Reviews

Rules by Cynthia Lord

corporal_bookish's review against another edition

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4.0

A really sweet sentimental book.

sharppointysticks's review against another edition

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2.0

2021 Book Read #11
Summer PD read for school

lbb00ks's review against another edition

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I have recommended this book to so many people and if you are reading this review I'm recommending it to you, too!

samantha_89's review against another edition

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5.0

So, first things first; my brother has autism. Catherine is such a real and true character it was like reading my life. That's only a very small hyperbole.

Rules is the story of Catherine's journey to accepting her brother for who he is. Jason, a boy in a wheelchair who has to be given words, helps her along the way. I really loved the importance of words between Jason and David, Catherine's autistic brother. Jason has to have his words written down for him since he can't speak. Catherine is a twelve-year-old full of the eye-rolling and sarcastic "whatever"s. David speaks in echolalia, although that word is never used in the book, mostly through the words of Arnold Lobel, the guy who wrote Frog and Toad. I loved the ending resolution of the book, Catherine realizing that the connection she and her brother have and her brother's need to communicate more effectively being of equal importance and two things that should both be achieved.

Catherine's interactions were so true to life, it was lovely to see. The image of Catherine tugging on her brotherā€™s sleeve but afraid she is going to rip it is so clear in my head because Iā€™ve done that so many times. I thought I was crazy when my brother Spencer was throwing a fit in the store and I made a plan to tackle him, but finally someone else (fictional or not) got it.

By page eight, I was crying. ā€œSomeone I could yell at and heā€™d yell back, and weā€™d keep going and going until weā€™d both yelled ourselves out.ā€ I do my best to think of my brother as a regular brother (albeit, one I have to do laundry for, make dinner for, watch out for, etc.) because my brother and I argue. All siblings do that; my littlest brother and I fight all the time. When I was fourteen I went away for a week, as a form of revenge (or boredom, I donā€™t know) he went in my room and ripped up all the posters on my walls. For a fourteen-year-old thatā€™s a very traumatic and violating thing to happen. When I yelled at him his only response was ā€œWhatā€™s for dinner?ā€. Iā€™ve never been able to put in to words what makes Spencer different but Catherine did it so well. Sometimes, ā€œautisticā€ just doesnā€™t cut it. He might not have a lot of words, but I donā€™t have them all either.

What I loved most about Rules was that the parents were real. As a sibling of an autistic person you have this huge amount of responsibility put on you. Responsibility that your parents aren't really aware of all the time. Catherine says something along the lines of knowing she can better take care of her brother than her parents, I definitely agreed with this. My parents are more likely to lose their patience with my brother or forget to keep an eye on him.

Rules is a great book, especially for siblings of autistic children. It's important to be able to see yourself in someone in literature and Catherine is definitely that person for me. If you're curious about autism Rules is also a great book for that, it gives you a very in depth look at what family life is life.

crystal_reading's review against another edition

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5.0

This is an excellent book about a young girl learning about herself. Her brother has autism and she explains the rules she uses to help him get along with other people. In addition, we see how her relationships develop. The characters in the book pulled me right in.

26rgregoire's review against another edition

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funny sad medium-paced

junghoseok's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a really sweet book about a girl's relationship with her autistic little brother and a boy with a medical condition whom she meets at her brother's doctor's appointment. The characters are especially well-written, and there are touching and really difficult situations throughout. I definitely recommend it.

winjins's review against another edition

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2.0

read this cause I want to read every book i own and i needed something i could quickly finish

i hated every character except jason and david, and david is hardly in this.

Catherine is pretty damn intolerable, but i understand her frustration at times because her parents are the worst. kristi was by far my least favorite character, she never once talked to catherine about anything that wasnā€™t about herself, felt no need to understand david or even ask questions, and was just genuinely awful.

gessellemaria's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

grclnntt's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0