The Alison Rules

by Catherine Clark

What is It About Alison?

For one thing, she has rules:

When stealing a rowboat, ALWAYS check that the oars are the same length, so you don't go in circles.
In reference to your best friend's crush, KEEP your feelings to yourself.
NEVER use your locker if that's where you were standing when told the very worst news of all.
But rules -- like hearts -- are meant to be broken.

From Catherine Clark, author of Frozen Rodeo, comes a profound story of friendship, love, and loss.

Alison tries to deal with the pain of her mother's death by sticking to rules until charming Patrick moves to town, and then she learns that no matter what, life still happens to you.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Teen, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

I love reading books for children, young adults, new adults and all the old people after that.

I love writing for pretty much the same audiences.

Reviews

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the amazing author Catherine Clark comes this incredibly moving story, The Alison Rules.

Despite what Alison's friend Laurie always says, Alison always insists she doesn't have a set of rules. However, she does follow a strange pattern of behavior. She broke up with her older, football-playing boyfriend (one of "the Gods"), she avoids her locker, and she refuses to go to Boston. And everything is getting along fine in Alison's opinion until the new guy Patrick comes along.

The main issue with Patrick is the love triangle. Laurie likes Patrick, and so does Alison though she refuses to admit it. Patrick likes Laurie as a friend, but he likes Alison more than that. Alison believes she can't be with Patrick because she would be betraying Laurie.

Alison is forced to confront her past and everything that has been bothering her on a trip to Boston. There, everything comes out. Laurie cruelly exposes Alison's weaknesses until Alison can't take it anymore. There we learn what terrible thing happened to Alison that caused her to create her rules: the death of her mother.

The Alison Rules is the basic story of a teen learning to deal with the death of someone close when they feel like there's no one who understands them. After a period of withdrawal, Alison finally learns to cope, though the event that catalyzes this is most surprising and heartbreaking.

This was one of the most moving books I have read in a very long time. I even spent the last half of the book crying; that's how sad it was. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are looking for a light read, but if you want something with depth and meaning, this novel and other from Catherine Clark are a good choice.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the description on the jacket cover fool you. This book is deeper than it lets on. I've read the book half a dozen times and I've sobbed hysterically everytime. The book is YA and it does start out a little slow, but give it a shot. It's well worth the read. Funny, emotional, and genuine. Hope you love it like I do!

[Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alison Rules is a book that made me think of how difficult things have to be for Alison. Alison is the main character in this book. Alison faces a hard battle of losing her mother. After her mother passes away Alison finds herself in this zone that she is going to live by rules. To overcome some of the struggles Alison has she feels as her best friend Laurie is becoming more like a sister and her mother is like a mom to her. After a while there's a boy named Patrick that moves on into town and Laurie starts to fall hard for him, but Patrick likes Alison.
I loved reading this book because you could feel where Alison was coming from with some of the problems she had to face and overcome. I don't think I could have managed to over come then like she did. Towards the end you really feel her emotions and makes you wanna cry because of everything that has happened. I didn't really dislike anything about the book because once you started reading it you really got into it and wanted to read more because it's like one thing leads to another in a chain effect.
I would recommend this book to any readers who can start out a book a book with a full heart and can end with a broken heart and tight emotions, because this book makes you think on how your life would be if you were in Alison's place. Yet she doesn't have her mom anymore and doesn't get along with her father and brother.

[Adriana]

In The Alison Rules by Catherine Clark, the focus of the story is on how Alison is coping after a family tragedy. Smothered in a small town in Massachusetts, high school sophomore Alison has withdrawn herself almost completely from life: She broke up with her boyfriend, avoids hanging out with her father and brother, and has minimalized her bedroom. All Alison is concerned with is avoiding thinking about anything other than her position on the school paper and her feisty and outspoken best friend Laurie. When Patrick transfers to their school, the three students bond into an amusing threesome, but eventually morph into an uncomfortable love triangle. As Alison’s life begins to change, she realizes that her self-imposed rules, created to keep her safe and cocooned, are being broken apart along with everything else. Coupled with a shocking ending, The Alison Rules shows that there are no certainties in life, but that you must have faith to persevere bravely.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about this book bothered me, and it took me a while to realize that it was because the author seemed to be afraid of the word "suicide" even though that was one of the book's main themes. I'm of the opinion that we shouldn't coddle teen readers and that suicide is something that needs to be talked about openly, especially considering the emotional horrors of being a teenager.

