The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Genre: teen social issues
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 321
Synopsis: I thought it had worked for me, looking after everyone else. But it didn't. Not anymore.

Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no one else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal.
So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: She falls for her sister's husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet's not fixing a problem, she's at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn't seem to be an option....

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"When someone gave you everything and it still was not enough, when you made them prove and prove their love again, you were the evil witch of fairy tales; you had snakes for hair and a small stone heart."

-Scarlet, The Six Rules of Maybe, page 57

This was a good book, but it was a little too profound. Scarlet had a lot of, "Oh my gosh, I think I understand the universe" moments. One or two epiphanies would have been enough, but with each chapter, there came a new one. And it took up most of the space. Caletti was detailed in her writing, overly so in some areas, which had me struggling through the book and zoning in and out of attention.

Scarlet was a nice character, who did learn that being overly nice all the time doesn't work. At least, not for all people. Towards the end, when she finally understood her sister Juliet, you could see her take charge with Juliet's help, and you can see her overcome her love for Hayden (Juliet's husband).

Overall, it was a very nice novel towards the end. The details in parts were overwhelming and unnecessary. The profound moments happened a little too often I thought. But some were inspirational. Some of the novel really made you think. I loved Scarlet's character development, and the cast of characters around her. The writing may have been a little sketchy, but the plot and the characters made up for it.

The Cover: I love the openness of the cover. The vastness of the ocean really makes the word "maybe" into this huge possibility of things. I love the summer background, too: I've missed the sun!