Review: The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Backlog review. Originally read/reviewed August 2011.


Title: The Six Rules of Maybe
Author: Deb Caletti
Published: March 2010 (Simon Pulse)
Rating: 4 stars
Summary: 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...

My Review: I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I went into it without high hopes, as the YA I had just finished reading, with similar subject matter (Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti), had been a tremendous letdown. However, I would not even begin to compare the two now that I've read them.

It caught me at the end of the very first paragraph with this quote:

❝She held her head as if she were the period at the end of her own sentence.❞

I just loved the way Caletti described that, so few words, so unique, yet I could see exactly what she meant in my head. I was completely hooked by the time I was getting to know Scarlet. As a "nice" person myself, I could relate to her a lot; for other reasons, as well, but that in particular.

As the story progressed, I became immersed in the world, attaching myself to Scarlet and Hayden (the sister's husband) in particular, even though I did not want them to wind up together, which you couldn't be entirely sure of by the dust jacket. [spoiler] There is a side mini-romance with Scarlet and a boy named Jesse, which is adorable, and I loved them. I'm a sucker for romance, so I was happy it was there, but honestly, the book was good enough, I would have enjoyed it without the side story. Although aspects of it did prove a catalyst of sorts, so I suppose it was necessary.[/spoiler] I am simply trying to expound on the merits of the book itself as a story about a girl growing up, getting to know herself, her limits, and how to live her own life while still giving to others.

I became attached to Scarlet, to her mother, to Hayden, even Zeus, the dog (and I'm not an animal person). I loved watching Scarlet grow through all her experiences.

I was impressed by Caletti's writing, her characters, the story itself. It is a sticky one to pull off, and she did it rather brilliantly. Immediately following completion of this book, I looked up her other works (and realized she wrote Wild Roses, which has been on my to-read list for years) and put several on hold at the library, where they are now waiting for me to pick the up Monday morning. I cannot wait!

Did it make you...
Laugh? ☑
Cry? ☑
Think? ☑