Other than that, the book was okay. It did little more than pass the time, but it wasn't bad.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

ceritanya unpredictable. novel ini ngajarin kita tentang betapa pentingnya untuk menghadapi kehilangan seseorang daripada cuma berusaha untuk lari karena pada akhirnya itu memang sebuah fase yang harus dilalui. satu lagi, girls before boys!!

[Librariann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ages 12+

Slightly more serious than Clark's other titles. HELLO SAD BOOK. YET ALSO AWESOME.

[Jennifer Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried. A ton. A nice, fluffy read (as the back seemed to indicate) this is not.

[Pretty Little Liar · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, it was SOO sadddddd.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried.

[Ella Dephillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an amazing book, but I cried at the shocking end! This was a very heartbreaking novel!

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for the first time in fourth grade, and it was the first book ever to make me cry. It has made me cry on re-reads, too; it just holds a special place in my heart for that reason. Guess I related to the idea of shutting yourself off from everything, so it felt like a cautionary tale.

[Galion Public Library Teens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review by R.F. : "It had a good pace and style to keep me interested throughout the entire book. It also had a lot of humor, which I loved. :)"

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book managed to drag itself out of its hole...by an inch. From the start, everything felt so painfully stereotypical (e.g. girls hanging out with jocks, a little game of crushes and cat and mouse, fleeting references of past flings, and just some of the things that came out of each character's mouth). I bet there were many attempts at humor throughout the book, but they felt so unoriginal, cliche, and dry; I was straight-faced throughout the entire book.

Let's start with Alison.

Alison started to work my nerves with her little rules and petulant behaviors and words. Maybe the point of irritating the reader with her rules is to illustrate just how annoying and petty they are to the other characters. I don't know. All I know is that I wanted to strangle this girl. I know that losing a family member is a traumatic, psychological experience, but not using your locker because it would bring back unwanted memories? That's a tad bit extreme. Not eating a slice of pizza because of said reason? Come on! Maybe I'm just not one with lots of patience for sullen sulking for reasons involving avoidance of bad memories. I can understand if one chooses not to eat pizza, despite how good it looks, because his/her experience has caused a decline in appetite. But in Alison's case, from what I read and infer, it's a complete conscious avoidance. I'm at least glad she learned an important lesson at the end: that she can't continue burying undesired things under her life. That's the only part that managed to save this book -- that she LEARNED something.

Patrick

How does any student move into a new school, a new town at that, and instantly -- I mean INSTANTLY -- become super best friends with two girls? He started talking to Laurie and Alison as if they were best friends since kindergarten. And Patrick's attempts at saying cool things just feels so fake and inauthentic. For some unknown reason, he's one of the characters I was on decent terms with.

Laurie's death or suicide

This completely blindsided me, and not in a good way. Given how the events played out (Patrick liking Alison and not Laurie >> Alison and Patrick "breaking up" >> Laurie and Patrick kinda getting together >> Alison blowing up at them >> Laurie NOT apologizing to Alison at her house), Laurie's death seemed to be suicide -- because apparently Laurie has had troubles she's always had to deal with: Alison's problems, her father being absent, caring about Alison's mother being gone, boys not liking her. So to find out Laurie DIED right after all that was set up, the first thing that came to mind was "suicide?". But everything else in the book points to a mere accidental death. Nonetheless, that whole portion blindsided me because I was informed of Laurie's life 212 pages into the book only to have her die later...

The ending felt so lifeless, so emotionally superficial. Alison just remembered different things about Laurie and thought self-deprecating things. I didn't feel bad for anyone, because I couldn't. I felt a twinge of sympathy for the people who suffered the tumultuous wrath of Alison. Aside from that, I closed the book with that same straight face I wore in the beginning of the book.

[Melissa Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all-time favorite books, I have read it a dozen times over the years and I still cry at the end every time.

The Storyline: Alison and her best friend Laurie do everything together. They spend all their spare time at each other's houses. Laurie constantly picks on Alison for having a set of rules like not using her locker. They are the best of friends and Alison is determined to not let anything come between them, most of all not a boy. So when Patrick moves to town Alison is determined to push him into her friends arms, but Patrick likes her more and before long they are all fighting with one another. The book has a few twist along the way and will leave you in tears.

Characters:

Alison: I liked Alison she kind of seemed very fragile throughout the book and by the end you understand why. She is really only herself when she is around Laurie, they are the perfect duo. Laurie is a major crutch for Alison. True best friends. Alison is so protective of Laurie, it's very sincere. She will do anything to protect Laurie even if that means pushing the boy she likes away so her best friend can have him. I enjoyed that Alison's journey was more about her friendships then just her romantic interest.


