The One and Only Ruby

Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ruby (One and Only Ivan #3)
May 2, 2023 by HarperCollins

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Ruby, who is now safely living in a wildlife sanctuary where she can visit Ivan and Bob from time to time, is approaching her Tuskday, which marks the fact that she is growing up. It's a big deal, but with the celebration coming up, Ruby is apprehensive about it. While she gets visits from Carmen, a young girl, and has elephant aunts like Akello in the sanctuay, Ruby still misses her Aunt Stella, and mourns that fact that she never experienced the comforts that Ruby now enjoys. When Jabori, who took care of Ruby at an elephant orphanage in Africa comes to visit, Ruby remembers some of her past and is haunted by it. She shares her story with her friends, and they learn how her mother was killed, and Ruby was brought to the US where she was in a sketchy circus before being imprisoned at the Big Top Mall. One she works through these memories, Ruby realizes that she is still dealing with trauma, but she can still enjoy her Tuskday. 

Strengths:  The plentiful page decorations of Ruby and her friends are delightful. The amount of text comes in somewhere between Ivan and Bob; this isn't in verse, the way Ivan is, but isn't as straightforward a narrative as Bob is. Instead, it is a philosophical journey that Ruby must take to make peace with her past and to understand what it means to be an elephant. It was interesting to learn more about Ruby's perilous past and her troubled journey to the US. There are notes about the plight of elephants at the end, and information about the horrible ivory trade. 
Weaknesses: I was hoping that this would have more action, like Bob did. He's my favorite character, but didn't appear very much!
What I really think: Readers will be interested to return to the world of The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob, so I can see this being a popular title. The cover is great.