Kelsey

**//Lock and Key By: Sarah Dessen//**

Dessen's best since //This Lullaby//...it will captivate all readers." -VOYA " What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad,in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations, or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We have many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups you moved through while all of this was happening, friends, lovers, and sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it." -Ruby Cooper 

"All the Dessen trademarks are here-- the swoon-worthy boys next door who is not what he appears to be; and the supporting characters who force Ruby to rethink her cynical worldview." - //Publishers Weekly// " But I was sure of something. too: it's a lot easier to be lost than found. It's the reason we're always searching, and rarely discovered-- so many locks, not enough keys." -Ruby Cooper

media type="youtube" key="kKf2lECazMs" height="406" width="670"  "Lock and Key is a touching story of moving on but hanging on, accepting love and giving love, told in the quick-paced, flowing style that is a hallmark of Sarah Dessen." - South Florida Sun Sentinel  "Was it really this easy, once you escaped, just to not care?" -Ruby Cooper

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__Memorable Quotes__ 1. I chose the first memorable quote because Ruby struggled throughout the entire book just to find out the true meaning of family. She never knew what it was like to be loved, and payed attention to. When Ruby says "none of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be," I think she was referring to her mom. Even though her mom was far from perfect Ruby knows that she is still family. In the quote Ruby says " it wasn't just about blood relations, or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger," she realizes that it's so much more than that, she begins to understand that it's about love, trust, and happiness. The word "family" for Ruby has always been a difficult word to comprehend because she never really had one. I think that over time Ruby realizes that she has a whole bunch of people willing to back her up. "The trick was to take what each could give you and then build your world from it." I think that part in the quote means to take what your family members could teach you, and then apply that to life. At the beginning of the book Ruby just thought that family were the people you were stuck living with for the rest of your life, but she soon began to realize it ws so much more.

2. I chose the second memorable quote because I think she was referring to her and Nate, and possibly a future together. Ruby thinks that it's a lot easier to run away and tell yourself that you're starting from scratch, than to just just stop and dig deep inside yourself for the answers. Their are so many people willing to open themselves; not enough people who are strong enough to accept an act. It can also go in the reverse order: lots of people willing to help, but not enough willing to accept it. To Ruby being lost is what she thinks is easier, she would rather keep her heart under lock and key to prevent ever getting hurt. When Ruby says "so many locks- not enough keys," I think she means that people keep too many feeling bottled up inside them, and their aren't enough ways to let them out. The locks being the feelings, and not enough keys being the reason you can't let those feelings out. Everyone wants to pretend that they are secure, or rather: secure enough. Perhaps it's because their are scared that if they open up to people they will get hurt. But in a way, I think Ruby wanted more than anything to be part of something, to be found, and not to be lost anymore.

3. I chose the third memorable quote because Ruby didn't believe that people could live how Jamie and Cora did, they had all these luxurious things, and money never seemed to be an issue. Ruby wanted to know if it really was this easy to just live a life where she didn't have a care in the world. Maybe for Ruby, now that she had escaped the old life she didn't have to care about what happened to the house, or her old life. Ruby thought that it was almost going to be to easy to live a care free live, she insisted their had to be some sort of catch to her new life. Her whole life Ruby had to care for her mother, not because her mother was ill or anything. The simple fact was because her mother was living a care free life. In a way, it was Ruby's turn to have some change in her life. Ruby's mom didn't care about anything, she was always drunk. All the responsibilty fell on Ruby's shoulders, and I think that all her troubles went out the window when she went to live with Cora and Jamie. In her new life Ruby didn't have all the stress anymore, she was able to just concentrate on herself and not care about certain things anymore.

__Picture:__ 1. I chose the picture of the key because Ruby has a key to her old house around her neck for most of the book. For her, the key is a way to hold on to her old life while living her new life. The key represents so many aspects of her old life, she is afraid to let go of it. Ruby thinks that she can't let go of her old life, it sorts of haunts her to think about it but she always does. In order for Ruby to take off her old necklace she needs to learn how to trust the people around her. I think that the key around her neck makes Ruby feel closer to her mother, it makes ruby feel comforted, and that she hasn't been abandoned. Ruby wants to take the necklace off, but she can't seem to let go of the old life she had. The key represents her just letting go of everything she once knew, and to be okay with the person she is now. At the end of the book Ruby finally throws her old key into the pond because she finally knows that it is time to make progress and let go. The key symbolizes what an incredible thing it is how a whole world can rise up from what seems like nothing at all. Ruby had let go of her past, and she felt good about throwing the key in the pond, it was a new beginning for her at that moment.

__Videos:__ 1. I chose the video "Into Your Arms" because I feel like it represents Nate and Ruby. At one point in the song it says "i'm fallin' in love, but it's fallin' apart," I think that means that Ruby and Nate's relationship was good in the beginning, but ever since Ruby found out that Nate's dad abused him their relationship wasn't the same- it was falling apart. The song also says "when we were in love things were better than they are, let me back into your arms." For Ruby and Nate I think they both wanted to be back in each other's arms. The song says " I tried to talk to her but she seemed so far." Nate tried to explain to Ruby the situation he had with his dad, and that he didn't want her to get involved with it, but she wouldn't listen. Nate and Ruby need to find their way back to the start, which means they just need a clean start with each other. The song also says " she slippin' away, I always freeze when I'm thinking of words to says." This means that since Nate won't let Ruby help him she is growing farther apart from him, and Nate can't find the right words to convince her to stay. Nate thinks that all the things she does make it seem like love.

2. I chose the video " A Thousand Miles" because it represents Ruby, Cora, and their mom. The song says " staring blankly ahead, just makin' my way, making my way through the crowd." I think this line in the song represents Ruby, because on her first day of school or her first day in a place she was alone and lost. At one point the song says " i need you, and i miss you." I think Ruby wishes that her mom were their with her because Ruby needs her mom and she misses her. Cora always tried to contact her sister years ago when she was at college, and I know that Cora would do anything to have helped Ruby when she was younger. The song says "cause you know i'd walk a thousand miles if i could just see you tonight." I believe thats how Cora felt about her sister, like she would do anything for her. I think the most important line in the song is " it's always times like these, when I think of you, if i wonder if you ever think of me." It's important because I'm sure when Ruby was little she always wondered if Cora thought about her, and now that Ruby is older she always thinks of her mom and she probably wonders if her mom is thinking of her. A Thousand Miles says " cause everything's so wrong, and I don't belong livin' in your precious memories." I think thats how Ruby feels a lot of the time because everyone in her life is always leaving, and her life is so complicated.