstroke. Not great, but decent and getting better.
2. Talking. I'm like my mom that way.
3. Making lists. I really could medal in this one.
4. Movies. Remembering trivia and being able to say semi-intelligent stuff about cinema when called upon to do so.
5. Getting animals to like me. And not being afraid of them.
...
----------------------------------
* A homework assignment from Doctor Z, which she shrinkily calls a list of affirmations, but which I prefer to term Nancy Drews, because Nancy Drew, girl detective, was good at everything, even horseback riding and water ballet, though there was no evidence she had ever practiced or even heard of either one until she miraculously turned out to be expert at them."

Hah! That's just what I thought of Nancy Drew.

Ruby Oliver finds some of herself over the course of "The Boy Book" and more. She learns how to be a better friend, that there's always two sides to the story, and that being yourself isn't such a bad thing.

"The Boy Book" is highly recommended for teens ages 14 and up. It's funny, sweet, and so very true.

know I love a book when, an hour after I've finished reading it...and when I should be fast asleep in bed...I'm thinking of ways the character could possibly get together with that guy. "What if..." I keep saying. Then I have to remind myself, "Hey, it's a fictional character, for heaven's sake! Get some sleep!"

Yeah, I just love Ruby Oliver. E. Lockhart's heroine reads like a real person, with all the crazy, mixed-up feelings that a normal teen has. Even though Ruby herself doesn't think she's all that normal, I think she is.

Hmmmm, or maybe that says something about me.

At any rate, Ruby is back and this is her junior year after the fiasco of her sophomore year when she lost all her friends, her boyfriend, and her reputation. She's ready for her life to settle down. She's ready for that big red "Don't Panic" button to show up.

Of course, she's still beset with boy issues. There's Noel, who she can't quite decide if she likes "that" way or not (and his mixed signals aren't helping). Then there's Angelo, someone she's known for years...and has just started "scamming" with (i.e. making out with while not officially going out). And the infamous Jackson, her former boyfriend, who's mysteriously sending her notes again while her former best-friend Kim (his current girlfriend) is away in Tokyo.

As she slowly makes up with Nora (one of the lost friends), further cements her new friendship with Meghan, and develops a confusing quasi-relationship/friendship with Noel, Ruby starts to get comfortable. When things seem to be conspiring against her and she feels like she might lose all that she's gained back, what will she do? Is it time to cut and run or take a stand?

Yes, she's neurotic. But, oh, that's why I like her so much. I recommend reading the first Ruby Oliver book before this one (The Boyfriend List), though you can enjoy this one without it. You'll just enjoy it more if you have all the background info. Recommended for readers aged 12 and up, though some parents might prefer 14 and up due to a bit of "boob" action (Sorry, that's just what it is. What else could you call it?).

--Kimberly Pauley, [...]

In this sequel to The Boyfriend List (Readers Circle), we get to catch up on the life of Ruby Oliver, who last year had quite a time living down the infamous xeroxed list that made its way through her high school. Now in possession of a driver's license, a mission known as the [...]Rescue Squad, a former best friend who is spending a semester in Tokyo, a shrink named Doctor Z who still befuddles her, and a job at the Woodland Park Zoo, Ruby feels like her life just might be getting back on track. Maybe. Possibly. Sort of.

She's once again working on The Boy Book, a work-in-progress guide to life and boys that she started long ago with Kim (the once best friend), Cricket (another former friend), and Nora (still a kind of friend). Filled with such facts as "The Care and Ownership of [....]," "Levels of Boyfriends," and "Why You Want the Guy You Can't Have," The Boy Book was once a joint effort. Now, it's simply something that Ruby feels the need to add to as her life gets--if it's even possible--more complicated.

As she becomes better friends with Noel, she wonders if she's got a crush on him. Or, in fact, does Noel have a crush on her? And what about Angelo, who is quite a good scammer, but also happens to be the son of her mother's best friend? Even more importantly, what should she do about Jackson, who was once her boyfriend but is now in love with Kim? Ever since she saw him hugging on another girl at the zoo, Ruby has been plagued with indecision about whether or not to tell Kim. After all, Kim was once her best friend, and she deserves to know what her boyfriend is doing while she's studying away in Japan. On the other hand, they're no longer friends, and Ruby knows that there's a part of her who only wants to hurt Kim the way she was hurt in the past.

