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The Unwritten Rule Elizabeth Scott Books

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The Unwritten Rule Elizabeth Scott Books

So this is now the fourth Scott book I've read (the others are: Perfect You, Bloom and Love You Hate You Miss You) and it's another slam dunk. Sure, I griped a little about some minor stuff in my other reviews, and those issues do pop their heads up in this tale as well, but Scott's books are well worth the investment.

In this tale the protagonist, Sarah, finds herself in an impossible situation and seems determinately trapped, unable to distance herself yet unable to stay away. Having had a major crush on a boy (Ryan) she's known for years, she watches as her BFF swoops in and scoops him up, all before her very eyes. To make matters worse, Brianna, though startlingly beautiful and vivacious, isn't exactly the nicest girl around. To further complicates matters, Brianna is psychologically and emotionally damaged, attributing to her not-so-nice behavior, providing a wealth of guilt for Sarah to stew in. And when Ryan begins to show an interest in Sarah, for whom he is much better suited, you can see disaster written on the wall.

Now truly torn between forbidden love and loyalty, Sarah is trapped. But she's not only trapped in this impossible situation, Sarah is trapped in the shadow of Brianna, whose biting comments and selfish behavior reinforce Sarah's feelings of loneliness and self-doubt. But as the story unfolds and the tension mounts, Sarah begins to discover that Brianna may not be best friend material after all and begins to questions Brianna's motivations.

While I certainly don't condone cheating and think that loyalty is one of the most valuable traits in every friendship, what we discover by reading Unwritten Rule is that what Sarah believes to be a friendship, is really something different. Friends don't deceive us or put us in uncomfortable situations to make their lives easier, they don't ask us to lie for them or make stabbing remarks about us while telling us they love us. In short, friends are supposed to look out for us and lift us up, they're supposed to cheer our successes and grab a pint of ice cream when we're blue. This lesson, above all others, is what makes this book a good read. We watch and listen as Sarah unveils these truths for herself and begins to make choices that are good for her, as opposed to sacrificing her integrity and feelings for someone else.

As always, Ms. Scott's writing is superb and honest. Her prose are simple yet compelling. So I am now moving on to Something, Maybe and Stealing Heaven, both of which I am sure to enjoy as well.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Unwritten Rule (9781416978916): Elizabeth Scott: Books,Elizabeth Scott,The Unwritten Rule,Simon Pulse,1416978917,Romance - General,Social Themes - Emotions & Feelings,Social Themes - General,Best friends,Best friends;Fiction.,Dating (Social customs),Friendship,Friendship;Fiction.,Interpersonal relations,Interpersonal relations;Fiction.,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Fiction,General fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE FICTION Love & Romance,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Dating & Relationships,Juvenile FictionSocial Themes - Friendship,Love & Romance,Social Themes - Dating & Relationships,Social Themes - Friendship,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance Contemporary,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Emotions & Feelings,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Friendship,Young Adult Fiction,Young Adult Fiction Romance General,Young Adult Fiction Social Themes General (see also headings under Family)

The Unwritten Rule Elizabeth Scott Books Reviews

This isn't just a story of a boy and a girl. This story brings in the complex relationship between two best friends. Sarah and Brianna have been friends since kindergarten and Sarah has learned to live with the attention Brianna always receives. Sarah is the quiet, shy girl who is loyal and compassionate to what her friend is going through. Brianna has family issues, and seems to put Sarah down without realizing the harm she is doing, or does she?

As the story progresses it's easy to see that this friendship is not in the best interest for Sarah. Brianna is dating Ryan, and Sarah has had a crush on him since eight grade. She is forced, by Brianna, to be the third-wheel on their dates and it is torturous for Sarah to see them together. Eventually, Ryan and Sarah kiss and get a better understanding of their feelings for one another. During the remainder of the book Sarah and Ryan try to speak to Brianna but Brianna keeps putting them off. They don't want to hurt her, but it seems inevitable. How can they get what they want, without hurting someone they care about?

This was a great story by Elizabeth Scott. I enjoyed the characters and I can see how a lot of young adults could relate to Sarah's feelings for her best friends boyfriend. It also showed a side of friendship that is not often captured- verbally abusive friends. Although this book did contain one of my pet peeves (never letting a character finish a sentence!) I really enjoyed the read. I've been a fan of Elizabeth Scott's for a while now and I was not disapointed in this new book.
"I liked him first, but it doesn't matter. I still like him. That doesn't matter either. Or at least, it's not supposed to."

