 |
| #TheRulesOfRebellion |
Hello! Welcome to the next stop on The Rules of Rebellion blog tour hosted by Entangled Publishing. I'm really happy to share my thoughts on this book with you, as well as an excerpt from the story! The Rules of Rebellion was released into the world on April 2nd and can be found here.
♡
1. Skinny dip (her idea)
2. Stargaze (his idea)
3. Prank someone (her idea)
4. Go on a date (his idea)
Leo Zimmerman has had a crush on his curvy friend Kylie Jenkins since forever, so when he discovers the girl with a flair for candy making has a newfound plan to rebel against her overbearing parents, he’s determined to be the one to help her carry it out. Who better than himself to show her the ropes of letting loose?
Sure, taking her to her first high school party, helping her sneak out of the house, or watching a sunset together isn’t exactly a hardship, but much harder is masking his feelings the more time they spend together. And when he suggests adding “a first date” to Kylie’s plan and she accepts…suddenly all his dreams seem to be coming true.
But Leo’s got a secret that could change everything between them, and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to the surface.
๐
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is my first book by Amity Hope! The Rules of Rebellion was cute and managed to tackle a tough topic: bullying. In high school, Kylie's sister was body-shamed and bullied so intensely, she begged her parents to let her move in with an aunt. I liked that the author addressed such a serious issue, and brought attention to something so important.
As for the story itself, I started off incredibly confused. Kylie has three older siblings, three girlfriends with three boyfriends, and then Leo. Leo also has three or four older siblings, so it all became a bit too much. There were a lot of names being thrown around in the beginning, and I kept getting them mixed up. Was Meg dating Adam, Nate or Luke? Which guy lived out of town? Did he date Julia or Maddie? Wait, no... Maddie was one of the sisters...
I was almost finished with the book before I started to sort people out. It didn't help that the secondary characters (other than Allie) didn't get addressed very often. They were just fluff for the story and didn't really have any defining characteristics of their own. I think if they had been fleshed out a tad more, I wouldn't have felt so lost when names were tossed around.
I will admit to being super judgmental of Kylie's parents. They wanted to control every male aspect of their daughter's lives, and I felt like they went a little overboard. You can tell two teenagers to keep their hands in "safe places" until you are blue in the face, but you can't watch them forever. I'm pretty sure hands will wander, because that's what teenagers (and adults) do. I think parents should trust their kids, and be confident in their ability to make good decisions. They shouldn't be terrified to bring a love interest home with them.
However, Maddie's circumstances did warrant a little extra protectiveness, and I can see why her parents were on edge when it came to boys. It just sucked for all of Maddie's sisters.
I loved the idea of having a list to cross off. I am a big fan of lists and love how it feels when I complete one. It's like I've accomplished something spectacular! I wish I had made lists like this in high school, because I think it might have made me take a few more chances and try new things.
Leo was adorable, and I loved his projects. I think he and I would have gotten along smashingly, but only after I punched his dad in the face. He's sweet, considerate, but lacked the ability to say what was important. A little more honestly on both sides, and this book would have turned out a lot differently.
This review got away from me, so I guess I had more to say than I thought. I liked the book and thought it was fun, but I wasn't wowed by their story. There were too many things nagging at me while I read this, so it took away from my overall enjoyment.
As for the story itself, I started off incredibly confused. Kylie has three older siblings, three girlfriends with three boyfriends, and then Leo. Leo also has three or four older siblings, so it all became a bit too much. There were a lot of names being thrown around in the beginning, and I kept getting them mixed up. Was Meg dating Adam, Nate or Luke? Which guy lived out of town? Did he date Julia or Maddie? Wait, no... Maddie was one of the sisters...
I was almost finished with the book before I started to sort people out. It didn't help that the secondary characters (other than Allie) didn't get addressed very often. They were just fluff for the story and didn't really have any defining characteristics of their own. I think if they had been fleshed out a tad more, I wouldn't have felt so lost when names were tossed around.
I will admit to being super judgmental of Kylie's parents. They wanted to control every male aspect of their daughter's lives, and I felt like they went a little overboard. You can tell two teenagers to keep their hands in "safe places" until you are blue in the face, but you can't watch them forever. I'm pretty sure hands will wander, because that's what teenagers (and adults) do. I think parents should trust their kids, and be confident in their ability to make good decisions. They shouldn't be terrified to bring a love interest home with them.
