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The Rule of Won

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Review by Jill Williamson

Caleb Dune is a major slacker. He lives to laze around. His overachieving girlfriend, Vicky, is not only running for class president, she has read a book called The Rule of Won that showed her a new way to live successfully. And she is bent on getting Caleb to read it too.

Caleb gives in to make her happy. He's not sure he buys the whole thing, but, being a slacker, it's easier to join the club and make Vicki happy, than to take a stand against it and face her anger. So Caleb joins up. He wears the button proclaiming him a member and chants along with the other club members as they try to get what they want by wishing for it.

When things start to work out, Caleb gets excited. This is the ultimate slacker way of life. If he can simply wish for things and have them happen, he'll never have to do anything in life. But things start to get out of control. People get hurt, and Caleb discovers some things about the club that upset him. Can he simply turn his back on The Rule or will he have to take a stand for what is right, even if it means doing something hard?

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and true of human nature to not only follow the crowd, but to look for easy answers in life. Caleb got sucked into the cult by simply wanting to make his girlfriend happy. It was creepy--and sometimes hysterical--to read the things the members of the cult posted on the message board. I didn't like the swearing in the book, and because of it, couldn't recommend it on my blog, which was a shame. Swearing in books for teens doesn't make them more relatable, it just turns them off to certain people and limits the book's audience. Regardless, the message of this book is a good one of you don't mind the swearing.

"There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar

Great expectations, everybody's watching you

People you meet, they all seem to know you

Even your old friends treat you like you're something new"

(Eagles)

There's a new book in town, and the secret is out.

Even a dedicated underachiever like Caleb Dunne submits to peer pressure (or rather, girlfriend pressure) and reluctantly finds himself a part of a rapidly expanding school club based on the new book "The Rule of Won".

The thing is, the club members seem pretty obsessed by the teachings of the book, the latest big thing to hit Screech Neck High School in recent memory, and the self proclaimed leader Ethan Skinson is pulling out all the stops.

And then there's Ethan's sister Alyssa, who has a secret of her own, and the guys from the Newspaper Club who are ready to write an expose against all odds.

Caleb is happy to go with the flow and ride the tide if it will make Vicky happy, but when things start getting out of control in a big way, he has to decide whether it's time to take a stand against the group, and Ethan.

A high school tale about peer pressure and the difficulties to be expected when one dares to be different; the story also has a nice little touch of the supernatural to spice it up, and is recommended for readers from age 12 and up.

Rated: 4.5 stars

Amanda Richards, September 2, 2008

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could have anything you wanted just by wishing for it badly enough? Just imagine what a whole group could achieve by wishing, chanting, and believing - be it good or bad. You'd think a self-acclaimed slacker would go for something like this like gangbusters, but Caleb Dunne knows better. After he was wrongly blamed for the destruction of his school's new gym, all the wishing in the world didn't make any of his classmates believe his claims of innocence, much less like him any longer. Only one thing could ever make him join any school club, especially one built around the teachings of the mega-popular book The Rule of Won - and that would be a girl. He finally gives in and reads this book his girlfriend Vicky is so wildly excited about; he joins the school's new Rule of Won "Crave" just to make her happy; he even gets excited when the club's early attempts at "imanifesting" actually succeed. Heck, who wouldn't be excited to see the school basketball team actually win a game for a change? All too quickly, though, Caleb sees the dark side to this group-think mentality run amuck. Does he have the courage to stand up against it, though? It could mean losing his girlfriend and isolating himself once again from classmates who have begun to finally accept him. It might even put him - and others - in danger.

The leader of the Screech Neck High Crave is Ethan Skinson, a new transfer student who Caleb immediately labels a little "too" - a little too clean-cut, a little too straight-laced, etc. (including, as far as Caleb is concerned, a little too "freaky"). After he joins the Crave, he has to add "a little too attractive to Vicky" to the list - but that isn't why he eventually turns on the group (well, it's not the only reason, anyway). There's his other friend Erica, whose desperation to pass algebra turns her into a chanting fool who stops studying altogether, putting all of her trust in Ethan and The Rule of Won. More than anything else, though, it's the consequences of the group's success. As long as they get what they want, the Cravers don't seem to care if anyone gets hurt along the way, and those who dare criticize the increasingly powerful group set themselves up for bullying or worse.

The dangers of group-think litter the landscape of history, and a high school makes for a perfect microcosm in which to illustrate the dangers of one group gaining influence and refusing to tolerate any level of dissent. Perhaps the best example of this is an old after-school special called The Wave, which left a deep and lasting impression on me and, I have to believe, many others who saw it. The Rule of Won, though, takes this message to places that even The Wave did not dare to tread and, I daresay, will leave quite a lasting impression on many of its readers.

