Review: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

 
The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
Genre:  Young Adult
Publication Date:  March 16, 2010
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
ISBN:  978-1416978916
206 pages
Softcover ARC received from Around the World Tours
Follow Elizabeth Scott online:  Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads

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…

I really enjoyed this story a lot more than I thought I would!  I wasn’t sure how I would be able to relate to the characters, but I became completely engrossed in the story and couldn’t put the book down!  I was cheering for Sarah and yelling at her best friend, Brianna, throughout the whole book!  I could really feel the emotions that the characters were feeling.  I was able to really relate to Sarah and how she was feeling – not wanting to betray her best friend, but really wanting to see where things go with Ryan.  It was a struggle for her and I really connected to her feelings.

The character who really stood out to me was Brianna, Sarah’s best friend.  I alternated between feeling bad for her due to her family situation and disliking her for the way she treated Sarah, who is supposedly her best friend.  She is a complex character with many dimensions.  I could really feel for her; putting on a brave front and trying to be strong, but on the inside she is really hurting.  I know the reader was probably supposed to dislike Brianna, but I felt bad for her more than I hated her.  She is an interesting girl and I’m curious what other readers thought about her.

Overall, this is a wonderful young adult story about first loves and best friends.  I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

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