However, Maddie's circumstances did warrant a little extra protectiveness, and I can see why her parents were on edge when it came to boys. It just sucked for all of Maddie's sisters.
I loved the idea of having a list to cross off. I am a big fan of lists and love how it feels when I complete one. It's like I've accomplished something spectacular! I wish I had made lists like this in high school, because I think it might have made me take a few more chances and try new things.
Leo was adorable, and I loved his projects. I think he and I would have gotten along smashingly, but only after I punched his dad in the face. He's sweet, considerate, but lacked the ability to say what was important. A little more honestly on both sides, and this book would have turned out a lot differently.
This review got away from me, so I guess I had more to say than I thought. I liked the book and thought it was fun, but I wasn't wowed by their story. There were too many things nagging at me while I read this, so it took away from my overall enjoyment.
♡
Read an Excerpt:
Her dimples popped into place, her smile so bright it about knocked me senseless. She bounced a bit on her tiptoes, and for one hopeful second I thought she’d maybe hug me. Unfortunately, she reined in her enthusiasm.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said. “I’ve got to run. My sister is probably pacing in front of my car by now. See you later.”
She scurried off, and I was disappointed the conversation had ended so quickly. I didn’t mind watching her walk away, though. I loved how the girl filled out a pair of jeans. She had more bounce in her step than most of the cheerleaders. Kylie was just plain…perky. She always seemed to be happy and smiling. I’d suspected Kylie was one of those rare people who was always fun to be around. Spending time with her these past few months had proven I wasn’t wrong.
She finally rounded the corner, slipping from my view. As I twisted back around, something crinkled beneath my foot. On the floor, directly where we’d been talking, was a pink slip of paper. It looked suspiciously similar to the one that had been sticking out of Kylie’s notebook earlier today.
I swiped it off the floor as I cast another glance down the hallway. It was too late to call after her. I’d have to give it back to her later. I reflexively glanced at the page, assuming it was a recipe, but wanting to be sure it wasn’t something important. Something she might need immediately.
Senior Checklist.
I glanced down the hallway again, confirming that she was out of sight and that she hadn’t realized she dropped the paper and was coming back. The hallway was clearing out, most of us anxious to get out of here at the end of the day.
With no sign of Kylie, I leaned against my locker and glanced at the sheet in my hand again. I was expecting to see items like Choose date and time for graduation party. Or Tour college campus.
I did not expect to see the items that were actually listed.
Senior Checklist
1. Skinny dip (sort of)
2. Sneak out (but don’t get caught)
3. Prank someone (nothing destructive)
4. Go to a party (no drinking)
5. Kiss a boy (finally!)
6. Watch a sunset (so romantic)
If I’d had any idea her list was going to be so private, I wouldn’t have read it. But once I’d seen it, I couldn’t exactly un-see it.
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” she said. “I’ve got to run. My sister is probably pacing in front of my car by now. See you later.”
She scurried off, and I was disappointed the conversation had ended so quickly. I didn’t mind watching her walk away, though. I loved how the girl filled out a pair of jeans. She had more bounce in her step than most of the cheerleaders. Kylie was just plain…perky. She always seemed to be happy and smiling. I’d suspected Kylie was one of those rare people who was always fun to be around. Spending time with her these past few months had proven I wasn’t wrong.
She finally rounded the corner, slipping from my view. As I twisted back around, something crinkled beneath my foot. On the floor, directly where we’d been talking, was a pink slip of paper. It looked suspiciously similar to the one that had been sticking out of Kylie’s notebook earlier today.
I swiped it off the floor as I cast another glance down the hallway. It was too late to call after her. I’d have to give it back to her later. I reflexively glanced at the page, assuming it was a recipe, but wanting to be sure it wasn’t something important. Something she might need immediately.
Senior Checklist.
I glanced down the hallway again, confirming that she was out of sight and that she hadn’t realized she dropped the paper and was coming back. The hallway was clearing out, most of us anxious to get out of here at the end of the day.
With no sign of Kylie, I leaned against my locker and glanced at the sheet in my hand again. I was expecting to see items like Choose date and time for graduation party. Or Tour college campus.
I did not expect to see the items that were actually listed.
Senior Checklist
1. Skinny dip (sort of)
2. Sneak out (but don’t get caught)
3. Prank someone (nothing destructive)
4. Go to a party (no drinking)
5. Kiss a boy (finally!)
6. Watch a sunset (so romantic)
If I’d had any idea her list was going to be so private, I wouldn’t have read it. But once I’d seen it, I couldn’t exactly un-see it.
