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From E. Lockhart, author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestseller We Were Liars, which John Green called "utterly unforgettable," comes Real Live Boyfriends, the fourth book in the uproarious and heartwarming Ruby Oliver novels that finds Ruby Oliver as neurotic and hyperverbal as ever as she interviews her friends for a documentary on love and popularity and while doing so turns up some uncomfortable truths.She’s lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival.
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The Ruby Oliver quarter should be required reading for teenage girls. Not for school--though, don't get me wrong, it's well-written and has a unique voice that's entirely Ruby's. (I laughed out loud several times over the course of this one, as I did while reading all three prequels.) No: this series is important because Lockhart really doesn't pull any punches when it comes to teen life.
But it's all so funny and refreshing that things like marital strife and Ruby's school torment don't interrupt the book's light tone. You take them in stride, like Ruby. That's not to say that Ruby is particularly great at handling her issues. She's continuously troubled by anxiety, an problem I'm very familiar with (and trust me, Lockhart's good at depicting realistic teen anxiety).
In her final chapter we see Ruby still struggling with all of her boyfriend/friend/parental problems. I know that it seems like she hasn't learned much--but she's a teenager! And it's great to see an author go for something that is by no means a totally closed conclusion. Ruby's always going to have her obstacles, just like any other girl.
Yet there's still a tremendous sense of growth with this girl--and you know, I feel like I and the rest of her readership have grown with her. Ruby's probably the most relatable protagonist I've ever read about, that's an accomplishment in itself.
these books are so mindlessly entertaining. ruby’s parents need serious fucking help tho wtf. glad she finally got a decent bf. kind of sad this series is over