The Unwritten Rule

Apr 27, 2010 jo mo rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, chick-lit, reviews, 1-star, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 09, 2011 Janina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, on-my-shelf, read-in-2010, mean-girls, contemporary, beware-love-triangle, available-for-swapping, let-me-down, romance, nothing-special

One thing right at the beginning: I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Scott. So this rating might be influenced a tiny bit by that ;).

All in all, I really enjoyed The Unwritten Rule, but when compared to Scott’s other YA romance novels, it is probably the weakest. It was a quick read and definitely kept my attention, but it wasn’t particularly memorable when I look back at it now. I probably won’t go back to re-read it as I’ve done with Bloom, Perfect You or Something Maybe and it doesn’t have the orig...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Audrey Hepburn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-awesome-books, 2013-favorites, about-beauty, drama-adventure, library-books, my-2013-book-reviews, realistic-fiction, romance, really-depressing, sad-books, teen-topics, young-adult, 2013-5-stars

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.

description

Wow! The Unwritten Rule was just... awesome! Five Stars all the way!

I checked it out from the library yesterday and finished it yesterday. I was unable to put it down. It was a work of magic. It was WAY better than Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti which is a much similar story. Mostly because of the way it was written and because it was much more realistic. Some topics I thought this book was about: friendsh...more

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May 18, 2010 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, 2010, chick-lit

The Unwritten Rule is my third Elizabeth Scott book and my least favorite out of the three (the other two are Living Dead Girl and Love You Hate You Miss You which deal with sexual abuse and death respectively).

The book can be summarized very briefly: Sarah and Brianna are best friends, Brianna is dating Ryan, Sarah likes Ryan, and Ryan wants to be with Sarah too. Will the girls' friendship survive the squabble over the guy?

The main problem with this book is that it is very simplistic, there ar...more

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Jun 20, 2010 Nian rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

Sarah liked Ryan first. But it's her best friend Brianna that's dating Ryan. Sarah should be the good friend and back off, but she just can't stop liking Ryan. Whatever shall she do?! (Yes, my tone is slightly mocking.)

The story is simple enough. In fact, too simple. It's another one of those books where it's just a love story and that's it. Nothing else happens. There's nothing deep about family or even friendship. In fact, the crazy friendship was what kept me going because it was the only dra...more Sarah liked Ryan first. But it's her best friend Brianna that's dating Ryan. Sarah should be the good friend and back off, but she just can't stop liking Ryan. Whatever shall she do?! (Yes, my tone is slightly mocking.)

The story is simple enough. In fact, too simple. It's another one of those books where it's just a love story and that's it. Nothing else happens. There's nothing deep about family or even friendship. In fact, the crazy friendship was what kept me going because it was the only dramatic parts. Otherwise, it was just a very tortured love story. Girl can't be with guy, but wants him badly, so they end up sneaking around and becoming very guilty. Lots of: no, we mustn't be together, as if they're in some kind of movie. It was boring as hell. I'm surprised I got through this.

I just really wish, for once, that Scott's protagonists would do something, anything. Take action. If Sarah likes Ryan so much, just tell Brianna. Screw Brianna, who's always been such a bitch and constantly putting down Sarah with her nonchalant comments. And Ryan, too. What, it takes him nearly two months to get the courage to tell everyone the truth about who he likes? I hate indecisive guys who can't make up their minds. All Ryan does is tell Brianna, "We gotta talk" for the last few weeks. Couldn't he have been more adamnant and persistent? That's what Scott's characters are always lacking, this drive and passion to DO something and STOP avoiding things. Seriously, it takes this couple 200 pages to finally confess? Wait, no, they didn't even tell Brianna; she walked in on them. Can you imagine how many more pages it would take for them to own up to their mistakes? Sarah would continue feeling guilty and backing out of it, out of Ryan, and this endless circle of thoughts and events will continue.

I really didn't like the story. If I wrote this, I would go in a different direction. I would actually give Sarah a life beyond Brianna. Sarah would find friendship in people outside Brianna's life (and this wouldn't happen at the very end, either), Sarah would actually stand up to B and maybe even slap her (if she'd done that, I would have certainly applauded Sarah for her guts more), and Sarah would definitely be less annoying with her "I wish things were different. I wish this, I wish that, I want this, I want that." It's all Scotts' characters ever do: wish and want and never setting out to grab those things. They're just not people I really resonate with or see role models as. Also, I absolutely abhorred Brianna, and thought it pitiful trying to give her this background story to explain to readers why she is the way she is. Just because she has all this trouble with parents doesn't mean she can be a total bitch. Stop sugarcoating people's actions like that!

