Elizabeth Scott has been a hit or miss author for me. I read Stealing Heaven and it was so good, I immediately bought everything she had written. Her earlier novels weren't as good, though. They were very dark and creepy, and the writing wasn't as engaging. So when I saw the most recent release, The Unwritten Rule, I was excited because it looked like she had gotten back to her Stealing Heaven writing.
The story is about a girl named Sarah who has a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, Ryan- the ultimate defiance of the biggest unwritten rule of friendships. You would think this would make you hate Sarah, but her friend Brianna is the more disgust worthy of the trio. Sarah tries to avoid Ryan at all costs, but Brianna is constantly dragging her with them on dates and making her amuse Ryan while Brianna flits about. After a while, it is hard to deny that Ryan has feelings for Sarah too.
Brianna is the worst kind of friend. She is the type of attractive, popular girl who sees her friends as accessories that will make her more attractive. In particular, accessories that are clearly not as wonderful as Brianna is, thereby making Brianna look better. At times, the things Brianna says to Sarah, like "Don't worry, I know the guys like me aren't exactly interested in you, but maybe a freshman will really like you for who you are" make me want to strangle her. In fact, despite the "unwritten rule" I wanted Sarah to not only take Brianna's boyfriend, but clock her as well.
This novel was OK, not stellar, just OK. It wasn't the best I have read, but certainly not the worst either. Unfortunately, in a genre that has exploded with amazing fiction, I have a hard time recommending something that is just OK. I think this would be a good choice for any middle school to high school girl who reads a lot and won't be detracted by the mediocre plot and writing. The writing isn't complicated and the plot is fairly simple. The characters, however, will defy any impressions you may have started the book with!
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