The Rules Review

416 pages
Release date: April 23rd, 2013

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 the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (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 finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…

Review (ARC):
Ariane is definitely a different sort of heroine. Ariane's entire life, since she escaped from the lab, has been about blending in with humans. Not standing out means not being too smart, too popular or really too anything. The thing I like most about Ariane is that she sticks up for those who can't defend themselves although she doesn't always stick up for herself when necessary. Zane is an interesting character as well. Zane doesn't have the best home life and is constantly trying to live up to the pressures of being his dad's son. At first I wasn't the biggest fan of Zane because he seemed to let others control him too much, but Ariane definitely affects his life for the better. While this novel isn't full of non-stop action, the character development definitely makes it an interesting read. There are a lot of unexpected changes and new plot twists so it keeps you entertained. At the end I was left feeling that I need to see more of Ariane and what's next on her journey to discover more about herself. I definitely recommend this if you like science fiction novels with some added romance.