Overall, just not impressed. (less)

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May 04, 2010 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, ya

Aww, this one was too cute and poignant in a non-overt way. Typical chick lit, but fun to bunker down with on a rainy day. I especially enjoyed the writing style. There are even a few great, observant lines in here that I made sure to scribe into my quotes book. Yes I have one of those, and yes, I know it’s dorky.

Moving on, Sarah is 17 and lives in the shadow of her beautiful, shallow best frienemy Brianna. Best friends since they were five, Sarah couldn't imagine life without Brianna, but latel...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Lindsay Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

WARNINGS: I read this book in just a few short hours. I literally couldn't stop reading. You will definitely want to read this book.

First off, it's very easy to connect with Sarah. We have probably all been in similar situations, whether we were the friend who had the crush on the spoken for boyfriend or the girl who had the boyfriend. It was, for me, also very easy to relate to Brianna. She had problems with her parents that just made her cry and wonder who loved her. But Brianna, I just didn't...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Erin K rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, teen-fiction

The Unwritten Rule should be a requirement for girls all throughout high school to read. This storyline is very raw and realistic. Through the main character, Sarah, Elizabeth Scott narates the consequences of when a girl falls for the boy she's never supposed to like. The one that "belongs" to her best friend.

The toxic friendship between Sarah and Brianna is made obvious several times, especially at the times when Brianna acts as though she's really helping Sarah while putting down her physic

...more

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Feb 03, 2013 khungkhing rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really am disappointed. When I read "The Unwritten Rule," I feel like I'm watching "Something Borrowed" all over again. Still it has one humongous difference in it; that's fun. There is no fun in this book at all ... as boring as hell.

The story is like something I don't expect at all. I think I it must be fresh and fun; however, it doesn't. FYI, I really dig this type of story but not in this book. "The Unwritten Rule" is focused on love triangle between Ryan, Sarah and Brianna and in my opin...more

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May 27, 2011 Ronda ♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I choose the Unwritten rule beacuse i am a girly girl that liek romances and stuff like that and it looked and sounded like a good book. The Genre of the book is fiction. the setting of this book is modern present day. the description of the main chacers are....
Sara: She is Brittneys bestfreind and likes Ryan who she has know forever but Brittney is dating him.
Brittney: She is Saras bestfreind and they know each other forever and she uis dating Ryan.
Ryan: he is Dating Brittney but the whole time...more I choose the Unwritten rule beacuse i am a girly girl that liek romances and stuff like that and it looked and sounded like a good book. The Genre of the book is fiction. the setting of this book is modern present day. the description of the main chacers are....
Sara: She is Brittneys bestfreind and likes Ryan who she has know forever but Brittney is dating him.
Brittney: She is Saras bestfreind and they know each other forever and she uis dating Ryan.
Ryan: he is Dating Brittney but the whole time likes Sara.
The plot summary is that britteney and sara have been best freinds since they were little. Sara and Ryan had a connection before brittney even started to like him and brittney is realy pretty and her and sara were at a party and brittney started to flirt with ryan but brtittneyt dident know that sara liked him alot. But she never told Brittney, beacuse brittney looked so happy and Ryan did too but Sara dident know tat ryan really liked her so every time Brittney and Ryan would hang out brittney wanted sara to come so she did and she hated going with beacuse she had to see her cush with her bestfreind.But after a whie Ryan told Sara he had feelings for her and they kissed while Ryan and Brittney were still dating.
The Main conflict was that sara liked ryan alot but she loved her bestfreind and did want to hurt her but in the end hurted her anyways beacuse she was really in love with Ryan... One day after ryan brittney and sara went bowling Every one thought brttney had broken up with Ryan but she didnt and rayan and sara left after that and went to saras bed room and slept together and Brittney walked in on them and thats when there freindship ended.
The problem was never resolved beacuse sara said if you were my real freind you would understand and you dont even treat me like a real frend so bye and that was pretty much it.
My opinion of the unwritten rule is that is was a very good book and im looking to be reading more by this author.... The book also made me want to read more and more and i like that.(less)

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Dec 06, 2010 Natshane rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Reading Perfect You is sad, reading this book is sadder. I lost count on how many times my tears shed, it was really a sad read.

