One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

by
Sonya Sones

( 162 )

Pick Up In Store

Paperback (Reprint)

$7.99

BN.com price

Eligible for FREE SHIPPING details

Usually ships within 24 hours - Same Day delivery in Manhattan details

Marketplace (New and Used)

from

$0.01

$7.99 List Price (Save 100%)

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

All (77)

Used (60)

New (17)

Page 1 of 8

Showing 1 – 10 of 77 (8 pages)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

OwlsBooks-TRM

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good

Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

OwlsBooks-TRM

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Good

Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

GreatBuyBooks-WA

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(18248)

Condition: Good

Buy from the best: 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

Discover Books Ltd.

Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(3584)

Condition: Good

Some wear on book from reading, some spine creases, wear on binding and pages, we guarantee all purchases and ship all items via USPS mail.

Ships from: Sumas, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

BetterWorld - Textbooks

Seller since 2006

Feedback rating:

(4990)

Condition: Very Good

Shipped by Better World Books. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Shipped to over one million happy customers. For California residents, the ... list price includes applicable sales tax. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Mishawaka, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.01

(Save 100%)

GreatBuyBooks-WA

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(18248)

Condition: Good

Buy from the best: 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.25

(Save 97%)

Clickgoodwill

Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(81)

Condition: Good

Very minimal damage to the cover no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks minimal wear binding majority of pages undamaged minimal creases or tears. Book may have writing, ... underlining, highlighting, wear to cover and corners, notes in margins, writing Read more Show Less

Ships from: Indianapolis, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 88%)

Goodwill Industries of SF

Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(119)

Condition: Good

2005 Paperback The cover may contain minor wear, and the corners may have some light degree of damage. If there are any notes present, they would only be penciled and only ... visible on a few pages. There are no ink markings of any kind, but there may be a remainder-mark on the outside edge of the pages. Proceeds benefit non-profit Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. We create solutions to poverty through the businesses we operate. Your purchase creates jobs and transforms liv. Read more Show Less

Ships from: San Francisco, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 88%)

Shopbookaholic

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(486)

Condition: Good

2005 Paperback Good General Used Condiiton. Minor Defects may Exist. Minimal Shelf wear. Text may contain minor marking or highlighting, Binding Tight. Previous owners name or ... bookplate may be present. Like New, May have remainder mark (black line generally made acrossed bottom page edge to indicate close out by publisher) Read more Show Less

Ships from: Wichita, KS

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 88%)

SG Books

Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(150)

Condition: Good

This is a good copy with average wear and does not include a dust jacket.

Ships from: Cheyenne, WY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)

Page 1 of 8

Showing 1 – 10 of 77 (8 pages)

Buy Now

Get Free Sample Buy As Gift

NOOK Book (eBook)

$7.99

BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

Note: Visit our Teens Store.

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

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 gorgeous boyfriend, Ray, to live in L.A. with my father, who I've never even met because he's such a scumbag that he divorced my mom before I was born.

The only way I've ever even seen him is in the movies, since he's this mega-famous actor who's been way too busy trying to win Oscars to even visit me once in fifteen years.

Everyone loves my father.

Everyone but me.

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

PW called this story of a 15-year-old who must move from Boston to L.A. after her mother's untimely death a "winning portrayal of a teenage girl's loves and losses." Ages 12-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Ruby Milliken shines as a saga unfolds from the mind of a teenager in this fast-paced novel of vibrant emotions and high drama. Ruby is a fifteen-year-old who has just lost her mother, home, and reason for living. She moves across the country to live with her movie star father leaving behind her boyfriend, Ray, and best friend, Lizzie. A look into the mind of Ruby is like boarding a jolting roller coaster as she thrives on impulsive decisions and peaks of emotion. At one moment, she will be fired up about how she thinks this "loose" girl named Amber is trying to steal Ray; another moment she'll be writing an e-mail to her dead mother. Sones writes with a poetic, plot-driven style magically connecting each new character to the next event. Having experienced the culture shock of Hollywood herself, Sones equates some of her experience through Ruby, causing the first-person narrative to come alive in a natural way. Young readers will be drawn to the journalistic feel, poetic set-up, and page-long chapters. 2004, Simon and Schuster Books, 268 pp., Ages young adult.
—Mary McCoy

