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cpliego's review
4.0
None of the Regular Rules is one of those self-published books that makes me feel happy that I still give them a shot. I am really glad I took the opportunity to read this one, because it turned out to be a fun, light read about friendship, love, and family.
Sophie and her friends were likable characters. While Sophie seemed a little too cautious sometimes, I still liked her and felt I would have done similar things in her situation. I enjoyed the slow-burning romance between her and her neighbor, Johhny Rush, who wasn't exactly what he seemed to be.
None of the Regular Rules is a quick, coming of age story that I am sure contemporary fans will enjoy. I look forward to checking out the author's other works soon!
Sophie and her friends were likable characters. While Sophie seemed a little too cautious sometimes, I still liked her and felt I would have done similar things in her situation. I enjoyed the slow-burning romance between her and her neighbor, Johhny Rush, who wasn't exactly what he seemed to be.
None of the Regular Rules is a quick, coming of age story that I am sure contemporary fans will enjoy. I look forward to checking out the author's other works soon!
leah_is_dudish's review
3.0
I was kindly gifted this to review by the author, it’s currently only available as an ebook, but if you’re from the UK like I am. It’s only £2.00 in the kindle store so it’s not a bad price as books go.
Right, so, the book:
This is the story of Sophie as she is about to embark on her senior year and, like most people leaving school, she wants it to be special. However, she fears that it won’t be and that she’ll be unsatisfied with her final year of school if she can’t even work up the courage to go to her fit neighbour’s house party. But then, on a casual drive with her friends in her recently inherited car, she finds her late aunts bucket list and the three of them decide to complete each dare on the list so they can make their senior year truly memorable.
As the story progresses you see each of the characters have their own individual issues which conflicts with the list, like one of the dares is to jump off of a cliff into a stream and Sophie’s fear of heights has always prevented her from doing it.
In fact, all the characters are really interesting, I particularly thought Grace and Ella (the two friends) and their relationships with their families and the boys they’re crushing on really intriguing so it’s kind of frustrating that none of the characters had much depth.
None of the Regular Rules has a brilliant premise, it’s a great idea but I found the writing style hard to get into at certain points. There are moments where stuff is explained with too much detail or is mentioned that has no real impact on the story and it diverts attention and breaks the flow. But, if you can work past that then the story itself is engaging. I find the whole idea to be quite inspirational, if, like Sophie, you’ve come to a mile stone in your life and you want to do something different and exciting then this is great, you get to see how they all cope deviating from their usual lives and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
I found the reveal about Suzy a little predictable, I personally saw it coming from the moment it was first bought up, but even so, it still packed a bit of an emotional punch. The ending was great too and I thought the Sophie and Johnny moments when they were getting to know each other and watching their relationship develop was really cute. It’s just the slightly bumbly prose that I had a few issue with but I’m fully prepared to accept that that was just me.
The absolute best moment had to be where Erin Downing did the thing. The thing where you mention the name of the work in the work. That happened. SHE DID THE THING! It doesn’t come across as being forced either, it happened and I was like AHAHAAA!! THE THING! WHERE YOU MENTION THE TITLE IN THE NARRATIVE!!!!!
All in all, it was an enjoyable journey through Sophie’s senior year and a great concept for a YA novel.
Right, so, the book:
This is the story of Sophie as she is about to embark on her senior year and, like most people leaving school, she wants it to be special. However, she fears that it won’t be and that she’ll be unsatisfied with her final year of school if she can’t even work up the courage to go to her fit neighbour’s house party. But then, on a casual drive with her friends in her recently inherited car, she finds her late aunts bucket list and the three of them decide to complete each dare on the list so they can make their senior year truly memorable.
As the story progresses you see each of the characters have their own individual issues which conflicts with the list, like one of the dares is to jump off of a cliff into a stream and Sophie’s fear of heights has always prevented her from doing it.
In fact, all the characters are really interesting, I particularly thought Grace and Ella (the two friends) and their relationships with their families and the boys they’re crushing on really intriguing so it’s kind of frustrating that none of the characters had much depth.
None of the Regular Rules has a brilliant premise, it’s a great idea but I found the writing style hard to get into at certain points. There are moments where stuff is explained with too much detail or is mentioned that has no real impact on the story and it diverts attention and breaks the flow. But, if you can work past that then the story itself is engaging. I find the whole idea to be quite inspirational, if, like Sophie, you’ve come to a mile stone in your life and you want to do something different and exciting then this is great, you get to see how they all cope deviating from their usual lives and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.
