The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Ryan is the perfect boy for Sarah; he's cute, smart and they get along great. There's just one problem: Ryan is Sarah's best friend Brianna's boyfriend. Everyone knows the unwitten rule that you can't like your friends' boyfriends, but that doesn't stop Sarah from feeling the way she does. And when it seems as though Ryan is paying extra attention to Sarah, she will have to choose between her best friend and the possible love of her life.

I really enjoyed The Unwritten Rule. I say this every time, but Elizabeth Scott is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. It's an interesting topic - liking your best friend's boyfriend. I've always wondered what I would do in this situation, but I'm lucky that this has never happened to me. I got to see it play out in this book, though, and I must say it's entertaining to watch. The thing with Brianna, Sarah's BFF, is that she isn't always the nicest person. She pretty much stole Ryan from Sarah, without even realizing it, because she's so much prettier and awesome-er (according to Sarah, which actually starts to get a little annoying. I mean, who wants to hear the narrator constantly put themselves down?). I think someone mentioned on another blog (I want to say Frenetic Reader?) that this is a cliche in YA literature: the protagonist having a friend that is so much prettier/nicer/smarter/all-around better person. And it is annoying.

Anyway, this background knowledge helps the reader sympathize with Sarah. She's not purposefully trying to hurt her friend, which makes it better, in my opinion. She's actually a nice person that you want to see succeed, in terms of boyfriend. I'm not going to say what happens in the end, but I liked the ending, and it isn't a cliched one, which is always good. The Unwritten Rule is an interesting take on the dynamics of friendships and boys, and makes you want to keep reading until the end.

9 out of 10.

The Unwritten Rule will be released March 16, 2010.

FTC: The author provided me with a copy of The Unwritten Rule, and I returned it to her.