Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart is a young adult novel set in 2010 in the United States of America. The novel's narrator and protagonist is Ruby Oliver, a seventeen-year-old girl struggling to find a perfect boyfriend in her life. The major conflict in the novel is that Ruby has unrealistic expectations of the kind of boyfriend she wants in her life. For instance, Ruby jumps into relationships without knowing she must compromise in some situations if the relationship has to work. In the novel Real Live Boyfriends, E. Lockhart explores the themes of true acquaintance, prospects vs. realism, and sorrow.
E. Lockhart depicts Ruby as a young woman who has encountered fake friends, prompting her to set standards for a perfect boyfriend she can date. As the novel opens, Ruby struggles to balance the relationships with her family, friends and romance. Most friends Ruby comes across are opportunistic or liars who want to waste her time. Therefore, Ruby's journey to self-discovery has made her decide what kind of boyfriend she wants. The boyfriend must be a true companion and take her as she is. As the narrative continues, Ruby's vicissitudes and conflicts make her realize that building true companionships requires extra effort.
Real Live Boyfriends shows readers that young people have naïve expectations that often contradict reality. In the real world, no person excels in perfection. Ruby wants a perfect boyfriend who makes no mistakes under whatever circumstance. When Ruby starts dating Noel, she assumes he is the real boyfriend she has been looking for her entire life. At least Noel initially meets Ruby's expectations, such as sending her love letters, calling her frequently and being there whenever she needs him. However, one day when Noel becomes depressed and stops fulfilling Ruby's expectations, she becomes mad and breaks up with him. Ruby starts revenging by dating a new boyfriend she thinks will be more realistic to her expectations. After several days, Ruby learns that Noel stopped communicating with her because of depression, and she regrets her decision to cheat on him. More importantly, Ruby learns to trust Noel, and they reconcile and live happily.
E. Lockhart concludes the novel by focusing on the theme of grief. The novel mentions death frequently, showing that several characters are grieving. For instance, Ruby's grandmother dies, and she struggles to accept the new reality. Ruby's father is depressed after losing his mother, and the absence of his wife makes him sadder. When Ruby learns that her father is depressed, she is also affected. Noel is also going through depression after witnessing the accident that kills his friend. In particular, Noel is sad because he did nothing to save his friend who died in front of him.