More Reviews (4) Fewer Reviews

KLIATT

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2004: Sones is a gifted writer of novels in poetry. (Her novel What My Mother Doesn't Know was selected as an ALA Best Book for YAs, and this one is an ALA Best Book as well.) Told in a series of brief poems interspersed with e-mails and letters, this could have been just another story about celebrity—the narrator's father is a famous movie star. It evolves into much more than that! Ruby is the narrator. Her parents were divorced before she was born and she never knew her father. Now her mother has died of cancer and the story begins as Ruby is flying to California from the East Coast to live with this father she despises because she thinks he deserted her and her mother. She is leaving behind a best friend and a boyfriend, and the loss of her mother and these close friends is enormous; yet, she is unable to cry, numbed by the trauma of her mother's death. The story moves on to details of the luxury of her father's home and way of life, Ruby's private school, filled with children of celebrities, and Ruby's continuing rage, grief, and isolation. But, then things change, and finally Ruby is able to weep. The person who can comfort her is her father. When Ruby finally is willing to listen to him, she discovers he is quite different from the person she imagined him to be. YAs will love this book—for the emotional storms, for the details of life among the rich and famous, and for the basic character of Ruby—smart, responsible, resilient. KLIATT Codes: JS*—Exceptional book, recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Simon & Schuster, Pulse, 268p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Claire Rosser

VOYA

It is true that the mother dies, but this hilarious and painfully real novel in verse and letters is anything but hideous. Ruby Milliken knows everything that she needs to know about her father, Whip Logan, whom she has not seen since she was a baby. He is a world-class actor, and more important, a world-class jerk who left her and her mother and never wrote once. When her mother dies, however, Ruby is sent from her home in Massachusetts to Los Angeles to live with him. She resolves not to like him, a decision that is steadily worn down by a mutual love of classic cars and some first-rate mediation by Max, Whip's personal assistant. As the school year progresses, Ruby finds a home in Los Angeles and makes some important discoveries about Whip's absence from her life. Whip Logan might be in the movies, but Sones's sparse, carefully chosen prose is the star here, conveying Ruby's conflicts of home, friendship, and family in a sympathetic, thoroughly believable manner. Ruby's grieving for her mother is heartbreaking, but also humorous and never overwrought. Without being preachy, Sones addresses stereotyping, variations of friendship, betrayal by loved ones, and parent-child relationships. Readers will cry as easily as they laugh at Ruby's frank observations of life in, as she calls it, Hellywood, even if they do not have teachers named Feather who make them keep a dream journal. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Simon & Schuster, 272p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Carlisle K. Webber

School Library Journal

Gr 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 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In a story worthy of Hollywood, 15-year-old Ruby moves to LA to join her estranged father, the movie star Whip Logan, when her mother dies. The grieving Ruby, given the fulfillment of many a teen's fantasies, is nothing but sullen at being wrenched away from her Boston home and friends and plunked into the middle of the celebrity district of Beverly Hills with a father she's never known. Short, stream-of-consciousness free-verse poems make up most of the narrative, by turns bathing readers in Ruby's emotions and treating them to very sharp, very funny observations about LA. It's a hugely artificial form, but its free acknowledgment thereof ("my life better not turn out to be like one of those hideous books where the mother dies and so the girl has to go live with her absentee father . . . ") allows the text, and Ruby, to explore the possibilities behind the fantasy. Ruby's eventual adjustment and her rapprochement with her father (cue the violins) will come as no surprise to readers but, hey-this is Hollywood after all, and sometimes a happy ending is exactly what we need. (Fiction. 12+)

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781416907886
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date: 10/25/2005
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 272
Sales rank: 115,033
Age range: 12 - 17 Years
Lexile: 0820L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 7.00 (w) x 4.86 (h) x 0.73 (d)

Meet the Author

SONYA SONES has written four novels-in-verse: Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy, One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies, What My Mother Doesn't Know, and its companion, What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know. Her books have been honored with a Christopher Award, the Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award, and the Claudia Lewis Award for Poetry. But the coolest honor she ever got was when What My Mother Doesn't Know made it onto the ALA’s list of Top Ten Most Challenged Books, twice. She lives near the beach in California. You can find out way more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.sonyasones.com.

