[Blog Tour] NICOLE'S REVIEW: The Rules by Stacey Kade

Title: The Rules
Author: Stacey Kade
Format Acquired: ARC

Publication Date: April 23 2013

Publishing House: Disney Hyperion

ISBN: 9781423153283
Source of Copy: Blog Tour

Summary:

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.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane's survival - and that of her adoptive father - depends on her ability to blend in among full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight from those who seek to recover their lose (and expensive) "project".

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief's son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane fins the attention frightening - and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules.

(Image and information courtesy of Goodreads; Summary lifted from actual book)

Review:

Are books with human experimentation a trend in the YA world right now? I've recently read a number of books with this theme going on and I'm very much interested in this topic.

All Ariane had to do was follow five rules to stay under the radar and hide the fact that she's half alien half human and created in a lab. Simple enough until a slip-up in school involving her friend Jenna and Rachel, the school's most popular girls, turns the spotlight onto her. Now she not only has to contend with both Jenna and Rachel, she has to deal with cute, caring and totally off-limits Zane, the boy who just might be worth breaking a few rules for.

I was surprised at how thrilling The Rules turned out to be. The book is told in the alternating POVs of Zane and Ariane allowing us to get a glimpse into the characters' personality. After escaping from the lab where she was created, Ariane was taught to keep her head down and blend into the crowd. Knowing the truth of who and what she is, Ariane is reluctant to form any connections yet at the same time she yearns for companionship. But circumstances declare that she be put into the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief's son, and the one person who seems to actually see her. 

Kade's characters were pretty decent and she managed to write a pretty believable male POV. Zane isn't exactly swoon worthy and I was initially wary of his interest in Ariane but he's a pretty nice guy who's been through a few rough spots. I will admit to thinking that their relationship was doomed to fail but in the end it sorts itself out and yes, I do understand Zane's role in the scheme of all things and their budding romance induced some goofy smiles and girlish giggles to which I will never admit to in person.

One thing that put me off the book was that it wasn't much of the science fiction genre - rampant cases of teenage drama everywhere - but it was bearable enough. I was expecting a lot of action scenes or more sci-fi-ish elements and the lack thereof disappointed me but somehow it didn't seem to bother me as much as it would have.

The Rules is the first book in the Project Paper Doll series and I do believe that it's off to a good start. I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for something more sci-fi centric but if you're up for a book that's more of a high school drama with sci fi elements thrown in, cute, fluffy romance, decent characters you can sympathize with, and some unexpected twists and turns thrown in for added flavor pick this one up. I know I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

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