Laurie: She is young and wild. She is really funny throughout the book. She was there for Alison, always distracting her and protecting her. I felt for her when she liked the boy that liked her best friend more, I thought that was very relatable. It was sad how Alison needed so much attention all the time and Laurie couldn't share her own troubles with her best friend because she was too fragile. I could find myself truly relating to Laurie's character.



Patrick: Well he is the missing piece to the girls three amigo's. Of course since Alison is the main character he was bound to like her more than Laurie but I wanted to root for Laurie sometimes because Alison could be so infuriating with her rules and all. In the end I couldn't tell you if I enjoyed Laurie or Patrick's character more. They were both funny and very contrast to Alison making the book well balanced between sad, serious, funny and happy.



My Thoughts:

Like I said above this is one of my favorite books of all time. It is pretty thin and I can breeze through reading it in one sitting. I read it the first time when I was probably 15 and I still love it today at 23. The story itself is pretty sad and really makes you feel bad for Alison. It makes you realize how important your friends truly are.

If I had to critic it I would just say I don't really like how little detail you get about Alison's family. Yeah I know it's part of the mystery behind Alison's Rules but I think that having siblings should have more effect on a person and be a bigger part of their life then how it is portrayed in this book. By the way this is me really stretching to find something I disliked about this book.

Overall this book will always have a special spot in my heart and will probably be one of my favorite books of all times.

Happy Reading

[Rifani Magrissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Alison Rules adalah novel terjemahan yang aku tanpa sengaja membelinya di bazar buku Gramedia. Awalnya aku tidak tertarik untuk membeli novel terjemahan, tetapi daya tarik melalui sinopsisnya membuatku ingin membacanya.

Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang gadis bernama Alison. Ia adalah gadis cantik memiliki rambut pirang, dan begitu digilai oleh beberapa laki-laki di sekolahnya, termasuk Ryan-- laki-laki dengan julukan Dewa di sekolahnya. Pada awalnya, kehidupannya berjalan dengan baik-baik saja, tanpa ada masalah apapun. Tetapi sejak kematian ibunya akibat kanker di Boston, menyebabkan ia harus menutup semua masa lalunya dan berubah menjadi gadis yang tertutup, sehingga timbullah yang dinamakan "aturan main Alison".

Ia bersahabat dengan gadis lucu nan imut bernama Laurie. Laurie adalah gadis yang seolah adalah bagian tubuh dari Alison, karena mereka bersahabat seperti lem tidak dapat dipisahkan. Hanya Laurie yang mengetahui apa saja aturan main Alison.

Hingga suatu hari sekolahnya kedatangan anak baru bernama Patrick. Laki-laki ini pindahan dari Miane yang sangat hobi bersepeda dan tidak terlalu mahir bermain bowling atau ski. Patrick akhirnya bersahabat dengan Laurie dan Alison.

Masalah sebenarnya sudah mulai terlihat ketika Patrick disukai secara diam-diam oleh Laurie, dan Alison juga menyukai laki-laki itu tapi tidak berani mengakuinya karena Laurie-- sahabatnya.

Hingga saat suatu malam, tanpa sengaja Laurie menceritakan semua aturan main yang dijalankan Alison pada Patrcik.

Tentang kenapa ia tidak ingin menjalin hubungan dengan laki-laki?
Tentang kenapa ia tidak ingin menggunakan loker sekolahnya?
Dan tentang kenapa ia begitu menjadi tertutup.

Pertengkaran antara Alison dan Laurie pun tidak terelakkan, dan menjadi masalah yang panjang.

Awalnya aku akui aku bosan membaca novel ini. Bahkan aku terpaksa melewatkan beberapa halaman yang menurutku tidak begitu penting. Menurutku, ceritanya berjalan cukup lambat hingga sampai pada konflik yang sebenarnya. Hal itu menyebabkan kebosanan secara tidak langsung.

Seperti biasa, novel terjemahan lebih mendiskripsikan sesuatu ketimbang memberikan dialog-dialog antar tokoh. Pendiskripsian yang terlalu panjang, tanpa diselingi dialog-dialog kecil itulah yang menyebabkan novel ini terlihat membosankan.

Tetapi, pada bagian-bagian mendekati akhir dari bab tersebut, aku baru merasakan cerita yang menarik. Bagian akhir juga lebih menunjukkan emosi bagi pembaca dan membuatku ingin segera menamatkannya.

