The Rules by Stacey Kade
4/5 stars
Hyperion, 2013
410 pages
YA Sci-Fi Paranormal
Scheduled to release April 23
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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.
Above are the rules that have governed Ariane Tucker's life since she was broken out of laboratory and instructed on how to assimilate into human life. The first part of her life was spent in that lab, being trained to harness her special paranormal powers. Now she is enrolled in a high school, keeping under the radar. For the most part, she's been able to handle it but all of a sudden, rule number five is looking tricky as human Zane Bradshaw pokes at her strongest defenses. Zane, for his part, finds himself very intrigued by Ariane, her sense of justice and her commitment to keeping under the radar being some of her unique qualities.
What grabbed me about this book was actually the title of the series: Project Paper Doll. I love paper dolls and though I knew they didn't have anything to do with the story, I was still hooked. This is definitely a plot-driven book, light on science-fiction and with elements of paranormal. Though Ariane and Zane alternate narration, the plot still supersedes the character development. The result of this is that the pages fly by despite the bulk.
I really appreciated that the majority of the story is set primarily in a high school, giving this a strong contemporary vibe (my fave genre!) Popularity and attention are important themes as is appearance. As long as Ariane appears normal and doesn't gain notice from others, she should be fine. But events conspire to bring her out the shadows and, as this is a series, set her up for a long struggle against the scientific corporation that created her. I also liked that this was sci-fi but on the light side; I didn't want to read anything too dark or heavy and this book skirts that.
Overall: Fun, plot-driven novel, written in a very easy to read style.
Other Opinions:
Blkosiner's Book Blog
Can't Find a Bookmark
Good Choice Reading
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
