The Rules by Stacy Kade

Series: Project Paper Doll (bk. 1)

Genera: Sci-fi/ Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Genetic Engineering, psychic ability, aliens, high school, Wisconsin

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 410 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Hyperion

Summary/ product description:

“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…

My Rating: êêêêê

My Review: I really enjoyed this book. It’s exactly the kind of book a Maximum Ride fan like me wants to read. Even if at times it felt more like a paranormal romance than a sci-fi book. Ariane could have easily have been half-demon instead of half-alien, but with her background of being in a lab until age six, it makes the story definitely sci-fi. She’s kind of like the 16-year old version of Angel from MR, but no wings and added telekinesis.

Alien stuff is in again. Icons and the 5^th Wave just came out, as well as this. I love anything with aliens (except the movies with the creepy, slimy gross one: The Thing, and Alien.) And YA books with genetic engineering. When I found out about this I was really excited. And enough though there is cliché high school drama, this book turned out to be amazing. It’s written in rotating 1^st person perspective between Ariane and Zane. Ariane definitely remind me a bit of Max (and Angel) from MR, but a more lonerish version of her. And Ariane doesn’t really fight, but she is smart. She has a fantasy crush on Clark Kent/Superman (So do I. Tom Welling in Smallville specifically.) And Zane is hot and very tall. His father, the chief of police, is a jerk who doesn’t think he’s good enough. Zane’s trying to figure out Ariane secret, but intensions are good. Rachel is the popular girl, and very manipulative and spoiled. Jenna is Ariane kinda-sorta friend.

I took my time reading this book. It’s not the most fast-paced story. It’s the story that you want to soak up. It was interesting and has so much potential as a series. I can’t wait till I read the next book. And of all places for a setting. Wisconsin. Wingate is not a real town of course, and GTX is not a real company. The author is Chicago based, of course she’d pick a setting in some made up town in Southern Wisconsin. The second book is going to be in Gurnee, IL (home of Six Flags and Gurnee Mills Mall). Can’t wait for that. The ending of the book was so awesome and there were so many twists. Hope book two is even more exciting.

Cover Art Review: Not a fan of the cover. That blue eye looks weirder than the black one. They could have done a better job. The DNA bar texture is interesting

 

~Haley G