Review Detail

The Rules caught me by surprise. Despite being far less science fiction than teenage drama – think high school revenge, the resident mean girl, all the usual clichés – it captured my interest from the very start and refused to let go. Oddly, and maybe even a little begrudgingly, I quite liked it.

Our main character, Ariane Tucker, is an alien-human hybrid whose life is firmly moulded by a set of inflexible rules. These are rules that dictate her social standing, that force her to be as invisible as possible, that warn her against falling in love. But, as is the custom in such situations, rules are made to be inevitably broken. Her telekinetic and telepathic abilities make blending in a challenge, as does the gradual interest Zane Bradshaw begins to show in her. Despite the intriguing flashbacks we are treated to of Ariane’s stay at GenTex Labs, and the brief and flitting mentions of her extra-terrestrial roots, this book is, essentially, more of a contemporary tale than anything else. We have school fairs, the popular in-crowd, a house party and more. It’s easy to enjoy, however, despite being shades away from the sci-fi thriller that might be expected.

That’s not to say there isn’t appropriate tension and action eventually. Towards the end, although not outstandingly thrilling, the storyline takes far more of an exciting turn and is preceded by a surprising twist or two. The rest is entertaining – or, at least, engaging – and the writing and interesting characters help. The story is narrated by both Zane and Ariane, with the alternating perspectives flowing seamlessly enough. Admittedly, at first, Zane sounds a little more female than he does male (or what I consider male!), but this isn’t a huge issue after a while. Kade has a simple but effective writing style that is wonderfully easy to follow. There is a touch of subtle wit to it that works very well, making her characters a little more accessible.

Although I wouldn’t call Ariane the most riveting protagonist ever, she is adequately likable. The same can be said for Zane. The two fulfil quite stereotypical roles, it must be said, but do so in a way that is not nearly as aggravating as one might assume. Zane is the popular jock and love interest whose attention on the ordinary, nothing-special girl is something that we have seen countless times before. Despite that, the romance is generally well-paced and not unpleasant. Both characters have experienced emotional pain first-hand, and their connection to each other as a result, for the most part, feels genuine. The woe-is-me-ing is kept to a splendid minimum, thankfully. The Rules is perhaps even a little more character-driven than it is plot, but this suits it perfectly. We get an appropriate handful of smile-inducing scenes that I’m certain the majority of romance enthusiasts will enjoy.

There isn’t much else to say about this book. It’s a good start to the Project Paper Doll series, if nothing more, but those who are after something distinctly sci-fi with plenty of accompanying action will be better off looking elsewhere. In the meantime, I’ll make it my mission to read Stacey Kade’s well-received debut, The Ghost and the Goth.

Rating: 3.5 stars