As Ruby deals with the continuing trials and tribulations of high school, crushes, and panic attacks, she comes to the realization that she just might really be better off without Jackson. And although she misses Kim, she now has new friends who round out her life and keep it interesting. The Boy Book has served its purpose, and Ruby knows now that nothing in life is constant. Knowing and understanding that is, after all, what makes girls smarter than boys.

THE BOY BOOK is the perfect follow up to The Boyfriend List (Readers Circle), and I'm sad to see the end of Ruby Oliver. Unless Ms. Lockhart plans to let us in on The Girl Book, which would be a major treat.

Ruby Oliver is back!

E. Lockhart, author of the much acclaimed and popular THE BOYFRIEND LIST, has delivered a sequel that holds its own. THE BOY BOOK: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them, details the humorously heartbreaking junior year of Ruby Oliver, now 16 years old and newly-licensed to drive.

The drama from last year's debacle may be past, but it's far from over. There isn't any nice way to say it: Ruby is a social leper. Everyone looks at her and sees a fishnet-stockinged slut, which isn't exactly every girl's dream nickname. Her best friends from last year --- Kim, Cricket and Nora, the girls with whom she wrote THE BOY BOOK --- aren't speaking to her. Her ex-boyfriend Jackson is still going out with Kim, even though she's off in Tokyo. And Ruby's parents are still making her see Dr. Z, the shrink they hooked her up with to help her cope with the panic attacks that take over when life gets too crazy.

Universal Truth: "A guy becomes instantly more desirable when he is with someone else. And that is bad. Because you can't have him. And also because it's stupid and kind of sick."

As the gods would have it, Nora starts speaking to Ruby again after the whole topless photos incident drops her to Outcast Status Ruby. Ruby gets a job at the zoo, and things begin to change. Jackson leaves a note in her cubby, and she has to figure out what she's going to do about it. Tell someone? Write him back? Ignore it? Throw it away? But she hasn't forgotten about Jackson, even though:

1) She's hoping Noel (the guy from the bushes incident) will kiss her.
2) Angelo (the family friend) has hidden skills that make him an option, to say the least.
3) Kim stole Jackson from her because it was "meant to be."

With Tate's November Week drawing closer and Ruby's parents finally agreeing to let her choose the more expensive trip, she has more guy options than she knows what to do with and needs to decide what she's going to do. So when the drama gods decide to pay her another visit and show her something she never should have seen, Ruby is faced with the kind of decision that's bound to teach her the truth about friends, enemies, crushes, jobs, parents, Tate and the secrets in THE BOY BOOK.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Copyright 1997-2006, Teenreads.com. All rights reserved.

From the beginning, it was quite obvious that E. Lockhart was going to create the exact same atmosphere as the last book--and thank goodness she did! Reading them back to back, the transition was seamless. The tone had stayed the very same and Ruby was still the same lovable Ruby. You knew from the title that Kim would play a part, so I did love the resolution between those two. Plenty of new ideas were introduced (Ruby working at a zoo was a perfect fit!) and the suspense was killing me. The characters seemed to evolve even more, all in good ways. The one thing that did frustrate me was the lack of resolution in Ruby's love life, which was why I was very relieved to find out that there will be a third Ruby Oliver book, and let's hope she finally gets the guy in this one (I'm rooting for Noel!)

Rating: 4.5/5

THE BOY BOOK
E. LOCKHART
Contemporary YA
Delacorte Press

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Life hasn't gotten any easier for Ruby Oliver. In fact, its getting even more confusing. Sure, she really has no friends after what happened between them at the end of the school year; she and Jackson are definitely over (aren't they?) and the only person she kept in contact with over the summer is Noel, but who knows if their friendship is real or he's just being nice to her for the sake of being nice. The only thing Ruby knows is life is getting complicated and all she's got left of her friendships is THE BOY BOOK, the book she and her friends have written in for years. Its just too bad it doesn't tell her how to get them all back.

THE BOY BOOK is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. I really enjoyed Ruby. She's a really fun character and I loved the scenes with her and her therapist Dr Z. So much of this book had me laughing out loud and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
From her footnotes which were hilarious at times, to her trying to figure out how to deal with the fact her ex is sending her notes again, all the while his girlfriend and her former BFF is in Japan...well things couldn't get worse could they? But unfortunately for Ruby they do. Between juggling guys, trying to renew friendships with at least one of her former friends and dealing with her wacky parents and her appointments with Dr. Z, Ruby struggles with a lot and the result is quite amusing and a total keeper of a book.

