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Title: wonderful book, just short of a five-star rating
Review: In _Rules_, we see the struggles of our 12 y o protaganist: making friends, coping with her autistic brother, venturing into a friendship with a disabled teen. My favorite character is that teen, who most people regard as mentally disabled just because his body is disabled. It's worth reading the book just for that character, his courage, and his subtle humor.The character development in other respects is just shy of top-notch. Our heroine is likeable and really grows by the end of the story, but she seem to be over-reacting to several events. I would have liked a little more insight into the autistic brother and a little more refinement of word choice and style. Also, I was a little uncomfortable about the "girl-friend/boy-friend" aspect of the conclusion not because of the boy's disability, but because I don't think (and many, many people will disagree with me here) that 12 year olds should have boyfriends.
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