Lock and Key -- Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen's books, in ten words:  Girl struggles against, overcomes adversity.  Often finds romance.  Always good.

Lock and Key in three words:  Not an exception.

Ruby Cooper has had to fend for herself for a long time.  Even when her mother was around, Ruby took care of most everything -- including, oftentimes, her mother's job.  When her mom takes off for good, Ruby decides to stick it out rather than contact social services -- after all, she's almost eighteen.  In a few months she'll be on her own anyway.

But she gets caught.  And social services places Ruby with her older sister, Cora, who Ruby hasn't seen since she was ten years old, since Cora left for college and never looked back.

What's really different about this one is that Ruby's struggles are mostly internal.  Yes, she's worried about her mother, and yes, her relationship with her sister has a long way to go.  But she doesn't voice those worries very often, even to herself. 

She's also now in a new school, one that's much more challenging and one that's largely populated with very wealthy teens.  But Sarah Dessen didn't go the obvious route and make the Ruby's classmates obnoxious and snobby.  Just the opposite -- they're nice.  Friendly, thoughtful and decent.  So really, it isn't much of an external challenge, except for the more difficult work load.

Ruby's real challenge is to let herself let go.  To allow herself to depend on someone.  To allow other people to care about her, and in turn, to allow herself to care about other people. 

Good one, Sarah Dessen.

Oh, and for those who need to keep an eye out for this stuff -- yes to the sex (off-camera), the swearing, the drinking and the smoking.  Ruby is not an angel.  But you'll love her anyway.