My Rating: 3.5 hearts
Thoughts
on the Novel: Before I started blogging, a book I read and enjoyed was
Stacey Kade’s The Ghost and the Goth. Although I still have to read the next
two books in The Ghost and the Goth trilogy, I thought I’d give Kades’s latest
novel, The Rules, a go. Though not as entertaining as The Ghost and the Goth,
The Rules was still a nice read nonetheless.
One of the reasons I liked The Rules
was because it really wasn’t a sci-fi novel. Other than the notion of aliens
existing and a mention here and there of human-alien hybrids being created,
there isn’t much science-y talk in The Rules. In fact, I’m still not fully clear
about what GTX’s goals are or what Project Paper Doll is. The Rules, instead,
is more of a contemporary novel with some paranormal elements (since one of the
main characters happens to be a hybrid teen). So, although there’s a lot of
high school drama, I’d pick that over
a very sci-fi-ish novel.
The other reason I liked The Rules
was because of the characters. Despite not being as memorable as Will and
Alona, Ariane and Zane are still likeable. A seemingly stereotypical jock at
the beginning, Zane manages to learn to stand up for himself and others by the
end of the book. Meanwhile, Ariane has
no problems defending herself or others even though she should be blending in.
Through Ariane’s and Zane’s
alternating perspectives, you understand both characters more fully and see
them come together with a mutual plan to thwart Rachel’s attempt at controlling
them. While the romance wasn’t swoon-worthy by any means, it did feel
believable. Since the two hadn’t gotten together for long, I also liked that there
was no declaration of love.
The Rules will be released by Disney
Hyperion today!
Comments
About the Cover: I like how the focus of the cover is the girl’s eye which I
actually find kind of freaky.
In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Disney Book Group) for free via NetGalley.