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan since eighth grade. Back then, her best friend Brianna didn't think Ryan was worth her time or attention, which meant Sarah wasn't supposed to like him either. Since Sarah's position was clearly in Brianna's shadow, she didn't have the self-confidence to tell Brianna that she liked Ryan, despite what Brianna might think. And she's liked him ever since, but she's kept that to herself.

This past summer, Ryan really grew into himself and Brianna definitely noticed him at a party just before school started. Right away, Brianna decided she wanted Ryan for herself. And still, Sarah didn't tell Brianna how she felt about Ryan. Now Ryan has been Brianna's boyfriend for almost two months and Sarah still likes him, even though she knows she shouldn't. And lately? It seems like Ryan really isn't as enamored of Brianna as Sarah thought. In fact, he's kind of been giving off a vibe like he might like Sarah. Really like her.

The love-triangle story is by no means new to Young Adult fiction. But rarely has it been handled as well and as honestly as it is in The Unwritten Rule. None of the trio of main characters is totally without fault, but there is no true villain either. It's true that Brianna tends to overshadow Sarah, that she likes things to go her way, but Sarah also lets her be the sun, content to revolve around her. And Brianna, though damaged by unloving parents, is not really a horrible person, though she is not really as good a friend as Sarah believes her to be. Then there is Ryan who, whatever his feelings for Sarah were at the time, chose to be with Brianna.

As always, Elizabeth Scott's marvelous writing captures all of the emotions inherent in a situation like this in a way that makes them immediate and real. While I obviously rooted for Sarah (she is the narrator and this is her story), Brianna was not a totally unsympathetic character. When Sarah felt guilt or shame or as if she was betraying her best friend, I understood why she felt that way. I could also understand her intense longing for Ryan, who is essentially her soul mate. She can't help how she feels about him, but Brianna is not to blame for the situation Sarah finds herself in. As she herself notes, "There is no evil villain here, no friend who really is an enemy and out to get me. Brianna goes for what she wants, but she has never taken anything that was mine."

This is the point where I should say that I love Elizabeth Scott's books. I own all of them, even though there are some I still haven't read. I save them for when I need something really good to read, something I know I am going to love. Crazy, I know. I was lucky enough to win this book (and She's So Dead to Us by the incredible Kieran Scott) through Elizabeth Scott's blog, so I figured I would read it right away. I knew I would love it even before I started and I was not disappointed. With Elizabeth Scott's books I never am.
So this is now the fourth Scott book I've read (the others are Perfect You, Bloom and Love You Hate You Miss You) and it's another slam dunk. Sure, I griped a little about some minor stuff in my other reviews, and those issues do pop their heads up in this tale as well, but Scott's books are well worth the investment.

In this tale the protagonist, Sarah, finds herself in an impossible situation and seems determinately trapped, unable to distance herself yet unable to stay away. Having had a major crush on a boy (Ryan) she's known for years, she watches as her BFF swoops in and scoops him up, all before her very eyes. To make matters worse, Brianna, though startlingly beautiful and vivacious, isn't exactly the nicest girl around. To further complicates matters, Brianna is psychologically and emotionally damaged, attributing to her not-so-nice behavior, providing a wealth of guilt for Sarah to stew in. And when Ryan begins to show an interest in Sarah, for whom he is much better suited, you can see disaster written on the wall.

Now truly torn between forbidden love and loyalty, Sarah is trapped. But she's not only trapped in this impossible situation, Sarah is trapped in the shadow of Brianna, whose biting comments and selfish behavior reinforce Sarah's feelings of loneliness and self-doubt. But as the story unfolds and the tension mounts, Sarah begins to discover that Brianna may not be best friend material after all and begins to questions Brianna's motivations.

While I certainly don't condone cheating and think that loyalty is one of the most valuable traits in every friendship, what we discover by reading Unwritten Rule is that what Sarah believes to be a friendship, is really something different. Friends don't deceive us or put us in uncomfortable situations to make their lives easier, they don't ask us to lie for them or make stabbing remarks about us while telling us they love us. In short, friends are supposed to look out for us and lift us up, they're supposed to cheer our successes and grab a pint of ice cream when we're blue. This lesson, above all others, is what makes this book a good read. We watch and listen as Sarah unveils these truths for herself and begins to make choices that are good for her, as opposed to sacrificing her integrity and feelings for someone else.

As always, Ms. Scott's writing is superb and honest. Her prose are simple yet compelling. So I am now moving on to Something, Maybe and Stealing Heaven, both of which I am sure to enjoy as well.