I found the reveal about Suzy a little predictable, I personally saw it coming from the moment it was first bought up, but even so, it still packed a bit of an emotional punch. The ending was great too and I thought the Sophie and Johnny moments when they were getting to know each other and watching their relationship develop was really cute. It’s just the slightly bumbly prose that I had a few issue with but I’m fully prepared to accept that that was just me.
The absolute best moment had to be where Erin Downing did the thing. The thing where you mention the name of the work in the work. That happened. SHE DID THE THING! It doesn’t come across as being forced either, it happened and I was like AHAHAAA!! THE THING! WHERE YOU MENTION THE TITLE IN THE NARRATIVE!!!!!
All in all, it was an enjoyable journey through Sophie’s senior year and a great concept for a YA novel.
amburhostyn's review
5.0
None of the Regular Rules was an awesome story. It has romance, friendship, and amazing character growth. :D
Sophie was a wonderful main character. I found her super easy to relate to...and I definitely could put myself in her shoes since I tend to be a bit more cautious just like she was. I loved that she was willing to put herself out there, and once she started taking risks, I was super impressed by her! :D I also loved her friends Ella and Grace, although I must admit when Sophie was annoyed with them, so was I. :P haha And aside from Sophie, my favourite character just had to be Johnny! :D
Along with the fabulous characters, the relationships in None of the Regular Rules were awesome! I loved the friendship between Sophie, Grace, and Ella, and I absolutely adored how Sophie and Johnny's relationship changed throughout the book. I loved that Johnny helped Sophie take more risks, and I loved their whole relationship. They had awesome chemistry, witty and sarcastic banter, and it was fantastic seeing their friendship start and change.
I also loved that friendship was so central to the story. Grace and Ella were integral in Sophie's life and I thought it was awesome seeing friendships that were so strong. The girls definitely fight in the book, but they make up, and while it may not happen immediately, when it really matters they confronted their issues. Most importantly though, when it really matters Grace, Ella, and Sophie were all there for each other, and that is what I found amazing. Too many books ignore have main characters whose friendships almost completely disappear when a guy shows up, and while that does cause issues in this book (for more than one character :P) in the end the girls realize just how important their friendships are and they are there for each other when their friends need them.
The overall story was incredibly easy to relate to since I'm sure everyone at one point or another ponders their future and wonders if they'll be happy with what they choose. Sophie spends a large par of the story struggling with what she wants from her future. Her insecurities and the way she handled them were so realistic and I loved that aspect about her. She is real and I thought that was really refreshing. :)
I absolutely loved None of the Regular Rules and would recommend it to contemporary fans who love main characters that grow into themselves. Sophie isn't crazy outgoing, but throughout the novel she realizes what really matters to her. There is romance, but the story focuses much more on friendship, which also shapes the romantic aspect of the story. I think that if you like realistic main characters, and books with a strong focus on friendship and what it means to really be a friend, you'll enjoy this one. :D
Sophie was a wonderful main character. I found her super easy to relate to...and I definitely could put myself in her shoes since I tend to be a bit more cautious just like she was. I loved that she was willing to put herself out there, and once she started taking risks, I was super impressed by her! :D I also loved her friends Ella and Grace, although I must admit when Sophie was annoyed with them, so was I. :P haha And aside from Sophie, my favourite character just had to be Johnny! :D
Along with the fabulous characters, the relationships in None of the Regular Rules were awesome! I loved the friendship between Sophie, Grace, and Ella, and I absolutely adored how Sophie and Johnny's relationship changed throughout the book. I loved that Johnny helped Sophie take more risks, and I loved their whole relationship. They had awesome chemistry, witty and sarcastic banter, and it was fantastic seeing their friendship start and change.
I also loved that friendship was so central to the story. Grace and Ella were integral in Sophie's life and I thought it was awesome seeing friendships that were so strong. The girls definitely fight in the book, but they make up, and while it may not happen immediately, when it really matters they confronted their issues. Most importantly though, when it really matters Grace, Ella, and Sophie were all there for each other, and that is what I found amazing. Too many books ignore have main characters whose friendships almost completely disappear when a guy shows up, and while that does cause issues in this book (for more than one character :P) in the end the girls realize just how important their friendships are and they are there for each other when their friends need them.