I understand the feeling of being in one's shadow, but at least I didn't always get reminded of that. Brianna is a b****, and I don't get why Sarah would tolerate her, yes I pitied her because her parents treated her as a 'thing', shoving her aside and not loving her, but she is doing exactly what her parents are doing to her by doing it to Sarah, only in a more 'discr...more Reading Perfect You is sad, reading this book is sadder. I lost count on how many times my tears shed, it was really a sad read.

I understand the feeling of being in one's shadow, but at least I didn't always get reminded of that. Brianna is a b****, and I don't get why Sarah would tolerate her, yes I pitied her because her parents treated her as a 'thing', shoving her aside and not loving her, but she is doing exactly what her parents are doing to her by doing it to Sarah, only in a more 'discreet' kind of way, and I don't think both of them notices that. One thing I find in common between Perfect You and The Unwritten Rule, both of the books centered around 'sure' friendship which is broken in so many ways, they ended badly, and I don't deny, that is reality. I ache when I read about Brianna trashing Sarah, always pulling her down and concealing her in her shadows, and I ache for how Sarah deals with it all. She is kind, even though she steals her boyfriend.

To Sarah, Brianna is her best friend, the one who knows her all, but to Brianna, Sarah is the best THING that happened to her and she can't let go. She never did understand true love and we couldn't blame her for that, but is there a need to condemn everyone? I cried when I read about Brianna cursing and scolding Sarah like she's a piece of trash, it was a bit dramatic but still reduced me to tears, how Sarah never even tried to defend herself. She is not entirely in the wrong! But she won't even raise her voice! And that frustrates me so.

Sarah thought she is hideous because she wanted her boyfriend, the unwritten rule in a friendship - never want something you shouldn't have, but she is not! She didn't do it to get back at her, she didn't do it as a revenge, she couldn't help it. I wish more would be told about Sarah's and Brianna's friendship, I hope they would reconcile but also both of them would change, have a fresh start. And I am glad Ryan ended up with Sarah, he loves her, they could really talk and not like when he is with Brianna, they kissed more than they talk.
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May 12, 2011 ♥MRS. rated it 4 of 5 stars

I choosed this book because i thought it would be likeable for and see how other people like freinds feel when you like your friends boyfriend and well i kinda went though that because i can see the other persons view. But at the end i like it because you never know what could happen and it could happen to you to....

This book is about two best freinds that are really close and well they both like this boy named Rayan but Ryan goes out with Brianna. But Sarah thinks that Brianna and Ryan make a c...more

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Feb 20, 2010 Sab H. (YA Bliss) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

I just love her writing! It inspires me so much because she makes you really feel everything, it's like you momentarily vanish form your body into the character's skin! This was such a sweet book and such a nice topic to explore because, even though it's sort of cliche, it keeps on happening often. And I don't think it will ever stop happening. The way Scott writes about it though, is about much more than just falling for your best-friends boy. The Unwritten Rule is also about family, parents, t...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Abby Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blogged

Sarah has been best friends with Brianna since they met in kindergarten and Brianna saved Sarah from the clutches of a five-year-old Mean Girl. Ever since, Sarah has been Brianna's sidekick. But there's one thing Sarah's never told Brianna - how she feels about Brianna's boyfriend Ryan. Sarah has liked Ryan since the eighth grade, but now Ryan and Brianna are together and Sarah knows that she can never tell Brianna her true feelings. Except that... Ryan and Sarah kissed. And now Sarah's falling...more

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May 03, 2013 Morgan C rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked Elizabeth Scott's book The Unwritten Rule. A link to a website about the author and her books is: http://www.elizabethwrites.com/

Elizabeth writes young adult fiction. She's written twelve books. The book was about a girl named Sarah and her best friend Brianna. Brianna and Sarah have been best friends for a long time. Sarah has a crush on this guy named Ryan since eighth grade. Brianna went after Ryan after Sarah convinced her that she didn't really like him. Things happen betwee...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Unwritten Rule
Written by Elizabeth Scott
Book review done by Lindsay Fox

“Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.” The Unwritten Rule, written by Elizabeth Scott is about two best friends, Sarah and Brianna, both falling for the same boy. Throughout the story, you will be introduced to conflict, emotions, guilt, and eagerness.
Ever since middle school, Sarah claimed to liking Ryan first. As soon as her best friend Brianna had met him, they began a relat...more

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Jan 21, 2013 15kobrigerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Unwritten Rule
Reviewed by Danielle Kobriger
“Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.” This is a common sense rule, so common it is unwritten. I guess not everyone has common sense, right? The Unwritten Rule written by Elizabeth Scott tells the story of a teenage love triangle between two best friends Sarah and Briana, and one confused teenage boy, Ryan.
I feel Elizabeth, the author, is trying to point out that even the strongest friendships can be broke...more
The Unwritten Rule
Reviewed by Danielle Kobriger
“Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.” This is a common sense rule, so common it is unwritten. I guess not everyone has common sense, right? The Unwritten Rule written by Elizabeth Scott tells the story of a teenage love triangle between two best friends Sarah and Briana, and one confused teenage boy, Ryan.
I feel Elizabeth, the author, is trying to point out that even the strongest friendships can be broken once they are put to the ultimate test. The conflict the girls faced in The Unwritten Rule was when Sarah had to decide if she was going to do anything about her strong feelings towards Ryan; should she just put them aside and move on, or maybe the best thing for her to do is to talk to Briana about her feelings.
Elizabeth has a very clear way of writing that makes the text easy to understand. One of my favorite quotes that really express how teenage girls think is when Sarah says, “There are a million rules for being a girl. There are a million things you have to do to get through each day. High school has things that can trip you up, ruin you, people smile and say one thing and mean another, and you have to know all the rules, you have to know what you can and can’t do. And one of them is this: you don’t kiss your best friends boyfriend. You don’t do it once. You certainly don’t do it twice.” Even though Sarah may be viewed as the “bad girl” in this book I feel like this quote earns her some respect to show that she means well and does not want to hurt her best friend. The quote above shows the loyal and caring sides of Sarah, but then there are quotes said like this one “But I don’t un-wish Ryan.” Sarah knows better than to kiss her best friends boyfriend multiple times but, she doesn’t un-wish it. Honestly there wasn’t anything in particular that I disliked about the writing. The author portrays the positive and negative sides of all the characters so readers don’t start to favor one over the rest.
The content ok the book is great; it is very realistic and believable. The theme of this book is important because it shows how even the strongest friendship bonds can be broken. Something that helps to make this book so realistic is that, everything in the book is not perfect. There isn’t always a happy ending even if everyone likes to believe there should be. Elizabeth doesn’t write her books for a happily ever after ending. She writes them to teach life lessons; to show the true consequences of ones actions. The Unwritten Rule may have not ended the way the readers were hoping it would, but it’s real, and in my opinion real is hard to find these days.
The author doesn’t have the teenage girls talking like 30 year olds; they talk like teenagers would these days with the slang and shortening of words and sentences. I strongly recommend this book. Not only can teenage girls easily relate, but it also teaches some good life lessons with realistic problems and consequences.
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Nov 22, 2012 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

