Book Review: Ruby Tuesday by Hayley Lawrence

I recently received a copy of YA novel Ruby Tuesday and I was happy for the change in genre, as I hadn't read a young adult novel in a while.

The story centres around 17 year-old Ruby Tuesday; a girl whose hopes and dreams have been put on hold since her mother had an accident that left her in a wheelchair.
Ruby is an only child and has never known her father, so her relationship with her mother is very close.
With her dear grandmother recently passing, and falling out with her former best friend Alex, Ruby is having a difficult time.


She finds peace and healing in her music - song writing and singing. 
Her mother was a famous pianist before her accident, so music is in Ruby's blood, and it allows her to be creative.
It also offers a form of escapism from the trying times she is going through.

One night, Ruby attends a party hosted by one of her school mates, and it is there that she sees her crush, Joey Milano.
But the night does not go as planned, and Ruby is left traumatised by the events that take place, feeling as though she can't trust anybody again.

Thankfully, Alex reaches out and provides the support, care, and love that Ruby needs to get through it.
Ruby is reintroduced to Alex's cousin Erik, who has been living abroad since their younger years when they would all hang out together, and is now back.
But Ruby struggles to trust again, and when she is faced with an opportunity of a lifetime, she feels as though she won't be able to accept it as some things can never be put back together once broken...or can they?

Ruby Tuesday is a novel that explores a range of themes including music, friendships and relationships, grief, sexual consent, and healing.
Many of these experiences that Ruby goes through would be relatable to many teenage girls.
I enjoyed this novel, and even though I am not the targeted audience for it, I was still drawn to it.
I thought that the author's note at the end added a lovely touch. It was lovely to read about what inspired Hayley Lawrence to write Ruby Tuesday. 

The book is available from today through Penguin Random House Australia, RRP $19.99