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The Rules of Me
Gabe keeps lists: why he's real, reasons he's not, and the rules that seem to dictate his strange existence. Danny says he's her imaginary friend and that's always been enough for the pair of them. But when she enters high school and a world of stress, turbulent emotions, and surprising first crushes, he finds himself asking questions and wanting things he never has before. His search for answers about where he comes from and why he's here becomes critical as Danny faces a profound personal loss and they both begin to understand growing up means sacrifice and learning truths you never wanted to know.
A debut novel about growing up, getting wiser, and the sacrifices required to be who you were meant to be.
A debut novel about growing up, getting wiser, and the sacrifices required to be who you were meant to be.
328 pages, Paperback
Published May 12, 2018
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Moyer
3 books23 followersMelanie is Philadelphia-born though no stranger to Phoenix, Orlando, Pittsburgh, and Toronto. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh and an MLIS from the same. Her short work has been published in Ghost Parachute, Meat for Tea, Prometheus Dreaming, Philadelphia Stories, and others. When not writing she enjoys podcasting about horror, cooking, and going on hikes.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 24, 2018
I thought this was really special. It was DIFFERENT, which was refreshing. It was a coming of age story in a new way and I adored it.
April 2, 2018
The Rules of Me is Melanie Moyer’s debut novel about Gabe, an imaginary friend of a girl named Danny. We view a period of Danny’s life as she enters high school through the eyes of Gabe. A story told through the eyes of an imaginary friend is a great conceptual draw, and the book never shies away from it throughout its entirety, taking Gabe and his state of being completely seriously.
I was hooked from the first chapter of the book, which is an incredible self-contained unit that establishes the premise of Gabe as an imaginary friend and how he works. You go through an exploration of trying to figure out what's going on with this character and solidifying the mythos surrounding him, which continues to grow as the book goes on.
In addition to the titular Rules of Me, which are established in the first chapter, Gabe keeps two lists which he adds to throughout the book: “Reasons I Exist” and “Reasons I Don’t Exist”. These lists encapsulate Gabe’s struggle to find a sense of self, and as he adds to them with things he observes happening with Danny, are used as a great device to comment on Gabe’s existential struggle through the context of Danny’s life.
These two things, Danny’s day-to-day life and Gabe’s struggle, are seamlessly interwoven throughout. Really, Gabe is the ultimate third person narrative device. The book is told in first person through him, yet he’s also our window into Danny’s life. The book frequently features incredibly poetic prose that comments on our humanity through the eyes of someone who is constantly questioning theirs.
The Danny side of this book is just as engaging as Gabe’s (and of course the two are intrinsically linked). Danny’s story is split between family tragedy and burgeoning romance with her soccer teammate Janine. This is absolutely an LGBT book in addition to everything else and Danny and Janine’s relationship is so engaging, sympathetic, and heartwarming, and especially fascinating in the context of what’s going on with Gabe.
The Rules of Me is a story of life and death. Danny’s life begins to blossom while Gabe is losing everything he knows about his. The book explores such heavy themes through a slice of life context and whimsical premise. By the end it will sneak up on you just how much of an impact this book has.
I was hooked from the first chapter of the book, which is an incredible self-contained unit that establishes the premise of Gabe as an imaginary friend and how he works. You go through an exploration of trying to figure out what's going on with this character and solidifying the mythos surrounding him, which continues to grow as the book goes on.
In addition to the titular Rules of Me, which are established in the first chapter, Gabe keeps two lists which he adds to throughout the book: “Reasons I Exist” and “Reasons I Don’t Exist”. These lists encapsulate Gabe’s struggle to find a sense of self, and as he adds to them with things he observes happening with Danny, are used as a great device to comment on Gabe’s existential struggle through the context of Danny’s life.
These two things, Danny’s day-to-day life and Gabe’s struggle, are seamlessly interwoven throughout. Really, Gabe is the ultimate third person narrative device. The book is told in first person through him, yet he’s also our window into Danny’s life. The book frequently features incredibly poetic prose that comments on our humanity through the eyes of someone who is constantly questioning theirs.
The Danny side of this book is just as engaging as Gabe’s (and of course the two are intrinsically linked). Danny’s story is split between family tragedy and burgeoning romance with her soccer teammate Janine. This is absolutely an LGBT book in addition to everything else and Danny and Janine’s relationship is so engaging, sympathetic, and heartwarming, and especially fascinating in the context of what’s going on with Gabe.
The Rules of Me is a story of life and death. Danny’s life begins to blossom while Gabe is losing everything he knows about his. The book explores such heavy themes through a slice of life context and whimsical premise. By the end it will sneak up on you just how much of an impact this book has.
November 8, 2017
It was the best damn book I’ve ever read. Spell bounding and wonderfully written. Just glorious.
June 3, 2018
An astonishing telling. Sometimes searing, rarely clearing, ever nearing the bottom of a moonlit acre of a water slide.
Walking hand-in-hand with descriptive parsimony, a reader may build the details of powerfully gentle characters and settings.
Sentiments, though for me not exact specifics, are straight from lists I might someday find in an old school binder. I barely remember Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, but The Rules of Me exceeds its honest angst maybe. I compare this work to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but I finished The Rules of Me more quickly, reacted more strongly, and understand slightly more after the first of more than one reading. The Rules of Me was realistic when I would hope for such, and even more realistic when I yearned, *pined* for further fancy...
An astonishing telling!
Walking hand-in-hand with descriptive parsimony, a reader may build the details of powerfully gentle characters and settings.
Sentiments, though for me not exact specifics, are straight from lists I might someday find in an old school binder. I barely remember Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, but The Rules of Me exceeds its honest angst maybe. I compare this work to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but I finished The Rules of Me more quickly, reacted more strongly, and understand slightly more after the first of more than one reading. The Rules of Me was realistic when I would hope for such, and even more realistic when I yearned, *pined* for further fancy...
An astonishing telling!
October 21, 2018
Brilliant debut.
November 16, 2021
A really engaging and fresh coming of age story. Danny navigates difficulties at home, at school, and in romance. We get the pleasure of watching her do it all through the eyes of her imaginary friend, Gabe. I loved the setting of the story and the quick wit of the characters. Excited to read more of Melanie's work.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews