The Six Rules of Maybe

by Deb Caletti

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal. So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: she falls for her sister’s husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet’s not fixing a problem, she’s at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn’t seem to be an option...

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Chick Lit

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 16, 2010

About the author

Deb Caletti is the award-winning and critically acclaimed author of over twenty books for adults and young adults, including Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, a finalist for the National Book Award, and A Heart in a Body in the World, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Her books have also won the Josette Frank Award for Fiction, the Washington State Book Award, and numerous other state awards and honors, and she was a finalist for the PEN USA Award. She lives with her family in Seattle.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

My expectations for The Six Rules of Maybe were exorbitantly low after reading The Fortunes of Indigo Skye, also by Deb Caletti. In the latter novel Caletti's writing was insightful but tedious, and her characters were too eccentric without explanation. However, The Six Rules of Maybe was wonderfully written and has a large cast of colorful characters.

The book jacket's summary reads something like: this is the story of Scarlet, a nice girl who has trouble fending for herself. When her older sister Juliet returns home with a husband and expecting a baby in the upcoming months, she inwardly curses herself for falling for her sister's husband. Something like that. But this book is about much more then falling in love with someone you shouldn't - it's about the unseen bonds of family, and the courage it takes to change oneself.

While the plot meandered a bit and seemed slightly melodramatic at times, by the end of the book I was clinging onto every word. Caletti's prose has improved drastically, and her characters are flawed, fascinating, and unforgettable. I hope Caletti continues to write more books.

[Melissa Erin Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no one else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal.

So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: she falls for her sister's husband...

I’ve been known to get sucked into the occasional scandalous Lifetime movie, and this sounded like it was that type of book. I was happy to discover that it's deeper than that.

We have three women at the heart of this story: Scarlet, her sister Juliet and their mother. Scarlet observes life, Juliet lives it, and their mother fills scrapbooks with all the places she's never been, of all the experiences she’s missed. But they’re all terrified, in a way. Scared of honesty, scared of commitment, scared of being alone. "Right then I knew we were all liars, Mom and me and Juliet. I just lied to other people. Mom lied to herself. Juliet, it seemed, lied to both."

We experience the world through Scarlet's deft observations. The little details she notices are what drew me to her as a character. She’s sees people for what they are, sees past their exteriors. But she spends so much time focused on everyone else, that when Hayden comes into the picture she doesn’t quite know what to do. (I can’t blame her. I want Hayden. Caletti was even able to make Hayden’s dog a lovable character!) Hayden, and Scarlet's love for him, throw Scarlet for a loop. She, for the first time, has found something she wants. Something just for her.

We know from the beginning that Scarlet and Hayden can’t be together. And it’s not just because he's married with a baby on the way, but because even though we want Scarlet to have Hayden, we don't want her to at the same time. Juliet is too flawed, too unappreciative of this man. We want Scarlet to have him; we feel like she deserves him. But if Hayden were to betray Juliet, we would love him less. Scarlet would, too. Abandoning Juliet and their baby would be unlike Hayden. And while we feel heartbroken for Scarlet, we trust that Hayden will stay true to who he is and do the right thing. Because we all want a Hayden, and we’d want him to stick by us, too, no matter what.

And so we ache with Scarlet. Knowing she can’t have him, but wishing somehow she could.

We know that Scarlet and Juliet and their mother are stronger by the end of the book. While we don’t know what lies in their future, we know they'll all be okay. That Juliet will let her guard down and that their mother will actually travel to places in her scrapbook.

And we hope that Scarlet can find her own Hayden.

[Morgan F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a Caletti fan for a long time. She's an exceptional writer, and her books always have keen observations and a quirky, relatable cast of characters. The Six Rules of Maybe was no exception. It was so adorably Caletti, but the problem was, it was nothing more than that. All I enjoyed about this book were the characters and writing.

The plot, unfortunately, was dull and meandering. The initial set-up is like an indulgent Lifetime movie, full of drama and potential family blow-outs. But Caletti actually treated the situation realistically, making the story true to life, but it felt robbed of its deliciousness. If the background cast of characters hadn't been so absorbing, there would be no meat to this novel. Caletti's strength lays in the development and personalities of her characters, making her books seem more like character-studies.

But I certainly did enjoy this novel. Scarlet, Hayden and Zeus (yes, I'm mentioning the dog) were adorable and flawed, and even the characters you weren't supposed to love, like Juliet, had redeemable qualities. This book is about personal costs and family. Is another person's happiness worth more than your own? Are nice people always doomed to be trod on by those more selfish?

So, in all honesty, 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the Caletti-ness of it, but it wasn't her best one. Strong on character, weak on plot.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

well, I enjoyed this one much more than Caletti's "The Fortunes of Indigo Skye", but it still wasn't my favorite. I think this author overwrites, she explains too much. We get too much information that we didn't even need, pointless information. It was a semi-fun ride, this book, but i feel like i just read 321 pages to only go "eh".

I like this though....
The six rules of maybe
1. respect the power of hope and possibilites. Begin with beleif. Hold onto it.
2. If you known where you want to go, you're already half way there. Know what you desire but, more imporantly, why you desire it. Then go.
3. hopes and dreams and heart's desires require a clear path-get out of your own way
4. Place hope carefully in your own hands and in the hands of others
5. Persist, if necessary
6. That said, most importantly-know when you've reached an end, Quit, give up, do it with courage. Giving up is not failing-it's the chance to begin again.
(I think i'm going to print this and hang on my fridge!)

