Book Review: Rules

“Just because other people think something, that doesn't make it true.
Maybe there's some truth in that, but it's unsatisfying, bitter-tasting truth.” 


I have mentioned before how I had always wanted to read this book.  When I finished Spellcaster, I didn't have any more books to read.  I found out that the Tooele "County" Library is only available to residents of the City of Tooele.  Since I live in Stansbury Park, that didn't really help.  But, it turns out that residents of the rest of the county can have a library card for $20 a year.  If I borrow two books in a year, that will make it worth it.  So I have obtained a card of librarihood.  And I borrowed Rules 

While reading Rules, I had a serious case of deja vu for one of the chapters.  And then, I realized why.  One of the chapters was a reading passage on a WASL I took once.  For those of you who don't know, WASL is the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and is Washington's standardized test.  
Anywho.  Rules is from the perspective of twelve-year-old, Catherine.  Catherine's younger brother, David, is autistic, and this book is an investigation of her relationship to her brother.  I must say that, especially for a children's book, Cynthia Lord does not shy away from the depth of these emotions, as we follow Catherine's struggle of emotions.  She loves David, and she's protective of him.  On the other hand, she is embarrassed by him and self-conscious of his public actions.  On another level, she's jealous of all the attention he gets.  These are natural feelings for a girl of that age to have.  Or anyone of any age. The emotions are unbelievable.

However, there is a little something about the way that Cynthia Lord writes that bugs me.  I noticed in this book, as well as the book by her that I reviewed earlier this summer, Touch Blue.  I'm not quite sure what it is, but there's a kind of almost "talking down," that goes on that I don't like.  I also feel like the plot is underdeveloped.  She does a great job at characterizations.  But let's be honest, not much happens in the story.  It has a simplistic story-line.

I guess, in the end, I was left wishing there was more story line, but loving each and every perfectly tangible character.  Three stars for this one!

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