THE RULES OF US

A girl’s plans for college, love, and the future are derailed.

Jillian always has a plan: She knows she and her boyfriend, Henry, will win scholarships for New York state students that will allow them to attend college together, study video game design, and found the ultimate video game company. But instead of enjoying the night of their junior prom, Jillian and Henry come out to each other as gay. Jillian implements a new set of rules to keep their future on track—after all, they’re still best friends, and their academic and career goals haven’t changed. But when the scholarship committee requires supplemental evidence showing their well-roundedness, Henry enrolls in Mandarin at a community college, and Jillian joins crew—and in the process, they both develop new romantic entanglements. Jillian’s narrative voice is engaging, depicting her complex and evolving relationships and self-image despite her strict self-moderation. The discussions of labels for sexuality, developing independent selves, and exploring a variety of relationships are mature and subtle. Similarly, Jillian’s blinkered reactions to Henry’s own evolution are empathetically and realistically depicted as he deals with subjects such as his anxiety and connection to his Korean heritage (Jillian is White). The exploration of both main characters’ family issues is well done. The queer romances are sweet and slow burn, but they form the background to Jillian’s internal struggles.

A heartfelt journey into a teen’s emotional and internal evolution.