I do love all of her books' covers though.
If you're a huge chick-lit fan, this might be for you. But, don't expect much romance.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure if this book would be classed as 'a favourite' of mine.

The main character Scarlet was really interesting and I loved being stuck in her head. Scarlet cares about everyone else's needs before her own and when her sister Juliet comes home married and pregnant, Scarlet finds herself getting mixed up with her emotions. I could really understand Scarlet and while reading how she felt in some situations it would be the exact words I could never grasp when trying to understand my thoughts.

Hayden was an amazing character and I loved his relationship with Scarlet. He and Scarlet are very similar, and therefore are my two favourite characters. Juliet, however, still has feelings for her 'high-school sweetheart' and is messing with Hayden and Scarlet can't stand by and watch this happen, Hayden is just too sweet and kind to fall into Juliet's out of control spiral. So scarlet takes action but she learns that being nice and trying to do what's right isn't always the best thing to do.

Jesse is also really sweet and I grew to love him a lot throughout the book. When he bought the book for Scarlet my heart 'melted' at how nice he was to her and it kind of made me mad and how she couldn't realise he was perfect.

I'm really happy about the ending of this book especially about Scarlet and Jesse getting together because as much as I love Hayden and Scarlet the kissing scene made me hid behind my hands with embarrassment. and I'm definitley going to read more of Deb Caletti's books as I think she's an amazing writer and can really grasp the inside of a teenagers head.

This book is an life lesson and 'the six rules of maybe' are something I'm going to try to stick to.

[Emilie · Rating 1 out of 5]

After 300 odd pages, I'm left wondering what the hell I just read.

The book was filled with scenes and details that didn't matter, and some chapters made me wonder if they were written solely because the author forgot her plot. There were so many things that could have been left out, and so many descriptions and parts of the inner monologue that came off as majorly superfluous. There were too many things going on all over the place, that it was easy to miss what the POINT of it all were... that said, I still don't know what the point was. Like, what was the point of ALL those neighbors?!

And I thought -I- was wordy. I'm nothing compared to Deb Caletti. So much useless information that doesn't add anything to anything.

I didn't care much for any of the characters; you know it's bad when the dog is the only one you like. He should have known better than to come back home. *sigh*

To me, a book is supposed to take you on a journey. The protagonist is supposed to get from point A to point B - emotionally and/or physically - but in this case, it didn't feel like that happened at all. Scarlet still came off as fairly clueless in the end, yes, she realized a few things, but it wasn't enough to warrant 300 pages of nothing.

I wanted to like this book, and in the beginning I had hope.

But if there is something I learnt from reading this is that there is always a point of "giving up" without being a failure. Finishing this book, even though it went downhill within the first 100 pages, was me not giving up. I almost feel proud for finishing it, even though I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with the ending, or the overall story in the end.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this one more, I really did, but...kind of irritatingly blah.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

(cross-posted from http://www.thecontemps.com)

Author Deb Caletti has a very special place in my heart, as she is one of three authors I credit with introducing me to (and subsequently hooking me on) contemporary YA literature, way back before I started writing for teens myself. Her books Honey, Baby, Sweetheart and The Queen of Everything helped me discover my own young adult voice and inspired me to begin work on the manuscript that would later become Twenty Boy Summer. I even had the opportunity to fangirl Deb in person at an event last year, and hopefully I only marginally embarrassed myself with my incoherent blathering and dramatic gushing (yes, it's important to have goals!).

A few weeks ago, I got my fangirly little paws on a copy of Deb's latest book, The Six Rules of Maybe. Here's the summary from her Web site:

Scarlett Hughes is overly involved in the lives of everyone around her, especially her neighbors, including: a young goth girl who chalks her very traditional wishes on the sidewalk; a forgetful mailman; and an older couple whose main excitement in their lives are the formal-sounding scam emails from foreign lands promising large sums of money.

But when Scarlett’s sister, Juliet, returns home from school—pregnant and surprisingly married to a sweet, handsome boy who she seems to have no interest in, but who is hopelessly in love with her—Scarlett is thrust solidly into her own life, and forced to take a look inward for the first time.

The Six Rules of Maybe is about the necessity of dreams, as well as the necessity of facing reality and speaking the truth.

What this summary doesn't say is that The Six Rules of Maybe is also about a teen who falls hard for her sister's hot, sensitive, funny, soulful, 23-year-old husband, Hayden. The dynamic between the two sisters and the husband is so naturally awkward and heartbreaking that I found myself cheering for Scarlett despite the messed-up-ness of the whole situation. She's just such a sympathetic, relatable character, always trying to protect people, always trying to right wrongs and save those around her even when she's being completely overbearing about it. And her sister is pretty self-centered on the surface, but the more time you spend with her, the more you sense the depth of her own issues and struggles. This book explores unrequited love on many levels through the eyes of each character -- Scarlett, her sister Juliet, their single mother whose husband left when the girls were toddlers, Juliet's husband Hayden, even Scarlett's neighbors and friends at school have their own unique views on relationships.

