The Rule of Three (The Rule of Three, 1) - Hardcover

Walters, Eric

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374355029 ISBN 13: 9780374355029

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2014

Synopsis

One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley's high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam's are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon―as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends―he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival, in The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.

About this title

About the Author

Eric Walters, a former elementary school teacher, is a bestselling children’s author in Canada. He is the founder of Creation of Hope, which provides care for orphans in the Makueni district of Kenya. His recent books include The Rule of Three series and Nothing to Fear.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up—Adam, 16, is helping his friend Todd work on a computer project at school when everything shuts down. At first, it seems like a run-of-the-mill blackout, but then they notice that anything with a computer has been affected. Luckily, Adam drives a '79 Omega and therefore is able to travel around town. Things are a bit tougher than usual, but everyone is hopeful that things will get back to normal soon. Adam's neighbor Herb, a retired and secretive government paper pusher, is helpful as the situation unravels but is also aware that things may never be the same again. Between Herb's inside knowledge and Adam's mother being police captain, a lot of the truth about what is going on is revealed to Adam. This story shows what happens to people and society when everyday rules go out the window and everyone is struggling to survive. Some of the characters lack depth, but Adam is a relatable protagonist. The story tends to drag at times as the main action doesn't occur until the very end, but key moments will propel readers forward. Rule of Three maintains a realistic and frightening look at what happens when technology is lost and modern society begins to fall apart.—Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY

One afternoon, as teenage Adam and his best friend, Todd, are working in their high-school computer lab, all computers and anything relying on them to run shut down. As the alarms sound, Adam, his mother (the local police chief), and their neighbor Herb, an elderly former government operative, become the center of the neighborhood’s efforts to survive the technological meltdown. They erect walls, stockpile supplies, and convert the lawns into farmland, hunkering down to face the growing unrest. However, as is often the case among sci-fi in general, Walters’ (Tagged, 2013) female characters are often relegated to merely romantic or administrative roles. Adam’s mother is naive and ineffective, and Herb repeatedly subverts and manipulates her authority. And despite the fact that she’s one of the few people in the community with knowledge of farming, Adam’s girlfriend, Lori, is his first choice for day-care provider. In spite of those shortcomings, Adam’s ethical qualms about the ruthless decisions that Herb insists they must make—turning people away from their sanctuary, treating unknown people as threats—make for nuanced reading. Grades 8-11. --Paula Willey

Edition details

• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0374355029
• ISBN 13: 9780374355029
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 416