Review Detail

I really enjoyed this first book, the pacing was great, and there was character growth as well as a romance that I cheered for.
The Rules sucked me in right away. Even though I was a bit confused on the whys and hows of Ariane's condition, as well as who she replaced and how exactly that worked, I still immediately liked what I was reading, and I wanted more. Though I will say that I expected something different from this book based on the synopsis, but I wasn't disappointed in what I got.
Ariane is a mixture of human and alien DNA, and I really like how that gives her strengths, but also weaknesses. Big ones, that she has to deal with. As her back story is revealed little by little, I learn why the Rules are in place, and more about her connection with her "dad" Michael Tucker. Who, for the record, I really admired. I liked how much he cared for her, and his reasoning for taking Ariane in the first place. He is so protective, and their relationship seems so authentic.
I connected with Adriane and her feelings of not belonging. That yearn to fit in. It was so sad how she really couldn't get too close with anyone because she doesn't want to draw attention to herself or else the lab she escaped from could notice her. But even though she has the different DNA, it really begs the question what makes a human. She shows the full range of emotions, from anger, protectiveness, and love in its different forms. She has special abilities, so I know that sets her apart, but at her core, how different is she really?
And I don't know if having someone as a narrator makes me more susceptible to like someone, but being in Zane's head did that for me. I don't think that I would normally fall for someone in the "in crowd" like him. But seeing that he had some deeper emotional value behind the pretty face, and that even though he was friends with people like Rachel, the "it and mean girl" of their high school, he didn't support all that she stood for or did. As I learned more about his home life, and the more I was in his head, the more that I liked him. He had pure a pure heart underneath the tough exterior and the things that he did to fit in.
The romance between the two is sweet, and I really enjoyed those moments. I love how it started out of revenge and then evolved into something else.
The twist near the end really got me. I was expecting one part but DEF not the other. I guess I should have read Rule 1: Don't trust anyone more closely. It makes me want to retract one of the statements above that I wrote while in the middle of the book and had started jotting down my thoughts, but it is true for that part in the story, so I will leave it. I am eager for the next book, and sadly can't find much else about it, but I will certainly be watching Ms. Kade's blog and goodreads for more info.

Bottom Line: Sweet and fast paced story from two characters that I rooted for.