Read an Excerpt

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

By Sonya Sones

Simon Pulse

Copyright © 2005 Sonya Sones
All right reserved.
ISBN: 1416907882

American Airlines Flight 161

I'm not that depressed,

considering that this

gigantic silver bullet with wings

is blasting me away from my whole entire life,

away from Lizzie Brody,

my best friend in the world,

away from Ray Johnston,

my first real boyfriend.

Not that depressed,

considering I've been kidnapped

by this monstrous steel pterodactyl

and it's flying me all the way to L.A.

to live with my father

who I've never even met

because he's such a scumbag

that he divorced my mother

before I was even born.

I'd say I'm doing reasonably well,

considering I'm being dragged

three thousand miles away from all my friends

and my school and my aunt Duffy

and the house I've lived in ever since I was born,

three thousand miles away from my mother,

and my mother's grave,

where she lies in a cold wooden box

under six feet of dirt,

just beginning to rot.

I'm not that depressed

considering that I'm trapped

on this jumbo poison dart

shooting me away from everything I love,

and there's this real weird guy

sitting in the seat right behind mine,

who keeps picking his nose

and eating it.

Depressed?

Who? Me?

Aunt Duffy Drove Me to the Airport

And there was a second there

when I actually considered

getting down on my hands and knees

and begging her not to put me on this plane,

begging her not to send me away,

pleading with her to let me stay in Boston

and live with her instead.

But Duffy's so nice that I knew she'd say yes

and I knew that that would make me feel

like crawling under a boulder,

because her apartment just has

this one microscopic bedroom

and now that she's finally

got herself a new boyfriend,

the last thing she needs

is to have her fifteen-year-old niece

permanently camped out in her living room,

which is barely even big enough

to fit her couch.

So I contained my urge to grovel.

My Mother Hated Flying

Especially after September 11th.

She used to squeeze my hand so hard

during takeoffs and landings

that she'd cut off my circulation.

She'd screw her eyes closed

and whisper this silly prayer someone taught her once.

Something about manifold divine blessings

being unto the plane or the universe

or some hippie-dippy thing like that.

And if there was even

a teensy bit of turbulence -- forget it.

She'd start apologizing to me

for every mean thing she'd ever said

or done or even thought about doing.

This morning,

when the plane was lurching down the runway

and I didn't have Mom's hand to hold,

my heart flung itself up into my throat.

And for a minute there,

I couldn't even breathe.

I didn't know how much

I depended on

being depended on

by her.

Peach Fuzz

When the flight attendant

leans in to ask me

if I'd like something to drink,

and the sun splashes across her face,

I notice

all these tiny little

blond hairs on her cheeks,

and tears rush into my eyes.

My mother had them, too.

I used to tease her about them.

Called it her peach fuzz.

It used to make her laugh.

If I could reach out

and stroke those little hairs

on the flight attendant's face,

without totally freaking her out,

I'd close my eyes

and I'd do it right now.

I'd touch my mother's cheek

one more time.

Maybe You're Wondering About It

But that's just tough.

Because I'm not even going to go in

to how she died.

Let's just say she knew that she was sick,

that she felt it burrowing,

felt it gnawing at her insides.

But the doctors wouldn't listen.

And when they finally found it,

there was nothing they could do.

Nothing she could do.

Nothing I could do.

Nothing.

Let's just say

she wasted away into a toothpick,

and leave it at that, okay?

That after a while

she was just a shadow

lying there on her bed.

Oh.

And I guess we can say

that I was holding her hand

when it finally happened.

I Love to Read

But my life better not turn out

to be like one of those hideous books

where the mother dies

and so the girl has to

go live with her absentee father

and he turns out to be

an alcoholic heroin addict

who brutally beats her

and sexually molests her

thereby causing her to become

a bulimic ax murderer.

I love to read,

but I can't stand books like that.

And I flat out refuse

to have one of those lives

that I wouldn't even want

to read about.

And Speaking of Fathers

As soon as I was old enough

to notice that I didn't have one,

I started asking questions.

Like, "Where's my daddy?"

And, "How come Lizzie has a daddy,

but I don't?"

Mom's face would sort of slam shut

and all she'd say was,

"He divorced me before you were born."