The book is tailor-made for its primary audience of Young Adult readers, as Stefan Petrucha has long been a prolific writer of teen and tween fiction as well as graphic novels. While no adult would dare claim to understand teenagers, Petrucha certainly has a knack for appreciating and communicating the vagaries of teen angst, and that makes his characters almost as genuine as any group of high school kids you'll run across in real life. Petrucha also knows how to tell a darn good story, making The Rule of Won a hard book to put down. Always interesting and eventful, oftentimes quite comical, this powerful and thought-provoking novel offers plenty of food for thought even as it entertains. Even young adults who don't normally enjoy reading might be surprised at just how quickly and deeply they are drawn in to this powerful and fascinating storyline.

"Because of bad experiences, bad teaching, or just bad expectations, most of us expect the worst from life, so that's what most of us get. The universe *only* gives you what you ask for, so if you think about getting sick long enough, you'll get sick. If you imagine someone beating you up long enough, someone will beat you up. *But*...imagine getting a new car long enough and that'll happen, too. Imagine losing weight or gaining muscle, and you will." - From The Rule of Won

What happens when a group of students at Screech Neck High School gets their hands on a Secret-esque teaching promising that if you can imagine it, you can manifest it? What of those who are dubious, who dare to question the concept of "imanifesting"?

At first, when Duppie (downwardly mobile) Ethan Skinson begins evangelizing the teachings of Jasper Trelawney, author of the mega book The Rule of Won, students slowly, cautiously attend meetings called "Craves". Using "mesmories" to "imanifest" their "craves", students begin to focus on individual wants to bring into being.

When someone suggests "imanifesting" more school funding for Screech Neck High--and it happens--group enthusiasm skyrockets. School-wide fervor ensues, with students (and even the principal) wearing "1" pins and yelling crave chants in the halls.

Slacker and loner extraordinaire Caleb Dunne wants nothing to do with the group--until his girlfriend Vicky practically gives him an ultimatum: get with the craving, the "imanifesting"--or get shut out of her life.

When Caleb begins to see things happening--including wishing for his bus to stop as it was driving away without him (the driver does, indeed, brake and pick him up)--he, too, becomes a believer.

But what of the magical drawings that Ethan's sister produces? Are they linked--or even the source--of the amazing manifestations? And what happens when members have conflicting "craves"--or want the group to "imanifest" differing scenarios?

With bold, compelling strokes, author Stefan Petrucha paints an unsettling portrait of what happens when groupthink rules--and immature teens turn on each other in the quest for the best...and in order vanquish the enemies of supposed negativity.

Cleverly melding "actual" discussion board posts from Cravers--from an Xbox and an iPod to more serious requests like safety for relatives overseas in the military--with student interaction, private thoughts and euphoric Crave meetings, Petrucha offers an unflinching look at fanaticism and its bloody (and almost deadly) aftermath.

For those who have reservations about The Secret and similar teachings, The Rule of Won (geared towards those ages 12 and up) will only confirm your misgivings. However, Petrucha doesn't throw the New Age baby out with the bathwater: while he does depict the dangers of wanton materialism combined with zealotry, the possibility--and actuality--of some tenants of manifestation are left intact.

Rather than write with a judgmental tone, the author presents an all-too-plausible scenario that could occur in isolated settings, yet refuses to offer easy answers or pat condemnation of the Law of Attraction (and similar teachings).

A gripping read, The Rule of Won would appeal to teens that enjoy Young Adult novels centering on relationship conflicts and cliques. Teachers will appreciate the sensitive treatment of themes like bullying, herd mentality and acceptance. Lastly, those who welcome novels exploring the juncture between metaphysical concepts and the "ground level" vagaries of life will consider reading The Rule of Won time well spent (as I did).

-- Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book

One of the review titles that I opted to accept for a recreational read was the young adult novel The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha. I'm often hesitant to venture into the YA genre, as 1) I'm definitely not a "young adult" any more (at least based on the calendar... "immature adult" may still apply), and 2) any lessons that are trying to be taught are often no longer applicable. But the premise tweaked my interest, and the tweak was accurate in this case... The Rule of Won is an entertaining read, with solid writing and a message that a few more adults should pay attention to...

