Review: None of the Regular Rules
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2014
When I first read the synopsis of None of the Regular Rules, it sounded like a cute YA contemporary romance and something that might be a fun, light read. But None of the Regular Rules is far more than that - it's a story about friendship, self-discovery and growing up.Sophie is an average girl in her last year of high school - she's dedicated to her two best friends, Ella and Grace, and struggling to decide what she wants to do with her life after school. It's only when the girls Sophie's dead aunt Suzy's bucket list hidden in her car, they decide to live out Suzy's list for themselves.I loved that all three different girls had very different personalities, interests and ambitions and yet they were still close friends - Grace is composed and focused, Ella is outspoken and alternative and Sophie is kind and caring. But what really surprised me was the boy at the center of the romance - he could have been a bit of a wanker but instead he was incredible grounded, kind and very likable, and his relationship didn't feel like it was insta-love or too forced - it just naturally progressed.The idea of a bucket list is something that appeals to me as a fanatical list writer, but I liked that Erin Downing kept things realistic - there's no outlandish pranks or unrealistic scenarios - it's all completely believable.The only thing that I found a little difficult to understand was Sophie's relationship with her parents - although she felt they were overprotective, I didn't actually get that feeling myself, and there weren't any obvious conversations where they sat her down and laid out the rules - in fact at times they appeared to be very laid-back.None of the Regular Rules was a book that I very much enjoyed - I loved being part of Sophie and her friends' journey through Suzy's bucket list, and also seeing them evolve and grow throughout the story, even though things didn't always go to plan. And the ending was just perfect!