Is there such a thing as being TOO good of a friend? What about a friend that cares so much about you, your pain becomes her pain, and she would do anything to keep you from hurting - even if it meant hiding the truth from you. Would you want a friend like that?
Beth and Ruby have been friends forever. And it was Beth that helped Ruby sort out all her feelings when Ruby's dad left years ago. It was Beth that guided Ruby through the part of her life where everyone thought she was weirdo because she couldn't speak. It was in Beth's room that Ruby found solace when she and her mother had to move out of their big house and into a tiny one. Sleepovers, pizza parties, Halloween parties, birthdays - these were all things that Beth and Ruby shared. Slowly, they let others into their tight friendship. First it was Maria, boy crazy and fun loving. Then it was Katherine, a senior, whose own family was falling apart too.
Then on Ruby's sixteenth birthday, a surprise visitor shows up. Her father. Just when Ruby thought she had gotten over his abandonment of her and her mother, he walks in the front door with flowers, wishing her a happy birthday. Beth thinks Ruby should just forget all about him, for what kind of father could he be. And when Ruby's dad leaves a note for Ruby, Beth does what she thinks is best. She hides the note from Ruby, even though her dad really wants to talk to her and make amends.
I really enjoyed this book and the characters, especially Ruby. She is quirky, intelligent and insightful. This book does a great job of showing what can happen when you are so close to someone, all you want to do is protect them.
