Poetry Review: One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies

1. Bibliographic-

Sones, Sonya. One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies. New York:

Simon & Schuster Books for Young People, 2004

2. Summary-
Teenaged Ruby’s mother dies, and she is sent across the United States to live with
her movie-star father whom she has never met. She begins telling her story on the
flight from the east coast to LA and we get some real-time observations on her feelings,
as well as background stories about her mother, and learning about who her father is.
The rest of the predictable tale is told as Ruby adjusts to her new life, new school,
missing her old life and mom, and learns to accept her father.

3. Critical analysis-

This novel in verse tells the story from Ruby’s point of view using short lines and verses
that fit nicely with a teenage character telling a stream of consciousness tale. At times it
feels very much like a diary, and other times emails from her friends back home are included.
It felt to me like an attempt at modernizing an epic tale told in verse.
Some poems end with strong sounding words that seem to signal the end of a “chapter”,
but they contain few surprises. One good metaphor used is the phrase “ I felt totally
Twilight Zoned” to indicate that she was surprised, confused, and thrown for a loop.

There were a few instances where the language and imagery used allowed for empathy for
Ruby, like when she describes missing the snow back home, but on the whole it felt flat,
and forced.

This book is a fast read, with one poem per page average, and lots of activity crammed into
each one. This book will appeal to some in the 13-16 year old age range, although it is not
a universal topic so I am unsure of the wide appeal. It has been given quite a few awards,
and that makes me feel as if I’ve missed something. Perhaps I’m too old.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts-

ALA Best Books for Young Adults

ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

TLA Tayshas High School Reading List

“This is not just another one of those gimmicky novels written in poetry. It's solid and well
written, and Sones has a lot to say about the importance of carefully assessing people and
situations and about opening the door to one's own happiness.”
- School Library Journal, August 2004

“It's a hugely artificial form, but its free acknowledgment thereof ("my life better not turn
out to be like one of those hideous books where the mother dies and so the girl has to go
live with her absentee father . . . ") allows the text, and Ruby, to explore the possibilities
behind the fantasy. Ruby's eventual adjustment and her rapprochement with her father
(cue the violins) will come as no surprise to readers but, hey—this is Hollywood after all,
and sometimes a happy ending is exactly what we need”. - Kirkus Review, May 2004

5. Connections-

-Another novel in verse by Sonya Sones:

What My Mother Doesn’t Know

-Activity: Try writing a series of poems describing your experiences in a day / week /
month to create a mini version of this style of novel.