Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (Paperback)

by Deb Caletti (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Ultimately rewarding, this novel about a high school girl who steps out of her role as "The Quiet Girl" for a summer of "passion and adventure... the stuff of the books at the Nine Mile Library where my mother works," shares both the strengths and pitfalls of Caletti's The Queen of Everything. When Ruby gets involved with handsome, motorcycle-riding and rich Travis, she likes that he sees her as fearless. But he is also dangerous, and spellbound Ruby gradually gets sucked into first reckless and then criminal acts. In a concerted effort to help Ruby break away from Travis, her librarian mother, who has just endured a betrayal of her own, begins overseeing Ruby's schedule and takes her to the book club she facilitates for feisty senior citizens, the Casserole Queens—which leads to a whole other story line involving one of their members, a stroke victim who may or may not have been the lover of a famous author. There is a lot of plot, often requiring the audience's leaps of faith over not especially believable moments, and Caletti's prose, laden with strikingly apt comparisons, can make this book feel dense. Even so, so much here is uncommonly vivid, especially the exchanges among Ruby, her mother and her younger brother. Readers who stay with it will find thoughtful and authentically inspiring messages about trusting in themselves enough to insist on a love that means more than being someone's "honey, baby, sweetheart." Ages 12-up. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–During the summer of her junior year, shy, quiet Ruby McQueen falls in love with the rich boy down the block. After their first motorcycle ride, Travis gives her a beautiful gold chain, and she wears it everywhere. Only later, while on a date with him, does she learn where he gets his gifts–he breaks into houses and steals jewelry. Ruby struggles with her conflicted feelings for him. Her parents are separated and hardly stellar examples when it comes to relationships. By spending time with the Casserole Queens (her librarian mother's senior-citizen book group) and listening to their life stories, the teen and her mother finally discover the role models that they've been lacking. Readers will immediately fall for Ruby with her humor and her wry way of looking at the world. Their hearts will break as she makes bad decision after bad decision, and they'll cheer as she comes to some important realizations, with the help of the Casserole Queens. Young adults will see themselves in Ruby and, like her, have some laughs along the road to wisdom. A story full of heart, fun, and energy.–Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416957839
• ISBN-13: 978-1416957836
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,342 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an enjoyable read about the troubles of love, May 17, 2004

By	Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (Hardcover)

Sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen thinks her dreams have come true when handsome, wealthy and mysterious biker Travis Becker starts paying attention to her and giving her mind-blowing kisses. At the same time, her sometimes-father pays a visit and Ruby barely recognizes her usually competent librarian mother as she caters to his whims. Ruby doesn't understand why people love where it doesn't make sense, until it happens to her. While she sorts out these feelings, she becomes involved in helping a senior book club member find her long lost love. HONEY, BABY, SWEETHEART is about finding yourself and compassion for others.

Ruby and her brother's pain at seeing their mother hurt over and over again in the same way by their father is also a nice parallel to the mistakes Ruby makes with Travis. When Travis turns out to be someone other than Prince Charming, she finds that it's not so easy to make logical judgments and walk away, even when it would be the right thing to do. Ruby's mother reminds her that she is only human herself, and at least they can support each other.

Everyone has made dating mistakes, and readers will easily relate to Ruby. Deb Caletti, author of THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING, once again comes through with a believable teen narrator. While the pace is slow at times and readers will be yelling at Ruby not to make some of the choices she does, the subplot involving the book club and Ruby's relationship with her mother makes this book unique and worthwhile.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughts on Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, March 15, 2005

By	Adrien Merliss (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (Hardcover)

It is a good book. Honey, Baby, Sweetheart is about the one thing everyone can, on some level, relate to--love. Love is important and effective, no matter how old or a young a person is.

The message of the book is that everyone has a story. No one is ever how you perceive them. They have a past. They have secrets. They have a life that you don't know about. Elder people aren't just old. They became that way. Therefore, they were once young and experienced much of the same that we do today. They had an adventure. Life's an adventure.

I did like the book. I was able to relate to it on several levels. There were times, though, when I felt as if the writing was lagging. It started to slow down. Other than that, it was great.

"We are all a volume on the shelf of the Nine Mile Falls Library, a story unto ourselves, never possibly described with one word or even very accurately with thousands."--Deb Caletti, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, page 301

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Casserole Queens Rock, June 26, 2004

By	Megan R. (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (Hardcover)

I enjoyed the characters in Deb Caletti's first book, "The Queen of Everything" and was not disappointed that the characters in "Honey, Baby, Sweetheart" where even more tender and amusing.

Ruby is a 16 year old who most teens can either relate to or admire. Caletti has a way of getting into her characters feelings and expressing them so well that I felt as if I knew them before...especially the Casserole Queens who reminded me of some of my mother's aunts! I love the Casserole Queens! Ruby, Chip Jr. and Mom's relationship with them is so funny and sweet. I admit that I cried more than once while reading this book! I often laughed out loud too! I like how Deb Caletti describes things. She makes it easy to visualize each scene.

I like the message that I got out of the book...there is more to life than boys!

I think that this is a book for all ages...older people will love it as much as I did. It would make a fun movie.