If it wasn't for my aunt Duffy

I'd never have even found out

who my father was.

Continues...

Excerpted from One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones Copyright © 2005 by Sonya Sones. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5

( 162 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(105)

4 Star

(35)

3 Star

(11)

2 Star

(7)

1 Star

(4)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

Corbella

Posted September 9, 2009

more from this reviewer

One of those hidious reviews that people read!!

I absolutly fell in love with this book! It was so hilarious to me! But yet it was serious. Weird, but a good mix. I told one of my friend to read it, but she didn't like the way in was writen in a long paragraph instead of a chapter (I really didn't like that either, but I got over it), so I started to read it to her, and she fell in love with it!! This book is about Ruby, who has to go live with her movie star dad, Whip Logan, since her mother died and her Aunt is going away with her new boyfriend. Now to me that would be heaven!! Living next to movie stars, going to a cool school (where teachers actually let you call them by their first names!), and having lots of money to buy anything you want!But to Ruby it's torture! She has to move away from her best friend, and her more than awesome boyfriend,Ray! Once Ruby gets to "Less Angeles" she is forever hating Whip. But Whip is bound to get her to like him. But little does Ruby know Whip has some secrets. What are they? Like I'm going to tell you!! Read it for yourself!!

9 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
luckeyBARE

Posted May 3, 2009

This book is great!

This book is absolutely amazing, its very great. Its very emotional, funny, and thrilling. Its truly unforgettable, I enjoyed reading this book, Its just so FANTASTIC. I recommend this book for ages 13 and up. This is probably the best book i've read in years!!!!!!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted November 4, 2011

Amazing

This book is amazing I read it about 5 times and it never got boring. I don't care about haters so if you don't like it don't bother with it. :)

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 4, 2012

Amazing!

I don't usually read chick books, but even though this may seem like one, its not. Its funny and a good fast read. I read it in less than five days.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
SAM8

Posted October 18, 2009

I Also Recommend:

One of those hideous books where the mother dies

One of those hideous books where the mother dies by: Sonya Sones is probably one of the best books I have ever read.! I defiantly recommend this book! It was interesting and easy to relate to. I loved how it was set up like journal entries and just not long boring chapters. Everything is so relatable and it was very easy to follow. Also, just when you think you have finally figured out how it going to end up, BOOM! It changes on you. I found lots found lots of things hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud. But it also had some really sad and serous moments, that I was imagining myself being in. This book is about a girl named Ruby, whose mother dies and she is forced to live with her father, famous movie star Whip Logan in Los Angeles. Who hasn't been there at all her whole life. This means she has to leave behind her house where she lived all her life, her best friend, her Aunt Duffy, and the love of her life Ray. She has to start a whole new school, make new friends, and get used to the fact that Cameron Diaz is her next-door neighbor. After a boy at school is killed in a car-accident she realizes so many things. Then when her life comes tumbling down she realizes that Whip has tried to be here for her all along. A great read! This is defiantly a five star book!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
TeensReadToo

Posted November 12, 2008

more from this reviewer

Reviewed by Mark Frye, author and reviewer for TeensReadToo.com

With perhaps one of the catchiest titles in young adult fiction history, Sonya Sones has created a novel-in-verse that readers will breeze through and find thoroughly satisfying. With an economy of words, Sones creates an enthralling story of loss and recovery that is a wonderful edition to the genre of teen "chick-lit."

The narrator, Ruby, is sent to live with the father she's never met in person when her mother loses her battle with cancer. The fact that he's a famous movie star doesn't help matters; the world may love him, but Ruby is determined to make him pay for ignoring her all those years. As she juggles grief over her loss, resentment towards her father, and adjusting to life in Hollywood, Ruby is an increasingly sympathetic character.

But the father himself grows in the story, as well, as he tries to earn his daughter's love and respect. Teen readers will identify with Ruby's embarrassment at his dorky efforts to protect her and appear "cool," but may also wish that she would be more sympathetic to someone trying so hard to win her heart. To her credit, the author doesn't clumsily rush the revelations about Whip's relationship with Ruby's mother and others, but gradually unfolds the mystery of why he "abandoned" his daughter.

