The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Title: The Boyfriend List

(Ruby Oliver #1)

Author: E. Lockhart

Publisher: Delacorte Books for

Young Readers (Sept. 26, 2006)

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Oliver has had a rough ten days. In the past ten days she:
 - lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list)
 - lost her best friend (Kim)
 - lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
 - did something suspicious with a boy (#10)
 - did something advanced with a boy (#15)
 - had an argument with a boy (#14)
 - had a panic attack (scary)
 - lost a lacrosse game (she's the goalie)
 - failed a math test (she'll make it up)
 - hurt Meghan's feelings (even though they aren't really friends)
 - became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
 - had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom (who knows what was in the boys'!?!)
But don't worry--Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.*

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The Boyfriend List is one of those books that I wanted to read and was going to read but then didn't. I kept thinking, oh, I'll get it the next time I come to the library. And then my sister bought it, and I thought, good. Now I'll actually read it... I didn't. Until a few days ago. I finally got around to it and am so I happy I did.

You know how you read some books and go, that would never happen in real life? I didn't think that once in this book. E. did an amazing job of keeping it realistic. I was never sure what would happen next, and I especially couldn't figure out how it was going to end. 

E. wrote (a lot of) footnotes into the book, which I loved. (I'm not exactly sure why. I just have a thing for footnotes in books.) It was a really clean way of adding in extra information without actually interrupting the story.

If you haven't read it (although I'm under the impression that I'm the only person in the world who hasn't), you should look for it. Don't say you'll get it and say you'll read it and never do it. Just go get it. I suggest leaving right now. Before you forget. Then again, if it's three in the morning, and your library and/or bookstore aren't open yet, you could probably wait until eight-ish.... or you could just steal it.... **

*Summary from back cover of paperback 

**I don't suggest doing this. It may not be worth getting arrested. It is an option though.