I can't wait to read more about Ruby and co. She's definitely become one of my favorite YA characters. Hope the next two books come out soon!

E. Lockhart is the author of two books about Ruby Oliver -- The Boyfriend List and The Boy Book -- plus two more coming soon. Other books: Fly on the Wall, Dramarama, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and How to Be Bad. You can visit her online at her brand new website: [...]

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2008

I loved this book because you can really identify with Roo and know what she's going through. Of course she makes a lot of mistakes but I like that at the end of the book she has grown up from how she was at the beginning.
I loved the Boufriend List too, and this one is just as good, and I really liked all of the characters.

the boy book is a great teenage novel that is both infomative and entertaining. i really identifioed with the main character, Ruby and her friends. she is fiercely independent yet vulnerable and unsure. she is a great literary heroine much like Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet. e. lockhart's witty and poetic words dive write into the middle of Ruby's soul. a great book for teenage girls that i would highly recommend.

I picked up this book because I was interested about A Boy Book. What is a Boy Book? And who is Ruby Oliver?
All these questions and more was answered when I started reading this book. I really liked how she had a really nice balance of self-deprecating and self-pity for Ruby, one didn't overshadow the other.
Good job E. Lockhart

in a sentence or so: Ruby is back for her Junior year at Tate Prep and is navigating the waters of high school while putting the slut rumors behind her, making new friends, and using what knowledge she has of boys to her advantage. excessive list-making and hilarity ensues.

this is book two of the Ruby Oliver quartet. if you have not read book one, there will be some spoilers abound. also, you should TOTALLY get on that because it's hilarious and Ruby is a fun gal.

we pick up with Ruby as she returns from her summer from traveling with her mom in her theater show. normally, she'd be bummed to have spent the summer away from all of her friends...but Ruby doesn't have any friends at the moment. still suffering from the massive blow out that ended her relationship with her best friends, Ruby is clinging to the two quasi-friends in her life: Megan (whose boyfriend just went away to college) and Noel (quirky, cute, and a solid source of humor in her life).

Ruby continues to try to do the right thing...most of the time. but hey, is it her fault her ex-boyfriend suddenly seems to want to mend ways? or that her long time childhood friend is obviously a beefcake? and when it comes to being a good friend to Megan, what is she supposed to say when her boyfriend is obviously interested in dating around?

Ruby is a list maker, so it is only fitting that i share with you, in list form, the 5 things i adore most about Ruby Oliver in this recent installment of her life.
1. Girl knows her movies. I am nowhere NEAR as well versed as I'd like to be with movies...and Ruby gives me hope that one day, I will be.
2. She is snarky. y'all KNOW i love a snarky gal. but she very rarely does the snark at the expense of someone else, which i appreciate. she's a nice girl with a sarcastic side.
3. she is comfortable in her own skin. sure, insecurity sneaks in on a rare occasion, but mostly she's self assured and confident and that makes her an absolute blast to read about. she's not cocky, mind you, but is finally starting to come into her own.
4. she loves to analyze. on more than one occasion, she mourns the loss of her old friends because she misses being able to micro analyze everything to do with boys. like when Jackson leaves a note in her locker, she wants to talk about why he left it, why he wrote what he wrote, etc. very girly. love it.
5. the banter between Ruby and Noel. they have such an easy exchange that is heavy on the humor and wit. i love reading their conversations because they feel absolutely real. you get an insight into who they are as characters while laughing along the way.

if you're looking for a series with a main character girl you could totally picture being besties with, i suggest giving this series a shot. i'm halfway through and i can't help but want more! humor, relationships, love, movies, and lists are all things that Ruby is a fan of, and so am i!

fave quote: i listened to this in the car, so i don't have a direct quote to share, unfortunately. BUT i can tell you my favorite part was the analysis of boys on the phone. oh man, so good.

fix er up: i was continually annoyed when Ruby made an unfortunate decision. however, it's what makes her so real so i can't hate on it too much!

title: The Boy Book: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them (Ruby Oliver Quartet, #2)
author: E. Lockhart
publishing info: 2006, Random House
genre: Humor, Chick Lit