There are more than a few surprises for the reader along the way to a happy, satisfying conclusion. Sones ties up many loose ends in a believable manner and introduces many likeable secondary characters, ones essential to the story and ones who are periphery - such as "cameos" by Cameron Diaz, for instance. All of the characters have depth - strengths and weaknesses fully displayed - including Ruby herself, who learns that the mother she has marbleized had flaws of her own.

This novel will be especially appealing to teens who have lost a parent or even ones who are embarrassed by the ones they have. Highly recommended.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 15, 2012

FghdhdhhfggtdyhfbfbdsbasshfhhbbhhdhfassfrnrjfnjnfhffhASSdhhdgdvgdvddbfbc

FfvfgfhdhfhfvhfhASShbfbbfbbggxhdhhf
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 7, 2012

Amazing

This is one of the best books i have evr read on my nook. It was a quick read but it was worth reading.I loved the wity combacks and exspeacily Max of i loved Max i want some Aunt like Aunt Max.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 27, 2012

Ffg

I love this title

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 10, 2012

It was great

Ohh my gosh i fell inlove its like her story i lived<3
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 17, 2012

Great Book

This is a great book filled with humor, love, and loyalty towards friends amd family. I recomend this book to amy person who wants a short loving book. READ IT!!!!!! :)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 1, 2012

I was drawn in by the title and cover art. However, this book is

I was drawn in by the title and cover art. However, this book is the best example I have for 'don't judge a book by it's cover'. It was very petty and unrelatable. I couldn't connect with Ruby at all because it was all very fake.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 29, 2012

yed

I love this book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted March 14, 2012

Fab book

I love all the sonya sones books but this one was my favorite the title made me so curiose and i picked it up and could not put it down it was also really suprising awesome book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted February 26, 2012

Amazing!!!!!!:)

This book was verey inspiring and good even though its only 80 pages its stilll a very good book! I couldnt stop reading it!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted February 25, 2012

OMG!!!!!!

I couldnt put this book down! I finished it in just a little less than 2 days!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 17, 2012

Im in love with sonya

I read what my mother doesnt know and love it so i wanted to read this one its great i finish it in two days i just could not stop reading
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted January 12, 2012

Holy crap!

Loooovveee this book its just so real:)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Erica15

Posted November 14, 2011

Wonderful book!

¿One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies¿ starts off with a flash back of Ruby when she was just a little girl. She always sees her dad on that giant screen in the movie theatre where her grandma took her with out her mom¿s permission, but she has never met her dad in person, except when she finally moves with him when her mother later dies. She moves all the way from Massachusetts to California. Ruby¿s father is a well known celebrity, who Ruby¿s not very fond of. She now has to move to an entirely new city and school, and leave her best friend, Liz, and her boyfriend, Ray. In my opinion, this is an excellent coming of age novel. It definitely kept the reader focused and infatuated with it¿s altering twists. I didn¿t expect each event that happened in this book. Throughout the book, it really does make you ponder about how and why things happen. This novel is perfect for the age group of 13-18, and I think a young, teenage girl could really relate her emotions to this book. She was never raised or even met her father, the grief of her mother¿s death, and leaving her long term best friend behind, along with her young love. This could be for any teen, especially since most of us have been in one of these situations before.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
8208423

Posted October 18, 2011

Awsome

I've always avoided books about the death of parents but I really loved "What My Mother Doesn't Know" and "What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know" that it convinced me to read this book despite what others said. It is really one of those books where you have to decide for yourself weather or not to read it. Nobody can say that this book don't make you realize how lucky you are to have both parents alive and in your life.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Pick Up in Store

Available on NOOK devices and apps

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

KLIATT

VOYA

School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

Meet the Author

Read an Excerpt

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

Simon Pulse

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

One of those hidious reviews that people read!!

This book is great!

Amazing

Amazing!

One of those hideous books where the mother dies

Reviewed by Mark Frye, author and reviewer for TeensReadToo.com

FghdhdhhfggtdyhfbfbdsbasshfhhbbhhdhfassfrnrjfnjnfhffhASSdhhdgdvgdvddbfbc

Amazing

Ffg

It was great

Great Book

I was drawn in by the title and cover art. However, this book is

yed

Fab book

Amazing!!!!!!:)

OMG!!!!!!

Im in love with sonya

Holy crap!

Wonderful book!

Awsome