The Unwritten Rule

Title: The Unwritten Rule

Author: Elizabeth Scott

Pages: 210

Pub: 2010

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic

Etc:

The Short of It

Love your best friend’s boyfriend? Ooops.

The Long of It

Brianna and Sarah have been best friends since elementary school.  They are also polar opposites.  Brianna is ostentatious, flirty, and self-absorbed; Sarah is a dedicated, a bit of a wallflower, and loyal.  In fact, other than their history, the only thing they really have in common is Ryan, Brianna’s boyfriend.  Sarah is torn between her feelings for Ryan and her loyalty toward Brianna.  Is he worth the end of a forever friendship?

The Thoughts about It

Pretty much, “whoa!”, right?  This book is SO believable.  And maybe it’s not always true love as it is portrayed in The Unwritten Rule, but let’s face it, girlfriends often fight over boys.  It’s a pastime that doesn’t change, no matter the decade.  I knew what this book was about, obvs, when I picked it up.  It was no shocker that there would be a triangle of sorts.  Rather, I was interested in seeing how the author pulled it off.  Would it be this dopey little romance without any core?  Or could it really do the situation justice? 

Well the jury’s out folks, Scott managed to take a topic that could have easily gone into the rose-tinted rabbit hole where it all works out in the end.  And, I guess, to a certain extent, it DOES work out.  It’s just more of a purple-ish shade rather than rosy red.

I have to be honest; I was not so much rooting for either of the characters.  It’s not as though I grew attached to them in any emotional way.  But you know, that didn’t seem to matter here much.  ‘Cuz even though I didn’t grow attached, I understood what motivated each of the three.  And even though I’d probably not have been friends with any of them…well, okay, maybe I would have had a crush on Ryan.  BUT Brianna and Sarah?  Nu uh.  If I had a shot for every time I rolled my eyes at Brianna’s behavior, I’d surely be getting my stomach pumped right about now.  AND Sarah?  If she was my friend and she confided in me with this lurve thing going on, I’d have to lay down the law, grow a bit catty, and point out all of Brianna’s self centered qualities and then say something to the effect of: you either figure it out or shut up.  And I don’t mean that in a any way that Sarah was a whiny character.  ‘Cuz she’s not.  It’s just, it was so in your face that Brianna had isthues (way more deep than issues) and man, she didn’t even LOVE Ryan. 

Ultimately, two thumbs up for Elizabeth Scott.  The ending was handled PERFECTLY and (wait for it…wait for it) REALISTICALLY.  As I’ve stressed many times, don’t market yourself as realistic fiction and then do something wacky like they lived happily ever after.  *snort*