Sarah Dessen: Lock and Key

This is a fantastic book. I actually couldn't put it down, to the point where it seriously interfered with my plans for today. Sarah Dessen has a brilliant show-don't-tell ability and created characters who gripped me from the first page. Ruby's journey was completely compelling, and Cora and Jamie and Nate and Olivia and Gervais stole my heart. Do you know how rare it is for me to remember any of the names of any of the characters in a book? But I remember all of these, plus Laney and Harriet and Reggie and even Heather. What a gorgeous, effortless prose style Sarah has. And on a thematic level, she pulled off some of the most difficult themes beautifully: family, home, security, trust, independence, and of course allowing someone to help you. I read a library copy but I have to go buy this book. It's one of the best ones I've read in a very long time.