And the writing? Wow. Deb Caletti has such a way with words that I literally found myself talking to the book, shouting things like, "Yes! Totally!" and "OMG, I remember that!" and "I know exactly what you mean!" No matter where the action of the story unfolded, whether it was on the beach or in the car or in someone's kitchen, she just brought me there, like I was watching it happen in my own house or driveway. Her descriptions are beautiful and poignant, never flowery or overdone. And her dialogue is just so natural -- I seriously felt like I was eavesdropping on real people. It's so rare that a book hits me on all of those levels. What a gem.

I began the first chapter intending on reading for an hour, and then making dinner. By the time I reached the last line in Chapter 1, I figured we were in for a late meal. Well, Pet Monster and I went hungry that night, because I curled up on the couch under my blanket (the one with the sun, moon, and stars on it that I save just for date nights with fictional characters) and didn't move until I'd finished. And when I did finish, I let out a big, all-encompassing, isn't-life-simultaneously-exhausting-and-amazing sigh. And I really wanted to track down Deb Caletti's phone number right that INSTANT and for a little fangirl redux, but I thought that would be slightly stalkerish, especially since it was around 4 am. So I did the next best thing -- I tweeted about it.

And you know what? I was shocked -- SHOCKED! -- to learn that so many YA book bloggers and readers hadn't yet discovered the fabulousness that is Deb Caletti! That's when I knew I had to write about my undying Caletti-devotion for Spotlight Wednesday at TheContemps.com.

If you're one of these Caletti Virgins (you know who you are), I encourage you to visit The Six Rules of Maybe page, where you can read the first chapter, see what other people think about the book, and check out an essay Caletti wrote about some of the themes in the story. She also has 6 other books and a new one coming out in April 2011 called Stay.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Six Rules of Maybe is my third Deb Caletti book. I thought that The Nature of Jade and The Fortunes of Indigo Skye were okay, but I also felt that there was something missing in them that failed to make me want to check out Caletti's other works... until this one. My biggest problem with her books was that I had little to no emotional connection with her heroines. Some people read to escape reality, to find an alternate universe that is so very different from their own. I'm not one of those people. I read to discover lives similar to mine, to come across characters who are imagined yet relatable. So between Jade (the main character from Nature of Jade who suffers from panic disorder and enjoys watching elephants in the zoo through her webcam), Indigo (the main character from Fortunes of Indigo Skye who suddenly becomes rich after receiving a 2.5 million dollar tip from an overly satisfied customer), and Scarlet (the main character from The Six Rules of Maybe who maybe has a Messianic complex and definitely suffers from the social problem of being too nice), Scarlet wins as my hands down favorite because she is exactly my kind of girl. Scarlet is a rescuer, a savior, a helper. Wheras Scarlet is stable and loyal, Juliet, her older sister, is fickle and flighty. When Juliet comes home pregnant and newly hitched, Scarlet sees to it that her sister does nothing to jeopardize her fragile marriage. Lucky for her, Juliet picked an amazing husband. Hayden is a lot like Scarlet. His love and commitment to Juliet knows no bounds that Scarlet becomes convinced her self-centered sister will be his doom. He is nice, too nice (just like her), and somewhere along the way she falls in love with him, so she needs to find a way to spare him from getting his heart broken. Saintly Scarlet does this while planning to save her neighborhood one needy neighbor at a time.

While reading, I kept thinking of the line "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". The Six Rules of Maybe explores the real danger in thinking that you know what is best for other people. It illustrates the very thin line between being nice and offering help and being a bully and insisting that people do what you say. You can want to save someone so much- out of love, out of desire, out of need- that you lose sight of the fact that there's a limit to what you can do. The rest is up to him/her. I also loved Deb Caletti's take on hope. A lot of YA books have hope as a theme, but this has got to be one of its most relistic portrayals. Hope is a good thing; it's a great thing. But you have to know when "misguided persistence" becomes nothing but a pathetic endeavor. You have to know when to stop.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was brimming with insight and you can quote practically every line. There were even moments towards the end when I got a little teary eyed. In the beginning, Scarlet reflects that "a good lot of the time, nice people are doomed", to which Hayden agrees. This is the story of how both of them learned to finally save themselves first and become the exception.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first picked up Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti when I was 16, and I remember it was the first time I really understood what people meant when they said they truly related to a character. Caletti's leads tend to be teenage introverts (always female), and being a quite shy and awkward youth, I always felt a sense of sisterhood with her characters. I think Caletti's protagonist Scarlett makes a decent point about introverts in that there isn't really anything WRONG about finding yourself most relaxed and happy when you are alone.

But onto the actual book, (as usual, since goodreads provides us with a summary, you can read that) I enjoyed Scarlett as a narrator particularly during her scenes with Hayden. I understand we are supposed to care for her initially because she goes out of her way to help people, but I personally found this aspect of her character intrusive. I couldn't exactly look at her as a type of hero when she states herself that she helps people for selfish reasons.

What I appreciated most was that although Hayden's character is idealized a bit because Scarlett is young and in love with him, he still felt real, and you couldn't help but fall for him too. Initially, her sister, Juliet, caused me to not fall completely for the book. Caletti made it simply too easy to dislike her, but by the end of the book, more is revealed about her causing her actions to make a bit more sense.

