The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
March 2010 by Simon Pulse
Hardcover 224 Pages
Borrowed-Compliments of the Public Library
Book Synopsis
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend. Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful. Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...(Goodreads)
Review
Sarah and Brianna have been best friends since kindergarten, Brianna with her beauty and outgoing personality has always played front and center of the friendship while Sarah has played the cute next door always there for you best friend. Brianna has always had a way with the guys, she’s flirty, fun and sexy, whereas Sarah is not….but there is one boy Sarah has loved since the eighth grade and his name is Ryan.
Wouldn’t you know it in a world that hands Brianna everything, it hands her Ryan as well. As Sarah struggles with her emotions over Ryan, she also struggles to hang on to Brianna’s friendship. Lately small things and hurtful things begin to pile up and soon Sarah begins to realize that holding on to a friend just so you don’t hurt them winds up hurting both of you.
The main problem with this book was the very question being asked: is it ok to like this person? Liking someone else’s boyfriend/husband/lover is wrong, but Scott paints Brianna in such a bad light that it almost makes Sarah’s and Ryan’s behavior justified. Had Ryan not made the colossal mistake in the beginning of the novel well then the entire problem could have been solved. It seems all the characters in this story were lacking some serious communication skills. Perhaps though Sarah needed this “bump” in the road to understand what her and Brianna’s friendship was really based on…….selfishness……..
While I liked Sarah as a main character and Brianna obviously played the mean nasty girl while Ryan played the artistic looking for something deep doormat kind of guy I still couldn’t get past the message that as long as your friend is a douche-bag you can steal her boyfriend or better yet if you liked him before and he starts dating your best friend your allowed to make a move because there’s no rules to attraction. Scott's talent for writing always has the ability to make you love and hate her characters and leave you with questions about life, love and relationships. Despite its lacking in the common sense department, The Unwritten Rule finds its strength in a character whose insecure complexities become her core strength and her wisdom to be who she is.
Rating
The Unwritten Rule is suitable for mature teens and includes: language, drinking, mild sexuality, family issues, coming of age issues and friendship.
3.5/5- YA-Coming of Age-Romance
Yeah this definitely isn't one of my favorite Scott's because of that message and I didn't really like the ending together because it seemed profoundly sad.
ReplyDeleteI've never read this, but it sounds good. Perhaps not the best though haha great review :)
ReplyDeletegood review and have been wanting to read this book.
ReplyDeleteAwesome honest review :) as always!
ReplyDeleteI just read my first Elizabeth Scott book, which I really enjoyed and I've been looking for something else by her to read. This book doesn't appeal to me though. Mostly, I dislike books about people that cheat and the friendship theme sounds similar to that of the book I just read (though I can't remember the title). Thanks for the review though.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I got a little irritated at Sarah for not standing up to Brianna a little sooner, but overall enjoyed the book! :)
ReplyDeleteI just read the book, I enjoyed reading your review, here's mine: http://lorxiebookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-unwritten-rule-by-elizabeth-scott.html
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day! :)