Lock and Key

Infobox Book
name = Lock and Key
title_orig =


image_caption =
translator =
author = Sarah Dessen
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
genre = Young adult
publisher = Viking Children’s Books
release_date = April 22, 2008
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages =
isbn = ISBN 9780670010882

"Lock and Key" (2008) is a novel written by author Sarah Dessen. It is her 8th published novel, as well as her most recent novel.

ummary

The book starts off as Jamie (Cora's wealthy entrepenuer husband) showing Ruby her new room after the government found out that she is only 17 and that her mother had left her. So she is forced to live with her sister, Cora who left for college when Ruby was 10.

As the story progresses, Ruby talks about her mother and their memories. And Ruby tranfers to from Jackson High to Perkins Day Intstitute. Ruby tries to run away but her next-door neighbor sees what she is doing. When Jamie and his dog, Roscoe, come home from a walk, the next-door neighbor, Nate, covers for her.

When Ruby's first day at Perkins Day comes, she is late for class. Her teacher assigns her an assignment about family. She tries to interview people to get the true answer. She makes friends with Olivia, an addict to her cell phone.

As the story progresses, Nate drives her and an annoying little boy named Gervais to school. Gervais annoys Ruby everyday until one day he stops. He takes off his head gear and starts acting like a gentleman. Nate tells Ruby that he probably likes her. But during Christmas, Gervais offers to tutor Ruby in calculus in exchange to get to talk to Olivia more because he likes her. Also, Cora is upset because she gets her period on Christmas Day (she is trying to get pregnant). Ruby gets an A on her calculus quiz which can get her into a good college.

During the story, Ruby argues with Cora after she skipped school and got drunk. Cora tells Ruby that when she left for college, she tried to get a hold of Ruby. But their mother refused to tell Ruby that Cora tried to talk to her which was why her mother gave fake addresses to Ruby's schools and they moved a lot.

In January, Nate and Ruby take their friendship to the next level. They start dating after sharing a kiss in Nate's backyard pool. Ruby claims that she and Nate are a regular couple like "making out and dating." Ruby works with Harriet. But the two break up on Valentine's Day after they have an arguement because Ruby wants to tell someone about Nate's father's abuse.

Finally Ruby gets the answer to her question "What is family?". At the end of the story, Nate runs away but Ruby finds him and starts to live with Cora, Jamie, and Ruby. Nate's father demands that he comes home but Nate refuses. Cora calls Nate's mother to see if he can live with her. Nate moves in with his mother but before he leaves, Ruby gives him the necklace that made Harriet (Ruby's boss) famous. Nate and Ruby start to exchange messages and spend hours on the phone. Later on, Ruby gets an acceptance letter from the University. Cora throws Ruby an 18th birthday party. Jamie takes a picture of Ruby and all of her friends and realizes that that is a family. She thinks of her mother (who left Ruby and is now in a rehab center).

One day, Ruby comes home from school and finds Cora on her bed, crying. Ruby asks her what is wrong but Cora refuses to tell her. Ruby sees a pregnancy test box and gets the impression that the test is a negative. Jamie comes in and says that she can try again. But Cora gives Ruby the test and sees that the test is a positive. After that, Ruby goes outside and dumps the old house key in the pond that Jamie made.

Allusions and references to other works

Sarah Dessen makes several references, or Easter egg (media) to characters and situations in her other novels.

:- Marshall, who is Ruby's ex-boyfriend, is roommates with Rogerson, Caitlin's boyfriend in "Dreamland". :- Ruby moves to Wildflower Ridge, a neighborhood created by Macy's mother in "The Truth About Forever". :- Nate listens to Annabel ("Just Listen") on the community radio.:- Owen from "Just Listen" helps Jamie put together a CD for Cora, though his name is never mentioned. :- Also seen/mentioned in Lock and Key is Kiki Sparks ("Keeping the Moon"), Kristy and Bert from "The Truth About Forever", Barbara Starr ("This Lullaby"), and Mallory and her friends from "Just Listen".:- Nate is making gift bags with chocolate houses for a client who happens to be a builder; the builder is Queen Homes, run by Macy's mother from "The Truth About Forever".

Motivations

Sarah Dessen conducted an interview with the blog, The Sarah Dessen Diarist [http://sarahdessen.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/lock-and-key-sarah-dessen-interview/] .

Dessen chose abuse and neglect as a key theme as she "...was really interested in taking on a different type of narrator. Most of my girls are from upper middle class families, living in pretty solid environments. I was intrigued by taking a girl who WASN’T like that at all and dropping her into this whole new world. I liked the idea that you’d think it would solve all her problems—having a roof over her head, money, a family—but that it actually brought up a whole other set to deal with. Also, I liked the idea of my narrator having to sort of “save” someone else in order to save herself"."

The concept of the English project sprung from her want to "...focus on the idea of family, and I thought it would be an interesting way to get Ruby thinking about it without it seeming too forced. Plus I really liked the idea of how everyone would have different definitions for the word, and in giving them, they’d be sort of defining themselves, as well"."

The song, Angel of Montgomery, allowed Dessen to "...get down the character of Ruby’s mom. There’s a certain sadness, and tiredness, in that song, and the woman speaking in it, and it really reminded me of what I was trying to get to with Ruby’s mom. I often will have a song that brings to mind a character, or helps fill them out a bit"."

The interview went into further detail with questions regarding character choices and inspirations for themes.