Lock and Key

I am currently reading a book called Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen. This is a book about a girl who had a troubled life when living with her mom and now she is forced to live under the circumstances of her sister, whom she had not seen in over 10 years. Now that I have read more into the book I have figured out what the cause of Ruby's family structure was like, and what teared her family apart.

In the beginning of the story Ruby and her mother live in a farm house working together going to work with eachother everyday. "Helping eachother out." But then after Ruby's mother disappears it left me as a reader, confused. Because I knew that the relationship between Ruby and her mother wasn't the best relationship, but it wasn't necessarily a horrible one it was more of an understanding between the two of them. At least from my perspective. But now I have a clue as to why Ruby had gotten abandoned by her mother. I can surmise that her mother left because she didn't want to live in that farmhouse anymore and she probably just wanted to go off with her boyfriend, because she ignores Ruby every time her mother invites her boyfriend over. And I think that there may be some tyoe of justice being served after Ruby's mother left because Ruby was actually happy living by her self.

It seems like Ruby is dieing to be a grown up because she is almost 18. Ruby is the type of character that is very independent and depends on no one but herself. When her mother gave her the opportunity to live on her own she wasn't doing so well. And she was living in very poor conditions until her sister had to step in; after 10 years of her not being in contact with her family what so ever.

Now that Ruby is staying with her sister Cora, the relationship between eachother is also damaged. And in this section of the book is where I discovered that when Cora and Ruby were little Cora used to protect Ruby when she was little because of their mother. Their mother was an alchoholic and would be very violet when she had too much to drink. Ever since then when Cora had gotten older she moved out and never wanted anything to do with the family again. And when Ruby and Cora were reunited it was an awkward sort of tension between the two. They used to be so close but now they both act like they have never had any sort of relation to eachother.

To conclude this post, there are many mixed emotions and questions that are still un- answered about this tattered family. But I will get to answer the remaining questions that I still have. For example, why doesn't Cora try to communicate with Ruby like she used to when they were little, or fill Ruby in on what she's been doing in her life. And also why didn't Cora take Ruby with her to raise her on her own instead of leaving Ruby with their alcoholic mother. And hopefully I will be able to get a better understanding and a more detailed story as to why Ruby's  mother became the way she is now.