Book Nerds Across America: The Rules

Monday, June 16, 2014

The Hunt by Stacey Kade

Book Summary
Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life. But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger. Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

Flo's Review
Okay. This was my tweet to author Stacey Kade when I finished reading this one: "I just finished The Hunt and what are you trying to do to me?!?! OMG!! I CAN'T with that ending!!! *breathes into paper bag*". So now that you know my emotional state about this book, let's discuss! Ariane and Zane are basically trying to figure out what to do now that she's escaped GTX and there's still out to get her. Pretty early on in the book she received some distressing news that GTX is not the only one after her and that she is putting Zane in danger. Dilemma time! This book was rich with the dilemma and the effect of love. Zane and Ariane love each other and it's really beautiful to see how this plays at the front of their decisions and actions. Also, I love you Zane Bradshaw. So. Much. Love. I said at the end of The Rules that I needed to give him a hug, and I still do. A very long one. We learn an interesting fact about Zane's mom that changes how Zane sees her. I flew through the majority of this book in a day, only putting it down toward the end when I had to. This happily did not have middle book syndrome at all and kept me well engaged from beginning to end. Speaking of the end -- OMG. What a set up for Book 3! I need Book 3. Right now. I can't even. You guys just need to read this! Trust me!!

Jacque's Review:

The Hunt is the second installment in the Project Paper Doll trilogy. In the first book, The Rules, we were introduced to Ariane who was created in a lab. (She is half alien and half human.) On the surface she looks like a human, but she has some very unique abilities. Zane is your typical high school boy who happens to be in love with a "hybrid".

At the end of The Rules, Ariane and Zane were on the run. Ariane's creator, Dr. Jacobs, wants to keep her locked up in the lab because he thinks she is too dangerous to be out in society. She wants to be free to make her own decisions and live a normal life. When Ariane discovers there are other hybrids living near Chicago she develops a plan. She thinks they can stop the challenges between the different labs and earn their freedom if the hybrids can all work together.

On the surface this sounds like a very simple idea, but Laughlin's hybrids (Ford, Nixon, and Carter) are not quite the same as Ariane. Ariane and Zane run into some difficulty, which turns into a very dangerous situation for everyone involved.

Drs. Laughlin and Jacobs are ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the challenge. The ending was action packed and Stacey left us with a HUGE cliffhanger. I was completely shocked by the direction the series appears to be taking, but at the same time I am REALLY excited to read the final book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I think Zane will finally be on an even playing field with the rest of the characters. The hybrids consider humans to be inferior, which in many ways they are, but Zane has proven his loyalty and may now be able to contribute on a greater scale.

This series is highly entertaining and is not as sci-fi as it may sound. I'm not usually a fan of sci-fi, but I love all of Stacey's books. She has a great sense of humor and you can't help but love her characters. She incorporates paranormal elements into the story, but her books focus more on high school relationships and drama. Any YA fan will enjoy this series.

Friday, May 31, 2013

The Rules by Stacey Kade

1. Never trust anyone.
2. Remember they are always searching.
3. Don’t get involved.
4. Keep your head down.
5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.” But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules… (from Goodreads)

Flo's Review
I really enjoyed this book. It was one of those that I read almost entirely in one sitting, only pausing to tweet author Stacy Kade, "Can I give Zane a hug?" (She responded that yes, he needs one.) I grabbed this book off of Netgalley after seeing someone tweet about it. I'd met Stacey at last year's RT conference, but have never read any of her books.

One really cool, interesting thing about this book was the idea of learning how to be human. We are an emotional, fun-loving, delicate yet powerful species. We form attachments to people and things, and we are motivated -- by love, by fear, by ambition. I really enjoyed reading how Ariane had to learn about humans -- what we are and what we do -- and then try to assimilate herself into our world. Stacey Kade did a great job of writing her so you never felt like, "This is WEIRD, I am reading about an alien." And the best thing is that Ariane comes to accept and use the best of both parts of herself.

But for real, though. I'm off to hug Zane. Talk to you after Book #2.

Jacque's Review

I really enjoyed The Ghost and The Goth and started following Stacey Kade on twitter. When she announced her latest trilogy Project Paper Doll, I was a little leery because I don't usually enjoy science fiction. I tried to read The Host by Stephenie Meyer and had to stop reading after a couple of chapters. I have been told countless times how great it is, but it just wasn't for me. I was afraid The Rules would be more of the same, but I LOVED it. I wouldn't really consider it science fiction. It is more of a contemporary with some paranormal elements.

Like her Ghost and the Goth series, this book is told from a dual character point of view. Ariane is half alien/half human and spent the first 6 years of her life living in a lab (GTX). There was an explosion at the lab, which provided one of its employees the opportunity to help her escape. Ariene has been living with the employee, Mark Tucker, for the last ten years posing as his daughter. She attends the local high school, but must live by five very important rules in order to keep GTX from finding and recapturing her.

Ariene lived a rather boring existence with minimal involvement with other students outside of school until Rachel Jacobs, the granddaughter of the head scientist at GTX, starts harassing her only friend, Jenna. Rachel is part of the high school's elite and decides to pull a prank on Ariene, which becomes very interesting when one of her friends turns the prank back around on her.

Zane is the other narrator in the story and I absolutely loved his character. He is not at all the person Ariene though he was. The more she gets to know him...the more she begins to trust him and that is where rule number one is broken. Once one rule is broken....the rest quickly follow suit.

There is a lot of action and high school drama mixed in with a love story that keeps the pages turning. I, too, will be counting down the days until the release of Project Paper Doll #2.