The main character, Caleb Dunne, is a high school student who has turned slacking into an art form. Anything worth doing is worth doing as easily as possible, and there's not much worth doing in the first place. The flip side is his girlfriend, Vicky Bainbridge, who is a classic overachiever... running for school office, involved in everything, and is pushing Dunne to clean up his act. This motivation comes to a head when a fellow classmate, Ethan Skinson, starts a club to discuss and live life by the principles in the book The Rule of Won. Basically, if you want something, you can use mesmories to imanifest your crave. The group starts out small, and sets a crave to get money to rebuild the school's gym (which Dunne is accused of ruining the first time it was being rebuilt). When this event actually comes to pass, the group picks up momentum, and sets a crave to have their high school win a basketball game (which they haven't done all year) against the state champions. Strangely, this too happens. Vicky is smitten with Ethan, Dunne is on the fence as to whether this is all for real, and in short order nearly the whole school has gotten on the bandwagon. This "groupthink" bothers Dunne to no end, and he sees how it's quickly becoming a case of "you're either for us or against us". When a teacher is seriously injured in a car accident due to the crave of everyone needing to pass an algebra test (that he's no longer able to give due to the wreck), Dunne confronts Ethan with some facts, and that leads to a physical showdown between the two, with nearly the entire school body imanifesting Dunne getting the snot beat out of him...

Petrucha based the story off of the best-selling book The Secret, which proposes that you can have anything in the universe you want just by imagining it as already belonging to you. He pokes plenty of holes in the concept, as well as showing what happens when greed, ego, and groupthink start to drive what you crave. I really enjoyed the wisecracking dialogue of Caleb Dunne, as well as his emotional turmoil over Vicky's infatuation with Ethan, and his own growing attraction to a goth girl he's never really gotten to know that well. Great characters, and perfect pacing. The moral of learning to think for oneself really does transcend the YA audience, and I can think of a number of adults who would enjoy this (and a number who should also read it for the lessons). If you get the opportunity to pick this up for your kid (or yourself), I think you'll be pleased with your selection...

I am always keen on exploring different themes in the YA genre and "The Rule of Won' has proven to be a unique offering that makes for an interesting read. The setting is the town of Screech Neck [ yes,that's the name, I kid you not] and centers around slacker Caleb Dunne who really finds no motivation in life except to coast through it, until his girlfriend Vicky Bainbridge prods him into joining the latest club in school led by a mysteriously charismatic boy, Ethan Skinson. Ethan and his fellow Cravers follow the teachings of a book titled The Rule of Won, where each member of the club is encouraged to believe that as you think, so you are [i.e. believe in something strongly enough and it will materialise]. Each member then posts his/her crave on a message board and soon, the members are ecstatic to find their common craves materialising, almost miraculously.

Even Caleb, the ever-skeptic finds his doubts dissipating, but then nasty things start to happen - illnesses, accidents and many students and even faculty begin to get consumed by The Rule of Won. Will Caleb save the day, and if so, how is he going to do it?

Author Stefan Petrucha's narrative skills are quite impressive as he convincingly uses teen jargon and credibly portrays the challenges faced by teens in high school - peer pressure, the need to do well academically etc. Teen angst is so well-portrayed that readers can genuinely empathise with the plight of some of the characters such as Caleb and Erica, Caleb's algebra-challenged friend.

All in all, I found The Rule of Won to be a well-written YA novel with current themes and issues that will appeal to its target audience. The parody of The Secret [upon which The Rule of Won is inspired] is done with wit and humor. Highly recommended for those looking for a thought-provoking YA novel.

Caleb Dunne is a self-professed slacker. Sadly, everything comes to him with little or no effort on his part. He gets good grades, but only because he is really smart. He has a pretty girlfriend, but it is difficult to understand how a dynamic young woman would be attracted to Caleb. Caleb seems a strange choice to join a crave. Then again, he only joined because of Vicky, his girlfriend.

What is a crave? A crave is a group that gathers to implement the power of "The Rule of Won." Oh, you probably want to what "The Rule of Won" is. Well, it is the book within the book. "The Rule of Won" is a manual of sorts to get whatever you want by the power of positive thinking. I know. We have heard this sort of thing before many times. In fact, author Petrucha includes a bit of the history of such thinking. However, that does not solve Caleb's problem, to which we must return.

What is Caleb's problem? His problem is that he appears to be one of the few people who recognize that the crave is bogus. Even some teachers and school administrators appear to have bought into the Rule, as cravers call it. What Caleb sees is that there is danger in the crave - danger that could lead to a lot of harm, possibly for some members of the crave, but also for people who are not in the crave.

At last, we, and Caleb, discover that Caleb is in fact not a slacker at all. Caleb was merely waiting for a reason to be a non-slacker. The crave made it happen for him. However, what is Caleb going to do against the power of dozens and maybe even hundreds of people? Caleb has no idea. In fact, for a while Caleb feels as though the entire world is against him. Technically, that is not quite true, because Caleb discovers that there are a few people who see through the façade of the crave and the "Rule." Will those few be enough to reveal reality?