If you want a very reflective yet easy summer read, I would recommend this. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as some of her other books, you can always find so much truth in her writing.

[Caitie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. I get why a lot of people didn't like this, it's more of slice of life type of book, but I really enjoyed it. Six Rules of Maybe follows a girl named Scarlet who lives a quiet life by listening to those around her, making them feel heard. This is especially true at school, where she seems to have to accumulated a group of "weirdo," friends. At home, her older sister has come home with a surprise husband and is pregnant! Scarlet wants to be helpful but then she falls for her sister's new husband. Now she's the center of attention....which she doesn't want. Obviously things begin to get out of hand, and this is what this book is about.

[DaNae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be my favorite early Caletti but I do not recommend the audio. The reader really tried her best to ruin it.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: It’s interesting and somewhat serendipitous that I read this book after The Things A Brother Knows, because instead of a thorny brother relationship, we have a thorny sister relationship. Scarlet’s older sister Juliet has always been the shining star and boy magnet. It seems that everything comes effortlessly to her. Unlike her big sister, Scarlet is used to putting Juliet’s and other people’s needs ahead of her own desires. When Juliet finally left home and embarked on a career as a singer, it seemed possible that Scarlet could now come into her own. That is until the day Juliet came home with a new husband and a baby on the way. Scarlet is once again relegated to baby sister status. But who’s really the baby? Juliet has a new husband who adores her, but still yearns for her old boyfriend. Juliet lives only for Juliet. To make matters even more complicated, Scarlet is falling in love with Juliet’s husband. And she wonders who will protect this new baby from a mother who is only interested in herself.
Plot/Setting: The tension of the contemporary plot centers upon the unspoken adversarial relationship between the responsible Scarlet and the immature Juliet.
Characters: This is a character book and the plot serves to highlight the complexity of the characters and the decisions they make. Self awareness is a huge issue in this book. Scarlet condemns her sister for being immature and selfish, but Scarlet goes too far in the other direction, sacrificing her own wants and needs to keep the peace and to avoid conflict. But she finds out that the more she runs from conflict, the worse that it gets. Both characters need to grow and become more self aware and they do accomplish this by the end of the novel. Scarlet learns to just say no and Juliet begins to accept the kind of love that is self sacrificing.
Style: Wonderfully written using startling poetic imagery to convey the emotions of the characters. The book has many layers of complexity and subtlety. I love how nuanced the book is and how the characters are so true. Scarlet’s description of being an introvert was dead on! Written in first person narrative, the author lets Scarlet’s voice unintentionally reveal Scarlet’s own flaws, even while she is justifiably complaining about Juliet. Caletti may be a contemporary Jane Austen.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost didn’t read this book. I was about forty pages into it and wasn’t enjoying the first person narrator, Scarlet, very much. I remember thinking I would give it a few more pages. (I have a fifty page rule: if I don’t care by fifty pages in, I don’t finish the book.) And then I came across a passage that made me realize I didn’t like Scarlet for one very good reason: she was far too much like me. So I finished the book after all.

The Six Rules of Maybe follows high schooler Scarlet during a confusing season: her elder sister, Juliet, has just shown up back at home with two very big surprises – a new husband and a baby on the way. Their mom wants to act like nothing is amiss, but Scarlet's not buying it. This is a very big deal - especially when she develops not-so-fraternal feelings for her new brother in law.

Scarlet's biggest strength is also her weakness. She helps others with little to no thought of its impact on her and is somewhat surprised to realize not everyone operates this way. After identifying so closely with Scarlet throughout the book, it was a little stunning to have her experience a turn of events nearly exactly out of my own life when her best friend has a crush on a boy who's not interested in her in the least - but IS interested in Scarlet. Almost this exact same thing happened to me in high school and I was blindsided by the whole experience.

I enjoyed seeing Scarlet come to understand herself and her family better. I liked seeing her learn that trying to help others was just another way to have an illusion of control. I learned lessons right alongside her.

