Rating: 
Summary: Simply Put.....A wonderful, beautiful book!!!
Review: I just finished "The Usual Rules" and found myself thinking that I had to go out and find a book just like, or very similar to this one. My next thought, though was that there aren't too many books out there that are as perfectly pitched as this one. Every page is meant to be savored. I was afraid to read this book because even though I live thousands of miles away from New York City, and no one I knew died during the 9/11 attacks, I thought it was unfair to fictionalize those events...(and maybe, in a way trivialize them.) Boy, was I wrong. I applaud Ms. Maymard for writing a book that will help people deal with all sorts of sadness and loss in their lives. I thought it brilliant the way the story was told from the point of view of 13-year old, Wendy. I loved the character of Josh, too. I wish we all could have a father like him. Pay close attention to the letter Josh writes to Wendy while she's in New York. I started crying then and didn't stop until the end of the book, which was about 150 pages later. The way Wendy is able to be so, so strong in the face of such hearbreak is amazing to me. Her little brother Louie, is lucky to have her for a big sister. This book will stay with me for a long, long time.
Rating:
Summary: Leaves you breathless and hopeful
Review: I just finished The Usual Rules this morning. I am still kind of breathless. I absolutely loved this book. I love the main character Wendy. She is an inspiration. I have never read a book by Joyce Maynard before. She is an excellent writer. I won't summarize the plot you can see that above, but suffice it to say this was one of the best reading experiences of my life and I hope this book finds a very wide audience. It is really something special! I am so lucky to have read it. I feel deeply touched by this experience. Thank you Joyce Maynard.
Rating:
Summary: Another movie perhaps?
Review: I loved this book, as I have loved everything I've read by Joyce Maynard, and I'm thinking how fantastic it would be to see this story brought to the big screen. Look at how successfully it worked with "To Die For"? I will look forward to this happening in the future! The Usual Rules is perhaps the most touching story told by a young girl that I've read since my Judy Blume days! Reading this book brought me back to that age and it was irresistibly wonderful! I am SO happy that Ms. Maynard followed her graduating son Charlie's orders to "Go write your novel Mom!" Write one beautiful novel she did!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Book for ALL Audiences...
Review: I picked up "The Usual Rules" at the recommendation of a good friend. I was completely impressed! As a former middle school English teacher and current middle school principal, I found the portrayals of the young people in the book to be extremely well crafted and accurate. I've worked with kids like Wendy, Amelia, Todd, and Violet for nearly thirty years. Their experiences with grief, friendship, and growing up ring true. As a father I was deeply touched by little brother Louie's response to the loss of his mother and the absence of his older sister. I worry that this book might be pigeon-holed as a "chick-book" or a work just for young adolescents. That would be completely unfair. This former football coach was moved to tears at times by the skillful portrayal of the characters. I've not only recommended the book to friends, but am sharing it with my faculty and students. Kudos, Ms. Maynard! Thank you for a brilliant and moving piece of work!
Rating:
Summary: Best book of my generation
Review: I read this book for english and I thought that is was the best book that we read. I thought that the entire thing would be based upon before 9/11. The that Joyce Maynard goes into depth about the charachters is very amazing and I liked how she did that. She should how Wendy was still growing up in New York city but than she goes to California and she grows up she has a totally new prospective on the world that she had known all of her live. Joyce Maynard is the best writer this book should go up for a noble prize.
Rating:
Summary: A touching, moving novel...
Review: I read this book on a whim about four months ago, and I cannot get it out of my head. Maynard writes so eloquently and fluidly. When she is writing about Wendy, the main charachter, dealing with the pain and grief over her mother's death, it was so moving. It is a great book, and a fantastic read. It has been a long time since a book has really captured my thoughts and feelings. Not to sound cliche about it, but Judy Blume followers will relate to this book on some levels. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book, highly recommended
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was recommended to me by my mother in law, and sister in law, who both read it before I did. I found the story very engaging, the characters very real and the lessons valuable. The lack of quotation marks took me awhile to adjust too... I still don't understand the reason for the choice to do so... but it did not bother me so much that I couldn't read it.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Story of Healing and Hope
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written story of hope and healing. Everyone experiences tragedy, suffering and pain...it's how we handle it that determines the strength of our spirits....and this story wonderfully illustrates the resiliency of the human spirit, especially in children and teens. It truly deserves more than five stars!!!
Rating:
Summary: Another success for Joyce Maynard
Review: I was afraid to read this book. My next door neighbor died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He was murdered by terrorists there. My heart is broken, I will never be the same. Joyce Maynard has always been my favorite contemporary author. I read all the time; I am a librarian. This is a very comforting book. It is good to read the comparisons to Anne Frank. My neighbor went to work one morning and he never came home. I haven't read anything about 9-11; I couldn't bear it. This book is outstanding and very comforting.
Rating:
Summary: september 11
Review: I was hesitant to dig up the sorrow and pain of 9/11 so this book was bought but shelved for a while...I'm so glad I finally opened it up! This is an incredible tale of healing, not just for Wendy, but for everyone she meets. As a teacher of middle schoolers, I think her voice is very believable and one that I plan to share with my students who love to read. I found this story engrossing to a point where I would turn the light back on to read a little more. The only thing I disliked at first but got used to were her lack of quotation marks for dialogue...then again, more realism...it reads like a note I'd confiscate from students! Very real, no perfectly happy endings, but great characters and story. Read it and pass it on!
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