Book Review: Treasure Map of Boys By E. Lockhart

I'm going to assume you have read the previous books of the Ruby Oliver Series

At First Sight: Winter break is over and Ruby Oliver is back in the Tate Universe, neurotic as ever and trying to navigate her way through no-boyfriend land and remain a good friend.

Not that the boys in her life are making things easy. Suddenly Jackson - the one that broke her heart -is talking to her again. Noel - the one she (and her friend Norah) wants - is flirting and asking her to be his bodyguard against other girls. Gideon - Nora's brother - is helping her bake.

On top of that, Ruby lost the job she liked, got another job where she has to stare at feet all day long, she's running a bake sale and trying really hard not to be a rotten friend. Therapy with doctor Z seems to be going nowhere and the panic attacks are back with a vengance.

In short, it's hard to be Ruby Oliver but, trying to find her way through the boys, she might find a real treasure in her life.

Second Glance: Treasure Map of Boys is the third installment of the Ruby Oliver series by E. Lockhart and I have to admit it took me a while to read it, though I thought it was fantastically funny and a good read. 

I really liked Ruby during this book, I think I've seen her grown up and even though she's a bit too boy obsessed - which I don't really get because I was never that boy crazy, and not even my more slutty friends were either.  But, anyway, it was a lovely read: fast paced and sweet. 

I still love Megan and Hutch, they are my favorite characters of the series, and probably the only true friends Ruby has ever had. I love how, as Ruby gets to know them better, I get to know the better and see different aspects of their personalities beyond what Ruby saw at the beginning of her story. 

Also, it was nice to finally see Ruby starting to stand up for herself in some matters, and come to certain realizations about what friendship is and isn't - which is so hard to figure out sometimes.

Ruby still gets on my nerves sometimes, and sometimes I want to leap into the book and shake her a little and make her see reason, but I guess that just means I think of her as a friend - as I wouldn't just shake anybody! - and that's always good in my book. 

Oh, and there is a Great Dane and a cute goat, and you know I think that animals make books just that much better!

Bottom Line: The Treasure Map of Boys is a cute, quirky little book about a girl trying to find out what she wants and whom she wants it from. It's funny, touching and a lovely read. 

Favorite Quote: In life, there's no happily-ever-after-into-the-sunset. There's marriage, complete with arguments, bad hair, lost hair, mentally unstable children, weird diets, dogs that fur up the couch, not enough money. Like my parents. That's their life I just described - but then, there they were, talking on the phone about my dad massaging my mom's groin area after yoga; cuddling on the couch; holding hands and wearing stupid Great Dane paraphernalia.