So if you're not me, should you read The Six Rules of Maybe? If you like a book with a tortured first person narrator who experiences change, growth and evolution in a book, this could be a good choice. While I like a book that doesn't end happily, this book is an exception. Each character ends the book in circumstances that are changed - almost without exception, for the better. So if you want a book to encourage you on your own path, a book to remind you that change is possible and good (if painful), The Six Rules of Maybe is a good one.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So if this is a draft of my review for SLJ, am I breaking copyright to post it here? Not sure. They do pass them on to Follett and Amazon, and I see them on the public library catalog, too. Anyway, here goes:
Caletti invites readers into Scarlett Hughes’ life and all its maybes. The introspective teen copes when her charismatic sister Juliet shows up pregnant and married after a Portland hotel singing job. Both Scarlett and her mother quickly come to adore the husband—Scarlett perhaps a little too well. Hayden is not only smart and good-looking, but he is also funny, tender with his big dog Zeus, great at listening, and deeply in love with Juliet and her little bump, affectionately known as Jitter. He even writes his new wife poetry and love notes. These Scarlett cannot help herself from reading, just as she can’t seem to stop her routines of observation and assistance to a motley collection of neighbors. The elderly couple too easily conned by every Internet-scam, the Goth girl whose chalk drawings inspire some Prom date interference, and the retired postal worker, who is flirting with senility and needs some mailbox TLC, are all part of Scarlett’s habit of trying to maybe fix things. Maybe she can stop her sister’s tendency to run scared of the commitment Hayden offers her and her yearning for her train wreck of an old boyfriend. Maybe she can convince her mother she shouldn’t marry someone who spends all his time criticizing her. Maybe she can make up with the friend whose crush seems to actually like Scarlett instead. Maybe she needs the six rules of maybe that Hayden’s sculptor mother passed on to him. They are about hope as fuel of our dreams and efforts, about the frequent necessity of persistence—and about how to know when to let go. Reminiscent of Sarah Dessen’s best work, this novel is beautifully written, deftly plotted, and movingly characterized. Read this book: there’s no maybe about it.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's funny. I had never heard of Deb Caletti before. She doesn't have the following, it seems, of Dessen. This is a shame, because I think she may have a little something on her. It's a double-shame, really, because Caletti's book covers are created to look like your garden variety chick-lit Dessen knock-offs. But it seems like Caletti's writing is denser than Dessen's, in a good way, mostly. There are moments where things get a little too abstractly poetic, but mainly, the story keeps moving in a satisfying way.

Scarlet's big sister comes home pregnant, with a good-natured, handsome husband. Scarlet can sense trouble right away -- she's good at taking the emotional temperature of the scene, because she's been doing it all her life. Needless to say, the arrival of the couple and their unborn baby shake things up in the household, all in ways that feel realistic. It's so easy to care about these characters. (They live on an island off the coast of Oregon. I realized today that I'm a bit of a sucker for books set on islands...) I really liked this one, and will definitely grab Caletti's other books.

[laaaaames · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep saying I'm gonna give you up, Deb Caletti, but let's face it, I'm not going to because holy hell your prose is lovely (except for that time you wrote about kissing-as-sea-lions-lolling-about WTF) and you have written some lovely things before.

But, again, I find myself thinking Caletti doesn't really write YA. Hers is not a YA voice. There are many "adult" books about teenagers, and I feel as if hers should be some of them. (This may not be her fault; it could be a marketing exec or who knows.) That said, they don't read with the immediacy of a teen voice but of an adult looking back.

I liked the thorniness explored in falling in love with someone you really shouldn't. I honestly wanted more of that, but I admire the intricate emotions explored there.

This isn't the first time I don't know about one of Caletti's endings. I know I was supposed to grudgingly want it, but I didn't, and I don't know if that's just me and my issues butting in or if Caletti presented this change of heart as something better than it ultimately was. But either way, I kept thinking all parties might be happier with other arrangements.

(read: 74)

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Infidelity, on-page
Smoking
Pregnancy (secondary character)
A secondary character builds a bomb which, when set off, causes a fire (on-page)

*Context : The protagonist kisses her pregnant sister’s husband.

[Jamie]

Boy do I love Deb Caletti. She's the link from Sarah Dessen to Jodi Picoult. This might be my favorite one yet, with so much great writing, a real emotional tug and an excellently paced story.

[Andreia Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Robby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deb Caletti is one of my favorite YA authors. There are so many things I love about her writing, nothing I can pick out and criticize. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to interview her for the blog. She was kind and sweet and just as beautiful as her books are. She answered all of my questions and I was sent a finished copy of this book for review and this is by far her greatest novel yet.
There are six rules. They are six rules to live by, to remember, to recite as a mantra in your brain. There are six rules and, because of this book, I have learnt them. After I write this review, I am going to write them down on a piece of paper and post them on my wall. Before I leave for school every morning, I will read them.
And I won’t tell you what they are. That’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself.
There will be spoilers in this review, just a caution. I’m not sure how to summarize it and share my thoughts without giving away something that turned out to be the most crucial and important part of this book.
If you’d like, read on.
Scarlet Ellis is a typical 17 year old girl. She is smart and funny, is a good student, a good friend. Her mother owns a stationary shop in town and is dating a British man who makes it a point to criticize everything she does.
This is Scarlet on the surface.
Below the surface, inside of her, Scarlet Ellis is a heartbroken 17 year old girl. She worries about everyone and everything doesn’t see the reason why she should be a good student, and has never met her father.
She cannot be mean to people. She cannot tell them what is really on her mind. Because of this, she can’t keep track of all of the people who think they know everything about her. And she cannot help but try to make everyone’s lives better when hers is the one that really needs fixing, from the beginning.
Things only get worse when her sister comes home.
Scarlet has always lived in Juliet’s shadow. Juliet, a few years older than Scarlet, is beautiful in every way. She was a singing in a hotel every night the last time Scarlet saw her. She was happy and finally over the boy who she spent all of high school running after, and Scarlet thought her sister was finally okay.
When she comes home, she is married. And pregnant.
Things change so quickly that Scarlet doesn’t even realize what’s happening.
Over the course of the rest of the book, everything that can change is Scarlet’s life does. Things shift and morph into other things and right things become wrong and Scarlet only tries to pick up the pieces and put everything back together.
She questions everything she knows, even things she doesn’t know, especially things she doesn’t know. Scarlet doesn’t think anything could get more complicated.
And then she falls in love with her sister’s husband.
Hayden is all of the things Scarlet has wanted in a boy. He is only a few years older than her, with long hair and faded t-shirts and a smile that makes her dizzy. He makes her laugh and he makes her happy and things just seem so easy between them. Scarlet knows she shouldn’t feel the way she does about him, but that doesn’t change things. That doesn’t change the way she feels about him.
As always in Deb’s books, there was a large cast of characters. There were the Martinellis, an elderly couple just learning to use the Internet. And, through a spam e-mail, their lives change as well.
There were the two boys who lived across the street that were always screaming about something or other.
There was Clive Weaver, an old man who was falling into depression, always walking to his mailbox in the middle of the night to find nothing, and always naked.
There was Fiona St. George, the artist, the Goth Girl, who only wanted love.
There were others as well, so many characters with their own lives and thoughts and developments and Scarlet only wanted to make these people happy.
She put their needs before her own.
The writing was nearly perfect. People tend to criticize the detail in Deb’s writing, but it is one of my favorite things about her books. I knew exactly how Scarlet felt, exactly what she was thinking, almost all of the time. If you are only just getting into Deb Caletti’s work, this could probably be off-putting. But I’m used to it, having read all of her books, and I have come to love it.
I expected the ending, but I didn’t expect the ending. I laughed and I cried and I went and sat with my sister’s baby, watched him sleep.
She is going to leave eventually too, to find her own apartment and place in the world and I won’t see my nephew every single day.
This book was brilliant. I could go on about it for hours, just writing about the story and the things I enjoyed about this. There is nothing I didn’t love about this book. I couldn’t put it down.
Deb Caletti has done it again, and she will keep doing it. If you haven’t read any of her books, do. If you have read a few of her books but not this one, read this one. Learn the rules, and cherish them the way I do now.
They make a lot more sense than you’d think.
10/10

