One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Rating:
Summary: A Hidiously Touching Book
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Very nice
Review: I liked the easy way the story flowed, and the very interesting characters. I would have like a little more develing into characters, perhaps a view from different perspectives, and a less obvious ending, but it is a sweet and snappy read that I would recommend to girl in need of some laughs.

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: I love Sonya Sones' books. This is the second one I have read and once again I finished it in 1 day! The way she writes keeps you interested. I recommend this book to everyone!

Rating:
Summary: A touching story told in verse
Review: 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 ([e-mail])

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: I really liked this book. I only bought it because i had like the other author book. This book was SOOOOOOOOOO funny. I'm 15, just like the main character, and I thought I could relate. THe book is written poeticaly but still easy to read. BUY IT for a teenager, after that buy the author's other books!! yeah! I wish the book was longer...

Rating:
Summary: Cute book
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Cute book
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Insanely funny
Review: I was scrolling down through all the blurbs and all the reviews are talking about the emotion and the tears and blah diddly blah blah. This annoyed me, seeing as how the book WASN'T EMOTIONAL! I loved the character of Ruby, and the way she told her story through poems (a bit disconcerting at first, but excellent) really brought her insanely amusing personality to life. I loved Max, also, because he totally reminded me of one of my best friends (who loved this book too, by the way, after I forced him to read it) and, ok, this is going to sound ridiculous, but it was also sort of... bouncy. No, I don't mean bouncy as in bubbles and happy little smily faces. It was more like a trampoline that when the springs push you up, you rise to grabe a leaf of a nearby tree or something. That was a totally incoherent analogy, but seriously guys, THIS BOOK IS NOT CLOAKED IN A BLACK MOURNING VEIL!!! It contained intelligent humor and I was cracking up the entire time. READ IT. (But not if you enjoy depression)

Rating:
Summary: The most amazing book!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: One of Those Hideous Book Where the Mother Dies
Review: This book is amazing. The main charecter, Rubey, has to leave a lot behind to go and live with her dad. Her father is a movie star in the book, and he and her mother were divorced. Rubey has gone to see movies with him in them, and from them and her mother, she has this image that he is just this bad person, and is set out to not like him. So she goes to live with him, and decides that maybe, it's OK to like him after all.