This book was a pleasant surprise for me! I really was expecting this to be something sad and depressing and it was actually more about Sophie finding herself than anything. When Sophie finds a list of "dares" that her aunt made before she died, she knows it has to mean something. She sees this as an opportunity to finish Suzy's bucket-list, but also for Sophie and her 2 best friends to mix it up for their senior year. Sophie is struggling to find herself and doesn't feel like she fits in with her perfect family, much the way Suzy was feeling before she died.

Along the way Sophie, Ella, and Grace get help from Johnny Rush, Sophie's hot neighbor. The chemistry between Johnny and Sophie was really great, I just wish Sophie wasn't so blunt when she got around him. I didn't feel like it suited her personality. Their relationship was just a little off for me, but that didn't stop me from wanting them to get together... I mean hello, who wouldn't like a guy named Johnny Rush!! Also i liked that Sophie and Johnny were able to take a step back when it was needed. Sophie really had to figure out her feelings for her aunt and how best to remember her on her own. Basically what I'm saying is that the romantic relationship did not overtake the book, which I thought was awesome.

The best part of this book was the friendship between the 3 girls! They had their ups and downs and weren't afraid to call each other out for acting bitchy. They were all so different, but at the same time they balanced each other. Grace was able to let loose more when she was with them, Ella wasn't as focused on being so hard, and Sophie was the glue that bonded them all together.

There was a *very* surprising twist involving Sophie's family that made the story that much more interesting! I was surprised and hurt for Sophie... her family really did have some issues.

Overall: I totally recommend this book. It was a really great coming of age YA book which I think fans of 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson would like!

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Sophie is feeling a bit lost in the world. Senior year is about to start and she has no real plan for her life. She's been content with fulfilling her days with the status quo expected by her uninvolved father and over protective mother. Now Sophie is the same age as her deceased aunt when she suddenly lost her life and finding a 'to do before I die' list of Aunt Susie's has her re-thinking everything. Sophie enlists her two best friends to help cross off all the items and maybe add a few of their own.

Sophie, Ella and Grace are all distinctly different. Sophie is subdued, calm, a fly under the radar kind of girl. Ella is funny, outspoken and artistic. While Grace is controlled and proper, her life follows a strict plan. The three play well off of each other and I enjoyed seeing three very different girls nurture a life long friendship.

Life, as it usually will, gets in the way of the plans this trio has made. Sophie becomes obsessed with the list and her handsome, though unavailable neighbor, Johnny. Grace is being obsessed over by an extreme boyfriend and Ella is spinning in an all new direction that threatens to enrage her dramatic mother. These girls must fight through problems and relationships to keep it together and end up on the other end with feet planted firmly on the ground.

While the characters in None of the Regular Rules are not always as mature as their age would lead to believe, the way they resolved a lot of the personal issues was. As well, the relationship between Sophie and Johnny took a slow and steady climb from friendship to a little more.

None of the Regular Rules is a much sweeter story than I expected from the synopsis. Key phrases like 'dead girl's bucket list', 'fatal fall' and 'long-held family secret', had me believing this would be a darker tale. Perhaps one filled with a bit of intrigue.

What None of the Regular Rules truly is, is a somewhat lighthearted coming of age story with refreshingly real characters in fairly real life situations. It's an enjoyably solid read without a lot of angst, just enough turmoil and plenty of resolution. ( )

I would like to point out that the cover of this book is misleading. Although there is romance in this book, None of the Regular Rules is more a book on friendship and self-discovery. I thought this book was definitely worth the read. It was a lovely story about lifelong friendships and discovering your true strength. That being said, I think a cover with a water tower on it or three girls jumping off a rock into the lake would have been a better and more truthful. Just my 2 cents. ( )

Sophie thinks she leads a predictable, overly cautious life, and she wants to make her senior year of high school the best yet. As luck would have it, Sophie finds a bucket list of dares from her late Aunt Suzy, and along with her best friends Ella and Grace, the girls decide that they should do the list of dares. One particular dare has the girls on the beach at Johnny Rush's party, and despite Johnny's girlfriend standing next to him, Sophie feels an immediate connection to him. Sophie becomes a little too caught up in completing the dares on the list, and Johnny helps her complete some of the dares when Ella and Grace are angry with Sophie. Acting out the dares causes things to heat up between Sophie and Johnny, but Sophie won't get involved because of Johnny's girlfriend. The more Sophie completes the dares, the more questions she has about her Aunt Suzy. When she finds out that Suzy's death did not occur how she was told it did, Sophie withdraws from her family and friends. Thankfully, Grace and Ella repair their friendship with Sophie, and Johnny helps Sophie complete the last few dares on the list.
Erin Downing creates a wonderful story of making the most out of life's moments. Even though my own senior year ocurred twenty years ago, I was instantly transported back to that time of my life and the decisions I had to make. I know that they helped shape the person I am today, so I'm smiling as I think back to those crazy, depressing, wonderful years of high school. I'm still waiting for my true Johnny Rush. :) ( )