Stefan Petrucha is a marvelous writer with a phenomenal talent for writing young adult novels. "The Rule of Won" is the third Petrucha novel I have read, the first two being "Teen, Inc." and "Split." All three were creative and inventive and, at least for me, broke interesting new ground.

I have likened Petrucha to Robert A. Heinlein in previous reviews, and I invoke Heinlein's name again. True, the subject matter is different from all of Heinlein's books, but Petrucha's style bears some similarity to Heinlein's style. So, if you like Heinlein's books and you like young adult books, you will likely enjoy this book as well as Petrucha's other books.

I recommend this book to teens and adults looking for a well-written, clever and creative story about teenagers taking a stance and going against peer pressure.

Enjoy!

My thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy.

The Rule of Won was a very interesting story about a cult that is obsessed with The Rule of Won. The Rule of Won is a book that was written by Jasper Trelawney and basically is about how if you just wish for something hard enough, you will get it and how anything that happens to you is what you secretly wished for.

Caleb Dunne is a slacker with horrible bad luck. Ever since the old gym of the school collapsed and he was the only person there at the time, he has been on the brink of expulsion and on the outs with his politically ambitious girlfriend, Vicky. When Vicky asks him to join the after school club for The Rule he figures that it will be a way to win her back. Once he gets into the club, though, bad things start to happen.

Caleb realizes that maybe the leader of The Rule, Ethan might be behind a lot of the accidents that are causing The Rule's dreams to come true but as he begins to investigate he realizes that it is impossible to stop them. The whole school has become obsessed, including the principal.

Caleb finally decides that he has to take matters into his own hands and faces off with Ethan to end the reign of the cult but not everything goes as expected.

I really enjoyed reading this book even though it wasn't one that I would normally pick up off the shelf. The story is kind of left hanging at the end though. It's almost like the author could write a sequel and I think that would make another great story.

From www.mrsmagooreads.com

Title: The Rule of Won

Author: Stefan Petrucha

Grade: A-

Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls 10-17

Summary: Caleb has gone through life as a slacker. After all, it's easier than actually putting forth an effort working. He's been told if he keeps it up, he won't be able to achieve anything, but if he doesn't want anything, how can that hurt him? However, when his girlfriend, the overachiever Vicky, gets on his case to join a new club, he does the unthinkable: he agrees.

This action isn't as out of character as it may seem, though. The club focuses around a book named The Rule of Won that says that if you wish for something, you'll get it. That's perfect for Caleb: the concept states that he'll be able to get things without working!

The club is led by a guy named Ethan. Their first project is to get their school more funding. After all group members chant for it tirelessly, the impossible happens: the school gets a grant! When a few more wishes come true using the group's method, the club grows and grows until almost every student is a member.

However, Caleb is growing wary. Possessing such a large amount of power isn't right, and he's afraid Ethan may be abusing it. But because everybody has been sucked into believing Ethan, Caleb needs to come up with a creative way to show that The Rule of Won doesn't really work- and fast.

My thoughts: The Rule of Won is an extremely interesting commentary on group think. Many characters stop thinking for themselves after a while, and lose all rationality simply to agree with the crowd. The novel also incorporates wishful thinking, as many characters are excited to be able to get whatever they want.

Fortunately, this psychological analysis does NOT make the book boring; on the contrary, Stefan Petrucha keeps the plot exciting. Because of this, The Rule of Won can be read on many different levels.

I also found it interesting that the ideas that Ethan's group teaches are like meditation and visualization taken at new angles.

Caleb Dunne is a self-proclaimed slacker. He isn't motivated to so much of anything, but yet he still is blamed for the construction accident that brought the new school gym tumbling to the ground. When his girlfriend Vicky convinces him to join a new school club, centered around the bestselling book Rule of Won which focuses on positive thinking, he does so reluctantly just to please Vicky, but then because it might be a chance to get everyone's mind off of him. But as the club grows in size and popularity, some of the ideas are quickly becoming twisted into something cult-like Caleb can't agree with--and when it becomes harmful to the people around him, Slacker Caleb is motivated to do something about it.

Stefan Petrucha's Rule of Won is humorous (in an ironic and almost dark sort of way), fascinating, and quite thoughtful. Petrucha's Rule of One cult is just believable enough to be realistic, but at the same time its less convincing undertones are enough to keep readers on Caleb's side and understand the effects of peer pressure and a persuasive leader. Caleb is a very well formed character, from his actions to his responses to the Rule of Won cult, and his humor and witty line of thinking counteract the novel's more serious moments appropriately. Petrucha's message is clear, but not in a patronizing or overly preach-y way, and his candid and surprising style make it easy to fall right in to The Rule of Won, a must read for the forward-thinking teen.