I will summarize my review in a few sentences since I don't think it's worth my time to write an extensive one. I didn't like Sarah's attitude or whining. She was constantly jealous of Brianna and wishing she were with Ryan. I know poor Sarah was not to blame, but seriously, it was also her fault for being such a coward since the beginning. If she had stood up to Brianna and told her she really liked Ryan, Brianna wouldn't have thought about having him. Or maybe she would've had, but then that w...more I will summarize my review in a few sentences since I don't think it's worth my time to write an extensive one. I didn't like Sarah's attitude or whining. She was constantly jealous of Brianna and wishing she were with Ryan. I know poor Sarah was not to blame, but seriously, it was also her fault for being such a coward since the beginning. If she had stood up to Brianna and told her she really liked Ryan, Brianna wouldn't have thought about having him. Or maybe she would've had, but then that would be Brianna's total fault. Ryan was also another coward, and I'm angry at how Brianna's looks or even her charismatic personality drew him in. He should have told Sarah he liked her.
Alright, since we all know now that they were both cowards and simpletons, what can we say about Brianna?
Well, obviously she was a self-centered girl who didn't let anybody abandon her as her father did, which I think is kinda understandable since she had a fckd up life to start with. Her mom was a complete disaster, and her father was a selfish bastard. So to sum things up, maybe Brianna wasn't the best friend, of course she was constantly making Sarah feel intimidated and shy and with a sucky confidence but at least she tried to make the best with what she had.
Sarah was never a good friend, and that is because she was always complaining about how plain she was, and how pretty Brianna was in comparison. I mean, it's true, we all have our pangs of jealousy, but I won't be stealing my best friend's boyfriend, even if I liked him first. It would be my own fault to begin with for being such a COWARD.
One of the most important reasons I didn't like the book was because of the ending. I personally think, it would've been best if Brianna had forgiven Sarah, and understood her dilemma. But she wasn't capable of forgiving HER BEST FRIEND, even though she didn't even love Ryan,and she was kissing and secretly hanging out with Greg at Ryan's back. I think the real reason she didn't forgive Sarah was because she couldn't get over that fact of Ryan leaving her for Sarah. It wasn't Ryan, it was the idea of knowing that, for once, Sarah was better than her.
So, basically none of them were good people. Not even Ryan. He did wrong by kissing Sarah, instead of ending things with Brianna before.
SO, the reason I gave this book a 2 star rating was because at least I got something good from it; a great piece of advice. Don't keep wrong feelings inside your heart; tell your friends exactly how you feel and why. Don't be a coward when it comes to acknowledge a crush on someone. And never, ever steal your best friend's boyfriend.

***Edit***
Seems I got carried away xD I was supposed to write only a few sentences, but who cares! :)(less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Juliet Fiumana rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book was absolutely exhausting to read.

Really, it was. This was one of those books that you pick knowing you are not going to really like it but read them anyway.The thing is: I didn't think it was going to be THIS bad.

The story wasn't awful, I mean with this kind of idea of girl in love with her BFF's boyfriend you can always make a good story but sadly, Elizabeth Scott just couldn't make it.

I want to say directly why I didn't like it and I'm not doing it so here it goes: The hole book is...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Margarita rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was awesome!I give it a four star rating because it is exactly how life of a teen girl really is. Anyway I recommend this book to people who love to sometimes read books that aren't New York Best selling and who want some reality stories.

Okay yeah there are things like girl rules between girls but sometimes you can't avoid not breaking one of them. Yeah I have to agree that you can't have a crush on your best friends boyfriend or even if that person really isn't your bestie, you can n

...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Ashlee Groover rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott. When I saw the book and read the back for a brief description, it seemed interesting and also something I can relate to personally. The main character and narrator Sarah, has had a crush on this guy Ryan ever since she laid eyes on him. The problem with that is that his girlfriend is her best friend, Brianna. Sarah tells the story from her point of view but in a way incorporates how she thinks the other characters are thinking, which made t...more I really enjoyed the Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott. When I saw the book and read the back for a brief description, it seemed interesting and also something I can relate to personally. The main character and narrator Sarah, has had a crush on this guy Ryan ever since she laid eyes on him. The problem with that is that his girlfriend is her best friend, Brianna. Sarah tells the story from her point of view but in a way incorporates how she thinks the other characters are thinking, which made the book very interesting to read. The character I liked the most would be Sarah. I liked Sarah because throughout the whole time that she liked Ryan and kept it a secret, she was still a good friend to Brianna. She was always there for her and continued to give Brianna any advice she needed in order to help her through the hard times she was facing. My least favorite character would have to be Ryan. I did not like Ryan because he did not care about the conflict he knew he would eventually cause between Brianna and Sarah. He got his chance to be with Sarah instead of Brianna but he chose to be with Brianna, even if things did not go his way in the first place. The day he called for Sarah and Brianna answered, he did not have to talk to Brianna, he could have asked for Sarah but he did not. Ryan is just the typical teenage guy that wants nothing but to have a girl on his hip, regardless of the trouble he will cause trying to make that happen. The author used foreshadowing a good number of times to show the things that are to come. Many times Sarah would end the chapters with something that you will not be able to figure out until you read the next chapter. For example in the end of one chapter she would be in a conflict involving Brianna and Ryan. She would end the chapter by saying something like "and the door bell rang." The reader would think it was Ryan because it would just add on to the conflict, especially once the situation between Sarah and Ryan comes into play. The author also uses situational irony to get the reader excited. For example, at the end of the book when Brianna and Ryan sort of "break up" at the bowling alley, Ryan leaves and takes Sarah home. He ends up staying the night because Sarah's parents are not home. In the morning when they hear the door open they think it is her parents but it really is Brianna. It causes more conflict but also a lot more excitement for the reader to want to continue reading. The author also uses scenes of flashback to look back on Brianna and Sarah's friendship and how it began. In a lot of parts in the book, especially during the times when Brianna was feeling strongly about Ryan, she would always flashback on her and Brianna's friendship as a way to remind her how good of a friend Brianna really is, and how it's wrong to like Ryan. This book captured my attention and gave me the urge to want to try and enjoy reading. I really recommend that people read this book. (less)

