Ruby's older but... I dunno, she really hasn't grown up as much as I'd expect. She, and her friends, seem to still mentally be sophomores. Or maybe the junior kids I know are extra mature. I had a hard time trying to reconcile the apparent ages of the characters with their stated ages. That being said, it was still a very enjoyable book, and I like the ways in which Ruby begins to take control of her life. I also like her level of confusion, that reads dead-on to me. However, Jackson hasn't a single redeeming quality. Not one.