The overall story was incredibly easy to relate to since I'm sure everyone at one point or another ponders their future and wonders if they'll be happy with what they choose. Sophie spends a large par of the story struggling with what she wants from her future. Her insecurities and the way she handled them were so realistic and I loved that aspect about her. She is real and I thought that was really refreshing. :)
I absolutely loved None of the Regular Rules and would recommend it to contemporary fans who love main characters that grow into themselves. Sophie isn't crazy outgoing, but throughout the novel she realizes what really matters to her. There is romance, but the story focuses much more on friendship, which also shapes the romantic aspect of the story. I think that if you like realistic main characters, and books with a strong focus on friendship and what it means to really be a friend, you'll enjoy this one. :D
beyondthebig5's review
5.0
(Note: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Just before senior year starts, Sophie, Ella and Grace find a list of dares written by Sophie's aunt Suzy. Suzy died a decade ago and has barely been spoken of since by Sophie's family. To pay tribute to her, the trio make up their mind to complete every dare on the list. But as much fun as ticking off items like "change a tyre", "go to a party" and "sneak into the planetarium" is, nothing can prepare Sophie for a revelation about her family.
None Of The Regular Rules does everything at least pretty well - Downing has an easy to read writing style, her dialogue is good, and she captures the fraught relationships between teenagers and their mothers with particular skill. However the stand-out part, which lifts it far above 'readable' and into 'go read now' territory, is the chemistry between narrator Sophie and Johnny Rush, the guy with the porn star name. (Her words, not mine!) The heat between the pair of them is so great that if it wasn't an e-book, I'd be expecting the pages to catch fire. Sophie is a wonderful main character but Johnny is seriously swoon-worthy, and gets more so every time he's on the page.
It's also a much darker book than I was expecting, in many ways. It starts off as a fairly light read, apart from the shadow of Suzy's death a decade in the past, but as the book goes on Downing weaves in some far grittier topics, which she handles well. I did think that one particular subplot was perhaps a tad rushed, though, but on the other hand it's quite interesting to see the topic involved there crop up in a book without being the main subject of the novel. (Apologies if that sentence is even more incomprehensible than usual, as always, fear of spoilers trumps clarity in my revews.)
Additionally, Downing captures the atmosphere of the end of school brilliantly. In fact, I'd say the only other book I can think of which really brings down the curtains on its characters' high-school experience as well as this one does is John Green's superb Paper Towns (which is set over a much shorter period of time.) Oh, one last thing - Trever German may be my new favourite minor character ever, or certainly my favourite of 2012. He's utterly wonderful every time he appears!
Definite recommendations to fans of YA contemporary books as an absolute bargain at just £1.94, I really want to get my hand on some of Erin Downing's others now!
Just before senior year starts, Sophie, Ella and Grace find a list of dares written by Sophie's aunt Suzy. Suzy died a decade ago and has barely been spoken of since by Sophie's family. To pay tribute to her, the trio make up their mind to complete every dare on the list. But as much fun as ticking off items like "change a tyre", "go to a party" and "sneak into the planetarium" is, nothing can prepare Sophie for a revelation about her family.
None Of The Regular Rules does everything at least pretty well - Downing has an easy to read writing style, her dialogue is good, and she captures the fraught relationships between teenagers and their mothers with particular skill. However the stand-out part, which lifts it far above 'readable' and into 'go read now' territory, is the chemistry between narrator Sophie and Johnny Rush, the guy with the porn star name. (Her words, not mine!) The heat between the pair of them is so great that if it wasn't an e-book, I'd be expecting the pages to catch fire. Sophie is a wonderful main character but Johnny is seriously swoon-worthy, and gets more so every time he's on the page.
It's also a much darker book than I was expecting, in many ways. It starts off as a fairly light read, apart from the shadow of Suzy's death a decade in the past, but as the book goes on Downing weaves in some far grittier topics, which she handles well. I did think that one particular subplot was perhaps a tad rushed, though, but on the other hand it's quite interesting to see the topic involved there crop up in a book without being the main subject of the novel. (Apologies if that sentence is even more incomprehensible than usual, as always, fear of spoilers trumps clarity in my revews.)
Additionally, Downing captures the atmosphere of the end of school brilliantly. In fact, I'd say the only other book I can think of which really brings down the curtains on its characters' high-school experience as well as this one does is John Green's superb Paper Towns (which is set over a much shorter period of time.) Oh, one last thing - Trever German may be my new favourite minor character ever, or certainly my favourite of 2012. He's utterly wonderful every time he appears!
Definite recommendations to fans of YA contemporary books as an absolute bargain at just £1.94, I really want to get my hand on some of Erin Downing's others now!
mgt48's review
3.0
http://booknerdrambling.blogspot.com/ Check out my Blog sometime,Please.
So a friend recommended me this book and I'm glad she did. None of the Regular Rules is defiantly an interesting book.Sophie, a smart go with the flow type of girl starting her senior year with her two best friends hippie Ella and over achiever Grace. They find a list of dares that Sophie's Aunt Suzy wrote her senior year in High School just before she died.That's when things start to take a turn for the better in Sophie's life.The list is just what the girls need to shake up their last year in High School.