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Jun 08, 2012 VaultOfBooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

By Elizabeth Scott. Grade B
I began reading this book on the school computer in tenth grade, which is ‘obviously, a very crucial time for a student and must not be wasted on useless romance novels’. However, The Unwritten Rule was extremely addictive and I found myself on the computer in every minute I could spare.
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it...more By Elizabeth Scott. Grade B
I began reading this book on the school computer in tenth grade, which is ‘obviously, a very crucial time for a student and must not be wasted on useless romance novels’. However, The Unwritten Rule was extremely addictive and I found myself on the computer in every minute I could spare.
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she’s thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It’s wonderful…and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can’t stop herself from wanting more…
Sarah, is an average girl, nothing compared to her best friend Brianna; the stunningly gorgeous beauty who attracts boys like moths to a flame. They are complete opposites, one meek and the other outspoken. Yet, they know each other inside out and have been together since forever. However, the equation changes when Brianna starts dating Ryan, Sarah’s more-than-just-a-crush. An unfulfilled promise to dance in 8th grade and a fleeting moment at a party is all she has to treasure. But a best friend’s boyfriend is strictly off limits. Sarah constantly denies her feelings and sticks to the rules. Never mind that she saw him first and told Brianna about it. After all, a best friend can give up a guy for the sake of friendship, right?
“ I’ve been taught that love is beautiful and kind, but it isn’t like that at all. It is beautiful, but it’s a terrible beauty, a ruthless one, and you fall-you fall, and the thing is-
The thing is you want to. You don’t care what’s coming you just want who your heart beats for.”
For the former half of the book, I disliked Sarah for being such a spineless, overly self sacrificing chit but as the story progressed, I could understand her dilemma. On one hand she wants Ryan but on the other hand, she must not hurt her only best friend who already has a hard time at home because of her divorced parents – a cruel mother and an ignorant father. Sarah is relatable in many ways, for instance, she has the habit of over analyzing every little action in her head and torment herself unnecessarily.
Brianna is evidently the villain of the story. She is selfish, dominating and extremely manipulative. In spite of learning her side of the story, I could not justify her awful behavior. A bunch of evil parents did not explain her cunning deeds.
At times, I wanted to hit Ryan on the head for being a typical guy and not doing ANYTHING. Either he was aloof or blind or super dumb. Or a coward.
The book gets somewhat monotonous at a point when Sarah drones endlessly about her misery, but is helpless while Brianna continues to live in a paradise dragging poor Ryan along. But the last few chapters are an action filled delight with Brianna catching the two of them together and slapping Sarah. For a change, Ryan decides to intervene and restore my faith in teenage boys.
The ending is pleasant, with Brianna and Sarah breaking up. Sarah makes numerous attempts at reconciliation only to have the door closed in her face. But on the bright side, she finally has Ryan all to herself, which is a relief after reading at least hundred pages describing her longing. I would still recommend this book, because of its intense narration, clichéd plot, relevance and touch with reality.

