Name: The RulesThe Rules
ISBN: 9781788952149

Tracy Darnton

Amber's an expert when it comes to staying hidden - she's been trained her whole life for it. But what happens when the person you're hiding from taught you everything you know?

The RulesThe Rules

grace richards

feel like this book maybe would’ve hit differently had i been 14 and not nearly 20

. I like the formatting of the book: going back to Amber's experiences with each rule and each day is a chapter

. Her calmness in the Ark was almost disturbing

. The last chapter/reveal was extremely clever to me

. I like when Amber got sick and Josh had to look after her as it made her feel more real

. I think Josh was a well-written character. I thought his quirk with the bus routes was cute and his night terrors added depth to him

. I found myself waiting for the romance to spark, however, I think their found family friendship was more meaningful and better suited to their situation

. The lack of memorable description of Amber's physical appearance I think was intentional. She was trying to not be noticed

. The different locations were clearly described creating good imagery and I liked the little safety cottage

. The dad. He may be my favourite character. As the book went on, an almighty image of him was built up that made me want to meet him. The character of Will demonstrated just how persuasive people like him are in the real world. However, when he presented the Ark, we truly got to see how mentally ill he was and this made me like his character even more

Layla Gabica

. I like the formatting of the book: going back to Amber's experiences with each rule and each day is a chapter

. Her calmness in the Ark was almost disturbing

. The last chapter/reveal was extremely clever to me

. I like when Amber got sick and Josh had to look after her as it made her feel more real

. I think Josh was a well-written character. I thought his quirk with the bus routes was cute and his night terrors added depth to him

. I found myself waiting for the romance to spark, however, I think their found family friendship was more meaningful and better suited to their situation

. The lack of memorable description of Amber's physical appearance I think was intentional. She was trying to not be noticed

. The different locations were clearly described creating good imagery and I liked the little safety cottage

. The dad. He may be my favourite character. As the book went on, an almighty image of him was built up that made me want to meet him. The character of Will demonstrated just how persuasive people like him are in the real world. However, when he presented the Ark, we truly got to see how mentally ill he was and this made me like his character even more

Kath Lau

trigger warning: domestic abuse and violence, PTSD, panic attacks

The protagonist is Amber and she's 17. She's been trained by her father, who is a prepper, to be always ready for the worst. After what happened to her mother, she ends up in different foster care homes and continues to hide from her father. Just when she thought she's finally found her happy place, a letter from her father arrives. She is left with no choice but to leave. She uses all the things she has learned, follow "the rules", and goes into hiding. But how can she outwit the same person who has trained her and created those rules she's been following her whole life?

This was a very suprising read for me. It's fast-paced and very gripping. The story is told in alternating timelines but in a pretty clever way. It added enough tension in the story. The entire book is set during Christmas season and it definitely gave me some holiday vibes. I personally liked Amber. She's a true fighter and her mistakes just made her character more realistic. Josh was also a delightful character to read. He's the complete opposite of Amber. He's funny and I like his attitude. They argued a lot but still ended up helping each other. I was also very thankful that their relationship didn't turn into a romantic one. It would be a deal-breaker for me if it had. It's possible for two people of opposite sex to be just good friends.

I didn't know about preppers until I read this book. I even checked online if these people exist in real life and they do. I think there's nothing wrong with being prepared but I hope they're not as extreme as Amber's father because he's terrifying af! I was not sure what to expect towards the end but it did not disappoint! The build up towards the ending and the ending itself were brilliant! I highly recommend this book if you love YA thrillers.

I received an advance copy of this book from Little Tiger. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.

Kate

Not sure whether reading this during a global pandemic was the best or worst idea but either way, it was an intriguing read!

TW: domestic abuse, fatphobic comments, ableist language, emotional and physical parental abuse

The RulesThe Rules

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