Rules are Meant to be Broken

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Written by: James Patterson

Released: June 27, 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Ok, this book was pretty cute. Though geared more towards guys that girls, it would still appeal to both like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books do. It also follows the same basic idea with the drawings going along with, essentially, journal entries; the pages pretty much go half and half with writing vs. drawings.

Summary: Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class-5,000 points! Running in the hallway-10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm-50,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding.

Blockbuster author James Patterson delivers a genuinely hilarious-and surprisingly poignant-story of a wildly imaginative, one-of-kind kid that you won't soon forget.

This is definitely the type of book that I would pick up for my younger boy cousins (in fact, I may have given a copy to said cousins while in NYC for BEA... but I can’t remember if I picked up two of this novel or just one) since it would appeal to even non-avid readers.

I’ll admit that I skimmed through this book rather quickly and though I jumped over some of it I was able to get the story clear in my head. I liked the characters though I hated the mother for being one of those women I always want to slap sense into. She did redeem herself by the end of the novel, though, (sorry for the mild spoiler) and by the end I felt just a little bit sorry for her though happy at the same time. I also really liked Rafe and Leo – his best friend – and their end of the novel was a little bittersweet but in a heart-warming way.

I’m giving this novel a 6/10.

I received the special BEA edition of this novel. It came wrapped in a red bow and was very pretty.