One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies and over 360,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
84 used & new from $0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
X
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book
Start reading One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: dream interpretation, dream class, whole entire life, Whip Logan, Aunt Duffy, Cameron Diaz (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
Price: $7.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  Special Offers Available
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 10? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
28 new from $2.74 55 used from $0.01 1 collectible from $7.95

Also Available in:

 List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book)   $6.39  
Hardcover (First Edition) $16.95 $11.53 64 used & new from $0.01
Library Binding $18.40 $18.40 Order it used!
Turtleback     Order it used!

Frequently Bought Together

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies + Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy + What My Mother Doesn't Know
Price For All Three: $23.97

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy by Sonya Sones

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • This item is eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. Eligible products include select Books, Single Copy Magazines, and Home & Garden items. Buy any 4 eligible items and get the lowest-priced item free. Here's how (restrictions apply)
  • Over a hundred thousand items are eligible for our 4-for-3 promotion. How do I find more eligible items?

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

What My Mother Doesn't Know

What My Mother Doesn't Know

by Sonya Sones
4.4 out of 5 stars (214)  $7.99
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

by Sonya Sones
4.5 out of 5 stars (19)  $7.99
The Afterlife

The Afterlife

by Gary Soto
3.7 out of 5 stars (22)  $6.95
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things

The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things

by Carolyn Mackler
4.5 out of 5 stars (107)  $9.81
The Compound

The Compound

by S.A. Bodeen
4.3 out of 5 stars (13)  $8.99
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The sassy title tells readers right away that this book is NOT like one of those hideous books where the mother dies, even if fifteen-year-old Ruby's mom has recently succumbed to cancer. Sonya Sones has made a reputation for engrossing and emotionally valid verse novels with her two previous books, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy and What My Mother Doesn't Know, and here she has the good sense to avoid the platitudes of the tearjerker, focusing not on the melodrama of death but on the grieving process of a feisty teen--sometimes even with humor.

Ruby has turned her grief into anger at her father: because he divorced her mother before she was born, because she has had to leave her best friend Lizzie and her boyfriend Ray to come to Los Angeles to live with him, and because he is Whip Logan, a very famous and rich movie star. She turns a cold shoulder to all his gentle and persistent attempts to relate to her, sneers at the glamour of his Beverly Hills mansion and famous friends, and spends most of her time writing desperate emails to Lizzie and Ray, and her dead mother, from her Dream Bedroom. The friendship of Max, Whip's live-in assistant/personal trainer, is some comfort, and Ruby has a harder and harder time keeping her sneer as Whip ups the ante, from rides in his classic vintage cars, to shopping trips for anything she wants, to weekends in Las Vegas and Catalina and a party where Eminem is the guest of honor. But an earthquake leads to a surprising revelation that changes everything for Ruby, in an enormously satisfying ending. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10–In one- to two-page breezy poetic prose-style entries, 15-year-old Ruby Milliken describes her flight from Boston to California and her gradual adjustment to life with her estranged movie-star father following her mother's death. E-mails to her best friend, her boyfriend, and her mother ("in heaven") and outpourings of her innermost thoughts display her overwhelming unhappiness and feelings of isolation, loss, and grief ("…most days,/I wander around Lakewood feeling invisible./Like I'm just a speck of dust/floating in the air/that can only be seen/when a shaft of light hits it"). Ruby's affable personality is evident in her humorous quips and clever wordplays. Her depth of character is revealed through her honest admissions, poignant revelations, and sensitive insights. 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. Despite several predictable particulars of plot, Ruby's story is gripping, enjoyable, and memorable.–Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 272 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (October 25, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416907882
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416907886
  • Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #232,884 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #3 in  Books > Teens > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Sones, Sonya

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

Sonya Sones
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

› Visit Amazon's Sonya Sones Page
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
dream interpretation, dream class, whole entire life
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Whip Logan, Aunt Duffy, Cameron Diaz, Ruby's Slipper, Brad Pitt, Tree of Death, Ruby Milliken, The Evil Stepmom
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
3 books cite this book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies
67% buy the item featured on this page:
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies 4.4 out of 5 stars (58)
$7.99
What My Mother Doesn't Know
15% buy
What My Mother Doesn't Know 4.4 out of 5 stars (214)
$7.99
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know
9% buy
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know 4.5 out of 5 stars (19)
$7.99
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy
7% buy
Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy 4.6 out of 5 stars (75)
$7.99
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(5)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 18 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

58 Reviews
5 star:
 (39)
4 star:
 (14)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (58 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Hidiously Touching Book, November 10, 2004
A Kid's Review
This review is from: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Hardcover)

'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
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute book, June 21, 2004
By pmegan "pmegan" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
This review is from: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Hardcover)
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT a Hideous Book Where The Mother Dies, May 8, 2005
A Kid's Review
This review is from: One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (Hardcover)
Ruby is a 15 year old girl who must go live with her famous superstar dad whom she has never met after her Mom dies. I'm sure that you do not need me to explain the book because it basically stats everything about it in the top review.
This book is NOT poetry. If you are looking for a poetry book this is NOT one.

Basically Sonya Sones
Preses Enter
After every few words
and spaces between sentences.

Like This.

However just this morning I was looking at the reviews deciding if I should spend my time reading it, now I am writing a review, hence this is a short read. However It is a great book. VERY FUNNY SECTIONS! I personally love the entry on pages 20,21 and 22. Great humor and realistic incidents. "Leaves back home if they hit you in the head you might not even notice, here you can end up with Brain Damage." Just great humor and a great plot. Makes you think about would you be happy if you dad was a superstar and you ask your best friend to watch your boyfriend while your gone. Great book, definatley would Recommend. Sonya Sones is a wonderful author and speaks the truth about teenagers nowadays. Love this book; one of my top 15 books.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars All I can say is WOW!
I first read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade (one of the two) I then read it another dozen times! It's so good, full of excitment. I finished the book in two days! Read more
Published 13 months ago by A. Herrle

4.0 out of 5 stars Chelsea's review
In the book in the book I'm reading called another one of those hideous books where the mother dies. It about a girl who's about 14 years old and her name is ruby. Read more
Published 19 months ago by SMS CA

5.0 out of 5 stars Series of award winning What My Mother Doesn't Know
Have you ever thought your long lost father is a popular movie star? Either did Ruby. Ruby is a 15 year old girl who tells her life from 1st person in a poem format. Read more
Published 20 months ago

5.0 out of 5 stars One of those wonderful books you re-read many times
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. Read more
Published on October 8, 2007 by Gomerel

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-Versed Formula
Formula: Write your novel in verse on pages with lots of open, white space, so that your book reads quickly. Read more
Published on August 8, 2007 by Ken C.

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Great Novel for the Beach
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! Read more
Published on August 5, 2007 by Whit

5.0 out of 5 stars A story to touch your heart and your funny bone.
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. Read more
Published on July 2, 2007 by Beverly Stowe McClure

2.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't live up to the title
One of the best titles ever, too bad the book doesn't live up to it. The short poem-like chapters this books is written in are perfect for short attention spans and the book reads... Read more
Published on June 20, 2007 by BilMcReader

1.0 out of 5 stars Cut Off "Where the Mother Dies", and you've got it right!
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, well the title of the book got your attention but the question is: Do you want to explore the swift poetry style pages of Sonya... Read more
Published on May 25, 2007 by Mid-Prairie Teen

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific in every way
This book starts with Ruby on an airplane, unwillingly moving away from the only life she's ever known. Read more
Published on May 14, 2007 by Erika C. Purtell

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:














i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.