Friday, June 14, 2013

Review: The Rules of You and Me by Shana Norris

Title: The Rules of You and Me
Author: Shana Norris
Series: Stand Alone Companion Novel to the Boyfriend Thief
Published: June 24, 2013
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:
Hannah Cohen has always lived her life by a set of carefully constructed rules to maintain the image of perfection. But now, the rules aren’t helping control the chaos that is quickly taking over.

Opting out of spending the summer in Paris with her mom, Hannah instead heads to the mountains of North Carolina to stay with her aunt. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide a barrier between Hannah and the rest of the world, a safe haven where her secrets can be forgotten.

When Hannah crosses paths with Jude Westmore, a guy who hangs a different shirt from the tree in his front yard every day, she finds herself breaking out of the comfort of her rules and doing things she had never dared before. As the summer passes, Hannah and Jude grow closer and make up their own rules for dealing with life.

But when the secret Hannah has tried to forget is finally revealed, even the new rules can’t save her from possibly losing everything–including Jude.






My Thoughts and Review:
I enjoy a good fluff read every now and then, it is one of my many guilty pleasures and even though I knew the main protagonist Hannah was all about the rules, I really was expecting a light, feel good read and yes, parts of that were in here but not all, turns out, I got more than what I was expecting, which is never a bad thing.

There are actually some very deep issues in this one. Addiction, death, running away from your problems, and yes, Hannah's rules of always trying to be perfect. And even though there are some very serious, real issues in this story, there are also some very sweet and tender moments as well.

This really isn't a fluff read and it really isn't all that light, although it isn't dark either, not by a long shot. The characters felt very much alive and real to me. I loved Hannah and how strong she was and how determined she was to figure out who she really wanted to be and to not let the opinion of others, especially her parents,  determine what she does and who she becomes. I loved Jude and his struggles as well. Nothing in this book came easy to the characters. There was no love at first sight, there wasn't even an attraction at first sight and for a change, that was really nice. Nothing was sugar coated or glossed over and I love that the author did that. That she didn't feel she had to make everything hearts and rainbows but at the same time keeping the story from being too heavy or depressing.

I was actually pretty impressed with how much I enjoyed this and how much I look forward to reading other books by this author in the future.




*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher, I was in no way compensated for this review*

14 comments:

  1. I also need a decent fluffy read every once in a while, especially when I'm in a reading slump, but I'm glad this had a bit more quality and depth. It sounds like a perfect read, actually.

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  2. I think you would like this one too Maja!

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  3. I really love a good fluff read too, but I love even more when my supposed fluff read turns out to be more layered than expected. This one is new to me, but it seems like it balances light and dark really well, so I'm excited about it!!!

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  4. I like those books that are sort of in between. Not quite fluff but not heavy reading either. I hadn't heard of this yet but it sounds great!

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  5. I got this expecting light and fluffy as well. I guess it is good that it is a bit more, though. I have this coming up with an author guest post so I am hoping for a good read!

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  6. sounds like a very well written book. I do enjoy when I pick up a fluffy read only to find out its not and is filled with some difficult issues. Great review Ali! Glad you enjoyed the book.

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  7. Thanks Heidi and Lily, I can't wait to read the guest post Heidi!

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  8. This is another one I have to read also. Now I am really looking forward to. Thanks for the great review.

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  9. This sounds cute and sometimes after a dark dystopian or thriller this is exactly what I am craving. The balance between heavy and light sounds good, adding to my list!

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  10. I love when I go into a book expecting a light fluffy read and get unexpected depth and layers. So glad you enjoyed this, and thanks for putting it on my radar! Awesome review!

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  11. Great review. I am looking forward to reading it.

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  12. I also love fluff reads but often times the books end up deeper which can be a good thing. I like sweet moments mixed with real issues and emotions.

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