At the start her and her first are committed to the list but then life,secrets and typical high school drama gets in the way.Sophie begins to feel happy with herself and the changes she has made but she starts to get curious about her Aunt and finds out something shocking that confuses her a bit.Then there's Johnny Rush who confuses but excites her as well. Johnny Rush is Sophie’s really popular neighbor, and longtime crush, who's about to head off to college but becomes a key in helping Sophie begin to find the confidence to complete some of the list.
The story felt a bit like fluff at first but it got deeper and took a slight twist toward the middle.Sophie and Johnny's relationship felt real and not very cliche like some ya books. I liked how even the minor characters like Andy and Trevor even have their parts are are intriguing.The story was good but i wish we would have found out more about Graces and Ian relationship though though.
The cover is nice but to me doesn't go with the story. I wish it would have had some thing to do with the Lawn mower or something else other then a couple kissing.The book was enjoyable and anyone in high-school i think could relate to the story.3/5
So a friend recommended me this book and I'm glad she did. None of the Regular Rules is defiantly an interesting book.Sophie, a smart go with the flow type of girl starting her senior year with her two best friends hippie Ella and over achiever Grace. They find a list of dares that Sophie's Aunt Suzy wrote her senior year in High School just before she died.That's when things start to take a turn for the better in Sophie's life.The list is just what the girls need to shake up their last year in High School.
At the start her and her first are committed to the list but then life,secrets and typical high school drama gets in the way.Sophie begins to feel happy with herself and the changes she has made but she starts to get curious about her Aunt and finds out something shocking that confuses her a bit.Then there's Johnny Rush who confuses but excites her as well. Johnny Rush is Sophie’s really popular neighbor, and longtime crush, who's about to head off to college but becomes a key in helping Sophie begin to find the confidence to complete some of the list.
The story felt a bit like fluff at first but it got deeper and took a slight twist toward the middle.Sophie and Johnny's relationship felt real and not very cliche like some ya books. I liked how even the minor characters like Andy and Trevor even have their parts are are intriguing.The story was good but i wish we would have found out more about Graces and Ian relationship though though.
The cover is nice but to me doesn't go with the story. I wish it would have had some thing to do with the Lawn mower or something else other then a couple kissing.The book was enjoyable and anyone in high-school i think could relate to the story.3/5
bbasri's review
3.0
None of the Regular Rules is a story that teaches you that sometimes when you set out to find yourself, you have to lose yourself in the process.
The best thing about this book is Sophie. She's the quiet girl that everybody knows, but no one really knows. Her responses and mistakes are realistic. Sometimes when I'm reading a book I think:"How the hell did she/he get in this situation? It could have been easily avoided!". Plus, even though she really liked Johnny, she didn't start anything with him while he still had a girlfriend.
Grace and Ella are Sophie's rock. They aren't afraid to call her out when they see that she's wrong. Even though they had a falling out, they weren't too proud so none of them would make the first move to fix things. Plus it was entertaining to see how they handled their love lives. I thought the reason that Grace didn't break up with Ian sooner, is because at first she wanted to give him another chance, then she wanted to prove her friends wrong, then she was too proud to admit she was wrong.
The thing is about this book, is that everyone goes through some of these things in their lives and when it does happen you think that you could have prevented it. But actually there is no way to prevent it, you just have to live with it and then get over it. And I think reading about these things helps you realize that.
So after all that deep talk and all, I'd say that this book deserves 3.5 stars.
Full review on Booklicker
The best thing about this book is Sophie. She's the quiet girl that everybody knows, but no one really knows. Her responses and mistakes are realistic. Sometimes when I'm reading a book I think:"How the hell did she/he get in this situation? It could have been easily avoided!". Plus, even though she really liked Johnny, she didn't start anything with him while he still had a girlfriend.
Grace and Ella are Sophie's rock. They aren't afraid to call her out when they see that she's wrong. Even though they had a falling out, they weren't too proud so none of them would make the first move to fix things. Plus it was entertaining to see how they handled their love lives. I thought the reason that Grace didn't break up with Ian sooner, is because at first she wanted to give him another chance, then she wanted to prove her friends wrong, then she was too proud to admit she was wrong.
The thing is about this book, is that everyone goes through some of these things in their lives and when it does happen you think that you could have prevented it. But actually there is no way to prevent it, you just have to live with it and then get over it. And I think reading about these things helps you realize that.
So after all that deep talk and all, I'd say that this book deserves 3.5 stars.
Full review on Booklicker
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