Shelf Addiction
  • Home
  • The Podcast
  • Blog
  • Monthly Read-Alongs
  • About Shelf Addiction
    • Media Kit
    • Advertising
    • Privacy Policy
  • Support Us
  • Shop
  • Tee Public Merch Store
  • Book Club Guide
  • Giveaways
Sign up for the FREE Shelf Addiction Newsletter!

Book Review | The Rules of Half, by Jenna Patrick

12/18/2017

0 Comments

 
PictureClick to purchase!
Publisher: Sparkpress
Release Date: June 6, 2017
Format: Paperback
Pages: 376
Source: Publicist/Publisher
Genre: General Fiction
Rating: 4 bookmarks

Synopsis: If Will Fletcher's severe bipolar disorder isn't proof he shouldn't be a parent, his infant daughter's grave is. Once a happily married, successful veterinarian, he now lives with his sister and thrives as the small-town crazy of Half Moon Hollow. But when a fifteen-year-old orphan claims she's his daughter, Will is forced back into the role he fears most: fatherhood. Her biological dad isn't the hero Regan Whitmer hoped for, but he's better than her abusive stepfather back in Chicago. Still haunted by her mother's suicide and the rebellious past she fears led to it, Regan is desperate for a stable home and a normal family--things Will can't offer. Can she ride the highs and lows of his illness to find a new definition of family? The Rules of Half explores what it is to be an atypical family in a small town and to be mentally ill in the wake of a tragedy--and who has the right to determine both. 

* This book was provided by BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.


Not all happy endings are completely happy, and “The Rules of Half” is a perfect example of this. Jenna Patrick’s debut novel is set in modern day small-town America, and follows Will Fletcher, the town ‘crazy’, and his sister Janey. Will and Janey’s childhood involved a father that was suffering from a disorder of the mind, and it appears that Will is following in his footsteps. Janey has been there for the last five years to pick up the pieces, all while keeping her own life on the back burner. 
​
Enter Regan-a feisty 16 year old who is fleeing from her own grief who claims that Will is her biological father. Can the trio learn to live together and not drive each other insane, literally?
I felt that the characters were all very relatable, very real, and I have an especially soft spot for Will. Ms. Patrick really made both sides of the mental disorder (of both the patient and their family members) come alive. It’s rare, in my opinion, to find an author that can describe a mental illness from the viewpoint of the patient and make it believable and not so far-fetched that the reader can’t relate with the character.  My heart broke for him in more ways than one, and to be labeled the town’s lunatic just makes it that much harder for him to become the man that he can be. Regan is an important piece of the story here to help Will really grow, and to give him the strength to believe in himself. Throughout the story, Will evolves, and I found myself rooting for him, even when everybody had given up on him. 

I did have trouble with some of the backstories. There were numerous instances in the book that the author referred to stories of prior characters which led me to believe that there may have been a prequel to those stories. But alas, this is definitely the author’s first book, so I don’t know if she plans on writing a sequel about those events? I am not normally a fan of series, but it definitely left Ms. Patrick’s options open for future novels. 

I would put this book in the same category as books written by Karma Brown (especially her latest (In This Moment), Dani Shapiro, and Diane Chamberlain. 

​Grab a cup of joe, a warm blanket, and tuck in to enjoy this story of human relationships and family dynamics.

Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Gain access to exclusive content!
    Picture
    Click for Shelf Addiction merch!
    Follow on Bloglovin

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Get ONE month FREE!

    ​Rating Scale: 

    Picture
    Wonderful! Loved it! Add it to your shelf!
    Picture
    ​Very good read! It's bookshelf worthy.
    Picture
    ​I liked it. Borrow it from the library or a friend.
    Picture
    I got through it...barely! If you must read it, borrow it.
    Picture
    Don't waste your time.

    Picture

    Currently Reading

    Somebody I Used to Know
    Hidden Bodies

    Follow on Bloglovin

    Read the Printed Word!
    Picture

    DISCLAIMER 
    All affiliate links used on this site are links which I will receive a small commission if you purchase using them. A percent of all monies earned goes to help pay for this website and giveaways hosted by me .
    Click here to read the 
    Privacy Policy for Shelf Addiction


    Categories

    All
    1 Bookmark
    2 Bookmarks
    3 Bookmarks
    4 Bookmarks
    5 Bookmarks
    Aa Fiction
    Armchair Bea
    Audiobook
    Author Features
    Autobiography
    Biography
    Blog Tours
    Book Conventions
    Book Haul Tuesday
    Bookish Bargains
    Bookish News
    Bookish Pod Chat
    Book To Movie Adaptations
    Book To TV Adaptations
    BookTube Weekly
    Buddy Reads
    Chick Lit
    Christian Fiction
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporary Romance
    Cover Reveal
    Dystopian
    Erotica
    Fantasy
    Fantasy Series
    Feature & Follow Friday
    General Fiction
    Giveaways
    Guest Posts
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Inspirational
    Literacy Events
    Memoir
    Movie Reviews
    Mystery
    Narrator Interviews
    New Adult
    Non Fiction
    Paranormal
    Paranormal Romance
    Pop Culture Sunday
    Read Along
    Read A Thon
    Romance
    Romantic Suspense
    RTU
    Sa-book-club
    Saturday Book Chat
    Science Fiction
    Seasonal Reading
    Shelf Byte
    Short Stories
    Steampunk
    Summer Of Indie
    Suspense
    TBR Jar
    The Book Exchange
    The Recap!
    Thriller
    Throwback Thursday
    TPCP
    Tv Show Reviews
    Urban Fantasy
    Why I Love Wednesdays
    Womens Fiction
    Ya Dystopian
    Ya Fantasy
    Ya Fiction
    Ya Historical Fantasy
    Ya Historical Fiction
    Ya Mystery
    Ya Paranormal
    Ya Retelling
    Ya Romance
    Ya Science Fiction
    Ya Steampunk
    Ya Thriller
    Ya Urban Fantasy

    Reviews Published

    Sponsor Love

    Picture
    Advertise on 
    ​Shelf Addiction!

    Picture
    Picture
    We can't do this without you!! Support this podcast! Use the referral links, leave a review on your platform of choice, donate a coffee or checkout the merch store. Even show your support on Patreon!

    Podcast Book Chats, Bookish Topics, Book Reviews, Audiobook Reviews, Author and Narrator Interviews, Online Book Club

© 2012-2023 shelfaddiction.com. All rights reserved.