Sunday, May 12, 2013

The Rules by Stacey Kade: Review and Giveaway


I really enjoyed The Ghost and The Goth and started following Stacey Kade on twitter.  When she announced her latest trilogy Project Paper Doll, I was a little leery because I don't usually enjoy science fiction.  I tried to read The Host by Stephenie Meyer and had to stop reading after a couple of chapters.  I have been told countless times how great it is, but it just wasn't for me.  I was afraid The Rules would be more of the same, but I LOVED it.  I wouldn't really consider it science fiction.  It is more of a contemporary with some paranormal elements.  

Like her Ghost and the Goth series, this book is told from a dual character point of view.  Ariane is half alien/half human and spent the first 6 years of her life living in a lab (GTX).  There was an explosion at the lab, which provided one of its employees the opportunity to help her escape.  Ariene has been living with the employee, Mark Tucker, for the last ten years posing as his daughter.  She attends the local high school, but must live by five very important rules in order to keep GTX from finding and recapturing her.
  1. Never trust anyone.
  2. Remember they are always searching.
  3. Don't get involved
  4. Keep your head down
  5. Don't fall in love. 
Ariene lived a rather boring existence with minimal involvement with other students outside of school until Rachel Jacobs, the granddaughter of the head scientist at GTX, starts harassing Jenna, Ariene's only friend.  Rachel is part of the high school's elite and decides to get even with Ariene by asking one of her friends to ask Ariene out...only for him to publicly humiliate her in front of the everyone.  Zane, another one of Rachel's friends, offers to do it instead because he is intrigued by Ariene and he wants to turn the prank back around on Rachel.  He is tired of her behavior and wants to get even.

Zane is the other narrator in the story and I absolutely loved his character.  He is not at all the person Ariene though he was.  The more she gets to know him...the more she begins to trust him and that is where rule number one is broken.  Once one rule is broken....the rest quickly follow suit.  

There is a lot of action and high school drama mixed in with a love story that keeps the pages turning.  

I had the chance to meet Stacey again this year at the RT Convention.  She was by far my favorite author at the speed reading session, where she read from the beginning of The Rules.  If I hadn't already been reading the book, I definitely would have purchase it soon after.  She does a remarkable job of bringing life to her books and characters, even with the three minute time limit imposed on the authors at these sessions.



I picked up a couple of book marks when I was at the convention.  The larger one is a smaller version of the book jacket and has the rules/book description on the back.  If you would like either of them, please leave a comment and I will select two winners on Friday May 17th. (US mailing addresses only).


3 comments:

  1. I really like the larger bookmark. So cool that it is a replica of the book's dust jacket.

    books4susie@aol.com

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  2. I would like to know what rules you are intending to break!!

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    Replies
    1. I'm pretty sure Stacey is referring to Ariene's five rules mentioned above. She wasn't living her life to the fullest until she started breaking the rules.

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