[Rachelia (Bookish Comforts) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, I was at my local library, casually looking through the YA shelves. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just browsing, when a book caught my eye. Well, the book's author is what really grabbed my attention - Deb Caletti - because I remembered hearing great things about her contemporary books from fellow bloggers. After checking out the summary on the back I knew I'd be checking out The Six Rules of Maybe; the main character, Scarlet, resonated with me, as we are both worriers and fixers, often focused on everyone else's lives but our own.

However, as much as my initial reaction had me excited to read this book, my enthusiasm waned a bit once I started reading. The plot at times was too slow for my liking and dragged in some parts. There are many characters, each with their own side stories, which took up a lot of time in the book. While the pace did allow for great character development, it still affected my reading experience, unfortunately.

What really redeemed the book in my eyes was the great characters Caletti has created. One of the the reasons I really like contemporary YA books is that the characters are usually relatable, and well developed, and The Six Rules of Maybe was no exception. Even though at times it felt like there wasn't much happening in terms of plot development, etc. the characters in the book kept drawing me back. All the characters were flawed, but engaging, and you could see their development throughout the story. There was also a great variety in personalities, which helped keep things more interesting. You had Scarlet's sister, Juliet, and her stubbornness, which was so frustrating, but by the end, she had grown on me a bit. Then you have the kooky next door neighbours who were hilarious, fun and lovable. Even the smaller side characters, like the twins that lived down the street, were well developed. But my two favourite characters were hands-down Scarlet and and Hayden, Juliet's husband.

Scarlet, like I've said, was so relatable, at least for me. She grew up fast, was independent and reliable, and was always looking out for people around her - from family members, and neighbours, to classmates. I could sympathize and relate to her wanting to just to and fix situations, and I also appreciated her observations and introspection regarding her feelings and human nature in general. Her interest in psychology was a nice touch, and added some depth to the character and the greater themes throughout the novel: dealing with emotions, speaking the truth, family, and going after your dreams.

As much as I enjoyed Scarlet, I think Hayden, her sister's husband, was really my favourite character. He may even be one of my new literary crushes! He was just perfectly written, but not in a "oh my god, this guy is perfect, look I'll give him shinning hair, and a dazzling smile" kind of way, if you know what I mean. Hayden was smart, and funny. His love and respect for Juliet was overwhelming. He was patient, sensitive and thoughtful, which is sadly kind of rare in YA books anymore. The way he interacted with each member of Scarlet's family, including Scarlet herself, was touching. I really appreciated how he wasn't hyper-masculinized, as many male love interests are in books, and that he didn't really fall into the typical male stereotypes. Caletti also handles Scarlet's crush on Hayden in a really realistic manner, which made me respect not only the characters so much more, but her as well.

All in all, I really liked the characters in The Six Rules of Maybe, and while the plot was at times a bit muddled and slow, underlying it all is a great message. If you are interested in contemporary books with great characters and don't mind a slower pace, check this one out. I will definitely be returning to the library to see what other books by Deb Caletti I can find!

[Sierra Hastings · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scarlet Ellis is seventeen, and in her junior year of high school. She lives with her mom on an island off the Western coast of Washington/Oregon. Her life consists of worrying about the people around her - from her neighbors to the rejects at school to her best friend. When it seems like she couldn't possibly have more people to keep content, her sister shows up, married to a man that she hardly knows and pregnant with his child. This just piles on to Scarlet's plate, and when she realizes that her sister has considered being unfaithful to her shockingly nice husband, she becomes overwhelmed. On top of all of this, she begins to realize that she might have feelings for her sister's husband, as conflicting as that may be to keeping the stability of the situation. Throughout the novel, Scarlet has to juggle these emotions with her constant need to keep those around her happy.