Selain itu, aku juga merasa digantung pada bagian endingnya. Bagian akhirnya seolah-olah menunjukkan adanya masalah yang belum terselesaikan dan membuatku berpikir pada akhirnya

But overall, aku menyukai novel ini terlepas dari segala kekurangannya, setidaknya untuk menambah bacaan di waktu senggang ^^

Two stars for this novel ^^

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alison has a lot of rules: When stealing a rowboat, always check that the oars are the same length, so you don't go in circles. In reference to your best friend's crush, keep your feelings to yourself. And never use your locker if that's where you were standing when told the very worst news of all in The Alison Rules (2006) by Catherine Clark.

Some of her rules aren't the most rational. But when your mother is dead, rationality isn't really important. In fact, it isn't even really a concern. Between the rules and her best friend, Laurie, Alison manages to get by. Maybe she isn't having the greatest time, but at least she's surviving.

Everything changes when a new boy moves to Alison's small town. Patrick is fun, different, and he might be exactly what Alison needs. Unfortunately both Alison and Laurie fall for Patrick setting off a series of arguments and events that will ultimately tear the two friends apart.

The Alison Rules was not the book I expected it to be. After looking at the cover and reading the blurb it seemed like a fun book that would have an ultimately okay ending.

I was wrong.

Don't get me wrong. Being surprised by a book is fine. It is usually a good thing. But I found the ending of The Alison Rules to be completely unforgivable. It was unnecessary, excessive, and made no sense in the general arc of the story. I would love to pick it apart for you here, but I don't post spoilers. Suffice it to say this is a story about growing up, grieving, and friendship.Then Catherine Clark threw in a surprise twist that, for me, completely invalidated everything else I had read in the book. I hate to say it so strongly but: Not recommended.

[Anna Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alison has many rules about life. They aren't your normal rules, like Don't Talk to Strangers. No, one of her rules is not using her locker. Another is avoiding Boston at all costs. But then Patrick comes to town. Alison's best friend, Laurie, is falling for him, and Alison is, too. And it scares her.

The school newspaper goes to Boston on a field trip, and even Alison doesn't abide by one of her rules and she goes. When she's in Boston, you see why she has so many weird rules. You find out why she's afraid of the city. You also find out why she's so afraid of being close to people.

If you are looking for a happy book, don't read this. I was actually crying at the end, and it takes a lot for me to cry. It's sad, but it also makes you think about your life. I haven't read any other of Catherine Clark's books, but you'll be sure I'll be getting another one now. This book had me hooked from the beginning, and I read the whole book on Tuesday because it was just so addicting and had me wondering what was going to happen so much that I stayed up and finished it on Tuesday night, I couldn't wait until the next day to read this.

If you are looking for a good book that is written well, and that will make you think about your life, I recommend this. However, if you want all that minus the sadness factor, then this definitely isn't the book for you.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also posted @ Twice Upon a Book

The death of Alison’s mother is what triggered her to construct a set of rules to live by. She don’t talk to strangers. She doesn’t use her locker. She doesn’t go to Boston.

Alison is really close to her best friend, Laurie, and they do many activities with her and her mother, she is practically her sister. This two-way friendship expands to three when a new boy, Patrick, moves to their town. Laurie is slowly falling for Patrick and Alison is too. The problem is that Patrick only sees Laurie as just a friend but likes Alison. Alison feels that being with him would be betraying to Laurie.

Their newspaper committee embarks on their annual trip to Boston, where everything unravels for Alison. Laurie viciously spills all of Alison’s weaknesses, revealing the very reason she cannot be in Boston.

This book was okay. At first it seemed like your typical YA contemporary book. By the end of the book, though, my heart was truly broken. Everything Alison went through, and then for that to happen to her. I wouldn’t be able to live. The latter half duly makes up for the drone of the former half.

You go into this book thinking that it will be a light read, and come out with a broken heart in the end. It was a roller-coaster of emotions.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad, Sad, Sad. This book made me want to cry, but I was reading in a public place, so I couldn't bawl like I wanted to. Alison has lost her mom to cancer and even though it's been almost a year since it has happened she has designed these unspoken "rules" that involve her not using her locker (because she used it last when she got notice that her mom had passed) and her not getting close to anyone (especially the new boy in town who she really likes), among other things. Alison's best friend Laurie helps her cope the best way she knows how - by continuing their lifelong friendship, making her laugh, and just being confident and outgoing when Alison is anything but. The writing is good, but I thought that the ending was very rushed and frankly why did the author have to stick something else that was sad and uneccesary onto the end? I would still recommend the book, but have some tissues handy.

