If you are looking for something good to read, then you should try “Lock and Key.”

This book tells a story about a girl, Ruby, who is a high school senior, and lives with her alcoholic mother in an apartment. Ruby grew up with her sister, Cora, whom Ruby lost touch with.

One day she wakes up and her mother is gone. Soon, somebody finds out that Ruby is living at home alone. So Ruby winds up living with Cora, whom she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband, Jamie.

Ruby has to go to a new school where she meets new people. Ruby soon discovers the good in others and true friendship. “Lock and Key” has 20 chapters and 422 pages. It might seem like a lot of reading to some people, but you won’t regret it.

Sarah Dessen, the author of “Lock and Key” and New York Times best-selling author, lives with her husband, daughter and her two dogs in North Carolina. She was born in Evanston, Ill., on June 6, 1970. She attended college at the University of North Carolina where she studied creative writing.

Sarah graduated from UNC with a degree in English. When she was younger, she liked to read a lot. When Sarah was 8 or 9, her parents gave her an old manual typewriter and desk in the corner of their house. Sarah would type up her stories there.

Other books she has written include “That Summer,” “Someone Like You,” “Keeping the Moon” among others.

You can find “Lock and Key” at the Gulf Shores Middle School (GSMS) library. I would recommend this book to all students at GSMS, because it tells about hard times, family members being reunited, self-actualization, and true friendship. I hope that students at GSMS get the chance to check out Lock and Key at the school library.