Customer Reviews

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

'One of those hidious books where the mother dies', by Sonya Sones is one of the most amazing and touching book I have ever read. Ms. Sones manages to weave poetry and grace through the lines of fifteen year old Ruby's tragic story.

The plot: Meet Ruby. This is what happens when her mother dies, and she is dragged three thousand miles away 'in this gigantic silver bullet with wings.*' She is heading towards her father, Whip Logan, who she has never met, becuase he was too busy winning oscars to come visit her even once.

Inside Cover: 'My name is Ruby. 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 georgeous boyfriend,Ray, to live in L.A, with my father, who I've never met because he's such a scumbag that he divorced my mom before I was born.
The only way I've ever seen him is in the movies since he's this mega-famous actor who's been to busy trying to win Oscars to even visit me once in fifteen years.
Everyone loves my father. Everyone but me.*'

Ruby is very upset about having to live with her father, as you can see, and obviously has some trouble warming up to him. But you can feel that. You can feel her hate rising up in you. You can feel the tears rolling down your cheeks as she tells her story. You can feel the joy rising up in you when she finally warms up to his father. You can feel Ruby. That s why I loved this book so much. TRUE FEELING.

This book is rare. Books like this dont come along often, so read it! Pick it up. At least try it. If you do, then I've achived my goal, so good luck and happy reading!


*from the book

I was attracted to this book by it's brilliant title, and I read it right there in the bookstore. I was a little put off at first by the poetry-like style, but quickly got into it. The fact that the language was so spare was very effective. In a way, I would have liked a bit more detail, character development, an ending that wasn't quite so obvious (though the title makes it clear that it will be) and so forth, but that would have made it a very different book. Definately a good book for a teen or pre-teen girl, or anyone who is interested in reading a fairly quick book written in an unconventional style.

I loved ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. Both the plot and the poetry were as good as Sonya Sones's previous book, STOP PRETENDING, and it was easy to forget the disappointment of the boring book in between, WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW.

The story starts on an airplane, as 15-year-old Ruby flies from the East Coast to Beverly Hills, California, to meet her father for the first time. Her mother has just died, and Ruby isn't too happy to be meeting a man who has acted in tons of movies yet hasn't found the time to even send her a birthday card. She decides to be as horrible to him as possible.

As is Sones's trademark, the story is told in verse, and poems focus on the trials and tribulations of being 15 and living with a man you've never met, the serious --- "and I didn't have Mom's hand to hold,/ my heart flung itself into my throat" and the not-so-serious --- "Oh./ My./ God.// I just got a ticket for crossing the street." Unlike some poetry, it's extremely important to read the titles of each of these poems, as they usually serve as the poem's first line.

Ruby's father, Whip Logan, is a Tom Cruise-type character who lives next door to Cameron Diaz. She goes to school with the children of celebrities and swears that Brad Pitt was in line behind her at the store. However, Ruby is so sad and angry about having to leave her beloved Aunt Duffy, her best friend Lizzie, and her boyfriend Ray behind that she can't enjoy any of this. She's appalled by the classes her school offers --- "I just had to choose/ between signing up for// Dream Interpretation Through the Ages,/ Introduction to Transcendental Meditation,/ or The Films of Steven Spielberg" and the only fun she has is talking with her father's assistant, Max.

ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES is richly filled with great poetry, name-dropping, and e-mails to and from Ruby and her friends. As the year goes on, Ruby and her father learn to understand each other, with a few surprises along the way. This is a great read!

--- Reviewed by Hannah Gómez (gingermulatta@kiwibox.com)

My mom just bought me this book for my birthday, and even though I had a big history test to study for, I started reading it. I couldn't put it down! It only took me a couple hours to read, and I loved every second of it. My only complaint is that it wasn't longer. It is unbelievable! I don't like tragic books, and despite the title, this book isn't sad at all. It's actually pretty humorous. I've decided that it's one of my favorite books (it's not better than the Grapes of Wrath, but they are too different to make an honest comparison). I don't normally cry when I read books, but I was definitely choked up toward the end of this masterpiece. If you love stories about the rich and famous, or about teenagers, or about California, or stories that are just really interesting and amusing to read, than this book is for you! My friends are all beggining me to borrow it because I can't stop talking about it. Harry Potter: watch out! Ruby is about to knock you out! I can't possibly reccommend a better book. I hope I have gushed enough about it that you can understand how truly great it is! READ IT! You will be forever thankful that I told you to do so.

First to catch my attention with it's unique title, then to read who the author was...I decided this was the book I was going to buy. I ended up reading it in a matter of 2 hours...it's one of those books that you don't want to put down until the very last word. It was predictable, but in a good way, and some parts were quite unpredictable, which made a great story even better. Sonya Sones is a very good writer, I also own " What my Mother Doesn't Know" and I've read it a total of 10- 15 times. "One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies" is truly a must-read.

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.

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.

This novel is about a teenager who meets her father for the first time ever since her mother dies. Turns out her father is a super popstar! The idea of the novel is simple, not original really, but written in an easy, clever way to keep you turning the pages. It is a QUICK, fun read, so give it a taste. The ending will give you a smile.

When Ruby's mother dies, she flies across the U. S. to live with her movie star, scumbag father, who she's never met and who left her mother before Ruby was born. She leaves behind her best friend, Lizzie, and her boyfriend, Ray. She misses her mother, but Ruby's quirky sense of humor and her attitude keep this from being a sad story. Look for a lot of surprises along the way. A great read about a spunky girl who discovers that people are not always what they seem.

This book starts with Ruby on an airplane, unwillingly moving away from the only life she's ever known. Her mother has died and she is about to live with a father she's never known, except from his movies. The closer he wants to get, the further she pulls away. She struggles through culture shock as she is suddenly attending a posh LA high school, there are no seasons, she doesn't know anyone. Somehow she manages to keep a sense of humor throughout everything and eventually understands who her father really is. This book made me laugh and cry and it's my favorite of all of Sonya Sones' work.