So I read it again.
♡
About the Author:
Amity lives in beautiful northern Minnesota with her two sons, two cats and their Rottweiler.
She has a degree in elementary education and worked in that field for ten years before deciding to self-publish.
Her first self-published novel, Twisted, was listed by Amazon as a Top 100 Kids & Teens Kindle Book of 2012. It hit Amazon's Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance Best Sellers List in several countries. Truths and Dares held the #1 position on Amazon's Best Sellers in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Romance eBooks in the UK.
If she's not writing or spending time with her boys, she's most likely reading.
♡
Giveaway:
When there are that many names thrown at me (& I realize they don't matter that much to the overall story) I start blocking them out. IT's too much when you are still trying to find your groove with a story.
ReplyDeleteI've heard mixed reviews for this one but it still sounds cute.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I should have done that, but silly me... I kept trying to piece the information together. I would flip back a few pages to see if I'd missed something, which inevitably took away from the flow of the story.
DeleteIt was cute!
Can't say she looks that curvy on the cover, but then covers never do
ReplyDeleteI didn't really care for how she was described. I felt like she came off as being less somehow, which is ridiculous. She may have been content with her looks, but I didn't feel like she loved herself. I don't know if it was how things were worded, but even her sister looked at her and said she was "sort of" pretty. (Those probably aren't the exact words used, but you get the idea.)
DeleteI was happy the author talked about bullying and body-shaming, but I wish Kylie had been more confident and loved herself more. She shouldn't need contacts to feel pretty, or worry about gaining ten pounds if she ate dinner too late. I didn't like how she referred to herself, or how Leo and Allie (her sister) described her either.
This sounds like a cute YA contemporary. I’m a total list maker, too, so that part definitely appeals to me. :) Even with the issues with the parents and the lackluster side characters, it seems like this was a fun read.
ReplyDeleteI loved that she baked sweets, created her own recipes, and wanted to open a candy shop one day. It was so fun to read about the things she whipped up in the kitchen! Her recipes are just another version of a list!
DeleteIt was a fun read, but I wish some of the information had been presented a little differently, or elaborated on more.
I don't think I knew about the book or the author but maybe one day
ReplyDeleteMaybe! It's a short and fun read! I know there are a million books there, and it's so hard for us to read every single one that we want to! If you do get around to reading this one, let me know what you think!
DeleteThat sounds like a fun read even with the few issues you had.
ReplyDeleteIt was! It made me crave mint chocolate, the beach, and a desire to look at the stars. It's been awhile since I just went outside and started at the sky. (It's also because I usually don't have my glasses on, so I couldn't see anything anyways, lol.)
DeleteI have issues with large casts as well can't ever keep them straight
ReplyDeleteLeo and Kylie both had large families AND they shared a big group of friends. There were just so, so many names being used in the beginning, and at that point I didn't have much context.
DeleteOh no... Too many random names to try and sort hurts my brain. I'm a simple creature, lol.
ReplyDeleteMy brain was frying trying to figure them all out!
DeleteThis does sounds cute. Too bad about the extra characters. Great review Lindsi.
ReplyDeleteI would still suggest it! It's really fun, but there were too many people to keep up with, and not enough information to help separate them in my head.
DeleteI adore when characters have their list of fun tasks to complete. The hijinks are always good for a laugh.
ReplyDeleteHer list was unique to her, which I loved, and Leo was more than willing to help her with it! Hah! He was sweet about it, though.
DeleteAwwww I LOVE AND ADORE books and families with large, mega casts!! Too bad it was hard to keep them separate. It sounds super cute. ❤️
ReplyDeleteIf you like that about a book, then this one is for you! It was cute and fun! I just struggled with who everyone was for a bit.
DeleteThanks for the giveaway. Both of these books sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteBoth? Did I miss something somewhere? This was for a blog tour, so it's very likely! Lol.
DeleteSounds cute, but the names thing would definitely annoy me too...some of the unimportant character probably should've been cut during the editing stage it sounds like.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think about it... a few of the characters were mentioned a lot, but they never actually appeared in the story. It was just their names! Maybe cutting them out or referring to them as "the boyfriend" or "the girlfriend" would have helped with some of the confusion.
Delete