[Diana Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is interesting how many different takes there are concerning this book. My take is, this is a story about learning how to live after a tragedy. Learning that you can smile, flirt, laugh, and play even though someone you love has died. It's okay. They would want you to. This story also discusses how sometimes people shut out their loved ones during a tragedy and assume that they are the only ones struggling when in fact, they are not. Alison is not a likable character but that is okay, she is a realistic one. I actually liked Laurie better but that's just me. I didn't get too emotionally vested in this book, which surprised me. I thought it would make me cry but it just didn't and I think it's because I couldn't relate or bond with Alison in any way so I almost stopped caring about her character in the book altogether. Strange how that happens...

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the only books that made me truly cry..I'm talking fat tears all over the last 20 pages. ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. Makes you look at life, love, family and friends in a whole new light. Clark does a beautiful job showing readers how hard it is to be a teenager in a world that has not been easy. Alison's best friend Laurie is so relatable and their friendship is so deep that you immediately feel like they have asked you to make their dynamic duo a trio. And then along comes Patrick, the new boy next door who makes you fall in love with him in the first 5 pages you meet him. This book has everything that a romantic tragedy requires.... but I don't want to spoil it for you by telling you! Trust me, just read it.

[Rinn B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried. This is one of the first books I have actually cried in. Near the end when the unthinkable happens I was just bawling. This book was really well written and even though it was slow at some parts and the main character made me angry. The book invoked feelings out of me and that is what books are really for right. There really was no defining conclusion but that worked with what the book was trying to say. Yeah I liked Laurie way better than Alison and I wanted Laurie and Kevin to get together through the whole thing, but like that was going to happen right. I wish there had been a list of her rules, but I don't know, this book just worked even though there were so many things about it that were working against it.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 Like most people who pick this up, I thought it would be a fun read, which it is, then it gets "all like, sad" at the end. Like the last book I read by Clark, there's some real stuff in here, and also some silly~ which may serve to help the realistic stuff. My only problem with this one is that the boys were kind of cookie-cutter. I don't know, I liked it and it held me emotionally- a nice feat considering I am SO not the audience for this- but I kept feeling like it was lacking something. Charm, perhaps.

[Katie R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this a few years ago (maybe five?) I remember really liking it and sobbing at the end. I'm pretty sure I was at a restaurant when I finished it too; lemme tell you, that was a mess.

While I was reading it this time, however, both Laurie's and Alison's characters really seemed to annoyed me. And I felt bad for Ryan. I definitely didn't like it as much this second go round.

I still cried at the ending though. Typical.

I guess this book is just one of those books you should only read once. Knowing the outcome just ruins it.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When something bad happens to people, they usually close them-self off to the world. That is exactly what Alison does. She creates a set of rules she HAS to follow to keep herself safe and everyone out. But then a new boy shows up and starts to make her break her own rules.

This book is sooo good and heartbreaking. It's funny, shows the meaning of a good friendship, and the depth of the effect of a death. I would suggest this for readers in 8th grade and up.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOODDDD AND LIKE SAD!!! books like this r usually about 2 friends and the point of view from the girl who doesnt get the guys but its from alison (the one who gets the guys) point of view. its so different and good i really couldn't put it down so i finished it in the evening/night i was up till 12 reading in the begging i completly wanted to be her but then i kept reading and i didnt want to be her watsoevr! lol

[Izumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was ahhmazing, but super sad... i was like reading it at night in bed with the light from my phone and i kept thinking "I should go to sleep now. Okay, just one more chapter." and then before I knew it I was finished and it was about 2 in the morning... and i was crying... TT.TT well, I mean i can handle one dead person that HAS been dead, but.... LAURIE?!?!?! REALLY?!!! ohmygod. and when Alison took laurie's notes out of were locker, i was crying and laughing at the same time lmao xD

[Yola NY · Rating 3 out of 5]

lumayan deh..
nih teenlit terjemahan nuansanya emang rada beda ama teenlit2 yg lain. dalam novel ini, jelas banget aura kesedihannya. dari kematian mama Alison ampe sahabatnya sendiri. ckckckck, padahal alison masih belum bisa ngatasin kesedihan kehilangan mamanya, eh skrg udah dihadepin ama kesedihan yang baru

trus ending hbgnnya ama patrick-si anak baru, cuma akhirnya jadi teman biasa aja. yah, kecewe jg sih hubungan alison-patrick yg gak berjalan lancar