Originally reviewed at: www.the-vault.co.cc (less)

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May 31, 2012 Patience rated it 3 of 5 stars

"The Unwritten Rule" by Elizabeth Scott: There is a girl named Sara and she has a crush on a guy named Ryan. He is very nice easy to talk to and he knows where she is comming from. He started to pay more attention to her and she was really excited.The problem in this situation is Ryan is her best friend, Briannas boyfriend. Sara tries her hardest to think that she doesnt like him adn tries to avoid him as much as she can. When she is with him one night at a party something terrible happens. It w...more

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May 20, 2012 Rina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-romance, friend-betrayal, i-read-it

((Possible spoilers below))
I didn't really like this book, nor did I like the main character, Sarah. I found myself feeling sorrier for Brianna than I did Sarah, who just sat around feeling sorry for herself and 'woe is me, I'm in love with my best friend's boyfriend'. I thought she was a terrible person and a terrible friend to Brianna, regardless of the fact that Brianna could say rude things. Brianna had an unloving upbringing; Sarah did not. It's made evident that Sarah lives in a loving hou...more

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May 11, 2012 Andréia Renata rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-little-of-romance-or-cute-scenes, e-books, high-school

Se conselho fosse bom seria vendido e não dado, exceto os de mãe . A Sarah realmente deveria ter ouvido ou melhor, prestado atenção à opinião de sua mãe sobre Bianna e eu concordo plenamente, parece que ela foi a única a ver por tráz de tanta boa intenção.
Sarah é o tipo de pessoa que realmente, é uma ótima amiga, exceto de ter se apaixonado pelo Ryan, namorado de sua melhor e única amiga, Brianna. Mas tem o fato de que Sarah era apaixonada por ele há muito tempo, tanto tempo que supostamente, su...more

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May 10, 2012 The-vault rated it 2 of 5 stars

By Elizabeth Scott. Grade B
I began reading this book on the school computer in tenth grade, which is ‘obviously, a very crucial time for a student and must not be wasted on useless romance novels’. However, The Unwritten Rule was extremely addictive and I found myself on the computer in every minute I could spare.
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it...more By Elizabeth Scott. Grade B
I began reading this book on the school computer in tenth grade, which is ‘obviously, a very crucial time for a student and must not be wasted on useless romance novels’. However, The Unwritten Rule was extremely addictive and I found myself on the computer in every minute I could spare.
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she’s thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It’s wonderful…and awful.
Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can’t stop herself from wanting more…
Sarah, is an average girl, nothing compared to her best friend Brianna; the stunningly gorgeous beauty who attracts boys like moths to a flame. They are complete opposites, one meek and the other outspoken. Yet, they know each other inside out and have been together since forever. However, the equation changes when Brianna starts dating Ryan, Sarah’s more-than-just-a-crush. An unfulfilled promise to dance in 8th grade and a fleeting moment at a party is all she has to treasure. But a best friend’s boyfriend is strictly off limits. Sarah constantly denies her feelings and sticks to the rules. Never mind that she saw him first and told Brianna about it. After all, a best friend can give up a guy for the sake of friendship, right?
“ I’ve been taught that love is beautiful and kind, but it isn’t like that at all. It is beautiful, but it’s a terrible beauty, a ruthless one, and you fall-you fall, and the thing is-
The thing is you want to. You don’t care what’s coming you just want who your heart beats for.”
For the former half of the book, I disliked Sarah for being such a spineless, overly self sacrificing chit but as the story progressed, I could understand her dilemma. On one hand she wants Ryan but on the other hand, she must not hurt her only best friend who already has a hard time at home because of her divorced parents – a cruel mother and an ignorant father. Sarah is relatable in many ways, for instance, she has the habit of over analyzing every little action in her head and torment herself unnecessarily.
Brianna is evidently the villain of the story. She is selfish, dominating and extremely manipulative. In spite of learning her side of the story, I could not justify her awful behavior. A bunch of evil parents did not explain her cunning deeds.
At times, I wanted to hit Ryan on the head for being a typical guy and not doing ANYTHING. Either he was aloof or blind or super dumb. Or a coward.
The book gets somewhat monotonous at a point when Sarah drones endlessly about her misery, but is helpless while Brianna continues to live in a paradise dragging poor Ryan along. But the last few chapters are an action filled delight with Brianna catching the two of them together and slapping Sarah. For a change, Ryan decides to intervene and restore my faith in teenage boys.
The ending is pleasant, with Brianna and Sarah breaking up. Sarah makes numerous attempts at reconciliation only to have the door closed in her face. But on the bright side, she finally has Ryan all to herself, which is a relief after reading at least hundred pages describing her longing. I would still recommend this book, because of its intense narration, clichéd plot, relevance and touch with reality.

