The Boyfriend List (Ruby Oliver, #1)

by E. Lockhart

[Jo]

I fancied a book full of humour, and so picked The Boyfriend List up thinking that it would be pretty funny. What surprised me is that not only was it hilariously funny, but it was also a fairly serious book too.

A series of events - which I'd like to say I believe are mostly not her fault - happen following Ruby's split with her boyfriend Jackson, which lead to Ruby going from being fairly popular to the bottom of the food chain with everyone laughing, whispering and being complete gits to her. Her whole world is turned upside down over a series of days, and she gets so stressed it leads to panic attacks - and lots of them. There were times when my heart just broke for her, because her friends were just being unjustifiably mean, and there were such levels of betrayal that just astounded me. No wonder she had panic attacks and needed therapy!

As all her problems seem to evolve around boys, her therapist gets her to write a list of all the boys there has been any kind of romantic - though I use that word a little loosely - and try to work out what her actual problems are, and so goes the story. As I said this book is also extremely funny, despite the fact that there is a lot of pain. Ruby's personaility just shines through the whole novel, and even the most awkward of situations are written with Ruby's humour shining through. A magazine described the book as "agonizingly funny", and that sums the book up perfectly.

I can't really say much more without spoiling the book, but it's just brilliant! I highly recommend you go out and buy this book! I absolutely loved it! Frotunately, I have the sequel, The Boy Book already, and I'm jumping right in. You should definitely buy TheBoyfriend List!

From Once Upon a Bookcase - YA book blog