Review: The Rule of Three

Info:
Title: The Rule of Three
Author: Eric Walters
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication Date: January 21, 2014
Source: ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: 
One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival, in The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.

Review:
I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic and survival stories. I think morbidly enjoy imagining what I would do in the characters' situation. So when I got the chance to review The Rule of Three, I had high hopes.

As far as survival stories go, this one was not bad, but it didn't quite have enough going for it to propel it to a higher rating. Our hero, Adam, is a pretty average guy, nervous around his crush and fond of his best friend Todd. The major difference is that Adam knows how to fly a plane, which turns out to be pretty darn important.

My biggest turn-off with this book was the lack of answers. The true nature of the problems plaguing the world is never actually explained. Since I wasn't completely sold on the plausibility of the disaster, this lack of answers ended up being really frustrating for a science person like me. If someone else who has read this can explain things to me, I would be really grateful. There's also one major loose end that never gets tied up. Which is probably more realistic, but I want my ending tied up neatly please and thank you. Actually, I found the ending a bit sudden for me. Literally there is an explosion and then the next page is the last one.

I really think this book is aimed towards YA boys. The romance is pretty limited and straight forward. There's lots of explosions and excitement of that type. Not to say girls won't enjoy this one! But there is substantial violence, so if that's not your thing, I would steer clear of this one.

Overall, The Rule of Three is a decent survival-in-the-face-of-disaster story, but I don't think it will stick with me and I doubt I'll be able to recall many details a year from now. If you enjoy survival tactics and explosions, this one will be an enjoyable ride.

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