Posted by: http://the-vault.co.cc (less)

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Mar 10, 2012 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, chick-lit

Plot simplicity and repetitiveness detract from what could have been a poignant story. Sarah's quandary - she likes her best friend's boyfriend - is typical chick-lit fare, and The Unwritten Rule introduces little that is new or refreshing.

Main character Sarah is likable but mundane. She's at her best when making wry observations about the world, and at her worst when she's angsting over Ryan and Brianna. Unfortunately, the latter is the main focus of the book. There are attempts to make Brianna...more

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Jan 31, 2012 B.K. Walker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bk-s-library

This is one book that had me thinking long after I was finished reading it. It is so true, and I wished more people could live and understand this unwritten rule, it would truly make life so much easier.

Sarah has always liked Ryan, though she'd never admit it to her best friend Brianna. Brianna is the popular girl that gets all the boys' attention. When that attention comes from Ryan, Sarah uses all of her strength to be happy for her. Now that's a true best friend.

As the story moves on we find...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have never really connected with a character in a book. Sara, in The Unwritten Rule, is an exception. Throughout the story she battles to keep her feelings of liking her best friend's boyfriend to herself while keeping her relationship with her friend strong. I reccomend this book to people that are not afraid to feel someone else's heart-break and also to fans of Elizabeth Scott's other works. The unwritten rule is to not romanticaly like your best friend's boyfriend. Sara and Brianna have be...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Christina (Reading Thru The Night) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ya-love

The Short of It

Love your best friend’s boyfriend? Ooops.

The Long of It

Brianna and Sarah have been best friends since elementary school. They are also polar opposites. Brianna is ostentatious, flirty, and self-absorbed; Sarah is a dedicated, a bit of a wallflower, and loyal. In fact, other than their history, the only thing they really have in common is Ryan, Brianna’s boyfriend. Sarah is torn between her feelings for Ryan and her loyalty toward Brianna. Is he worth the end of a forever friendshi...more The Short of It

Love your best friend’s boyfriend? Ooops.

The Long of It

Brianna and Sarah have been best friends since elementary school. They are also polar opposites. Brianna is ostentatious, flirty, and self-absorbed; Sarah is a dedicated, a bit of a wallflower, and loyal. In fact, other than their history, the only thing they really have in common is Ryan, Brianna’s boyfriend. Sarah is torn between her feelings for Ryan and her loyalty toward Brianna. Is he worth the end of a forever friendship?

The Thoughts about It

Pretty much, “whoa!”, right? This book is SO believable. And maybe it’s not always true love as it is portrayed in The Unwritten Rule, but let’s face it, girlfriends often fight over boys. It’s a pastime that doesn’t change, no matter the decade. I knew what this book was about, obvs, when I picked it up. It was no shocker that there would be a triangle of sorts. Rather, I was interested in seeing how the author pulled it off. Would it be this dopey little romance without any core? Or could it really do the situation justice?

Well the jury’s out folks, Scott managed to take a topic that could have easily gone into the rose-tinted rabbit hole where it all works out in the end. And, I guess, to a certain extent, it DOES work out. It’s just more of a purple-ish shade rather than rosy red.

I have to be honest; I was not so much rooting for either of the characters. It’s not as though I grew attached to them in any emotional way. But you know, that didn’t seem to matter here much. ‘Cuz even though I didn’t grow attached, I understood what motivated each of the three. And even though I’d probably not have been friends with any of them…well, okay, maybe I would have had a crush on Ryan. BUT Brianna and Sarah? Nu uh. If I had a shot for every time I rolled my eyes at Brianna’s behavior, I’d surely be getting my stomach pumped right about now. AND Sarah? If she was my friend and she confided in me with this lurve thing going on, I’d have to lay down the law, grow a bit catty, and point out all of Brianna’s self centered qualities and then say something to the effect of: you either figure it out or shut up. And I don’t mean that in a any way that Sarah was a whiny character. ‘Cuz she’s not. It’s just, it was so in your face that Brianna had isthues (way more deep than issues) and man, she didn’t even LOVE Ryan.

Ultimately, two thumbs up for Elizabeth Scott. The ending was handled PERFECTLY and (wait for it…wait for it) REALISTICALLY. As I’ve stressed many times, don’t market yourself as realistic fiction and then do something wacky like they lived happily ever after. *snort* (less)

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