-

Having been a fan of Deb Caletti since I came across 'The Nature of Jade' at the bookstore, I was delighted to see a book that I hadn't read by her on the library shelf. I've been pleased with all of the books that I had read by her, so I had fairly high expectations for 'The Six Rules of Maybe'. However, it became quickly clear that these expectations would not be met.

I'm not quite sure where this book fell short - whether it was in some slight character flaws (or, shall I say, lack of flaws) or the very 'prose-y' feel of the writing, there was just something that didn't settle right with me while reading.

I tried to relate to the characters, and while I could see many characteristics that I shared with Scarlet, I found myself unable to sympathize with her. Maybe it was her constant overanalyzing of the people around her... and 'what would the psychology books say about THAT?'. With Juliet (sister) and Hayden (her sister's husband), they just felt too contrived. While Juliet was a character that was easy to dislike, with the faults that Scarlet pointed out to no end, Hayden felt entirely too perfect. Yes, he loves his wife; yes, he loves his dog; yes, he's handsome... the list goes on. Even the small vice of smoking that Caletti gives to Hayden is blamed on Juliet.

Even if the characters were relatable or realistic, I struggled to get through the writing. This might just be me, but I feel as though this novel could have been reduced down by at least a hundred words. The amount of drawn out metaphors and airy prose was agonizing. While this is decent in small amounts, as is seen in Caletti's other novels, it just felt forced. There was entirely too much unnecessary information that was just hard to get through.

When I was looking for an easy read, I turned to a familiar author to provide that. If you're looking for something that you can easily get through - no stress, no critical thinking - I suggest that you look to Caletti's other novels. While there are aspects of Six Rules that can be endearing and readable, I found that they are few and far between.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

FANBOY POV:
I give Ms. Caletti a big round of applause for this hypnotizing novel.

CRITIC POV:
There are many times that I think she is overdoing the descriptions.

THE REVIEW:

WRITING STYLE:
I actually don't know if I want to give Ms. Caletti a big thumbs up in this area for some reason; one, the ideas are all over the place. I can't seem to find a linear plot to grasp in my hand. It's like trying to hold water. Number two-- The descriptions too are sometimes too much. Like you totally get the picture, but Ms. Caletti will still go and go non-stop. It's like she doesn't trust her readers, but I;m gonna give it to her that the novel is very hypnotizing. I just want to find out more.

PACE:
The ideas are just all over the place. Sometime you feel like you are stranded in the middle of an abyss. Maybe that's a good thing too, because you never know what is coming.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT:
It's very hard remembering the names. Why? Because some characters are like just empty unfinished canvases. You can see their full potentials as characters, but they are just not there yet. However, Clive Weaver, the Martinellis, and Hayden found a special space in my heart for them. I guess this novel is like the classics-- you just need a little deeper to get to the core of the characters.

PLOT:
I thought the whole story will revolve around Hayden, Scarlet, and Juliet, but I was wrong. This, however, is entirely my fault. Again, I let my expectations eat up how I would enjoy a novel. It's a good plot. You just need to learn how to wait and let the author draw the picture of the novel for you. Trust Ms. Caletti, she will not let you down.

MY VERDICT:
I know. I know; people have been saying that if you love Ms. Sarah Dessen, you will love Ms. Deb Caletti. Well, that's true, but look at Ms. Caletti's novels as super-duper different from each other. Yes, they are both contemporary and all, but they totally have different appeals. They both using the same road to strum their readers' hearts, but their methods are very different.

RATING BREAKDOWN:
WRITING STYLE: NO STAR(S)
PACE: NO STAR(S)
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: +1 STAR(S)
PLOT: +1 STAR(S)
MY VERDICT: +1 STAR(S)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Scarlett’s sister, Juliet returns home Scarlett and her mother are surprised to find out that not only is Juliet married and pregnant at 20, but her and her new husband, Hayden and his huge dog Zeus are moving in. Scarlett has a knack for making other people’s problems her own and sticking her nose into situations that it probably shouldn’t be in. That being said, Hayden turns out to be a beautiful note writer and Scarlett finds every note that he leaves for Juliet and slowly starts to fall for her sister’s husband while Juliet pulls away from him.

I found that there were a lot of profound words in this novel. Most of the things that really struck me were from Hayden, some from Scarlett, but the majority was from Hayden. I read and reread a lot of the things that struck me which led me to falling in love with him as well. I especially loved the Six rules of Maybe that he left in note for Juliet (originally 5) and then that he left for Scarlett (all 6). I am big on quotes and I think I’d like to do something with those rules. Overall, this was a beautifully constructed book, which was the biggest surprise of all.

