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ARC Book Review: Rules For 50/50 Chances – Kate McGovern


rulesfor5050chancesRules For 50/50 Chances
Author: Kate McGovern
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: November 24, 2015
Publisher: Farrar Straus and Giroux

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Rose Levenson has a decision to make: Does she want to know how she might die?
Because when Rose turns eighteen, she can take the test that will tell her if she carries the genetic mutation for Huntington’s disease, the degenerative condition that is slowly killing her mother.
With a fifty-fifty shot at inheriting her family’s genetic curse, Rose is skeptical about pursuing anything that presumes she’ll live to be a healthy adult — including going to ballet school and the possibility of falling in love. But when she meets a boy from a similarly flawed genetic pool, and gets an audition for a dance scholarship in California, Rose begins to question her carefully-laid rules.

 
First Sentence: If you had a crystal ball, like in a fairy tale – or a magic mirror or one wish or whatever – would you want to know how you were going to die?

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.

My Review:

What first attracted me to Rules For 50/50 Chances was the cover. I mean, look at all that orange! (If you guys can’t tell, orange is my favorite color: Charmander is orange, I love orange flavored candy, and a gorgeous sunset is the color orange.) Add the fact that it had that white skull – it took me awhile to figure out that it was just a skull placed upside down – and I had to have it in my life. On top of that gorgeous cover, Rules For 50/50 Chances also focuses on a serious topic, making it a book I had to read.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean – I shouldn’t have said that. But you can’t not take chances in your life now, just because you don’t know what’s going to happen to you twenty years from now. That’s absurd. There’s too much stuff in this life that we don’t know about anyway.” (ARC 172)

The first third of Rules For 50/50 Chances started off really strong. I was automatically intrigued with Rose’s situation and the many aspects of Huntington’s disease, something I’ve sadly never heard about in school since I’ve never taken genetics before. Rules For 50/50 Chances opened up my eyes to some genetics diseases I’ve never heard of and how it can change everything. However, after the one-thirds point into the book, I could feel the strong beginning start to die down as all Rules For 50/50 Chances talked about was the daily going ons of Rose’s life and about her thinking about the same thing over and over again: What if she has or doesn’t have Huntington’s disease? How will she live her life then?

I am a bit disappointed with two parts of the ending since I personally feel that they are both a cop out, even though I understand why the author would want to end the book that way. I won’t go more into detail since they’ll both be spoilers, but I’m sure other people who have read Rules For 50/50 Chances would get at least one part that I’m talking about.

“You know, every choice you make to share yourself, every time, it’s a risk. No matter what. People get sick, they get scared, they get stroppy…My point is, you don’t know. There are no guarantees in this life, about anything. Full stop.” (ARC 324)

One thing I never expected to see was how diverse Rules For 50/50 Chances was. The main character is half-Jewish while the love interest is African American who plays a major part in Rules For 50/50 Chances (obviously) and brings up the topic of race a fair number of times. Rose’s best friend Lena is also Asian, but her culture is sadly brought up only once, if you can even call that discussion that.

Overall, Rules for 50/50 Chances is a diverse book that explores the “what ifs” situation when it comes to genetic diseases.

three

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 11-23-15 · 7 Comments
Categories: 2015 book, book review Tagged: 3 star

« ARC Book Review: These Shallow Graves – Jennifer Donnelly
Splitting the World: An Interview With Emily Henry »

Speak Your Mind

  1. Keionda @Keionda Hearts Books says

    11-23-15 at 12:56 PM

    I love book that share a little bit of diversity in them! And it seems that authors are catching on quickly and are bringing about more of it in their stories. <3 Thanks for sharing this review lovely! xoxo

    Reply
  2. Carina Olsen says

    11-23-15 at 2:41 PM

    Awesome review Kelly :D Yay for enjoying this one a lot, despite not loving it. <3 And yess. I also think that cover looks so pretty :D Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this book sweetie. <3 You have made me curious. But not curious enough to actually read it, lol. Not for me :)
    Carina Olsen recently posted…In My Mailbox #212My Profile

    Reply
  3. Jaime Lester says

    11-24-15 at 10:41 PM

    I have such a weird relationship with these types of books. I think they are necessary and it is fantastic that they are out in the world. But I just don’t mesh well with them a lot of the time. I think I am too hard on them, and don’t just allow myself to sit and enjoy!
    Jaime Lester recently posted…Jaime Reviews ~ We’ll Never Be Apart by Emiko JeanMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic says

    12-02-15 at 1:56 PM

    Ooh this sounds really good, its a pity that the endings were a cop-out though :( and I agree, the cover is gorgeous! Lovely review! :)

    Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic
    Kyra @ Blog of a Bookaholic recently posted…In which I try to review coherently (and fail) & flood the world with my tears because of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (SPOILERS AHEAD)My Profile

    Reply
  5. Kat C says

    1-26-16 at 11:13 PM

    I have been meaning to read one of her books for years, I think I’ll start with her first one and hold off on that one.

    Reply
  6. Karen Blue says

    2-24-16 at 7:12 AM

    I didn’t know this book was about Huntington’s disease. I am a little put off by you saying their are cop outs in the ending. I hate when authors use cheap tricks to end the book. Great review and thanks for keeping it spoiler free!
    Karen Blue recently posted…Review: BURNING GLASS by Kathryn PurdieMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Resh Susan says

    6-16-16 at 3:07 AM

    Sounds like a great read or more of a safe read – not the kind that will blow yor mind and neither the one that will dissapoint you. Great for a holiday read
    Resh Susan recently posted…Seven Reasons to Read AGOS by V. E. SchwabMy Profile

    Reply

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