Enchanting Review: The Six Rules of Maybe

THE SIX RULES OF MAYBE

DEB CALETTI

Contemporary YA

Simon Pulse

ISBN# 9781416979692

321 Pages

$16.99 US/$19.99 Can

Hardcover--Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Between her older sister, Juliet's, unexpected return home, not to mention unexpected husband and news in tow, it's hard for seventeen year old Scarlet to adjust to the new turn her summer has taken. Her sister's husband, Hayden, is nothing like the bad boys Juliet usually dates and Scarlet finds herself falling for the sweet, soft-hearted guy. Scarlet's the kind of girl who wants to look after everyone, including the elderly neighbor couple across the street who are falling prey to an internet scam despite Scarlet's best efforts. I have to say that was one of my favorite sub-plots in the book and it's ending made me crack up.

Ms. Caletti creates a wonderful read with THE SIX RULES OF MAYBE. I loved Scarlet, how she was always wanting to look out for those around her, whether it was creating mail for Clive Weaver across the street; setting up the Goth Girl who draws on the sidewalk with a date for prom, or trying to fix her sister's marriage, all without really acknowledging that maybe the ones that need the help the most are her and her sister. It takes Scarlet awhile to dig deep enough to discover the real reason behind it all, why her sister keeps shoving Hayden away and why she herself is the way she is. I loved the scenes between Scarlet and Hayden, how she takes him on a tour of the small island they live on and the way she goes out to keep him company when he goes out to smoke in the middle of the night. I love how she's completely blind to the guy from school who seems interested in her, the same boy one of her BFF's is crushing on and how one of the oddest guys in school is trying to convince her to go out with him, even though that's the last thing she wants. THE SIX RULES OF MAYBE is full of everything I love about Ms. Caletti's books: great voice, characters and plot. Definitely one for my keeper shelf.

Ms. Caletti is the author of The Queen of Everything; Honey, Baby, Sweetheart (a National Book Award finalist); Wild Roses; The Nature of Jade; The Fortunes of Indigo Skye; and The Secret Life of Prince Charming. She lives with her family in Seattle. You can visit her online at www.debcaletti.com and become a fan on Facebook.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

May 2010