This was the 1st book that I read by Caletti and I loved it. She is a fantastic writer. I was engrossed by the story line and the characters that were in this book. After I read this I got on her website and found out that most of her books surround the same made up towns and group of characters, which only intrigues me more. I have to read more from her and I feel like I have to do it now! If that isn’t the sure sign of how much I loved this book, then I don’t know what is.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our protagonist is Scarlet, a kind hearted seventeen year old girl that always seems to put the needs of others before her own. She’s the girl that carefully listens to her best friend’s problems, keeps a watchful eye on the elderly neighbors, says nice things to people when they are depressed and tries to find ways to help people out. She’s also that girl that’s grown up in the shadow of her beautiful, chaotic and manipulative older sister Juliet.

Juliet unexpectedly announces that she’s married, pregnant, and moving back home. She brings along her new husband, the beautiful and nice Hayden. With his heartfelt poetry, sweet disposition and a kind heart that matches her own, Scarlet, the girl that helps everyone else, finds that she’s in need of it her self when she starts falling in love with her sister’s husband.

This is the first time I’ve read Deb Caletti and I have to say that she left an impression on me. At one point, while reading, I flipped to the back page to see what other books she’s written. I’m in luck, as my younger sister has all of her books. She’s been compared to Dessen and I clearly had that same thought myself a few times – the ease of the dialogue, the way you can relate so quickly to a character nothing like yourself, not being able to put the book down, having my feelings pulled away from my everyday life and wrapped into an interesting story…things I like about Dessen and that apparently, I now like about Caletti.

[Leah Liebman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author’s purpose was to tell a story of a girl who cared a lot about others and her surroundings. The author states in her summary that the book is about crossing that blurry line between helping other people and hurting ourselves and how to step back over it. The author’s style of writing is entertaining and informative.
The theme of this book is to take care of yourself and your problems and not worry so much about other people and their decisions. The author is trying to make you’re aware of the things you should and shouldn’t do to help people. This could be just to leave them alone and let them figure out their problems or talk to them and help but is your decision on what to do.
This book is written in a narrative style telling the story in a series of events that describe what happened. This narrative style helps the book portray its inner meaning and helps develop the characters personalities and back-stories. The book is written in a correct way and helps support the story line.
I really enjoyed this book every much. It was a cute inspiring story. I only disliked one thing about this book and it is one of my pet peeve is that it didn’t tie up all the lose ends and set it up for a sequel that is also the only thing I would change about this book every thing else is perfect. This is a very unique book and story and it is nothing like I have ever read before.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read much by Deb Caletti, but the premise of this one caught my attention.

Scarlet is an interesting character. Since she was 3, she's gained a reputation of being nice and incredibly helpful. It's become who she is now: someone who will go out of her way to help those around her, even if they haven't asked for help. But, and this is the ironic part, she's pretty introverted and mostly friendless. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. I thought that made Scarlet an interesting character.

The premise works really well too. I wasn't sure what I was going to get when we have this older sister who comes home married and pregnant. Juliet is 20, so it wasn't quite the teenage pregnancy and shotgun wedding I was expecting (but it was close). And if that doesn't create drama in a story, I don't know what will.

It took a while for me to get used to Caletti's writing style, though, since I don't read it much. Scarlet is very introspective, so she's always explaining her thoughts or using two pages to muddle through some thought she's had. It gets to be long. But it is good stuff she's saying, especially this one she had about how introversion is the least understood personality type in high school.

This book about ripped my heart out, too. Be prepared for a while emotional ride. Scarlet will take you everywhere.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seventeen year old Scarlet Ellis lives on Parrish Island with her mother. She is known for being the “designated listener” at school, and spends much of her time observing people and finding ways to be useful to them. One day, Scarlet’s older sister, Juliet, comes home from Portland, where she has been working as a hotel singer, pregnant, and with her new husband (neither Scarlet or her mother were aware of this) and his big furry dog named Zeus in tow. All this happens in the first fifteen pages.

As the book progresses, readers begin to understand her need to be useful and make a difference in people’s lives. Scarlet describes her friends and the romance-in-progress between her friend Nichole and the boy she has yet to speak with, and notes her attempts to bridge the two. She also begins to notice and worry about the connection she has with Juliet’s young husband, Hayden, as well as observing and fretting over her mother’s relationship with the obsessive-compulsive Dean.

Introverts and those who worry a little more than they should will appreciate Scarlet’s story. She is an eloquent and observant narrator who often refers to psychology texts and concerns herself with the well-being of those around her. Readers will enjoy Scarlet’s growth as she learns how trying to fix everyone’s problems can create some of her own. Fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy Deb Caletti’s books.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i honestly can't get over how incredible this book was.
everything was just perfect.
i'm a big fan of deb caletti, becoming one after reading her book "the nature of jade." her writing is beautiful. it's full of poetic sentences and inspiring quotes.
i thought this book would be a basic chick-lit novel, but its very deep and interesting.
scarlet, the main character, is fascinating and relatable. i found myself yelling out things like, "she is exactly like me!" or "i've wondered about that too!"
my favorite character was hayden. i developed a little crush on his character. haha. (: i thought he was adorable and the cheesy notes he wrote to juliet were just too cute.
the minor characters, like scarlet's neighbors were all so funny and reminded me of people in my own life.
the six rules of maybe is definitely my new favorite book! it inspired me to make an account on goodreads and write a review. i loved it so much. this book would be good for older teens and adults. it was moving and fabulous. lovelovelovelove deb caletti <3 she never dissapoints!
go read this! now!