Rules of Summer

May 6, 2013
The daughter of former talk show host Regis Philbin continues to mine her roots, following her Daughters series with a similarly themed novel. Set among the chic country clubs and pristine beaches of East Hampton, this conventional but entertaining story follows two unlikely 17-year-old friends: Isabel Rule, the daughter of blue-blood millionaires, and Rory McShane, the niece of the Rules’ housekeeper. When Rory first arrives at the Rules’ beachside mansion to be their “errand girl” for the summer, it’s all she can do to keep from gawking at her posh surroundings and offending Isabel. But eventually, Isabel’s superficial needs throw the girls together, paving the way for a deeper connection. As they open up about their respective fears, they realize that while their circumstances are worlds apart, what they want out of life might not be. Though Rory’s transformation from insecure wallflower to outspoken critic of the rich and famous is rushed, and a last-minute twist feels tacked on, Philbin’s impressions of Hamptons’ etiquette—both the good and the deliciously nasty—remain as strong as ever. Ages 15–up. Agent: Rebecca Oliver, William Morris Endeavor.

May 1, 2013
When a middle-class girl spends the summer living with a superrich family on Long Island, conflict and romance result. As Rory's mom moves from cheap, young boyfriend to cheaper, younger boyfriend, Rory looks for escape. Her aunt, the housekeeper for the wealthy Rule family, invites her to stay in East Hampton on Long Island for the summer. Rory agrees to do minor errands for the family in exchange for her beautiful room, and inevitably, she is thrown together with the Rules' spoiled-brat, youngest child, Isabel, who tries to help Rory find a boyfriend. Unbeknownst to Isabel, however, Rory and Isabel's brother Connor fall in love, although Rory knows the Rule family will never approve. Meanwhile Isabel falls for a local surfer, another forbidden and therefore hidden romance. As the summer progresses, Isabel begins to mature beyond her wealthy girlfriends at the local country club, and Rory realizes that no matter how nice the Rules appear on the surface, power and money trump all, although that verdict does not fit everyone in the family. Many of the wealthy characters turn out to be shallow, but a few grow to realize that surface appearances and arbitrary power don't matter much in real life, a predictable, simple character arc. Philbin hits all the buttons designed to attract chick-lit readers--major wealth, casually mentioned fashion, hot boyfriends and, of course, universal beauty--for a summertime diversion. (Chick lit. 12 & up)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Rory is thrilled to be joining her aunt at a beach mansion in New York's Hamptons for the summer. One small wrinkle, though: Fee is the housekeeper, and Rory will be an unpaid errand girl for the fabulously wealthy Rule family. It won't be exactly carefree, blissful fun in the sun, but it will be a departure from small-town New Jersey and the parade of her hair-stylist mother's boyfriends. The youngest Rule daughter, Isabel, also decides to try something new: a romance with Mike, a salt-of-the-earth, local surfer who seems to be calling the shots, and that's a first for her. Gone are the salad lunches with gossip about the same old, same old. Now it's an older guy and a whole different sphere of people. After a rocky start, Rory and Isabel find themselves in an upstairs-downstairs friendship in which Rory tries to teach Isabel to drive while Isabel resolves to find Rory a boyfriend. The guy Rory really likes is Isabel's older brother. Maybe Conner even likes her, but the exacting Mrs. Rule, who fires cooks with alarming frequency, would look down her nose at such an unsuitable attachment. In this serviceable summer romance novel, the girls and their love interests are fleshed out nicely.-Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 Philbin returns to writing about the rich and privileged with this upstairs-downstairs take. Rory McShane is escaping her boring life in New Jersey to be an errand girl for the wealthy Rule family, where Isabel Rule reigns as the rebellious youngest child and Queen of the Hamptons. The two girls soon form an unlikely friendship and help each other navigate summer romancesand growing up in general. Specifically, Isabel meets a local surfer who is a bit dangerous, while Rory crushes on Conner Rule. Brand names, country clubs, parties, and social class issues abound, and Isabel and Rory are both likable characters as they battle against social orders. There are family secrets to add drama, though much of the surprise is lost because they are not developed until near the end. The strength of the novel is in Isabel and Rory's friendship and romantic relationships, where Isabel's story line is a bit more realistic than Rory's. Both, though, are well done, making this book a good, light summer beach read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
New Jersey girl Rory spends the summer working for the wealthy Rule family in beachfront East Hampton, New York. Things get complicated when Rory befriends their rebellious daughter, Isabel, and then hooks up with Connor Rule, angering the family's matriarch (who's hiding deceptions and secrets of her own). This summer beach read is a shallow but entertaining look at the sometimes-wanton lives of the elite.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)